General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTo get some perspective ..Doug Jones is our Scott Brown
I dont see him lasting beyong 3 years ( unless he becomes a Republican)
He will have to compete again in 2020 ( presidential year)
I am such a pessimist ..what can I say?
scheming daemons
(25,487 posts)....so I'll take that comparison.
Tiggeroshii
(11,088 posts)Definitely not a pessimistic view in the lonf term
Irish_Dem
(45,619 posts)misanthrope
(7,405 posts)The GOP ran about the only candidate that could lose to a Democrat. He made repeated missteps, showing his bigotry and lack of acumen.
It still took some investigative journalism by the Washington Post, journalism the state-based media had refused to do for decades that exposed Moore as a major-league creep and strongly possible sexual predator.
Then you have Richard Shelby's statement of the last couple of days making many Republicans feel OK about not voting for Moore.
Even with all that, Jones barely edged his opponent by a couple of percentage points. That was thanks to stronger than usual GOTV efforts and unexpected numbers of youth and minority votes.
Had Jones faced off against a run-of-the-mill Republican it's likely he would have easily lost.
Now, Jones will be faced with a difficult choice. If he votes and legislates in a way he feels is best for gaining re-election, he's going to have to betray some of his principles to curry favor with constituents.
Thing is, that probably won't amount to much. As long as the Republican he faces in 2020 is pretty average, as long as Jones has that D by his name, he's not likely to win re-election.
So do you govern in the way you think is best for the underrepresented and downtrodden in your state, the ones who need you the most knowing you only have a two-year window to do so? Or do you govern the way more pleasing to the Alabama electorate, though it gains you little?
mnmoderatedem
(3,706 posts)as ECSTATIC as I am about this outcome, if Moore did not have that penchant for teenage girls, even pre teenage girls, he would have won this race. It's Alabama, about as red as it gets. It took THIS degree of character issues for Moore to lose a seat which is normally a shoo in for repubs.
I'm more looking forward to kicking the crap out of repubs in 2018, which WILL happen. Trumpism is spiraling downward in popularity and Mr Mueller is only going to make it better and better. Drip by drip.
Irish_Dem
(45,619 posts)And maybe AL has learned some lessons.
It would still make for a dicey situation for Jones.
Thank you for your informative post, I now understand the situation.
Maybe he can walk some sort of line that is middle ground.
RDANGELO
(3,430 posts)he would male a great prospect for attorney general.
SharonClark
(10,005 posts)Some of us are celebrating and plotting future victories.
LAS14
(13,749 posts)obnoxiousdrunk
(2,906 posts)BannonsLiver
(16,161 posts)AlexSFCA
(6,137 posts)how do you know alabama is a red state? is it based on 90% turnout?
world wide wally
(21,718 posts)LAS14
(13,749 posts)...discussion and get to the bottom of the issues of the day. Maybe prepare for the next step with well grounded knowledge.
world wide wally
(21,718 posts)We just deserve a day to celebrate too.
RDANGELO
(3,430 posts)He would make a great prospect for attorney general.
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)Le Gaucher
(1,547 posts)Alabama in a presidential year election, given that he will someone better than ( likely) Roy Moore to compete against.
I will be most happy to be wrong.
treestar
(82,383 posts)In 2009 we had not learned the lesson on turnout. The 2016 disaster was instructive.
grantcart
(53,061 posts)Le Gaucher
(1,547 posts)I am sooo happy now.. Been constantly jumping between DU and Facebook
Bucky
(53,795 posts)I appreciate that. Pessimists ended up being right about half the time.
Just be warned, if you're pessimistic on DU, you can expect to be accused of being an idiot or a republican troll by the angry pollyannas on this site.
But I think it's safe to just enjoy the three years of an extra Democratic Senator voting in the close calls in Washington
Zambero
(8,954 posts)Come 2020, saddle up Sassy!
TDale313
(7,820 posts)Brown may not have held the seat long term, but his win was a sign that a wave was coming. Repugs retook Congress. If we get Sessions seat for a few years and 2018 is a Blue wave- hell yeah Ill take that.
OnDoutside
(19,906 posts)devils that Reps have painted them. They can actually help them far more than any Republican ever has in that state.
book_worm
(15,951 posts)We need our Nathans
It doesn't hurt to be occasionally warned of what might lie ahead.
We don't need to start giving up on a 2020 election already!!
FSogol
(45,355 posts)and the clueless white guys in AL will get on board. Maybe African American voters will increase their voting totals from 70% to 90%.
At least give him a chance before proclaiming him finished.
GreenEyedLefty
(2,073 posts)Virginia was the test, Alabama is proof. Unless the GOP does a major personality transplant in the next 11 months, Democrats have a real shot at flipping both houses of Congress.
The most conservative demographic is aging and will soon be gone. The real left is younger and browner, and they're coming for the GOP.
That's who's going to be running the show soon... my daughter who turns 18 in a couple of months was distraught yesterday over the video of the starving polar bear. I told her that her and her friends better turn out and vote in the midterms next year if there is any hope of staving off climate change.
Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)Yes, winning a rematch may be hard.
However, Jones has a long history rooted to service in Alabama. Brown was a dilettante.
Jones can spend time in Alabama being the decent person he is and letting people see who he is.
AND dont count on those GOP lunatics in AL not to nominate another clown or even Moore again. As wild as that may seem, since Nov 2016 wild is the norm.
mvd
(65,148 posts)Look how long Baucus served. I am sure there are other examples.
treestar
(82,383 posts)And nothing says it has to end the same way.
Le Gaucher
(1,547 posts)But I also hope he wins over the people of Alabama..
Maybe this is the start of something good
crazycatlady
(4,492 posts)Let's hope the GOP does not have their version of her in Alabama.
C_U_L8R
(44,891 posts)riding around in a pretend pickup truck.
There is no comparison.
Bleacher Creature
(11,235 posts)He still may lose in 2020 as the fundamentals are going to be stacked against him in AL, even if there are coattails from the Democratic nominee.
But let's give the guy a chance.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)lame54
(35,132 posts)That works for now
alarimer
(16,245 posts)I'm not sure this is a harbinger of anything, honestly. But there does seem to be a trend of Democrats winning nationwide in places they generally don't and with people who generally don't win (see the wins in Virginia by progressives of all stripes). I think it goes to show that Democrats can run all sorts of candidates. Now, Jones is more of a "typical" Democrat, if such a thing exists, but that does not mean "typical" candidates are the only ones who should be considered.
What it DOES show to me is that Democrats have to at least TRY. They have to run candidates in ALL areas (and in my opinion should be looking to atypical candidates more often than not. By that I mean people of color, socialists, progressives, women or whatever fills the bill in a given location).
Le Gaucher
(1,547 posts)Like a NY Mets fan .. I almost get comfortable in self pity while believing in our own goodness.
But working for the local town council election in a very R town , and seeing success is beginning to change some of that.
alarimer
(16,245 posts)Unseated the Republican mayor (who ran - through a PAC- a very nasty campaign), and unseated a couple of R city council people. And this isn't even a red area (which I suppose means it's actually easier, but it's still good news).
TNLib
(1,819 posts)demographics are changing down here. Dems need to keep our coalition together and politicians like Jones needs to deliver to their supporters and I believe the deep south will continue to be competitive for democrats.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)You can keep it.
BannonsLiver
(16,161 posts)obnoxiousdrunk
(2,906 posts)I'll take the three years for now.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Doug Jones is an accomplished public servant with a distinguished record, up to and including bringing terrorists who blow up churches to justice. Scott Brown's record? Well, he did pose for Playgirl. And he drove a red pick-up.