Democrats’ Identity Crisis Is Spilling Into Their Senate Races

[RiverLover]

Democrats’ Identity Crisis Is Spilling Into Their Senate Races
Democrats have been remarkably successful at avoiding contentious primaries, but the ones taking place in 2016 will be consequential.
National JOURNAL (Not to be confused with the RW hate rag National Review)
3/26/2015

If he runs for the Senate, Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida could spark one of the most heated Democratic primaries in years.
(JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

March 26, 2015 On the surface, the Democratic Party looks remarkably unified heading into the 2016 presidential election, with Hillary Clinton scaring off any internal competition and Democrats rallying behind recruits in key Senate races. But there are divisions percolating within the party—ruptures that could grow more significant if setbacks occur on the road to a Clinton coronation.

Congressional races often serve as a leading indicator of what the future holds at the top of the ticket. And already, there are several primaries that would pit the Democratic Party's pragmatic liberal wing against the true-blue progressives. Democrats may not end up with significantly more contested primaries than in the past, but the ideological stakes will be higher. The battles are shaping up to be over core issues splitting the party: entitlements, support for Israel, national security, and others. The intraparty divisions that President Obama has suppressed and Hillary Clinton has avoided will be litigated down the ballot, and the stakes won't be for control of the Senate, but for control of the party's future.

Take the Maryland Senate race. Both Reps. Donna Edwards and Chris Van Hollen hail from the party's progressive wing. But Edwards is already aggressively pointing to Van Hollen's past openness to a grand budget bargain to draw a contrast with her challenger. "Our approach to Social Security must be absolute and non-negotiable," she warned in a recent fundraising email. That's not the only dividing line between Edwards and Van Hollen: She's one of the more outspoken Democratic critics of Israel, frequently voting with a small minority against symbolic, pro-Israel resolutions and winning enthusiastic support from J Street, a Jewish group that frequently criticizes Israel's policies.

The potential for an ideological food fight is also growing in Florida, where one of the most moderate members of the Democratic caucus could be facing a nasty primary against one of the most pugnacious progressives. Rep. Patrick Murphy is the party favorite and fits the profile of a Democrat who's well-positioned to win a statewide race: centrist, backed by the Chamber of Commerce and, at 31, an up-and-comer. But Rep. Alan Grayson, who is acting increasingly like a Senate candidate, is already taking not-too-subtle jabs at Murphy. Without mentioning the congressman by name, he said the winning strategy in Florida wasn't to nominate someone who's "somewhat embarrassed to be a Democrat." If he enters the race, expect him to sharpen his attacks against Murphy.

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the potential for intraparty unrest is high. Rep. Joe Sestak is the front-runner, but Democratic officials have been looking at possible alternatives....

http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/2016-senate-races-democrats-20150326

May the TRUE Democrats prevail.

'Centrist' Posers are for republicans!!

[Cali_Democrat]

1. How would you define a TRUE Democrat?

In your opinion, does Hillary Clinton qualify as a TRUE Democrat?

[RiverLover]

2. hmmm...that's a tough Q

Wall Street Republicans' dark secret: Hillary Clinton 2016
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/wall-street-republicans-hillary-clinton-2016-106070.html

But Is Hillary Ready for Us?
http://www.thenation.com/blog/200897/hillary-ready-us?

Basu: What will donors expect for Clinton donations?
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/rekha-basu/2015/03/01/donors-expect-clinton-donations/24213359/

[Cali_Democrat]

5. Is that a yes or a no? nt

[RiverLover]

8. Really?

Really?

[Cali_Democrat]

13. Yes or no? nt

[RiverLover]

16. You can't figure that out.

I'm so sorry. It seemed pretty clear to me. Deductive reasoning comes easier for some.

[Cali_Democrat]

17. So I'm assuming you don't think Hillary Clinton is a TRUE Democrat

Thank gawd we have you, RiverLover, to help us navigate through the rough seas and determine who's a TRUE Democrat and who isn't.

[L0oniX]

21. You're surprised that some real Dems aren't pro oligarchy as some others?

[fredamae]

4. My Opinion

it is (not in words...but advocacy) someone who is willing to draw a line in the sand against the oligarchs. It is someone who seeks to find a way to make things Work instead of automatically citing reasons why it Won't work. It is someone who does Not ignore the will of the people.

Someone who will work For something like this:
http://www.presidentprofiles.com/Grant-Eisenhower/Franklin-D-Roosevelt-The-second-new-deal.html

[LWolf]

19. Like all terms,

there is more than one definition, and multiple connotations.

A TRUE Democrat is, frankly, most simply defined as someone registered with the Democratic Party, regardless of positions on issues. The Democratic Party, as all political parties do, is constantly evolving and changing with regards to issues.

For many, a TRUE Democrat is someone who fits positions on issues that the party held when they became a Democrat. The party no longer represents us on many of those issues.

ALL Democrats are TRUE Democrats; HRC is a neo-liberal Democrat. That makes her a good fit for some, and a poor fit for others.

The reality is that anyone can "be" a TRUE Democrat simply by registering as such. It takes no position on any issue, no loyalty oath, no votes, no activism, engagement, participation, or support of any kind. It simply takes registering.

[Autumn]

3. Democrats have worse problems than an identity crisis, they have a serious problem,

democrats like this one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026422548

[4139]

6. Maryland: "Vastly Different Candidates" ( re Israel )

http://jewishtimes.com/35737/vastly-different-candidates/


Addendum... Hillary got 60% of the Jewish vote in the 2008 primary, but only 37% of the overall primary vote

[cali]

7. Grayson doesn't stand a chance of winning state wide office.

[Zorra]

11. The MSM can easily prevent any liberal (fed) Senate candidate in any swing state from being elected.

This is why I keep insisting that we need focused, determined, active and passive non-violent revolution.

Without this type of revolution, the 1% will continue to gain wealth, power, and control, and the 99% will continue to lose wealth, power and control.

Our political system is controlled by oligarchs, and will be controlled by oligarchs until we revolt, so it's either revolution, or an eventual return to feudalism.

[cali]

14. I don't think this has jack to do with the MSM and everything to do with Grayson

and Florida. It's convenient and easy to blame it all on the MSM.

And a revolution can only occur when enough people are awake to the threat that that oligarchs pose.

[RiverLover]

18. And the MSM works to keep people in the dark about the threat the oligarchies pose. /nt

[L0oniX]

20. Of course. The MSM is owned by the oligarchy.

[Calista241]

15. Isn't he the guy suing his wife for bigotry?

[LongTomH]

9. Pragmatic Liberals, my ass!!!!!

Pragmatic REAL liberals gave us Social Security and Medicare. This current crop of 'liberals' are 'centrists', actually right-of-center centrists.

[RiverLover]

12. So true! We need a Spin Alert here on the false narrative being shoved down our throats.

Pragmatic Liberals = Democrats in Name Only

[geek tragedy]

10. Seems more like standard issue contested primaries than any

party-wide divide.

Van Hollen and Edwards are much, much, much more similar than they are different.

[great white snark]

22. True but I doubt that anyone who still expects "Warren 2016" is interested in reality.

MSM driven conflict is always popular with DU's third party squatters.