So essentially, there isn't a functional Democratic Party in TN

[cali]

And in how many other states is that true? What about the converse? I've heard that there isn't a functional republican party in CA. And there sure isn't much of one here in VT- though the repubs we do have don't align with tea partyish flavor of today's republican party.

Of course, I'm more concerned about places like TN where an insane right wing racist, homophobic nut job can get the nomination of the dem party as U.S. Senate candidate, but how politically healthy is a state where there is no functional opposing party.

Vermont's political health seems fairly robust to me- but I'm biased. Tennessee oth...



The Tennessee Democratic Party disavowed Mark Clayton over his association with a hate group after Clayton won Thursday's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate to face Republican Sen. Bob Corker.

"The only time that Clayton has voted in a Democratic primary was when he was voting for himself. Many Democrats in Tennessee knew nothing about any of the candidates in the race, so they voted for the person at the top of the ticket," the party said in a statement Friday.

Clayton, a 35-year-old flooring installer, won slightly more than 48,000 votes in the primary, or about twice as many as the nearest of his six other unknown challengers.

"Mark Clayton is associated with a known hate group in Washington, D.C., and the Tennessee Democratic Party disavows his candidacy, will not do anything to promote or support him in any way, and urges Democrats to write-in a candidate of their choice in November," read the statement.

<snip>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/03/mark-clayton-tennessee-senate_n_1739029.html

[aquart]

1. They weren't ready to run a candidate for SENATE?

Ye gods.

[cali]

2. that's the only possible conclusion

ye gods is right.

[hfojvt]

29. that happens in a number of states

to my surprise. When I moved to Kansas in November 2001, my first election was in 2002. I was surprised that there was no Democratic candidate for the Senate. I swore right there that as long as I lived in the state that would NEVER happen again. Because I would file. Of course, I would not be a "serious" candidate. Because I would have no chance of winning, but that is almost always gonna be true in Kansas. But even an unknown would likely get 400,000 votes just by being on the ballot.

In the last election, we did not have a serious candidate for the Senate either. We had several unknowns and a state senator in the primary. The winner got a mere 26.3% of the vote, but our Governor candidate only got 32.2%. I am surprised that Lisa did not do better, but I guess Moran does have a reputation as somewhat of a moderate. 2010 was a very bad year for us here (and for Democrats everywhere). Republicans were fired up and Democrats did not show up.

South Dakota, my home state, is another state that did not field a Senate candidate in 2010. Thune ran unopposed for re-election, after he had squeaked by Daschle in 2004. I was hoping that Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin would step up and take him on, even though she is a notorious blue dog/Bush dog. She's a representative for the whole state and thus had won 3 or 4 statewide elections, but she did not step up, and neither did anybody else. And Stephanie lost the house seat anyway. But to me that is all part of the picture, having no contest for the Senate probably reduced Democratic turnout and also gave the Republican Party more resources to put into the House race.

There are probably other states, like Wyoming and Utah, but those are two that I am aware of, and it is a sad, sad statment when there is only one party running for the US Senate. It's astounding, disgusting, unbelievable and inconceivable that our political system would be THAT dysfunctional.

[fasttense]

23. Most evey Democrat I spoke with was for Park Overall

My husband called her personally to encourage her to run. While it's true Democrats in TN are on the endangered species list, I think this was a Corker dirty trick. After all it was Corker who was involved in the Ohio election rigging. The final tally was routed through Chattanooga for no apparent reason before it was routed back to Ohio and released. Corker was the previous Mayor of Chattanooga and a Senator at the time. He was afraid to run against Park Overall, and he made sure he didn't have to.

At the same time, why did the TN Democratic Party allow Clayton on the ballot? Who nominated him? Who checked out his background? Here is the TN Democratic party's Chairman (Chip) e-mail: [e-mail] to ask him. Or visit their website athttp://www.tndp.org/page/the-state-executive-committee-1

But really I think the election was rigged. We vote on those stupid machines with super secret programming. Not to mention they purposely reduce the turnout by having the election on a Thursday and having those voter identification laws. In addition TN operates like an open primary. Tennessee law technically requires affiliation of a voter with a party before they vote in a primary, but also has a same-day affiliation rule. So, as long as you are willing to lie and say you are a Democrat the day of the primary, you can vote in the Democratic primary as a RepubliCON.

RepubliCONS have only recently taken over here. Previously our state legislature was Democratic as was our Governor.

We could turn it back to blue, but not if we do stupid things like allowing hate group leaders on our ballot.

[GoCubsGo]

25. Yep. It's the Alvin Green fiasco all over again.

I don't, for one minute, believe Green won that SC primary, either. We have those black box voting machines here, too. And, open primaries, where Jim DeMented had no opponent. Also, there was a good chance that the "losing" Dem, Vic Rawls, could have beaten him in the general election. The absentee ballots showed the exact opposite numbers of votes per candidate than those on the voting machines in several counties. I have no doubt that election was rigged, and I share your suspicions about this one, too.

[hfojvt]

31. I don't think so

being on top of the ballot probably does make a difference.

The fact is that in a state-wide campaign, people goto the polls without knowing very much about candidates. I saw that first hand when I ran myself. First of all, it is very expensive to get your message out to the whole state. The media generally will not help you. They will do profiles of the candidates in the newspapers - name, age, place of residence, current job, and picture. That's about all they tell the voters. I tried to get them to do their job - to give their readers enough information to make an INFORMED decision on election day. I made myself available to every newspaper I could, but did not get much traction. And it seems like most voters are not reading newspapers. I even spent money to hit the newspapers in all the major towns. Advertised for a week in the Topeka paper, and it seemed to make very little difference.

I won in Topeka, but not by much, and there were 400 voters in Topeka, who went to the primary - and did not vote in my race. (I know that because the totals show they voted in other races - for Senate or Secretary of State) In spite of the fact that I was the only one advertising, they basically said - I do not know who to vote for (or I do not care who wins). Other factors are gonna be gender and race. Hey, if I do not know anything about the candidates, and pretty much assume they are all generic Democrats, pretty much the same on the issues, then as a woman or a black guy or a hispanic, I am probably voting for the person in my group (if there is only one in my group). And why not? A person in my sub-group is more likely to represent me, to understand me, to share my perspective on life and issues. So I lost some votes to my female opponent, based on her gender.

But the biggest factor, by far, was location, location, location. I won my home county with 82.53% of the vote (:woohoo She won her home county with 81.11% of the vote - in spite of the fact that I advertised in the local paper there for three days. I won the north - nine counties in the north, and she won the south. I won in Atchison county by 65% of the vote. Atchison being just north of my home county. I hardly campaigned there at all, but people looked at where I was from and figured closer was better than the other side of the state.

Primaries are very low turnout events, and it seems to me that most primary voters are not making a very informed decision, especially when there are so many candidates to choose from, so many ways to split the vote. It is even possible that some Republicans changed their registration to Democrat for the primary, so they could vote for the worst, or most conservative candidate.

It's not a nice trick, but there are Democrats who do that in Kansas too - switch parties for the primary. In some districts, where there is no Democrat running for the State legislature, I do not blame them. The primary is the only place they will have a choice.

[GoCubsGo]

33. I do.

You are in Kansas. I am in South Carolina. I had a front row seat to the whole thing. You didn't. Just sayin'.

[hfojvt]

36. I am in Kansas, and I have seen some things

I saw Conroy beat Lee Jones in the Senate primary in 2006, even though Jones seemed to have more organization.

In the 2008 caucus, I saw 400 black people show up to caucus for Obama, winning the local caucus by a 2/3 majority. This, in spite of the fact that my county is about 90% white.

Only 197,000 of the 800,000 Democrats of SC voted in the primary election, and 27,000 of them did not vote for anybody in the Senate race. http://www.mediaite.com/online/the-alvin-greene-mystery-theories-explained/

That says that Rawl was not getting his message out. If, as I assume for SC, a lot of the primary voters were black and they were choosing between two unknowns (and again, the 27,000 non-votes show that he was an unknown) it is not surprising if most of them voted for the black guy. They may have read a paper which had - picture, age, location, employment.

The article says this "Yet no one has turned up a single TV ad, radio spot, piece of mail in which Mr. Greene presents himself to the voting public – just one lonely flyer in the possession of the candidate." Well, I worked hard in my campaign, stumping all over the district, but I never had a TV ad, radio spot, or piece of mail. Those would all be very expensive. But 1,000 business cards is only about $60. Make a little card with your face on it, like my dad did for his school board race. Goto some black churches and you will find people willing to pass those out to their friends.

Radio, TV and mail are not the only ways to campaign.

It does seem kinda suspicious that Rawl barely won Charleston county, where he was a state legislator. But then again, I am thinking that Charleston probably has 9 or ten state legislators - it's a big city, after all. So he is not necessarily that well known outside of his district, except by a very small group of political junkies. It's tough too. I am a precinct person and I goto party events and even in the campaign, there are more candidates at those events than there are voters - even in a big city like Topeka. I went to a campaign coffee before the primary and there were about ten people there and twelve candidates.

Rawl may have done like I did, took the primary victory for granted. I did not do that so much, but in my ads I did concentrate on the Republican, so people reading that may have thought I was running in the Republican primary. I should have added the line "Democrat for Congress" before the primary election. With that line, I may have won Topeka by over 1,500 votes and thus won the primary.

[Bluenorthwest]

26. Park would have been an excellent choice.

I would have done anything in my power to assist TN in electing her.

[summerschild]

32. I couldn't believe Steve Cohen didn't include an endorsement for US Senate on

his mailers. All I saw about a Cohen endorsement for Senate (local paper) supposedly he was quoted as saying Corker was a good man or something similar. I REALLY like Cohen, but I want Corker's ass outta there. The Dems and Cohen didn't use any ammo in this race at all. I'm sick.

I hadn't heard of any of the names in the primary, so checked all as best I could via the internet. They all appeared to be blue dogs (at best) except Overall, who supported Obama, AFCA, pro-life and equality. The only advertising I saw from Overall was one mail flyer and a robo-call at 6:30 pm election night reminding people to get to the polls. I told my son and daughter to vote for her and they did. She only received 15% of the vote in Shelby County. What a shame!

I, too, worry about cheating in the machinery here - plus the ineptitude of the election commission. Over two thousand voters were given ballots with incorrect distrcts on them. "They" say the votes will count - just in the wrong districts.


The commission's latest purge here has been challenged - but I've only seen it challenged by one source (and of course the commission refutes it):

http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/a-purge-too-far/Content?oid=3210448

A Purge Too Far
A Memphis pollster/analyst is troubled by the election commission's latest math.

I'm more concerned about reports on Shelby County from Beverly Harris of Black Box Voting:


http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-auth.cgi?file=/8/82018.html

SUMMARY: Details on Shelby County, Tennessee alteration of its Diebold voting system. They inserted a completely different program (not from Diebold at all) which alters the way the system works. Documents show that fully half of White suburbs are now processing information in a different way than the rest of the county, and that this selective and unusual processing has been taking place for at least four years. The alterations made to the system are illegal almost everywhere in the USA and automatically render their $600,000 voting system decertified, although they will claim that they don't need to use a certified system. One man, who does not work for Shelby County, has been given almost unprecedented access to the system. The alterations allow them to customize how party affiliation is coded, creating different party identifiers in White, Black, and mixed counties. I have posted a few documents, like the work order, in the article and will post several more, including a little bit of related source code, this weekend.

Yes, Democrats better get it together - here (and everywhere). These people will also cheat and they are relentless.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. It's almost that bad in Mississippi.

For most of its history, MS has been a one-party state. During the relatively brief period after the Civil Rights Movement there was a period of transition from Democratic to Republican rule. The transition is now almost complete, with a teabagger Governor and House and both U.S. Senators, as well as 3 of our 4 Congressmen. The majority-black Delta region is the only area where Democrats have any power. MS Democrats are barely any better than the Republicans, though. I don't think we'll have another Democratic Governor or Senator in my lifetime.

[MIDNITERIDER1438]

4. Now this is a failing of the so-called "liberal media" for us

This is inexcusable, while R-money had us distracted completely, this village idiot was allowed to sneak right past the men in the white coats. A major political intelligence failure, I'd call it.

It only goes to show that grass roots activism has not been organized for this election year as well as it was leading up to 2008. The Tea Party showed the way by taking over the local precinct captain positions, but there is no such unity of purpose of the disjointed Democratic party.

It's time to really get involved, or consider becoming expatriates.

[NoPasaran]

5. Pretty much the case in Texas

Sure, we have some strong county parties, but the state party is pretty much irrelevant. I appreciate the sentiments of people donating to Paul Sadler, our US Senate candidate, who is actually qualified to be a Senator, but he has about as much chance of beating teabilly superstar Ted Cruz as you have of jumping up real high and touching the Moon.

[cali]

6. That's depressing. I was wondering if Sadler had a chance.

[NoPasaran]

7. Imagine how we feel

Come January, John Cornyn will be our less-loathsome senator.

[Bolo Boffin]

16. There's a really good analysis of Texas over at Daily Kos.

With the changing demographics, Texas will become competitive in a few election cycles. Maybe Sadler doesn't make it, but we need to at least push it as far as we can. Like Wellstone said: "Organize, organize, organize!"

[NoPasaran]

22. I've been hearing about the Demographic Solution for years now

I'm unconvinced that an increasingly Hispanic population means good times ahead for Texas Democrats. For one thing, it's a population that historically doesn't vote. Secondly, it's an increasingly young population, another demographic that historically doesn't vote. So I think that the overall effect is going to be less than what raw numbers might indicate. And that doesn't even begin to address whatever voter suppression and intimidation schemes will be coming out of our increasingly right-wing Legislature over the next decade before the next census.

The last session of the Lege was awful enough; I expect the next one to be worse. Oh, we'll probably regain a few of the seats we lost in the House in 2010, but the fact that the last of the moderate Republicans in the Senate, Jeff Wentworth, was bagged by teaparty nutjob Donna Campbell is a very bad sign. To be sure, Campbell does have a Democratic opponent in November, but for John Courage to win Texas voters would have to start rejecting insanity real soon and in a big way. And if sanity was popular in Texas, then lunatics like Cruz and Campbell wouldn't be on November ballots.

To turn things around in Texas will require an ongoing effort of organizing and spending lots of money, not just for one election cycle, but for many. There was a brief effort while the Fifty State Strategy was in vogue, but that was abandoned and what ground was gained has been lost. Meanwhile the DNC and OFA treat Texas like a golden goose, sweeping up dollars and volunteers to use in other states.

So pardon my pessimism.

[Bolo Boffin]

37. I'll pardon your pessimism; I live here, too!

10-20 years in the future doesn't help us much now. But change is coming. It always does.

[catrose]

28. What I'm hoping

Is that faced with Cruz, the T-partier, that the middling people (if there are any) will flip to Democrat, where they might have voted for Dewhurst without a qualm.

I can keep hoping and working for Sadler until the votes come in. At least I'll be happier. It's hard to imagine viewing Cornyn as the least loathsome senator.

[Jamaal510]

8. I heard this on RM's show last night, too. But if there's no functional G0Pee in California,

then how the Hell was the 2010 gubernatorial race so close between Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown? CA is supposedly a blue state. How was that not a blowout for Brown?

[cali]

10. money

In CA, it's my understanding that there is no statewide republican office holder.



CA GOP Continues its Death Spiral, Seeks Help From Prop 32 Supporters


http://sandiegofreepress.org/2012/08/ca-gop-continues-its-death-spiral-seeks-help-from-prop-32-supporters/

[cali]

12. oh bullshit.

Not saying Michigan doesn't have problems and I'm not a big fan of either Levin or Stabenow but to blame it on the President is absurd.

Levin and Stabenow were in the Senate before Obama even became President- Levin, far before that happened.

Btw, either you support Obama's re-election at DU or you get booted.

Welcome to DU.

[ChickFullofHate]

14. Surprised by this?

This is when happens when non liberals are elected.

I really wish Pres Obama was the most liberal President in America's history. According to the RW he is when in fact he is more old school Pub then Dem.

[ChickFullofHate]

11. it is larger then TN

IMHO there isn't a real functional Democratic Party in most of the region, the entire SE.

But the Party has a big tent policy so why are not party officials welcoming him with open arms????

I don't agree with Mr Clayton but I also don't agree with the so called Moderate, centrist or Blue Dogs either but they are welcome in the party and given financial and Presidential support.

Are people like Mr Clayton the line in the sand for the party but Dems who are openly against unions and single payer are welcome?
Very confusing to be a dem these day.

[cali]

13. Not at all confusing and the TN dem party is EXACTLY right to reject this pig bigot

[ChickFullofHate]

15. So lets get this straight Bigot Bad but Anti Union Good

so that is the party policy now?

[cali]

19. oh, because I said that. Not. disgusting little habit dear, putting words

in others' mouths.

The dem platform expressly supports unions. It expressly supports GLBT rights.

And do name all these anti-union dems you're whining about, honey.

Yes, I wish there was even stronger support for unions in the party, but to state that dems are anti-union is dog shit.

[Fumesucker]

17. Welcome to DU!

You are absolutely correct, it is indeed confusing to be a Democrat these days.

[leftstreet]

30. +1

Excellent post

[Glitterati]

18. Georgia as well

There IS a DEM party in Georgia, but you'd never know it. Heck, when the Repubs took control of Georgia, half the DEMs converted to Republicans.

[sybylla]

20. I'm curious why they waited until after the election to disavow him.

Parties are allowed to do this before the election in the case of Dinos. If they didn't have the wherewithal to provide resources to the real Dems, they could at least have helped out by condemning the non-Dem in the bunch.

[TheKentuckian]

34. This my issue with this mess.

How the hell are they only now speaking up?

Ineptitude is more forgivable than bigotry but little more tolerable because in elections in this country they approach the same thing. Ineptitude in this case means Cornyn is the de facto Democratic nominee as well as the official TeaPubliKlan candidate and that is unacceptable.

[gordianot]

21. Missouri just barely has a Democratic Party McCaskill, Nixon, and Koster are DINO train wrecks.

McCaskill and her Senate ads are the worst messaging I have ever seen.

[trof]

24. Nor in Alabama

Not a single Dem in statewide office.
In my county repugs run unopposed.

[tech3149]

27. Remember Will Rogers statement?

"I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat."
I'm in PA and this should be a bastion of Democratic party strength but over the decades I was away it turned into RW assholery.
If I had to venture a guess I'd say that at least 20 states have no functional Democratic party. When I moved back here I went to the local Democratic offices to get information about candidates and they were useless. Three old women with little to no information. Went to a couple of fund-raisers, joined a local Democratic club. In every case it was the same, lots of socializing but very little serious discussion.

[brentspeak]

35. Another abject failure courtesy of Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Obama's hand-picked successor to Howard Dean demonstrates how she managed to turn the Democrats' 50-State Strategy to the Corporate Democrats new 15-State Strategy.