dagblog - Comments for "The Nancy Pelosi Problem"

Lots of candidates saying

artappraiser — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 21:39:48 +0000

In reply to I suspect it's folly to think

Lots of candidates saying they don't like "labels", seeing this kind of thing all over the place:

Kelly Mazeski, a breast cancer survivor, says her focus on health care “crosses all party lines.” Sean Casten, a clean-energy executive, says, “There are parts of the Democratic Party I agree with, and there are parts I disagree with.” Carole Cheney, a former district chief of staff to Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), said simply: “I don’t like labels.”

All three are seeking the nomination Tuesday to face Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) in a district the party hasn’t come close to winning in more than a decade. Disenchanted by Trump, voters in affluent, well-educated suburbs like this one could put the seat up for grabs — and that’s why all three candidates are courting them.

Democrats face key test of Trump-era suburban strategy

By Elena Schneider @ Politico.com, 03/20

The Trump catalyst is causing political activism that is not loyal to party, they don't give much a damn about party right now, they are not waiting for it to formulate a new message. They are running because they think it will eventually change the parties, help it make a new message. So: it's happening from the bottom up.

but it also strikes me that

artappraiser — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 21:28:08 +0000

In reply to I disagree that Republicans

but it also strikes me that they are finally getting some doses of their own medicine with the Trump upheaval where people are running under their banner that are ripe for pop culture attack

GOP fears another potential electoral disaster

The national GOP is flummoxed over what to do about the surging candidacy of coal baron and ex-con Don Blankenship.

By Alex Isenstadt @ Politico.com, 03/20/2018 05:00 AM EDT

It used to be they would run people who appeared to be upstanding conservative citizens, family men who exuded old school control, didn't cheat on their wives and children whom they supported, conserving the old ways, so then they can attack a Nancy Pelosi liberal feminazi with Hollywood friends trying to tear all that down. And the liberal media would have to dig to find that those guys weren't always real, but often big hypocrites.

Now that's gone, with Trump setting the example, all kinds of weirdos trying to claim the GOP mantle. And "they", the establishment of the GOP, don't know how to handle that.

All I am trying to say is: the old paradigms, the old games, they are dying fast.

Yes, we need to rebuild,

Michael Wolraich — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 19:40:31 +0000

In reply to Some perspective, please -

Yes, we need to rebuild, rebrand, but it's not as easy as grab a bunch of progressive points off the shelf

Certainly not. My point is just that Pelosi is not the best person to lead that effort.

I disagree that Republicans

barefooted — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 18:41:50 +0000

In reply to AA, your comment gets to the

I disagree that Republicans vilify Pelosi as they do every Democrat(ic) leader; she has held a very special place in their hearts for years - have you seen demonization of Reid or Schumer to the same extent? Of course, neither of them were/are the leader that Pelosi is. And yes, they will vilify whoever follows her (I'm guessing by "follows" you mean as House Leader), but ... c'mon.

How can you say that she's presided over a party "in decline" in the same breath as you say she's good at "holding a coalition together"? What's the House about, after all? As Leader and Representative, her responsibility is not to grow the party, it's to herd cats. And that she's done - and continues to do - better than any woman (or man, to my mind) in modern history.

Well, the rules of gravity

PeraclesPlease — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 05:30:33 +0000

In reply to I suspect it's folly to think

Well, the rules of gravity and plumbing haven't been suspended yet, and the BLM and OWS bottom up approaches failed pretty badly, but I'm open to new possibilities, especially as our tools change. Just not convinced yet. People like authority figures, comforts them, gives them a face to put on a movement, and "one neck to wring" as they note in the business world.

I suspect it's folly to think

artappraiser — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 04:57:55 +0000

In reply to AA, your comment gets to the

I suspect it's folly to think after Trump that anyone can have much control over political party message from top down. The new generation of voters is going to do that the way they are used to doing everything: from the ground up. Old people and old paradigms: out with ya.

There's all kinds of people running for office right now, it's been catalyzed by Trump, and I bet plenty of them will just go with whichever party will give them some money. Message will grow from the ground up. Bannon's got it right in that: #Metoo has the chance of being more powerful than any Dem or GOP message.

For example, just heard on the tube: politicians not welcome to be formal participants at March for Our Lives this Saturday.

More @ Vox.com: “We will keep up the pressure. Then we will take more action. This fall we will go and vote like no generation has in history. It is only when we show the collective strength of our voices, in the streets and at the voting booth, will they start to listen.” ....soon they’ll be the ones with the power to decide politicians’ fates — if not in 2018, then in 2020.....

Top down is over. All the more important to worry about things like Facebook.

Rebrand:

NCD — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 23:31:24 +0000

In reply to Some perspective, please -

Rebrand:

1. ICE Officer for a day, with $500 gun gift certificates for best patroller?

2. Date with Stomy Daniels lottery?

3. Raffle for 3 months as Secretary of State?

4. Family day at Food Stamp office, get to turn down anyone, family runs whole office.. part of Government Reality TV show, also with above - #1-3...?

Some perspective, please -

PeraclesPlease — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 21:33:00 +0000

In reply to AA, your comment gets to the

Some perspective, please - the Republicans have spent the last 25 years in a "game" of steadily increasing illegal and unethical behavior and influence buying on a massive scale, now gone international and treasonous.

Yes, the Democrats should have figured out some better ways to counter these efforts, but short of engaging in similar illegal behavior, it's not trivial to counter - lies largely work better with an ignorant, partisan populace, and the courts have stopped providing timely effective remedies. Debbie Wasserman-Schulz was one of Obama's unforced errors, but there was a whole lot of sludge thrown at him that's been difficult to counter, especially noting the pass and brazen chutzpah of the Bush gang wrecking the economy and then blaming it on his successor. At the end of the day it was his job to explain what happened, but considering that 35-40% of Americans still believe the Mueller investigation is a "Witch Hunt" and that Trump's a straight shooting good businessman and that guns save lives despite recurring massacres, it's hard to see what would bring that segment back to its senses.

Yesterday Our Revolution was organizing a protest of Hillary speaking at Rutgers for $25k. Eye on the prize fer shure.

How exactly should Democrats message people who'll fall for a fake pedophile scam while forgiving using campaign money to pay off a prostitute (and may I point out the irony of complaining about speaking fees but not fucking fees?). How to message people who don't mind the President putting inexperienced family members in charge of international peace and trade and self-serving business talks as he merchandises off the White House? A huge mess of a tax cut for the rich yet Trump stays at 40% approval month after month.

Yes, we need to rebuild, rebrand, but it's not as easy as grab a bunch of progressive points off the shelf - we have to figure out what resonates with real people in various locales and culture bubbles - first with our base, then with crossovers - without selling our souls. And yes, we have to get our liberal heads around immigration and security in a sane, comprehensive and explainably simple fashion.

AA, your comment gets to the

Michael Wolraich — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 20:54:22 +0000

In reply to Like it or not--and I think

AA, your comment gets to the heart of it. The Nancy Pelosi "problem" isn't that Republicans vilify her. They vilify every Democrat leader, and they'll vilify whomever follows her.

The problem is that she has presided over a Democratic Party in decline. She's good at holding a coalition together, not so good at reforming the party and growing its base.

That said, replacing her with someone younger won't necessarily solve that problem. It has to be someone better--someone with the vision, the will, and the ability to shake up the status quo.

Why aren't Rudy & DeGenova in

PeraclesPlease — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 20:10:00 +0000

In reply to Senate Minority Whip Dick

Why aren't Rudy & DiGenova in jail?

(THREAD) The Trump investigation no one is discussing is the one that could prove—via direct evidence—that Trump stole the presidency. Inspector General Horowitz needs to talk to Joseph DiGenova, a Trump supporter who may well be the man whose actions threw the election to Trump. pic.twitter.com/UHb4lDfY6B
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) February 28, 2018