Ed Case always should be primaried. Even Republican Denver Riggleman chastises Democrats for not standing up for Green:
So I think what Al was saying was correct. What I would have liked to have seen, though, is more Democrats stand up for him. You know, most of them are sitting down looking slack jawed. I think they needed to stand up, applaud, or maybe go to the back with him or leave with him. ThatтАЩs actually showing something.
If they had done what I suggested, boycotted the campaign speech, led by Jeffries and Schumer, it would have avoided a lot of this infighting. But those two wouldnтАЩt even boycott NetanyahuтАЩs speech, so IтАЩm not surprised. I donтАЩt think the Democratic hierarchy in Washington appreciates the anger thatтАЩs out there. And theyтАЩre not just angry at Trump and the Republicans
Maybe blame Trump and Republicans? If they're angry at powerless democrats for not kicking and screaming more than we're screwed. Maybe tell them to show up to vote next time
I am. We're all loyal party members but we're going to primary Democrats that we feel aren't doing enough in the face of encroaching fascism. All they had to do was walk out with Green and they could have avoided the dumb crap like "Why aren't the Dems standing up for the kid with cancer?" I'm not even advocating that all 10 should be primaried. Just people like Himes, Bera, and Case.
I'm all for primarying useless dems especially those so scared they vote for something like this, and worse the ones like Case, Houlihan and Himes that must agree with it. You mentioned the anger at dems, I'm saying what do such people think should be done with zero power atm. We have to rely on conservative Supreme Court judges for God's sake.
Performative nonsense can be used to great effect. It's a signal of opposition, and it disrupts normalization.
Republicans go through endless performative nonsense against us whenever we hold power. It consistently helps them animate their voter base, to create negative news cycles or disrupt positive ones.
Censure vote for Al Green for standing during the SOTU, for anyone else that didn't know the context.
Ten democrats voted for censure: Ami Bera (CA-06), Jim Costa (CA-21), Ed Case (HI-01), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Jim Himes (CT-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03).
Gluesenkamp Perez is the only one I'd cut some slack for, considering the tilt of her district. Still shouldn't have voted for it, but she's in a different category of disappointment than the others. If even Jared Golden doesn't feel the need to cross the aisle on this the other nine can fuck off.
Their districts are red leaning, or at best purple, enough that I wouldnтАЩt complain much, especially regarding an essentially symbolic vote.
Costa, Moskowitz, and Gillen also have competitive seats. I see the тАЬBut Golden!тАЭ argument, but this isnтАЩt important enough to risk losing their seats over.
Now, if they start regularly shanking us on important legislation, thatтАЩs a different story.
Bera isn't my rep anymore (I'm stuck with Kevin Kiley) but he's in my neck of the woods. He's a noncontroversial entrenched incumbent and any attempt to primary him would need a far stronger hook than 'he voted to censure Al Green'.
No one is going to remember anything about the SOTU by the time of the primary next year. A challenger would need to hit him for some scandal or some substantive vote he took. Suburban districts generally don't go for bombthrower types in any case.
I seem to remember a noncontroversial, entrenched incumbent without any sort of scandal or substantive vote who lost to an up and comer in 2018. Maybe the suburbs won't go for it, but maybe they will. It doesn't happen until it happens. Whoever runs probably loses and Bera cruises to re-election but I don't think he should get a pass even if people won't remember the SOTU next year.
As others have pointed out to me, he's ruled out running against Collins because he used to work for her. He might run for governor, though.
From what I've seen all the big names in Maine are positioning themselves for governor first, but as that gets too crowded someone will go for senate. Would be great to have Troy Jackson run for senate.
Being in Gillen's district, I'd say she knows she's in trouble in a general election, barring Republicans failing dramatically at recruiting-the Town of Hempstead is still very Republican turf.
Souzzi doesn't really have an excuse though, especially if he's considering primarying Hochul like I suspect he might be.
If Suozzi really wants to go for governor, then why did he run for Congress again? His previous Hochul challenge not only came nowhere close to succeeding, but stuck his constituents with George Santos' "representation" for a year.
Maybe he responded to entreaties to do so "for the team", but it isn't necessary for him to be in office to run statewide again--and if he's considering challenging Hochul, he's not the only one (and multiple opponents mean she probably skates, at least in the primary.)
Looks like we have a few new targets for a primary after that censure vote:
Ami Bera & Ed Case
and Jim Himes.
Ed Case always should be primaried. Even Republican Denver Riggleman chastises Democrats for not standing up for Green:
So I think what Al was saying was correct. What I would have liked to have seen, though, is more Democrats stand up for him. You know, most of them are sitting down looking slack jawed. I think they needed to stand up, applaud, or maybe go to the back with him or leave with him. ThatтАЩs actually showing something.
Maybe just primary them all, their districts be damned. But I'm sure some here will take offense to that.
If they had done what I suggested, boycotted the campaign speech, led by Jeffries and Schumer, it would have avoided a lot of this infighting. But those two wouldnтАЩt even boycott NetanyahuтАЩs speech, so IтАЩm not surprised. I donтАЩt think the Democratic hierarchy in Washington appreciates the anger thatтАЩs out there. And theyтАЩre not just angry at Trump and the Republicans
The anger is palpable. Many people I know feel betrayed by the Democrats fecklessness. Something is brewing.
Maybe blame Trump and Republicans? If they're angry at powerless democrats for not kicking and screaming more than we're screwed. Maybe tell them to show up to vote next time
I am. We're all loyal party members but we're going to primary Democrats that we feel aren't doing enough in the face of encroaching fascism. All they had to do was walk out with Green and they could have avoided the dumb crap like "Why aren't the Dems standing up for the kid with cancer?" I'm not even advocating that all 10 should be primaried. Just people like Himes, Bera, and Case.
I'm all for primarying useless dems especially those so scared they vote for something like this, and worse the ones like Case, Houlihan and Himes that must agree with it. You mentioned the anger at dems, I'm saying what do such people think should be done with zero power atm. We have to rely on conservative Supreme Court judges for God's sake.
Especially in the Senate there are ways to make Republicans lives miserable.
https://indivisible.org/resource/explainer-how-senate-democrats-can-delay-defy-trumps-agenda-procedural-hardball
What do you want them to do exactly, voters have sent them to the wilderness. Performative nonsense doesn't help anything
Performative nonsense can be used to great effect. It's a signal of opposition, and it disrupts normalization.
Republicans go through endless performative nonsense against us whenever we hold power. It consistently helps them animate their voter base, to create negative news cycles or disrupt positive ones.
Censure vote for Al Green for standing during the SOTU, for anyone else that didn't know the context.
Ten democrats voted for censure: Ami Bera (CA-06), Jim Costa (CA-21), Ed Case (HI-01), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Jim Himes (CT-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03).
Gluesenkamp Perez is the only one I'd cut some slack for, considering the tilt of her district. Still shouldn't have voted for it, but she's in a different category of disappointment than the others. If even Jared Golden doesn't feel the need to cross the aisle on this the other nine can fuck off.
Yeah thereтАЩs some names on here that have absolutely zero excuse. Himes and Houlahan in particular
Obviously Himes is worried about his <checks notes> D+13 district that he won with >60% of the vote.
HeтАЩs got no excuse. Primary time.
Kaptur and Suozzi are puzzling as well.
Their districts are red leaning, or at best purple, enough that I wouldnтАЩt complain much, especially regarding an essentially symbolic vote.
Costa, Moskowitz, and Gillen also have competitive seats. I see the тАЬBut Golden!тАЭ argument, but this isnтАЩt important enough to risk losing their seats over.
Now, if they start regularly shanking us on important legislation, thatтАЩs a different story.
Do you honestly think not voting to censure would cost them a single vote?
Yes. Thanks lol. I went a little easy just trying to focus on Bera, Case, and Himes but Maybe they all need to be primaried.
Case is a closet conservative is his excuse
And heтАЩs also a cousin of AOL founder Steve Case although thatтАЩs certainly not helping him. /s
Years ago he said he was an Asian trapped in a white manтАЩs body. I have no idea why any white man would say this.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/17/politics/ed-case-hawaii-comments/index.html
He's a "Democrat" for the same reason Tulsi Gabbard was a "Democrat", Hawaiian politics essentially requires it. Unless your name is Linda Lingle.
Bera isn't my rep anymore (I'm stuck with Kevin Kiley) but he's in my neck of the woods. He's a noncontroversial entrenched incumbent and any attempt to primary him would need a far stronger hook than 'he voted to censure Al Green'.
How about, "He rolled over to respect Trump and can't meet the moment"
No one is going to remember anything about the SOTU by the time of the primary next year. A challenger would need to hit him for some scandal or some substantive vote he took. Suburban districts generally don't go for bombthrower types in any case.
I seem to remember a noncontroversial, entrenched incumbent without any sort of scandal or substantive vote who lost to an up and comer in 2018. Maybe the suburbs won't go for it, but maybe they will. It doesn't happen until it happens. Whoever runs probably loses and Bera cruises to re-election but I don't think he should get a pass even if people won't remember the SOTU next year.
Crowley got caught napping, and his district wasn't remotely comparable to Bera's.
Maybe golden is running for senate
As others have pointed out to me, he's ruled out running against Collins because he used to work for her. He might run for governor, though.
From what I've seen all the big names in Maine are positioning themselves for governor first, but as that gets too crowded someone will go for senate. Would be great to have Troy Jackson run for senate.
Being in Gillen's district, I'd say she knows she's in trouble in a general election, barring Republicans failing dramatically at recruiting-the Town of Hempstead is still very Republican turf.
Souzzi doesn't really have an excuse though, especially if he's considering primarying Hochul like I suspect he might be.
If Suozzi really wants to go for governor, then why did he run for Congress again? His previous Hochul challenge not only came nowhere close to succeeding, but stuck his constituents with George Santos' "representation" for a year.
Maybe he responded to entreaties to do so "for the team", but it isn't necessary for him to be in office to run statewide again--and if he's considering challenging Hochul, he's not the only one (and multiple opponents mean she probably skates, at least in the primary.)
She just won a general election in a Republican year.
She also pissed off all sides of the political spectrum by taking five different positions on congestion pricing.
He really needs to give up on running statewide, he's lucky he still has a career after two disastrous runs for governor
Yeah Dems really need to talk him out of running statewide and just running for re-election like they should have in 2022.
SuozziтАЩs district is redder than GillenтАЩs.
At first glance I think Adrian Tam in Hawaii and Antonio Felipe in CT could be interesting candidates in those races.
I'm no fan of Case's, but I'm all for standing up for decorum. Not sure I'd primary anyone based on that particular vote.