We need some DINO's in Congress.

[pnwmom]

Last edited Fri Nov 10, 2017, 06:42 PM - Edit history (1)

When we lost almost all our DINO's (Manchin in WVA being one of the few remaining), the Democrats who progressives complained weren't pure enough Dems, we also lost our majorities in the House and the Senate.

Without majorities, we lose all control of legislation and committees -- and we give them the opportunity to pass anything they can on a party line vote.

It's time to once again encourage mostly-Dems, and moderate Dems, and centrist Dems -- the whole range of not-pure-progressive Dems who live in red and purple districts and states -- and build up our majorities in Congress again.

[NCTraveler]

1. We just sent Crist to the House.

He beat Jolly.

Guy is as DINO as DINO gets. You never know, he might be a RINO by the end of the year. Depends on how the political landscape looks for him.

[Madam45for2923]

2. Beside pure is not really pure as they seem to emphasize some issues over others.

[mcar]

3. It was an integral part of Dean's 50 state strategy

Which some who demand purity say we need again.

[peggysue2]

15. You're right and that's the craziest thing

You cannot have it both ways: purity and candidates who appeal to and can win within their individual constituencies. Dean pushed the 50-state strategy, and then was burned for it because all candidates did not match liberal/progressive high marks. Now people are giving Dean gold stars and accolades for the very same strategy that earned him scorn in the past. Little bit of amnesia going on.

We cannot have it both ways: Compete and win across the board while offering one-size-fits-all candidates. Dean knew that and still knows it. For instance, Northam won with a lot of effort and energy but he also matched Virginia's mood and nature and philosophy in the now. Joe Manchin is not everyone's cup of tea but he represents his region, his people and is certainly better than any Republican cult member sitting in that seat.

[mcar]

16. Exactly!

[Bleacher Creature]

4. Having DINOs means that the Democrats are winning races in marginal or even conservative places.

It means that they've maximized their results in blue states and districts in order to build a majority.

They can be annoying as hell at times (the Obamacare legislative history is a great example), but their existence alone means that things are on the right track.

[SCantiGOP]

5. The newly elected governor of Virginia

Is on record as saying he voted both times for G W Bush. That's about as DINO as you can get.

[pnwmom]

6. And he is a good example of that. There were people here complaining about him

because of that statement, but statements like that helped him get elected in a swing state.

[SCantiGOP]

8. I expected you to get more blowback from your OP

But I for one agree with you.

[Hortensis]

7. Well, districts where conservative Democrats dominate, such as in

WV's coal country, have pretty much insisted on doing that all along. The purples? Do we have any figures for how many "excessively" left people actually managed to get elected in those and ride rough over others? I expect it's not many. Others in local and national legislatures would act as a check.

A lot of people here might, instead, remember not long ago when citizens in a few states voted for gay marriage and other LGBTetc rights. We all cheered. But then the entire rest of the nation, dozens of states, had it imposed on them by judicial fiat. Plenty of those people supported sexual equality, or were close to ready to, but even many of those, and certainly its opponents, were anywhere from a bit upset to enraged that SCOTUS could dictate such enormous change on them from the northeast. Of course that decision was based on a coming together of growing popular support in this era with constitutional principle, not liberal extremists forcing their wishes on everyone else, but that's not how many saw it.

I remember the cheering for THAT here and hoped we would escape backlash. We emphatically did not. All over the nation millions of conservatives built another layer of conviction that they had to save the nation from further left wing fiats and moved getting another conservative on SCOTUS to the top of their priorities, followed closely by increased willingness to support almost any conservative for office over a liberal.

That's only one of many big events we're all reacting to, but it defined battle lines for the right in general.

[FM123]

9. Someone said the other day....

"First we have to get Democrats elected. Then, we have to get BETTER Democrats elected."
I could get with that.

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. I am fine with that

As long as we are not talking about safe blue Democratic seats, and as long as we recognize that sometimes it is actually a more radical Democrat who breaks through with people who are really struggling, who swing back and forth voting for supposedly anti-establishment candidates on the right and left that claim they will have their backs. This is usually more true in some races below the State level, when the candidate has local roots and is known for fighting for the common man and woman.

But yeah, I agree. I never have taken verbal shots at the likes of Joe Manchin or Claire McCaskill. Under the circumstances, I'm quite glad we have them.

[beachbum bob]

11. We have a wide range of democratic legislators, the more liberal to more

Conservative....we have lost our majorities from lackluster voters, who rather sit and complain than do what it takes to elect democrats. The conservatives don't suffer from lazy voters and why a minority has taken power. When we all vote, we win. Period

[joshcryer]

12. Having a simple majority allows us to have control via the Speaker.

The Speaker of the House controls all legislation that comes to a vote.

[LostOne4Ever]

13. Cause we need more Jim Justice and Zell Millers right?

Moderates are okay, but DINOs noway!!!

[Stinky The Clown]

14. There ya go. Off to the Greatest Page with ya.

[Awsi Dooger]

17. Dozens and dozens of them

Anyone who doesn't understand that has never traveled the country.

It's the argument I made on MyDD back in 2004. Minority status is guaranteed if you force candidates into white rural areas that won't budge. If we have DINOs it means you are winning those districts.

Granted, it's probably short term. Our highest upside is when a Republican president is very unpopular.