Pierce: The Democrats Need to Figure This Thing Out

[bluedigger]

BY CHARLES P. PIERCE
JAN 25, 2017

There are 23 senate seats on the line in 2018.

So apparently the big noise in Democratic circles is this guy Pete Buttigieg, the openly gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana, wherein lies a nice little Catholic university that did not upset the Number One team in the nation Tuesday night. (Sorry for the diversion, but I take my wins where I can find them these days.) He has emerged as what used to be called "the Compromise Italian" during papal conclaves in the days before the Holy Spirit went crazy and started picking Poles, Germans, and Argentines. He's the consensus middle choice between Keith Ellison and Tom Perez. Frankly, I can live with any of these guys, although my preference is for Ellison, not least because he's willing to give up a safe congressional seat to do this thankless job.

However, it is also my considered opinion that the Democratic Party should get its shit together in one quick hurry. Waiting until March, and dragging out a pointless internal slanging match for three months, is such typically Democratic bungling that it's almost classic. Get a chairman because, cats and kittens, they're coming already for what's left of you.

Let us take, for a moment, Senator Professor Warren. She's undoubtedly Target A in 2018, if only to derail any possibility that she'll run for president. She would be a big prize in any case. They're already running attack ads against her on the radio up here and, on Tuesday, WBUR, one of the local public radio stations in Boston, came out with a poll that was remarkably gloomy on her prospects for re-election.

There are other factors in play as well. First of all, there is no shortage of ambitious Republican tech millionnaires up here who can self finance a serious challenge. (Keep an eye on this guy Rick Green, an auto parts magnate who's close to Republican Governor Charlie Baker. Also keep an eye on Curt Schilling, if only for laughs.) Second, you can count on local press to stumble all over itself being fair to whoever the Republican candidate is. (More than a few people are nettled that Warren has failed to kiss up the way the the local press thinks it deserves.) Third, believe it or not, and sometimes even I don't, there are purity trolls on the left who have not forgiven her for endorsing Hillary Clinton last June, and for not jumping aboard the Bernie bandwagon prior to the Massachusetts primary.

She's not a lock, basically, is what I'm saying. And the one thing she doesn't need is a lengthy squabble over who's running the party, especially one that leaves delicate fee-fees wounded for months.

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a52552/democrats-dnc-chair-figure-out/

[Initech]

1. We need to mobilize and GOTV in 2018.

We need to be united and not divided. We need to make Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell irrelevant. That should be our common goal.

[OnDoutside]

2. That's a stunning article.

[Me.]

3. I'm Fine W/Pete Buttigieg

Liked the fact that instead of doing the retreat thing, he marched. The only candidate to do so.

[Girard442]

4. We D's need to run scared.

That means putting egos aside, squelching pointless squabbles, and all focus on the one central fact: if we f--- this up this time there may not be any Democrats left after, nor a country for us to lead.

No guarantees even that there will be any there there in 2018, but that's what we have to work toward.

[vi5]

5. He's an outsider so I'm fine with him...

...I would be fine with Ellison as well.

Perez doesn't bother me, but he is a little too tied to the establishment that has seen us shed Senate seats, house seats and state houses over the past 8 years so I'm not sure he has the will to do what needs to be done.

[longship]

6. Delicate fee-fees!

Yup! Too damned many of them. Let's throw every good Democrat under the bus... and Bernie, too!!!!! It's getting crowded under there.

[mopinko]

7. sean duffy is gonna take on baldwin.

if we cant get free and fair elections in wis, say bye bye tammy.

hope this puts the fire under the party over voter suppression.

[CrispyQ]

8. I have zero hope in the Democratic Party.

They are weak & they don't fight. The republicans will disenfranchise even more voters in the next two years & the dems will lose more seats in 2018. When the repubs steal a few more state legislatures & call a convention, it will be game over. Short of a Hail Mary pass, the dems didn't just drop the ball, they lost the game.

My friend, an optimist, says that people are engaged in the process now & that things will change. I said, we'll see in six months how engaged people are. It takes a lot of commitment to keep up on the bills in front of Congress & to call or write. I know. I was diligent during the Bush years & it took time! Then I slacked off when Obama was in office.

Here is an excellent resource for what's going on in Congress. Spread it far & wide. I've created a document that I've shared with my friends & family & it includes links to federal & state government sources & contact info for legislators. I've been thinking about starting a newsletter with the info from the link below, in an effort to make it easy for people to engage. I'm a pessimist, but at least I'm an engaged pessimist.

https://www.congress.gov




A friend observed that the above is missing the narcissist - a glass so full of himself that it's actually empty. I need someone to photoshop an empty shot glass with a Trump toupee.

[BainsBane]

9. Democrats fight plenty

Only it's among ourselves.

[JHan]

10. +++++

like this BS:

"Third, believe it or not, and sometimes even I don't, there are purity trolls on the left who have not forgiven her for endorsing Hillary Clinton last June, and for not jumping aboard the Bernie bandwagon prior to the Massachusetts primary. "

[BainsBane]

11. I was just reading some of that

They've also turned on Ellison.