2942

It’ll be real interesting to see the vote totals in November for the district I live in, since it has an actual, honest to god, real fucking Nazi running.

In the Chicago suburbs.

The guy will lose, and never take a seat in congress, but fucking hell.

2943

I envy your optimism, Craig!

2944

Yeah that’s our country now.

2945

I was in TN two weeks ago interviewing folks in the know about TN politics and the consensus is that if Bredesen wins than Lamar Alexander is highly likely to retire, opening up the other US Senate seat in 2020. People are jazzed that Bredesen is polling well right now. They are encouraging him to give the African American community strong reasons to support him and do not believe he is building those bridges to the extent that he needs to.

It is easy to forget that the TN legislature was controlled by Democrats dating from Reconstruction until 2008. TN is another example of how redistricting after the 2010 Census worked to the Republicans advantage.

2020 Census matters, 2020 state elections matter, fairer redistricting matters.
target

2946

OK, this is just out of hand.

IT ISN’T OPTIMISM.

It is data-driven expectation based upon:

  1. Voter registration in that district, which is heavily Democratic
  2. Voter demographics in that district. It is an area where people of color are heavily represented in the constituency
  3. Past voting trends. Democrats in that district or even in the precincts encompassed by that district, win by massive margins.
2947

Let’s be clear, the district is a safe D district, the GOP almost never invests any money or energy there. Last election the GOP candidate basically only had details of where the election pizza party would be on his campaign website, not even bothering to put positions, and the party was implicitly a concession party. And he does not have any support (yet) from the state or national parties.

So he will lose.

He will never take a seat in congress is, on the Venn diagram, mostly, but not entirely, overlapping that statement. If he somehow coughriggedcough did win, then we can expect political violence afterwards.

2948

No worries, I was mostly joking. It’s not like we’d elect any pro-Nazis here in America :D

It’s just sad that he’ll still likely get a lot of votes, simply because there’ll be an R after his name.

2949

Well, yeah. The Nazi guy (his name is Arthur Jones) ran unopposed and much to the chagrin of the Illinois Republicans, who weren’t planning on fielding a candidate at all in that district.

They have denounced his candidacy, fwiw.

But yes, there are low information voters – probably thousands – who will vote for him because he has a party affiliation next to his name on the ballot, and is one of two candidates in that election.

And let’s also point out that this has happened with white supremacists and awful fringe candidates using the “Democratic Party” label, too. It isn’t about party affiliation at all. It’s about seizing an opportunity when one party fails to field a candidate in a general election. Which is why–even in the face of certain defeat–a party should do that.

2950

Well, yes. And if I see any yard signs…

…lets say that those homes are deserving of karmic backlash.

2951

This thread is going to make Triggercut tobaggan right off his Wheat Thin.

2952

How I picture the events as they are happening there …

image

2953

The Connecticut House of Representatives passed the National Popular Vote bill today.

Nothing will come of it, but we can dream.

2954

How many more states need to do it?

2955
2956

The bill has already been enacted into law in 11 states possessing 165 electoral votes. It will take effect when enacted by additional states having 105 electoral votes.

2957

Millennials are pulling away from the Democrats

2958

So the party that is fucking over their generation, in specific, gains support?

People really are stupid.

2959

If you want their vote, you need to earn it. You need to actually say affirmatively what you will do. You need to get them excited.

2960

Sure, I agree. Which is why doubling down on the limp centrist messaging is a poor idea.

but this was specifically about gaining support for Republicans when not only are they not reaching out to them, but actively working against their future and interests. That’s the dumbfounding part.

Although it is probably as much about the 'both sides’erism, the carrying water for the administration cough Maggie Halberman*cough, the not covering the depth and details of things like the tax cuts and their impacts, merely resorting to vapid and superficial analysis.

In other words I also blame our media for being shit, like always.

2961

Good thing they don’t vote!