Centrist Democrats push back against party's liberal surge

[Yosemito]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by DonViejo (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Washington Post

At a closed-door meeting of House Democrats on Thursday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said some of her colleagues could find themselves “on a list” of primary election targets, after they voted for a Republican amendment requiring that undocumented immigrants who try to buy guns be reported to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to people in the room who were not authorized to comment publicly.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), a co-chairman of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, said he has confronted party leaders about such threats, which have also come from the Justice Democrats, a liberal group that backed Ocasio-Cortez’s primary campaign.

“Being unified means ensuring that Democrats aren’t primary-ing other sitting Democrats,” Gottheimer said. “Since when is it okay to put you on a Nixonian list? We need to have a big tent in our party or we won’t keep the House or win the White House.”

Some warned that imposing purity tests could lead to a Democratic version of the conservative tea party revolt that transformed the GOP in recent years. That surge has brought Republicans new energy and new voters, but it’s also cost the GOP some congressional races and legislative victories.



Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/centrist-democrats-push-back-against-partys-liberal-surge/2019/03/01/a6674430-3c38-11e9-a2cd-307b06d0257b_story.html

[certainot]

1. that's a problem with liberals ignoring talk radio while it's attacking AOC

and pushing the country 15 pts right - just because they're loud and dems ignore them

the tea party is the talk radio party, dittohead party, trump party - they're all the same and recognizing the problem is talk radio means its easy to fix, otherwise we're just studying fish without water

[murielm99]

2. How about providing a link that allows us

to actually read the article? I need a subscription if I want to see this.

Please note that the so-called Justice Democrats are the ones who have started the primary threats. There is plenty of documentation of their divisiveness, if you look for it.

[Honeycombe8]

4. I've noticed.

I noticed on day one. And none of that is helpful to the #1 cause we have right now: Getting rid of Trump, if the evidence supports it. Without that, nothing else matters, since the Democrats won't be able to do anything, with a Trump White House and Republican Senate.

[Voltaire2]

13. Please note it is the so called "problem solvers"

who voted against Pelosi and have voted with Republicans on procedural matters.

[still_one]

26. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[PSPS]

3. LOL. This is according to "the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus." LOL next

[Julian Englis]

5. Charlie Pierce does a great job taking apart this POS opinion piece

'Dems in Disarray' Is an Exhausting and Flawed Beltway Meme

Anyway, this story isn't Late Breaking News, it's analysis. It should be locked.

[pnwmom]

6. She's not going after centrists or moderates in general. That would be dumb

because the New Democrats coalition, which views itself as centrist-Democrat, has 99 members. And we've figured out by now that she's not dumb.

She is speaking out against Democrats who joined R's to support a Republican amendment targeting undocumented immigrants.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/centrist-democrats-push-back-against-partys-liberal-surge/2019/03/01/a6674430-3c38-11e9-a2cd-307b06d0257b_story.html

At a closed-door meeting of House Democrats on Thursday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said some of her colleagues could find themselves “on a list” of primary election targets, after they voted for a Republican amendment requiring that undocumented immigrants who try to buy guns be reported to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to people in the room who were not authorized to comment publicly.

[SergeStorms]

7. If we disregard this...

I think we do so at our own peril. AOC has some great ideas, but promising to primary other Democrats if they're not far left enough for her is just plain dumb. Are we trying to keep up with the republicans tea party and cult of Trump rush to the right? Ocasio-Cortez is good for the party, but maybe she should just slow down a bit and get a feel for the country's political pulse before attempting to push the party too far left, too quickly. Dividing the party when we need to remain united at all costs to defeat Trump is suicidal. Our country - the world - cannot afford 4 more years of republican "leadership". Slow down AOC, and try to make allies in the House before attempting a takeover. My two cents.

[SergeStorms]

12. Hey, you're not so bad yourself!

..."all the while remembering that the obsessive pursuit of purity is the asphalt on the political Road to Hell." Well done!

[still_one]

27. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[WhoWoodaKnew]

28. PLUS THIS A MILLION TIMES

I've voted democrat my whole life. If we go down the path that republicans took, I'll just stop voting.

[OnDoutside]

9. Firstly, I would not believe anything coming from the PSC, however I have not yet formed

an opinion on AOC. She did great in her Cohen cameo, although she clearly read that from a sheet of paper or a screen, as did a lot of them. I'm not sure her social media bluster is going to end well. The right are working on making her the new "target Hillary", so we'll see what effect that has too.

[True Blue American]

21. AOC was prepared!

Shame the bumbling fools on the right were not.

Jordan was so smart he gave back his time,then tried to reclaim it, against the House rules.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

10. Horseshit

they've been in office 8 weeks. Too soon to believe they are being threatened with this so soon. This is some kind of BS story I'm willing to bet. The party NEEDS to move left (ie: get more liberal)

[SergeStorms]

14. They touched on this...

on MSNBC tonight. I can't be certain, but I think it was on Chris Hayes' show. It's real, and it's totally unnecessary from the junior representatives, in my opinion. I think they need to slow down a bit and stop trying to change everything overnight.

[samnsara]

30. i hate for some of our new people to become the Ted Cruz's of the left...

..i fear this is happening. Not a pretty sight.

[GrannyW]

15. Why the fear to go left? Why the fear to press for real, significant PROGRESS?

Those cautioning against becoming a "tea party of the left" seem to forget how successful their radicals were in moving their party rightward AND getting legislation and edicts and appointments passed/imposed.

Anyone remember the thousands of offices nationwide that were lost to a motivated voting bloc?

Anyone not aware of the profound changes to our structures and institutions total and ruthless rule by the GOP has wrought?

So, why would Dems, if we take full control of government in 2020, dial back our ambitions?
Fear of a backlash from an angry America?

I guarantee that after even only two years, but certainly after four or eight, there would not be a rejection of the "extreme liberals" by the public that we are seeing (finally) with the teabaggers - because that public would benefit so much from our policies.

Decisive rhetoric and proposals will bring the millions who do not vote to the polls.
Decisive policies and positive outcomes will keep them involved and enthused.

The chance to do real damage to the right and (hopefully) permanently cripple it as a political force is too valuable to waste.
Go bold or go home.
This is not a time for incrementalism or compromise.

[Rhiannon12866]

17. Great first post and welcome to DU!

We're glad to have you with us!

[Lock him up.]

18. Totally agree!

Accusations of Socialism should be countered by explaining what Socialism is: Programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and infrastructures like roads, airports, even the army... when you think about it.

Programs like building stadiums for Billionaire sports facility owners, or for any Trump's golf club is Socialism for the wealthy!

[True Blue American]

20. Thank you for that!

And welcome to the board.

Great first post!

[pecosbob]

23. Well said

[True Blue American]

19. I see nothing wrong with this.

And I am moderate. Bi Partisan suits me.

[Squinch]

22. Staaaaaaaaaahp! Stop buying into outsiders who pit dem against dem.

Did a Democrat do something you don't like? Then say THAT. Stop buying into the Republican talking point if a vast schism in our party.

We can disagree with each other. We are allowed. But there is no reason why we have to help republicans in their effort to.turn every disagreement into "DISSARRAAAAAAY!!!"

[pecosbob]

24. Only a DINO would us the term Nixonian in this instance

Problem Solvers can eat my shorts. Dems need to be much louder and prouder of their goals. The Repubs will scream socialism at the top of their lungs while America will viscerally understand and welcome things like fifteen dollars an hour and health care that does not cost more than their rent. We need to show Americans graphically what extractive industries controlled by the one percenters is doing to the planet. We need to show America graphically what the Walmart and Amazon have done to the average household in America. In 1975 most families in America only needed one bread-winner...now they need two or three and still keep falling behind further every month. Americans are further behind on their car payments than ever before. Fully one third of American houselholds are food-insecure and only a paycheck or two or an accident away from homelessness.

This is how Dems need to approach this critical election and we must not be intimidated by the billionaires' propaganda machine. We can and shall overcome. That is all.

[YOHABLO]

25. There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: Jim Hightower

so true so true.

[samnsara]

29. i do not like that idea of a list.. thats NOT who we are...

..we are simply handing this election to donnie

[empedocles]

31. Not mentioned so far in this thread, is that of the 40 GOP seats picked up, 33 of

those seats were endorsed by the moderate New Dem PAC.

Without those 33, there 'would be no Pelosi', current House investigations, etc. It would be still a Republican controlled House! [From the cited wapo article].

The id eology reflected in some of this thread, gets in the way of actually getting things done.

[I'm not against liberal ideals and ideas, but I pragmatically cherish where the House is able to go now, - as opposed to 'con rule of last year].

[DonViejo]

32. Locking...

This is opinion and analysis.