Bring It On, Mitt

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Sunday November 13, 2011 · 12:48 PM PST

2011/11/13 · 12:48

Watching the GOP primaries, I've been continually stumped by the speed and fluidity of the massive game of "Tea Party speed-dating" the whole thing has devolved into, as that rabid 75% of the GOP base battle to settle their differences and rally against Romney. At one point, I was sure it would be Pawlenty that would emerge as the ultimate nominee- good thing I never put money on it. I didn't see Perry's collapse, or Cain's surge. I didn't understand the mercilessness of the GOP base towards the fairly bad Perry, compared to their tolerance of intolerable Cain. And Bachmann's brief surge- there were no words.

At this point, like many I'd say that it looks more likely than ever that it'll be Romney. I won't make that a prediction, given all of the above that I couldn't predict, but just right now it probably makes the most sense. Like most, my instinct is to fear that result, hoping that Obama will have one of the more beatable opponents. But I keep realising, there's no need to fear it.

Poll

20 votes Show Results

Which GOP nominee would you rather face

20 votes Vote Now!

Which GOP nominee would you rather face

Romney

3 votes

Perry

3 votes

Cain

3 votes

Gingrich

1 vote

Bachmann

4 votes

Huntsman

2 votes

Paul

0 votes

Santorum

4 votes

IL-Sen: Watch Out, Republicans Can Still Be Sane

Elliot341

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Friday November 05, 2010 · 4:37 AM PDT

2010/11/05 · 04:37

Much has been made of how the Tea Party had no positive effect on the margin of the control in the Senate, winning only seats where the establishment candidates would have won more easily (KY, FL etc) and losing at least three states where the establishment pick could have beaten the Dems (DE, CO, NV). Plus, in CA and CT, while the Republicans avoided the Tea Party candidates (DeVore and Schiff, respectively), they cost themselves by going with the semi-establishment rich female dilettante candidates in Fiorina and McMahon, when moderate former Congressmen Rob Simmons (R-CT) and Tom Campbell (R-CA) could have handed them the Senate altogether. Likewise, similar effects can be observed in some of the governorships, and while it's harder to determine, it probably cost them some House gains as well. Nevertheless, while Dems, the GOP establishment and some (but not all) of the press know better, the Tea Partiers are declaring victory, and as some have pointed out, this sentiment could cost the GOP more seats in 2012, and maybe even embolden them to hand the presidential nomination to Palin or someone similarly toxic.

Elliot341

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Monday May 24, 2010 · 6:25 AM PDT

2010/05/24 · 06:25

By now, we've all heard the scandal with Dick Blumenthal in Connecticut. What's clear is that he made some misleading statements ("served during Vietnam"), and told some outright lies ("in Vietnam", "when we returned from Vietnam"), along with some clearer ones ("I did not serve in Vietnam"). What's also clear is that the NYT article was somewhat of a hit piece, with ties to the McMahon campaign.

Also, you should have all by now seen Dale Peterson's Alabama Ag Commissioner ad, along with the even more hillarious Funny or Die parody. If not, go googling and watch them, post-haste.

Elliot341

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Sunday March 21, 2010 · 11:30 AM PDT

2010/03/21 · 11:30

As we've seen, the healthcare debate and the battle to pass the reform bill has been made even more complicated by the injection of a perhaps another controversial issue, abortion, into the process. And pro-lifers, Democrats and Republicans alike, have threatened opposition over the bill's abortion provisions. However, now that it looks like the EO compromise with the Stupak Bloc will ensure passage, meaning that a decent number of pro-life Democrats will now vote for healthcare. Some more will vote against, but I think they have generally pragmatic reasons for doing so. So instead, our problem should be with the Republicans and the Religious Right organizations that continue to oppose the bill supposedly because the Executive Order compromise still isn't enough. Our question to them should be this- "how is the status quo on healthcare pro-life?"

Elliot341

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Saturday January 09, 2010 · 6:57 AM PST

2010/01/09 · 06:57

There has been much talk of how teabagger enthusiasm could cost the GOP a few potential wins in 2010 due their insistance on right-wing purism, and a few days ago, I wrote I diary speculating on how there was very vague, minor possibility of teabagger politics maybe playing a role in the suddenly-crucial North Dakota Senate race, on top of the already observable effects in Florida, Kentucky and elsewhere. One commenter did say something valid in response to that diary, that it doesn't show much faith in progressive ideals to just hope for the GOP to sabotage itself, but I don't think that's the whole story. Bill Owens in the NY 23rd was a good candidate who ran a strong Democratic campaign, backing the public option and other priorities. That said, the district was tough, and without an extra boost from the disasterous Hoffman campaign, he might not have pulled it off. In a race you look for every edge, and one could be emerging for any Democrat who wishes to be the next U.S. Senator from Arizona.

Poll

67 votes Show Results

Who should run in Arizona?

67 votes Vote Now!

Who should run in Arizona?

No one, it'll be a waste of effort no matter what.

13 votes

Gabrielle Giffords

16 votes

Terry Goddard

3 votes

Phil Gordon

6 votes

Harry Mitchell

1 vote

Raul Grijalva

7 votes

Ed Pastor

1 vote

Janet Napolitano

6 votes

Anne Kirkpatrick

3 votes

Rodney Glassman

7 votes

Pie

4 votes

ND-Sen. What If There Was a Teabagger Challenge to Hoeven?

Elliot341

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Thursday January 07, 2010 · 3:34 AM PST

2010/01/07 · 03:34

Obviously, there is much speculation about who the Democrat will be in the ND Senate race, with Dorgan sadly dropping out. Earl Pomeroy has opted for another House run (and now may face Public Service Commissioner and former two-time Pomeroy opponent Kevin Cramer in the general). Heidi Heitkamp sounds like a good Senate prospect for the Democrats, and her Facebook draft page now has over 1000 members, so she's generating a buzz, but there are others if she declines (Roger Johnson, Wayne Sanstead etc).

However, just a consideration. People are now assuming Hoeven will jump in, though he is yet to formally declare. But even if he does, it should be noted that he isn't neccesarily a conservative darling, and we all know the relevance of that in the current climate.

Elliot341

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Thursday February 12, 2009 · 5:21 PM PST

2009/02/12 · 17:21

I recent weeks, the concept of working across the aisle to achieve change, as Obama has so heavily emphasised, has begun to take it's share of flak on this site. And perhaps with good reason. House Republicans spent weeks negotiating with their Democratic counterparts and the Administration, extracting useless tax cuts and other concessions. And then they voted unanimously against.

Obama's formation of perhaps one of the most centrist, bipartisan and experienced cabinets in history was lauded by many. He appointed a generally conservative Republican congressman (as Transport Secretary, albeit) and retained Bush's Independent/Republican SecDef. He also appointed an ex-Republican, now just Independent, Wall Streeter to Treasury. He appointed a whole load of qualified moderate Democrats, including Janet Napolitano, who's nomination handed Republicans the AZ governorship and ensured Senator McCain's reelection, and Ken Salazar, which may have made the Colorado seat more contestable for the GOP. And to top it all off, he tried to appoint Gregg to Commerce. Much of this pissed off his own progressive base, but Obama was (and still probably is) determined to govern from the centre and meet the GOP half way.

Elliot341

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Saturday January 31, 2009 · 12:05 PM PST

2009/01/31 · 12:05

I’m sorry for yet another Gillibrand diary, but the search for the Hillary seat and Gillibrand selection have greatly interested me in recent weeks and I’ve been following them closely.

Like a lot of people, I’m still not sure what to make of her exactly. At first I was optimistic. She was, by all accounts, a smart, likable, effective and honest representative. Her record was never liberal, but she had a few fairly progressive stances mixed with some very conservative stances, making her hard to pin down. But like many, I’d written her centrist/moderate outlook and Blue Dog membership as justified pragmatism; the only way she could take and hold a fairly Republican district, thereby allowing her to support Democrats on issues where she did adhere to the party line. Further, the switch on gay rights seemed to represent the beginning of her predicted shift to left, adjusting to her new statewide constituency, hopefully culminating in a broadly liberal, Hillary Clinton-style outlook on the issues. She’ll never be a firebrand, but there’s only ever a handful of those on either side of the aisle, so I don’t automatically expect that of her. If this all happens, and it still could, her star can continue to rise and I will like her.

Elliot341

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Monday September 22, 2008 · 6:34 AM PDT

2008/09/22 · 06:34

I've heard some talk about what would happen in various states in regards to replacing the candidates, depending on which presidential ticket wins. Win or lose for Obama/Biden, it does interest me who would ultimately end up becoming a senator come January. And oddly enough, the possibility I've heard the least speculation about is who would replace Obama should he ascend to the presidency.

Now in the interest of not putting the cart before the horse and damning Obama/Biden with bad karma, I'll look at the horrifying possibility first; what if the GOP ticket wins.

Poll

144 votes Show Results

If elected president, who should replace Obama in the senate?

144 votes Vote Now!

If elected president, who should replace Obama in the senate?

Jesse Jackon Jr.

52 votes

Rahm Emmanuel

29 votes

Rod Blagojevich

6 votes

Lisa Madigan

13 votes

Pat Quinn

4 votes

Bobby Rush

3 votes

Alexi Giannoulias

2 votes

Rep. Luis Gutierrez

4 votes

Rep. Melissa Bean

3 votes

Rep. Jan Schakowsky

21 votes

State Senate Majority Leader (and possible Rep) Debbie Halvorson

2 votes

Other

5 votes

537

Elliot341

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Friday September 05, 2008 · 7:53 PM PDT

2008/09/05 · 19:53

I was pondering the full impact of this election, and I began to realize something, something I hope you will share with others.

Americans sometimes hail the US as the world's greatest democracy. As I've mentioned in other diaries and comments, I'm a UK citizen and resident, and me and many other non-Americans would at times question such assertions. But constitutional law debates aside, there is a sense in which those assertions are true; the sheer impact that the results of the American democratic process have the world over. The US president wields power unmatched by any other national leader, with the ability to influence hundreds of millions of lives both within and beyond America’s borders. Only US voters get a say in who wields that power and to what ends, even though they are not the only ones subject to it, which gives Americans a sacred duty both to your own nation and to the world.

Elliot341

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Friday August 29, 2008 · 6:45 PM PDT

2008/08/29 · 18:45

Congratulations, GOP. You've finally decided a woman can hold high constitutional office, and nominated a female VP candiate. Too bad that the Democrats beat you to it by a small matter of 24 years. Or to put it another way, nearly a quarter of a century.

And no, "better late than never" isn't a valid argument for them here, for reasons I will explain below.

My views on McCain's choice here are mixed. In terms of identity and ideology, Palin has some upsides that could have made this a smart, while risky, move on McCain's part. But I also strongly agree about the points on her severe lack of experience and on Alaska GOP corruption, both of which could easily and effectively be played to Obama's advantage. And I'm critical of the cynical attempt at identity politics by McCain here.

Elliot341

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Tuesday August 05, 2008 · 6:17 AM PDT

2008/08/05 · 06:17

Yesterday, I read a story on AOL Elections '08 about this. I haven't seen any other diaries on it, but if there are, I apologise for repeating. Nancy Pelosi on "This Week" that she wants Edwards as Obama's for VP, saying "I hope he will be the nominee."

For all the John Edwards supporters reading this and celebrating, I'm sorry to disappoint you; she was talking about Congressman Chet Edwards, Democratic representative for the Texas 17th. Edwards, of course, gives Democrats the ability to gloat not only about managing to hold an R+18 district, but also about how President Bush's very own congressman (the 17th contains Crawford) is a Democrat. Prior to this story that was basically I knew about Edwards, but I've begun reading up now that his name is in the ring. I can see some upsides to Edwards and maybe Obama should give him consideration, but he has some major flaws and personally, Wesley Clark and Kathleen Sebelius still top my list.

Poll

62 votes Show Results

Obama/Edwards. Your thoughts?

62 votes Vote Now!

Obama/Edwards. Your thoughts?

Chet Edwards is the best choice for Obama's VP

4 votes

Chet Edwards is one of the best choices for Obama's VP

2 votes

He should be considered, but there's others that should be higher on the list

22 votes

Under no circumstances should he be considered or picked

11 votes

Nancy Pelosi is a moron

23 votes

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Bring It On, Mitt

IL-Sen: Watch Out, Republicans Can Still Be Sane

"Marine During Vietnam"

Abortion and Healthcare: Why Aren't We Whacking the Republicans?

Should DSCC Start Looking at Arizona Again?

ND-Sen. What If There Was a Teabagger Challenge to Hoeven?

Some Musings on Judd Gregg & "Bipartisanship"

Gillibrand: The Alternatives?

Senator ? (D-Illinois)

537

The Audacity of Pandering

Pelosi backs Obama/Edwards