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2018 Congressional/Senate Election Results Thread

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Posts

  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited November 2018
    There was an outspoken liberal black woman in Congress back during the Bush years who the right wing media loved to bitch about, because she was an outspoken liberal black woman. Nobody outside that bubble knew who the fuck she was.

    Right wing media gonna right wing media. AOC being political media popular isn't going to push the needle unless she really grows into a position of power and influence. It's nice having someone liberal and enthusiastic and charismatic out there doing their thing, but if you don't like her it's easy to ignore her, and it's not like she's hurting anything.

    ElJeffe on
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  • AbsoluteZeroAbsoluteZero The new film by Quentin Koopantino Registered User regular
    I get the impression there are a lot of contrarians out there who are manufacturing reasons to dislike her primarily because she's popular and it's the only way they can feel special, with a dash of closeted racism and/or sexism.

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  • AstaerethAstaereth In the belly of the beastRegistered User regular
    Seeing someone go from bartending to Congress in the span of a couple years also punctures a lot of comforting narratives about the possibility of personal success and the othering of the political class, and certain people react to that by trying to tear her down (“that’s not the suit and coat of someone who’s struggling”).

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  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    She also calls herself a Socialist. It isn't hard to figure out why she's attracting so much strawmanning.


    I just hope she is a workhorse rather than a showhorse when she actually becomes a Member of Congress next month.

  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited November 2018
    She also defeated someone in Democratic leadership in her primary.
    Inkstain82 wrote: »
    They are making her a target because they are scared of the youthful energy she represents.

    How predictable that she is being accused of being too popular and visible while half the party tries to draft Beto.

    They are trying to draft Beto for something else because he didn't win, but was extremely exciting.

    Also, if we are specifically talking of the date we cannot name, she is constitutionally barred from running for the Unnamed Office then.

    Fencingsax on
  • CptKemzikCptKemzik Registered User regular
    moniker wrote: »
    She also calls herself a Socialist. It isn't hard to figure out why she's attracting so much strawmanning.


    I just hope she is a workhorse rather than a showhorse when she actually becomes a Member of Congress next month.

    Yeah, this and the fact that she's from NYC (where most media is based as mentioned upthread) are big reasons why she's getting more coverage than some of her incoming freshman contemporaries.

    Between her and Rashida Tlaib there will be self-described socialists other than Bernie Sanders in Congress for the first time in a while, and that's freaking certain groups of people out.

  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    I get the impression there are a lot of contrarians out there who are manufacturing reasons to dislike her primarily because she's popular and it's the only way they can feel special, with a dash of closeted racism and/or sexism.
    Well it's no secret that the Centrist Democrats, who happen to be party leadership, hate her. Pelosi laughed AOC off and dismissed her as a fluke and said she wouldn't win.

    One of these days Old Democrats are finally going to get the hint that they are old and younger people are coming in to replace them and that's just too damn bad for them. Time is linear, everyone gets old, and along with that age comes being increasingly out of touch.

  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited November 2018
    Henroid wrote: »
    I get the impression there are a lot of contrarians out there who are manufacturing reasons to dislike her primarily because she's popular and it's the only way they can feel special, with a dash of closeted racism and/or sexism.
    Well it's no secret that the Centrist Democrats, who happen to be party leadership, hate her. Pelosi laughed AOC off and dismissed her as a fluke and said she wouldn't win.

    One of these days Old Democrats are finally going to get the hint that they are old and younger people are coming in to replace them and that's just too damn bad for them. Time is linear, everyone gets old, and along with that age comes being increasingly out of touch.

    She was facing off against someone in leadership, which are usually safe seats.

    We are literally talking about why her win is notable.

    Also, Pelosi is not centrist.

    The people trying to upset her Speakership are, though.

    Fencingsax on
  • CptKemzikCptKemzik Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    I get the impression there are a lot of contrarians out there who are manufacturing reasons to dislike her primarily because she's popular and it's the only way they can feel special, with a dash of closeted racism and/or sexism.
    Well it's no secret that the Centrist Democrats, who happen to be party leadership, hate her. Pelosi laughed AOC off and dismissed her as a fluke and said she wouldn't win.

    One of these days Old Democrats are finally going to get the hint that they are old and younger people are coming in to replace them and that's just too damn bad for them. Time is linear, everyone gets old, and along with that age comes being increasingly out of touch.

    Pelosi's dismissive reaction of her primary win was, well, dismissive but let's not feed into the right-wing propaganda that Ocasio-Cortez and her have some beef because of the (surprise!) disingenuously reported story of the latter's participation in a demonstration in front of Pelosi's office.

  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    CptKemzik wrote: »
    Henroid wrote: »
    I get the impression there are a lot of contrarians out there who are manufacturing reasons to dislike her primarily because she's popular and it's the only way they can feel special, with a dash of closeted racism and/or sexism.
    Well it's no secret that the Centrist Democrats, who happen to be party leadership, hate her. Pelosi laughed AOC off and dismissed her as a fluke and said she wouldn't win.

    One of these days Old Democrats are finally going to get the hint that they are old and younger people are coming in to replace them and that's just too damn bad for them. Time is linear, everyone gets old, and along with that age comes being increasingly out of touch.

    Pelosi's dismissive reaction of her primary win was, well, dismissive but let's not feed into the right-wing propaganda that Ocasio-Cortez and her have some beef because of the (surprise!) disingenuously reported story of the latter's participation in a demonstration in front of Pelosi's office.
    Dismissing criticism of Democrats as "right-wing propaganda!" is pretty ironic in this case.

    And at any rate I didn't say they had a beef. I'm saying Pelosi is set in her ways and is too stupid to see the times are changing. As are other Centrists. Rather than embrace the change they fight against it. They're going to lose, as we've seen.

  • CptKemzikCptKemzik Registered User regular
    What is Pelosi fighting against with regards to Ocasio-Cortez? What evidence do you have that Pelosi "hates" her?

  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    edited November 2018
    Henroid wrote: »
    CptKemzik wrote: »
    Henroid wrote: »
    I get the impression there are a lot of contrarians out there who are manufacturing reasons to dislike her primarily because she's popular and it's the only way they can feel special, with a dash of closeted racism and/or sexism.
    Well it's no secret that the Centrist Democrats, who happen to be party leadership, hate her. Pelosi laughed AOC off and dismissed her as a fluke and said she wouldn't win.

    One of these days Old Democrats are finally going to get the hint that they are old and younger people are coming in to replace them and that's just too damn bad for them. Time is linear, everyone gets old, and along with that age comes being increasingly out of touch.

    Pelosi's dismissive reaction of her primary win was, well, dismissive but let's not feed into the right-wing propaganda that Ocasio-Cortez and her have some beef because of the (surprise!) disingenuously reported story of the latter's participation in a demonstration in front of Pelosi's office.
    Dismissing criticism of Democrats as "right-wing propaganda!" is pretty ironic in this case.

    And at any rate I didn't say they had a beef. I'm saying Pelosi is set in her ways and is too stupid to see the times are changing. As are other Centrists. Rather than embrace the change they fight against it. They're going to lose, as we've seen.

    Pelosi isn't a centrist. Though she is the best Speaker since Rayburn and I'm looking forward to her wielding the gavel again, but with the clear need for succession planning.

    moniker on
  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    edited November 2018
    I'm excited to see what she will do as a member of congress. I like her and find her policies exciting.

    She represents a goods future for the party.

    Anyway, she's being smart and keeping the engagment she had during the election going while in office. Campaigns never end.

    Styrofoam Sammich on
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  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    I'm excited to see what she will do as a member of congress. I like her and find her policies exciting.

    I mean, what she'll do is vote how Pelosi tells her to, for 18 months, and then go campaign again.

    1st term Rep, no tenure, no committee presence... what she's going to do is click agree a couple hundred times, the end.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    She'll introduce some super progressive legislation that won't go anywhere. The Green New Deal idea probably. But that's what members from super Democratic districts should be doing.

    The idea that your vote is a moral statement about you or who you vote for is some backwards ass libertarian nonsense. Your vote is about society. Vote to protect the vulnerable.
  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    edited November 2018
    spool32 wrote: »
    I'm excited to see what she will do as a member of congress. I like her and find her policies exciting.

    I mean, what she'll do is vote how Pelosi tells her to, for 18 months, and then go campaign again.

    1st term Rep, no tenure, no committee presence... what she's going to do is click agree a couple hundred times, the end.

    She's been pushing back on some party plans regarding climate policy already. I dont think she'll get a ton done, but neither will the House as a whole. I wouldnt count on her just being a seat warmer.

    Styrofoam Sammich on
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  • AstaerethAstaereth In the belly of the beastRegistered User regular
    edited November 2018
    spool32 wrote: »
    I'm excited to see what she will do as a member of congress. I like her and find her policies exciting.

    I mean, what she'll do is vote how Pelosi tells her to, for 18 months, and then go campaign again.

    1st term Rep, no tenure, no committee presence... what she's going to do is click agree a couple hundred times, the end.

    “All she’s going to do is vote because she has no seniority, and her votes won’t mean anything because Dems only control the House”

    Also

    “How dare she use the press and social media to get her message out”

    Meanwhile I’m like how can you not love somebody saying things like this:



    Astaereth on
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  • autono-wally, erotibot300autono-wally, erotibot300 love machine Registered User regular
    Yeah, so far AOC is idealistic, carries her heart on her sleeve and puts the work in.

    She's using social media advantageously, but that was about fucking time. Can't let that shit be ruled by 4chan and other internet nazis forever.

    AOC is A-OK in my book.

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  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    A generation of politicians raised on the internet is going to be wild

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  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    That Martosko shot is lol tho, you gotta admit :)

  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    spool32 wrote: »
    That Martosko shot is lol tho, you gotta admit :)

    Yeah, not too many places where we can hear old people joke about young people not wanting to work.

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  • Inkstain82Inkstain82 Registered User regular
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    She also defeated someone in Democratic leadership in her primary.
    Inkstain82 wrote: »
    They are making her a target because they are scared of the youthful energy she represents.

    How predictable that she is being accused of being too popular and visible while half the party tries to draft Beto.

    They are trying to draft Beto for something else because he didn't win, but was extremely exciting.

    Also, if we are specifically talking of the date we cannot name, she is constitutionally barred from running for the Unnamed Office then.

    I'm simply pointing out the different reactions that come with a white man becoming a media sensation outsizing his official standing and a young non-white woman.

  • MeeqeMeeqe Lord of the pants most fancy Someplace amazingRegistered User regular
    What she's doing is called leadership and working to bring people on board with her ideas. Its something the Dems haven't had in an effective sense in decades and is amazingly refreshing to see someone in any position of power willing to take the pressure of the spotlight to champion change. I may not agree with everything she ever says in the future but for right now its a great look for the party tbh. Shit is broken, she's calling it out. I love it.

  • ElendilElendil Registered User regular
    edited November 2018
    Inkstain82 wrote: »
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    She also defeated someone in Democratic leadership in her primary.
    Inkstain82 wrote: »
    They are making her a target because they are scared of the youthful energy she represents.

    How predictable that she is being accused of being too popular and visible while half the party tries to draft Beto.

    They are trying to draft Beto for something else because he didn't win, but was extremely exciting.

    Also, if we are specifically talking of the date we cannot name, she is constitutionally barred from running for the Unnamed Office then.

    I'm simply pointing out the different reactions that come with a white man becoming a media sensation outsizing his official standing and a young non-white woman.
    tbh i think this speaks more to their policy differences than anything else

    AOC represents policy that the democratic party is going to have to be dragged kicking and screaming to

    she's a popular, exciting politician who supports policy that large swathes of party leadership want to lock up in the attic

    things are gonna get weird

    Elendil on
  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    Meeqe wrote: »
    What she's doing is called leadership and working to bring people on board with her ideas. Its something the Dems haven't had in an effective sense in decades and is amazingly refreshing to see someone in any position of power willing to take the pressure of the spotlight to champion change. I may not agree with everything she ever says in the future but for right now its a great look for the party tbh. Shit is broken, she's calling it out. I love it.

    You think we got everything in the first 2 years of Obama's term without leadership?

  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    Meeqe wrote: »
    What she's doing is called leadership and working to bring people on board with her ideas. Its something the Dems haven't had in an effective sense in decades and is amazingly refreshing to see someone in any position of power willing to take the pressure of the spotlight to champion change. I may not agree with everything she ever says in the future but for right now its a great look for the party tbh. Shit is broken, she's calling it out. I love it.

    You think we got everything in the first 2 years of Obama's term without leadership?

    Without rehashing strategies from the time, Obama let a lot of the movement politics that he built for Dems wither when he got into office. Leftists noticed and AOC, for her part, seems interested in not letting the same happen again.

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  • TryCatcherTryCatcher Registered User regular
    First time I hear about Ocasio-Cortez was when she was getting flack from Dem establishment outlets for daring to go against the sacred bipartisanship consensus and say that Palestinians are people.

    That being said, she's neither the first or the most successful politician to leverage social media on their favor. The first is arguable, the latter is Trump.

  • MeeqeMeeqe Lord of the pants most fancy Someplace amazingRegistered User regular
    And what exactly did we get in terms of systemic change in those years? We got a well needed but minor tweak to a horrific health care system, we continued our endless war of hegemony and wealth inequality continued to get worse. Much of that can be laid at the hands of the GOP, but the Obama years were a rearguard action against the neo-capitalists that mostly failed. Sure, we played nice with other NATO nations and made some social progress for some groups of oppressed minorities, but Obama's period of bi-partisanship in the first term effectively squandered the only window for major progressive change in my lifetime to date.

    If that's the shining example of Dem leadership going forward, gods help us all. AOC may not change anything in the long run, I don't buy into saviors swooping in by their lonesome but it is fucking refreshing to see someone, anyone, willing to say that things are fucking broken in America and have been for a long time. I'm tired of the Dems playing nice, that tactic has been tried to death. The GOP is never going to compromise with centrism.

  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    edited November 2018
    Meeqe wrote: »
    And what exactly did we get in terms of systemic change in those years? We got a well needed but minor tweak to a horrific health care system, we continued our endless war of hegemony and wealth inequality continued to get worse. Much of that can be laid at the hands of the GOP, but the Obama years were a rearguard action against the neo-capitalists that mostly failed. Sure, we played nice with other NATO nations and made some social progress for some groups of oppressed minorities, but Obama's period of bi-partisanship in the first term effectively squandered the only window for major progressive change in my lifetime to date.

    If that's the shining example of Dem leadership going forward, gods help us all. AOC may not change anything in the long run, I don't buy into saviors swooping in by their lonesome but it is fucking refreshing to see someone, anyone, willing to say that things are fucking broken in America and have been for a long time. I'm tired of the Dems playing nice, that tactic has been tried to death. The GOP is never going to compromise with centrism.

    The ACA as "minor tweak" is just fucking laughable. Right from the start you are already trying a drastic reframing of reality and it then you go off the rails.

    It's good to see new blood in the ranks but this attempt to act like everyone else in the Democratic party is the enemy is just silly.

    shryke on
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    No, obsolete Senate rules blocked it. Especially when we are speaking in the context of the House and Pelosi, which passed all kinds of great stuff. You know why House centrists like Ryan hate her? Because she got a climate bill passed that the Senate ignored and that was a rough vote for a lot of members.

    The idea that your vote is a moral statement about you or who you vote for is some backwards ass libertarian nonsense. Your vote is about society. Vote to protect the vulnerable.
  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    Meeqe wrote: »
    And what exactly did we get in terms of systemic change in those years? We got a well needed but minor tweak to a horrific health care system, we continued our endless war of hegemony and wealth inequality continued to get worse. Much of that can be laid at the hands of the GOP, but the Obama years were a rearguard action against the neo-capitalists that mostly failed. Sure, we played nice with other NATO nations and made some social progress for some groups of oppressed minorities, but Obama's period of bi-partisanship in the first term effectively squandered the only window for major progressive change in my lifetime to date.

    If that's the shining example of Dem leadership going forward, gods help us all. AOC may not change anything in the long run, I don't buy into saviors swooping in by their lonesome but it is fucking refreshing to see someone, anyone, willing to say that things are fucking broken in America and have been for a long time. I'm tired of the Dems playing nice, that tactic has been tried to death. The GOP is never going to compromise with centrism.

    We really remember the 111th Congress very differently.

  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    I mean, Dodd-Frank was also an improvement(way closer to a "minor tweak" than the ACA), as was the CFPB, but I guess we can blame Republican fuckery on the Dems here as well

  • Inkstain82Inkstain82 Registered User regular
    Any argument that frames the ACA as a “minor tweak” is goosery

  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    Depends on your paradigm. It was a reform package on the system we already had, not a departure from it.

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  • Inkstain82Inkstain82 Registered User regular
    Depends on your paradigm. It was a reform package on the system we already had, not a departure from it.

    If your paradigm can read hundreds of thousands of stories about vulnerable people getting access to health care who used to not have access, and call it “minor,” your paradigm is goosey.

  • Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    Inkstain82 wrote: »
    Depends on your paradigm. It was a reform package on the system we already had, not a departure from it.

    If your paradigm can read hundreds of thousands of stories about vulnerable people getting access to health care who used to not have access, and call it “minor,” your paradigm is goosey.

    There's a long argument to be had here but this isn't that thread.

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  • Marty81Marty81 Registered User regular
    For me AOC is an inspiration. I love that she's getting her name out there and pushing her agenda hard. That kind of thing has an outsized effect (relative to her position in the party) on the party as a whole, regardless of how it's covered in the news. She's also a good role model for the up and coming youth leadership. Youth engagement in politics is up like never before thanks in part to AOC, Beto, the Parkland kids, etc. and frankly the sooner they all take over the better off we'll all be.

  • ElendilElendil Registered User regular
    It's easy to say that she's just a junior congressperson, and she is but she's representing, aside from her own constiuents, a huge number of left leaning voters who have not felt served by the mainstream democratic party as a whole. Of course people are paying attention to her. That she's just a congressperson is emblematic of how little reach and voice the left has had. And a democratic party who continually asks why these left leaning voters don't show up in large enough numbers on election would do well to keep in mind that many of these voters are watching now.

  • Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    Shit. Well, now we have the runoffs for Georgia Secretary of State and Mississippi Senate.

This discussion has been closed.