2017 Democratic Thread

[caulfield12]

Why the pessimism, Quist is still up 47.2 to 47% with 44% counted?

 

I think it could go either way at this point...will last for quite awhile longer.

 

With 38% of precincts reporting, Democrat Rob Quist had 83,647 votes -- or 47.2% of the vote, compared to Republican Greg Gianforte who had 83,324 votes -- 47.0% of the vote, according to Edison Research.

 

The spread has essentially

 

changed from 1.5% for Q to 0.4% to Gianforte. Not throwing in the towel by any stretch.

 

 

Clinton lost by 20% and the case definitely won't go away. It's only going to attract MORE attention if he wins from the national/international (like The Guardian) and social media.

 

Gianforte has a personal wealth of $1.8+ billion from the sale of his company to Larry Ellison's ORACLE. Quist can't even pay his medical bills/property taxes and is a lifelong musician. It's actually quite fascinating.

Edited May 26, 2017 by caulfield12

[bmags]

Because of where the vote came from.

[caulfield12]

10,300+ spread now

 

 

Whatever happens, it's going to be a nightmare for the GOP Congress to deal with, one way or the other. There's no positive spin on it, although I'm sure FOX NEWS will come up with something (like, for all the hype about the DEM resistance, there have been little changes other than a few state houses).

 

 

On to Ossoff/Handel...DEMS almost HAVE to win that one or it will lead to demoralization, GA-6.

Edited May 26, 2017 by caulfield12

[Quin]

So, should a reporter be allowed to punch him for unsatisfactory answers?

[Reddy]

10,300+ spread now

 

 

Whatever happens, it's going to be a nightmare for the GOP Congress to deal with, one way or the other. There's no positive spin on it, although I'm sure FOX NEWS will come up with something (like, for all the hype about the DEM resistance, there have been little changes other than a few state houses).

 

 

On to Ossoff/Handel...DEMS almost HAVE to win that one or it will lead to demoralization, GA-6.

 

Honestly, I'd be surprised if we ever hear Gianforte's name again a couple weeks from now. I think the assault becomes a non-issue long term, sadly.

[caulfield12]

Honestly, I'd be surprised if we ever hear Gianforte's name again a couple weeks from now. I think the assault becomes a non-issue long term, sadly.

 

He apologized...at least, finally. Only after he's officially declared victory late in the evening. That will go 50% of the way through getting past the issue.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/25/politics/mon...ults/index.html

 

Right now, the spread is 7.4% with 93% in. Quist just was too much of a flawed candidate without any experience and quite a bit of baggage. Gianforte was more of a known quantity around the state, and having billions in your war chest (the equivalent of a Mark Cuban) is a lot different than having debts from a career as a musician attributable to health problems you couldn't afford to deal with. It's hard to expect someone who can't take care of their own expenses to "fix" the government, whether that's fair or not, that's the perception (or reality).

 

Basically carved out another 12.5% off the Trump/Clinton spread, and a +62.5% swing in a matter of less than a half year is not insignificant and augurs well for GA-6 and 2018 (if the DEMS can only unite, lol).

[StrangeSox]

NYT with an excellent use of digital media to break down what happened with Erdogan's thugs attacking American protesters in D.C.

 

Did the Turkish President’s Security Detail Attack Protesters in Washington? What the Video Shows

[StrangeSox]

The Republicans Broke American Politics, and Media Elites Are Blind to It

 

 

Before he became president of the United States, Donald Trump toured the country encouraging violence against protesters and whipping up animosity toward the press. Earlier this month, Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary, Tom Price, sicced police on a reporter who was trying to ask him a question in the West Virginia state capitol on account of the fact that he didn’t recognize the reporter as an attendee of a press conference, then praised the police for their diligence. Last week, the FCC’s security detail manhandled a tech reporter at the National Press Club.

 

Republicans know in theory how to get their hackles up over political violence directed at reporters, because in January 2010, when an aide to Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley pushed a conservative reporter (then helped him up, and apologized for his behavior) Republicans tried to end his career in public service.

 

Their tacit acceptance of a culture of antagonism and violence directed at the press suggests at least that the party’s values have changed.

 

On Thursday morning, the anti-Trump Republican strategist Rick Wilson wrote a bracing denunciation of those on the right who defended the assault of a reporter—though one seemingly premised on the belief that the “cultural collapse of the GOP into the Trump Troll Party” might be reversed through reason. In truth, everything that’s happened in the past year or so has conditioned conservatives to believe they will face no consequences for poor or unprincipled behavior. They write off the accurate assessments of anti-Trump Republicans like Steve Schmidt or Democrats like Senator Brian Schatz as the impotent complaints of political losers, knowing that the public will learn about the assault of a reporter as an essentially partisan spat and that centrist pundits, out of fear of bad-faith accusations of bias, will blame on broken politics instead of defending their own interests effectively.

 

 

[StrangeSox]

Nate Silver‏Verified account

@NateSilver538

Special elections so far are consistent with an environment that leans Democratic by 14 points (that's a *lot* -- more than 2006 or 2008).

[StrangeSox]

Kafka in Vegas

Fred Steese served more than 20 years in prison for the murder of a Vegas showman even though evidence in the prosecution’s files proved he didn’t do it. But when the truth came to light, he was offered a confounding deal known as an Alford plea. If he took it he could go free, but he’d remain a convicted killer.

 

Ugh, reading that story coming off of a recent marathon of "Paradise Lost" trilogy

[caulfield12]

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/23/politics...2016/index.html

 

Clinton e-mail controversy had even more of an impact than most imagined, fascinating methodology from a political operative standpoint.

[BigSqwert]

LOL. Video clip at link

 

@AlexanderEmmons

Watch as Stuart Jones, a high-level acting official in the State Dept, is asked why they criticize Iranian elections but never Saudi Arabia:

 

 

[caulfield12]

‘We were used, abused and exploited’

Victims of immigrant crime say they were taken advantage of by Trump and a non-profit group backing him.

 

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/01/t...campaign-239006

 

[greg775]

Hillary had a bad week blaming the DNC, reminding people that she was not the answer. Trump is Trump and has bad weeks every week. That said, will people finally admit to me that Bernie and/or Biden would have been great? The Democratic party would be on Cloud Nine right now with either. Biden woulda been the safer choice, a guy who everyone probably would have loved. Bernie a little more radical, but lovable as well.

Edited June 3, 2017 by greg775

[Heads22]

Why should the party leadership have supported Bernie? He isn't a democrat.

[greg775]

Why should the party leadership have supported Bernie? He isn't a democrat.

I gave you two choices, Bernie, somewhat radical, and Biden, always professional, very likeable by most all.

In answer to your question, well, he ran as a Democrat, so technically he IS a Democrat no matter what you suggest. If he's not a Democrat, why was he allowed in the Democrat debates and primaries? Party leadership backed the wrong person and is partly to blame for the mess we are in, cause like I said, Biden or Bernie would have been fine as president. With Trump it's a matter of WHEN he's dismissed, not IF.

Hillary had another awful week this past week.

Trump is ALWAYS having a bad week. Meanwhile, Biden and Bernie say, "Hi."

[Heads22]

I gave you two choices, Bernie, somewhat radical, and Biden, always professional, very likeable by most all.

In answer to your question, well, he ran as a Democrat, so technically he IS a Democrat no matter what you suggest. If he's not a Democrat, why was he allowed in the Democrat debates and primaries? Party leadership backed the wrong person and is partly to blame for the mess we are in, cause like I said, Biden or Bernie would have been fine as president. With Trump it's a matter of WHEN he's dismissed, not IF.

Hillary had another awful week this past week.

Trump is ALWAYS having a bad week. Meanwhile, Biden and Bernie say, "Hi."

 

No, he is not technically a democrat, which is one of the issues in my opinion.

 

You know why Biden didn't run, right?

[greg775]

No, he is not technically a democrat, which is one of the issues in my opinion.

 

You know why Biden didn't run, right?

Of course he is a democrat, just as Trump is a republican, wink wink on both. I know why Biden didn't run. Sure it was family reasons. But you don't think he'd have run if the DMC made it clear he was the person the party wanted and the country needed? Biden isn't dumb. It was all Hillary all the time and he'd have been considered a traitor to the party by running. He knew it was Hillary coronation time and he couldn't be the rat who spoiled Hillary's coronation. Do you really believe Biden wouldn't have run, even though he was grieving, if the coronation was his?? Again ... everybody on the democratic side was convinced it was Hillary's turn, Hillary making history. Perfect scenario. She would roll to victory, be rewarded for her lifelong service and be the first female president to boot. Biden couldn't spoil that party. He'd have been such a rat for trying to get in the way of the Hillary train. The Democrats didn't want a competitive primary season yet outside of the higher ups in the party, Hillary was despised by so many voters she actually faced decent competition from old, socialistic Bernie (who I happen to love). I'm not trying to be insensitive to Mr. Biden, whom I love as a politician. His grief was real and true. I'm saying if it was made clear to him he was the popular choice of everybody, he'd have run.

Edited June 4, 2017 by greg775

[caulfield12]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/04/us/portland-...ests/index.html

Not sure where the hell to put this, the two sides of protest in Portland.

 

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/04/us/portland-...ests/index.html

14 arrested now...numbers are up

Edited June 5, 2017 by caulfield12

[bmags]

Of course he is a democrat, just as Trump is a republican, wink wink on both. I know why Biden didn't run. Sure it was family reasons. But you don't think he'd have run if the DMC made it clear he was the person the party wanted and the country needed? Biden isn't dumb. It was all Hillary all the time and he'd have been considered a traitor to the party by running. He knew it was Hillary coronation time and he couldn't be the rat who spoiled Hillary's coronation. Do you really believe Biden wouldn't have run, even though he was grieving, if the coronation was his?? Again ... everybody on the democratic side was convinced it was Hillary's turn, Hillary making history. Perfect scenario. She would roll to victory, be rewarded for her lifelong service and be the first female president to boot. Biden couldn't spoil that party. He'd have been such a rat for trying to get in the way of the Hillary train. The Democrats didn't want a competitive primary season yet outside of the higher ups in the party, Hillary was despised by so many voters she actually faced decent competition from old, socialistic Bernie (who I happen to love). I'm not trying to be insensitive to Mr. Biden, whom I love as a politician. His grief was real and true. I'm saying if it was made clear to him he was the popular choice of everybody, he'd have run.

 

I agree with Greg. DNC definitely tried to clear the field and it's a mistake that people won't let them make again. But, its usually difficult to find candidates after a two termer.

[GoSox05]

There is going to be 90 candidates next presidential election.

[StrangeSox]

GOP strategists plot anti-media strategy for 2018 elections

 

Conservative radio hosts mock a physical assault on a reporter. A GOP governor blasts a reporter on Twitter as "a sick man." The president accuses the media of being an “enemy of the people.”

 

This is not run-of-the-mill Republican criticism of the press anymore. It is now a deliberate strategy to help GOP candidates win elections fueled by public hatred of reporters.

 

“Does anyone want to see a reporter badly injured? No,” said Tobe Berkovitz, a Boston University advertising expert who advises congressional and gubernatorial election campaigns. "But there are some people who think this is their comeuppance: ‘You’ve been strutting around with no accountability and maybe you should be held accountable.’”

 

But the aftermath of that incident was instructive for party strategists. Conservatives media figures, such as Laura Ingraham and Brent Bozell, didn’t rush to condemn Gianforte; they criticized the reporter. And the ensuing coverage, according to one Republican watching the race, energized the GOP voters. (Gainforte went on to defeat Democrat Rob Quist.)

 

The conservative base needed more of an enemy than the Democratic candidate to become engaged.

 

“Hillary Clinton is not on the ballot so you have to have something else to run against,” said Charlie Sykes, a former conservative talk radio host from Wisconsin who has been openly critical of Trump. “And the media is perfect.”

 

 

[StrangeSox]

There is going to be 90 candidates next presidential election.

our choices are going to be Cuomo, Booker and Zuck and I will give up all hope

 

[greg775]

I agree with Greg. DNC definitely tried to clear the field and it's a mistake that people won't let them make again. But, its usually difficult to find candidates after a two termer.

See, once again I am RIGHT. Thank u for the endorsement here. Of course they "cleared the field." It was Hillary. Too bad the DNC fell for the "coronation" atmosphere that was going on. Had Biden been encouraged you dont think he'd have been a winner and crushed Trump?

[Reddy]

our choices are going to be Cuomo, Booker and Zuck and I will give up all hope

Cuban and Schultz say hi.