The following diaries are examples of this week's Election Diary Rescue. This post features a collection of 35 diaries.
(MN-Sen) Tea Party Cachet for Senate Hopefuls in MN, IA, OK, and GA--Sarah Palin Facebook Endorsements !?! by esessis - Julianne Ortman (R-MN) has picked up the coveted Sarah Palin Facebook endorsement over other Republicans in the Senate race against Senator Al Franken (D).
(KS-01) America's Most Loathsome Congressman Has A Democratic Opponent by BlueDuPage - Tim Huelskamp doesn't get as much press as Louie Gohmert or Michele Bachmann or Steve King, but it's not for lack of trying. The district is a very conservative one, encompassing a wide swath of thinly populated western Kansas. The diary introduces Jim Sherrow, who has stepped forward to challenge Huelskamp.
(OK-Gov) The Imperial Governor: Oklahoma's Mary Fallin Needs to Go by fidlerten - An in-depth look at the issues on which incumbent Governor Mary Fallin fails and needs to be defeated in November. Her Democratic opponent is State Representative Joe Dorman.
Study: Swing Voters Are A Myth And Seeking The Center Kills A Campaign by saintpetersblog - Lynn Vavrek blogged for the New York Times on what we can glean from polling and experience, looking at the 2010 elections and concluding that voters didn't abandon Democrats for Republicans. Rather, left-leaning voters just stayed home.
This is the 17th weekly edition of Election Diary Rescue. It covers rescued down-ticket election diaries published from Sunday, April 27, through Saturday, May 3. We hope you enjoy the following gems dug up by our dedicated team of miners.
Diaries: (35)
Senate: (7) posts, (6) states
House: (12) posts (7) states, (11) districts
State and more: (8)
General: (8)
Please check below the fold for more great diaries.
EDR has compiled, described and linked
down ticket election related diaries since 2006.
EDR chronicles the passion, power and effectiveness of political engagement and shines a light on candidates and issues that might be otherwise missed. It gives quick access to races, hopefully inspires people to write about contests that interest them, and has become an archive for thousands of election related diaries over the years.
Archive links
Format and Tags
Diarists can help the EDR mining team by identifying the race in the diary title, for example: (FL-14) or (GA-Gov) or (NY-Sen). Using the "Elections" tag is also very helpful and keep in mind that your first sentence or two can be what you would like to see in the EDR description.
This edition of EDR was made possible by the following miners and editors: Alma, eeff, edrie, Joieau, Land of Enchantment, randallt, sylv, suejazz and turbonerd. Special thanks to Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse.
Senate - 7
(AK-Sen) Mark Begich is not running like a 'scared' red state Democrat by Joan McCarter - Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska) released a new statewide radio ad Monday in which he hits his Republican opponents for their records on abortion, contraceptive coverage, equal pay and the minimum wage. He's also running on strengthening Social Security and Obamacare. Without apology.
(AR-Sen) AR-Sen: PPP Has Mark Pryor (D) Leading Tom Cotton (R) By One Point by poopdogcomedy - PPP's new Arkansas poll finds the Senate race continues to be extremely close, with Sen. Mark Pryor (D) leading Rep. Tom Cotton (R) 43/42.
(IA-Sen) IA-Sen: Mark Jacobs (R) Doesn't Think Senators Make That Much Money by poopdogcomedy - Then why is he running for U.S. Senate? Link to support Democrat Bruce Braley included in the diary.
(ME-Sen) Susan Collins votes against $10.10 by rktect - Shenna Bellows (D) calls out her opponent, Sen. Susan Collins (R) for voting to against raising the minimum wage.
(MN-Sen) MN-Sen: Netflix V.P. Helps Bolster Al Franken's (D) Argument Against The Comcast-Time Warner Merger by poopdogcomedy - Link to Senator Franken's (D) petition supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, a portal to Franken's campaign site, at the bottom of the diary.
(MN-Sen) Tea Party Cachet for Senate Hopefuls in MN, IA, OK, and GA--Sarah Palin Facebook Endorsements !?! by esessis - Julianne Ortman (R-MN) has picked up the coveted Sarah Palin Facebook endorsement over other Republicans in the Senate race against Senator Al Franken (D).
(NC-Sen Republican establishment pours money into beating tea party primary candidates by Laura Clawson - Establishment Republicans are running away from the Tea Party monster they helped to create in 2010, pouring money into Thom Tillis' challenge to Dem Senator Kay Hagan and hoping he can avoid a run-off after the primary.
House - 12
(FL-13) FL-13: Democrats Lost with a Bank of America Exec, So Now They're Running a Republican. by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees - When Representative Bill Young passed away last fall, his district seemed like a great pick-up opportunity for Democrats. Alex Sink turned out to be not very exciting, so this time ex-Republican centrist Ed Jany.
(KS-01) America's Most Loathsome Congressman Has A Democratic Opponent by BlueDuPage - Tim Huelskamp doesn't get as much press as Louie Gohmert or Michele Bachmann or Steve King, but it's not for lack of trying. The district is a very conservative one, encompassing a wide swath of thinly populated western Kansas. The diary introduces Jim Sherrow, who has stepped forward to challenge Huelskamp.
(MD-01) MD-01: Familiar Behavior by Andy Harris (R) by dadadata - Rep. Andy Harris (R) is a no-show at a debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters.
(NY-11) Michael Grimm has 'an election to win' (and a jail to keep out of) by Jed Lewison - On balance, the situation is good news for Democrats aiming to win Grimm's seat, which President Obama carried with 52 percent of the vote in 2012. But Grimm isn't throwing in the towel.
(NY-13) Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest: After indictment, Mike Grimm says he'll seek re-election by David Nir - Michael Grimm is defying his own grim reality. He's been indicted, and for more than the campaign finance violations that have long been talked about; it's tax violations for a business he ran before being elected to Congress in 2010. There's plenty of goodies on other races as well.
(NY-21) NY-21 - So Far, Over 40% of Elise Stefanik's 2014 Donations Have Come from PAC of NYC Billionaire by Upstate Blue - Billionaire NYC vulture capitalist Paul Singer is intent on funding the election of more Republican women to Congress. Elise Stafanik (R) has received 41% of her donations this year from Singer's PAC.
(PA-03) My friend Dan LaVallee "won" his primary! by this is only a test - It’s official Dan LaVallee (D) will face off against incumbent Mike Kelly (R).
(PA-13) PA 13: Boyle's Support for Roe v. Wade is a Steaming Pile of Bullsh*t by S Kitchen - Brendan Boyle says he supports a woman's right to control her body, but his record in the Pennsylvania legislature tells a different story. Boyle is seeking the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania's 13th CD.
(VA-08) VA-08 - a resident looks at the Dem primary to replace Jim Moran by teacherken - With Jim Moran retiring, this heavily Democratic district has 11 Democrats on the primary ticket to choose from. Diarist explains why former Lt. Governor Don Beyor is getting his support.
(WI-01) The Democrats Love to Campaign against the "Ryan Budget" But Leave Ryan Safe in His Purple Seat by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees - Diarist looks at the WI-01 House race - a district that Obama won in 2009 and only lost by a few points in 2012 seems like a district worth contesting. And given that incumbent Paul Ryan (R) is the focus of so many attacks by the party, it seems like a perfect choice for the DCCC's Red to Blue program. But Steve Israel hasn't paid any attention. Link included to help Democrat Rob Zerban, who held Ryan to his smallest margin of victory ever in 2012 and wants a rematch.
(WI-06) WI-06: Did Grothman know he appeared on a ministry that let a caller go into a racist rant on-air? by Christian Dem in NC - As part of his bid in a crowded Republican primary field for the now-open seat in WI-06, state senator Glenn Grothman is making the rounds of right-wing media to burnish his credentials as a weapons-grade wingnut.
(House-Gen) House 2014 -- ways to get it - 2 by Frank Palmer - Continuing in a series the diarist outlines strategies for attacking Republicans and getting Democrats out to vote.
State, local and more - 8
(CT-Gov) The right way to challenge an incumbent from a campaign that is doing so. by Paulforstaterep - Diarist explains why he thinks that Jonathan Pelto should not attempt a third party challenge to Governor Dan Malloy (D).
(FL-Gov) Explaining Rick Scott's Compassion Gap by saintpetersblog - Charlie Crist (D) is ahead in the polls over Rick Scott (R).
(GA-Gov) GA Gov. Nathan Deal signs HB 772 drug testing some food stamp recipients by Lily O Lady - In an attempt to look statesman-like in an election year, Deal is hoping his drug testing requirement for Georgia's needy poor will pass constitutional muster. Jason Carter is the Democrat in the race.
(Gov-Var) Stephen Wolf's Governors Race Ratings 04/2014 With Interactive Map by Stephen Wolf - This 2nd quarter update takes a comprehensive look at the 2014 gubernatorial races. The diary also links to a cool interactive map.
(ME-Gov) Maine GOP Convention wrap-up. LePage, Collins "All in" on conservative agenda by slakn1 - The Unity thing is real With LePage at the top of the ticket, the GOP apparatus has been whipped into line and they are fully behind the Gov's reelection effort.
(NC-Sup.Ct.) NC Supreme Court - Get the word out!! by weaponsofmassdeception - The NC Supreme court is 'nonpartisan' but that just means no R's or D's next to the names. In reality they are definitely partisan. One candidate is endorsed by the NC Democratic Party, Robin Hudson. The other two are obvious conservatives.
(NC-Sup.Ct.) NC Koch Judgeship Steal Alert by NCJim - The Koch brother and others are trying to get progressive Judge Robin Hudson knocked out in the NC primary election.
(OK-Gov) The Imperial Governor: Oklahoma's Mary Fallin Needs to Go by fidlerten - An in-depth look at the issues on which incumbent Governor Mary Fallin fails and needs to be defeated in November. Her Democratic opponent is State Representative Joe Dorman.
General - 8
2014 Rating chart for the election cycle (May 1) by abgin - Diarist offers his rating chart and projections for state and federal races.
how would the house of representatives look if... by bonzo925 - Going as far back as 1880, the diarist examines how the house of representatives would look if apportionment was done by active voters rather than the population.
Wisconsin number indicate tipping point to Dem getting closer by Jake formerly of the LP – An analysis of where the Democratic pickup opportunities are in the 2014 races for the Wisconsin legislature.
Study: Swing Voters Are A Myth And Seeking The Center Kills A Campaign by saintpetersblog - Lynn Vavrek blogged for the New York Times on what we can glean from polling and experience, looking at the 2010 elections and concluding that voters didn't abandon Democrats for Republicans. Rather, left-leaning voters just stayed home.
Democracy Corps poll shows Obamacare getting more popular in Republican districts by Joan McCarter - New polling from Democracy Corps is showing that Obamacare is even eroding as an issue that Republicans can use to energize their crazy base in November.
"Hey, It Could Happen…" by Crashing Vor - In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Robert Popper takes umbrage at President Obama's citation of a 2012 study by News 21, showing only 10 cases of voter impersonation over a 12-year period. Perhaps we should also apply that same skepticism and "it could happen" extrapolation to reports of legitimate voters being denied the franchise because of new ID requirements.
Winning - Beyond the House by Frank Palmer - This is a cheerleading piece, enumerating how and why to work for Democratic candidates in downticket races, with emphasis on the House of Representatives.
New poll shows Democrats have a lot of work to do before November by Laura Clawson - The front page post summarizes a wide array of poll results from WaPo/ABC. The good news: Democratic positions on issues are preferred over Republicans. Ditto on who looks out for middle class interests. The bad news is bad: A clear majority thinks there should be Republicans in Congress to put a check on President Obama's policies. Democrats have work to do to overcome this cognitive dissonance