Some Lessons of Lincoln's Win

[ProSense]

Some Lessons of Lincoln's Win

The high-profile primary elections went pretty much as expected, with the exception of the Lincoln-Halter race in Arkansas, which pundits are calling an upset for Sen. Lincoln, who won by 4 percent. The Arkansas race was certain to be a tough experience for many Democrats, regardless of who won. The way it worked out, progressive Dems got a double dose of the pain.

Not only were progressives hugely disappointed by Lt. Governor Halter's loss -- he was an impressive candidate, who many believed could be a rising star in the Democratic party and who had momentum in the polls. In addition, Lincoln's victory was tainted by unprecedented union-bashing from a Democratic incumbent and her surrogates, including former President Clinton. Whether Lincoln could have won without it will remain a topic for debate. But, if she loses a close race in November because of weak union support, the folly of the strategy will become clear.

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Whether or not the union-bashing helped Lincoln, there is some potential for long-term damage here, especially if other Democratic candidates embrace it. In the long run, the Democratic Party needs a strong union movement to build a real progressive majority. Victories won with union-bashing are ultimately divisive and may well end up serving GOP candidates, even in a state with relatively low union power, like Arkansas. Alternatively, if we can only win by disparaging an institution that is the first line of defense for working people in their quest for decent living standards, who the hell are we?

For unions, a couple of lessons of Lincoln's win come into focus. 1. Be ready for union-bashing. There will likely be more of it in other races. 2. Develop stronger media resources -- a national labor movement cable channel with local programming capability is long overdue. Regarding the latter, union GOTV efforts are still an invaluable asset for Dems in many races. But the labor movement urgently needs an energetic nation-wide educational campaign, utilizing more than bumper stickers. Unions must do a better job of educating Americans about all that organized labor has done to create the middle class. They must also adapt their organizing strategy to fit the changing work force so they can grow again. With such a twin-pronged strategy, the labor movement can begin to create a climate in which no smart Democrat would dare to win votes by trashing unions.

I have to agree with WaPo columnist Chris Cillizza's assessment that, despite all of the jabber about "a strong anti-incumbent wind" blowing around the country, "Lincoln's victory provides -- yet more -- evidence that candidates and campaigns matter." I would also agree with Open Left's Chris Bowers that Lincoln's strong position on Wall St. reform helped her.

But the salient lesson of Lincoln's primary win for Democrats won't become clear until November 2nd. She has to do what she can to rebuild bridges to Arkansas progressives, especially unions, which won't be easy. Lincoln can't afford to write off any pro-Democratic constituency.

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[Dinger]

1. she's DOA In November (nt)

[IndianaGreen]

2. 'support from the party's liberal base cannot be taken for granted.'

Steve Rosenthal, a veteran labor organizer who was a key strategist in the campaign against Lincoln, said forcing her into a runoff and having Halter come within four percentage points of her on Tuesday was "a phenomenal victory."

"There are other senators sitting on Capitol Hill saying, 'I don't want to go through what Senator Lincoln went through,' and that's the important lesson," Rosenthal said. "The labor movement is about protecting rights and expanding rights for workers. As long as the labor movement is seen as spending its resources only to protect Democrats, it loses."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/09/AR2010060902882.html?hpid=topnews

[Thrill]

3. Neither of them had a chance to win the General Election

Not sure why the Unions or Obama wasted their time or money.

[ProSense]

4. People are kidding themselves

if they think that Democrats and union supporters in Arkansas are going to sit back and allow a Republican to win.

[Thrill]

5. I don't expect them to sit back. But I wouldn't waste resources there

Oh well

[JCMach1]

6. Only less is this: Don't underestimate the BIG DOG