Democratic establishment tightens its hold on the party as far-left candidates fall short

[DonViejo]

Michael Scherer, Gregory S. Schneider, David Weigel 11 hrs ago

Democratic primary voters have been turning away this year from the anti-elite furies that continue to roil Republican politics, repeatedly choosing more moderate candidates promising steady leadership over disrupters from the party’s left-wing.

Tuesday’s elections in Virginia, which brought the renomination of former governor Terry McAuliffe and primary losses by three of the Democrats’ most outspoken liberal delegates, only underscored a pattern that was previously apparent in special House elections in Louisiana and New Mexico. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a moderate Democrat, won his party’s nomination without a challenge from the left after two protest candidates failed to collect the 1,000 signatures needed for ballot access.

In the crowded Democratic primary in New York City, a similar crop of contenders, including Eric Adams and Andrew Yang, have emerged as front-runners by pushing platforms that include an embrace of police as an essential component of public safety, a far cry from the “defund the police” mantra that some liberal activists embraced in 2020.

“There is nothing wrong with being one of those trailblazers who shakes up the status quo, but you can do it in a way that brings people along with you,” said Michelle Maldonado, a small-business owner from Bristow, Va., who defeated the state House of Delegates’ only self-described democratic socialist in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. “Prac-tactical — you’ve got to be practical and tactical at the same time.”

More/NO PAYWALL

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democratic-establishment-tightens-its-hold-on-the-party-as-far-left-candidates-fall-short/ar-AAKSJOz

[Klaralven]

1. Better positioning for 2022 and increasing, rather than losing, our Congressional majorities.

The trends could complicate Republican plans to reprise their 2020 campaign strategy of painting Democrats down the ballot as “radical socialists” who favor a dramatic remaking of the nation. Democratic strategists have broadly concluded that those attacks were effective in 2020, including the frequently false claims that Democrats running for federal office wanted to defund the police.

[Fullduplexxx]

6. They will still do it perhaps because it's all they have left

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. Here is a good example

Link to tweet

[nycbos]

4. lol

[Budi]

12. Acceptance is the 1st step....

Tho losing twice in one day may take a bit of talk-me-down, but that's why we have social media. I guess?
I see he's gotten plenty of advice!

[nycbos]

3. Help help I'm being repressed.

[Fullduplexxx]

7. Oh man I love this scene

Help help I'm being repressed


I order you to be quiet .lol

[JohnSJ]

5. and one of the candidates in the Virginia primary was a Democrats Socialist running as a

Democrat for Lt. Governor, only garnered about 2.8% of the vote, but after his loss, he came out and endorsed a third party candidate in the general election

Lee Carter

[George II]

10. Did anyone see Lee Carter's sour grapes, ungracious "concession" tweet?

Link to tweet

And now he's turning around and supporting a third party candidate, if she was able to get on the ballot.

Link to tweet

It's sad, but it turns out that he's got a very bitter attitude in his tweets. My guess is that and his public demeanor contributed to his losses (yes, he lost TWICE Tuesday)

[JohnSJ]

11. No I didn't see that, but it sure highlights that the only interest he is concerned with is his own

self-interest attitude. If I don't get my way, I will try to sabotage other Democrats efforts against republicans

[Budi]

14. "Progressive" YouTube Pundits & @KyleKulinski

Aaaaggghhh ...haahaaa

Welp. How's it workin for ya Mr. Great Guru of social media, Kyle Kulinski? ....

[comradebillyboy]

8. Good to see.

[George II]

9. I suspect the voters are beginning to see through the few anti-"status quo" and....

..."anti-Democratic establishment" candidates once they got elected.

They were given a chance and were elected, but have accomplished precious little since.

Being a legislator is different from being an "activist". Activists can go around preaching the word, but are rarely called on to do anything else. Members of Congress, State Legislatures, or City Councils DO have to show results or face the wrath of the voters.

In your excerpt, the 4th paragraph, Michelle Maldonado sums it up well:

“Prac-tactical — you’ve got to be practical and tactical at the same time.”

They've got the "practical" part wrapped up in their messages, but for some reason they have little or no interest in the "tactical" side, doing the grunt work of getting it done. The sense I get is "we'll leave that up to someone else."

[StarfishSaver]

13. Democratic "establishment" or Democratic VOTERS?

It sounds like the latter.

[George II]

15. True, but the majority of Democrats are considered "establishment" or "status quo" to those....

....candidates they're not voting for.

[StarfishSaver]

18. "Establishment" is overused and meaningless anymore

What exactly does it mean?

It tends to be used as an ad hominem - under the assumption that "establishment" is a bad thing. But, to me, the entire point of the whole thing is to become "establishment" - i.e., to move into the mainstream and ESTABLISH new ways of thinking and doing and making THAT as the norm in that space.

Unfortunately, we treat those in the center, who moved into the room and established themselves as influential parts of the conversation, as if they have sold out because they are no longer on the outside of the room agitating and throwing rocks and complaints at the people inside.

[George II]

19. You said that a lot better than I could have, thanks!!

[Budi]

17. Who knew they were one & the same! And afterall that effort to divide..

Appears the majority of Democratic voters don't give a shit about those coded divisive slogans.
Establishment just doesn't carry the damning meaning they were hoping for.

[brooklynite]

16. NYC will likely also be wash out for the progressive field...

...except for Jumaane Williams who's running uncontested.