Ohio House primary reveals Democratic divides that could play out across the 2022 midterm map

[George II]

Cleveland Heights, Ohio CNN —

A congressional primary in Ohio is revealing the generational and ideological fissures in the Democratic Party that have been largely hidden in the early months of Joe Biden’s presidency – but could burst into full view as the midterm elections approach.

Nina Turner, the former state senator and prominent surrogate for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns, is battling the establishment-backed Shontel Brown, the Cuyahoga County Democratic chairwoman and county council member, in a race that also features 11 other long-shot candidates bidding to represent the 11th District, which stretches from Cleveland south to Akron.

The August 3 primary comes ahead of a special election to replace former Rep. Marcia Fudge, who left the seat to join Biden’s Cabinet as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The winner of the Democratic primary is all but certain to win the general election – a reality that has turned the contest into an intra-party struggle that could set the tone for more primary battles next year, as progressives target more veteran House members.

At a campaign stop for Turner on Saturday, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told volunteers who were about to go door-knocking that the district represents a “very rare” chance for Democrats to chart a course for the party nationally without any concerns about electability.

Interesting interchange:

Turner has said repeatedly that she would be a “partner, and not a puppet.”

“For me, a partner is someone who comes to the table and negotiates and has difficult conversations,” Brown said. “A puppet is someone who entertains on a national stage and has catchphrases like ‘hello, somebody’ – with folks pulling their strings and giving them talking points.”

http://www.cnn.com/2021/07/25/politics/ohio-11th-district-race-nina-turner-shontel-brown/index.html

[padah513]

1. Nothing but trouble

Never seen anyone with so much disdain for the Democratic Party so anxious to run as a member of the Democratic Party.

[Mr.Bill]

2. I think it's a stretch to say Nina Turner

could "play out across the map." She is an aberation and should be treated as such.

[PortTack]

4. Agree completely! Most Dems are aware of her "politics"

The article really seems fanciful..at least to me

[question everything]

11. By then it may be too late

I can see a nation-wide ad campaign by the Republicans showing her comment about the bowl of sh*t and the leftists endorsing her accompanied by an ominous voice: This is what elected Democrats are saying about the President, why should you vote for him?

[Mr.Bill]

13. That's too complicated for the republican base to understand.

Easier to just say Biden is a senile communist. They will understand that even if it's not true. That's why that is what they have been doing.

[AZProgressive]

3. Looking forward to August 3rd

I’m rooting for Nina Turner then I’ll relax and vote in the midterms for Democrats in Arizona.

[George II]

8. I'm rooting for the candidate that did NOT call President Biden a half bowl of shit and then....

....a FULL bowl of shit. The candidate who supported and voted for our Democratic Presidential candidate in the last two elections.

[Beastly Boy]

5. I doubt Nina Turner, even if she wins, represents a divide of any significance for the Democrats.

There will always be contrarians among the Democratic leadership, but they are few in numbers, and thy have a small role to play within the party. And this is good. For instance, if the 2020 presidential primary is any indication, they were actually instrumental, if not intentionally so, in uniting the Democratic Party around Biden.

What concerns me more is not the divisions among Democrats in the Primaries, but the divisions between Democrats and Republicans in Congress. The more evenly divided the Congress is, the more sway the radical voices on either side will hold. This is the scenario in which Nina Turner as Congresswoman can become disruptive. Just look at Manchin.

[wryter2000]

7. Totally agree

How many more Nina Turners are out there to staff one side of this "divide"? Sure, some of us are more vocally to the left than others of us. But that doesn't mean we have two warring sides.

[Beastly Boy]

9. I can't even place Turner on the left of the Democratic Party.

She is a disruptor and a provocateur, and her politics only marginally connect to those of the Democratic Party. Having said that, she is an exception rather than a divide, and does not represent any danger in maintaining the unity of the Democratic Party. On the contrary, her abrasive personality had already been shown to stimulate unity within the Democratic Party, if for no other reason than to oppose her brand of political activism.In this respect, she was shown to be a positive influence on the Party, and I suspect she can play a similar role if elected.

[wryter2000]

10. Exactly. n/t

[Renew Deal]

6. I think this is specific to her.

She doesn’t even represent left wing politics. She’s just another person that trashed Obama, Hillary, and Biden. Most Democrats don’t support that.

[question everything]

12. I will not be surprised when, once elected, she will switch parties

Independent? Green? Yellow with red polka dots?