The only way forward is to expand our Majority

[Baltimike]

because we only have a DINO majority now.

Considering the alternative, and what another term would have been with TFG, and/or a GQP majority in the Senate, things could be much, much worse.

So we have another uphill battle for our democratic republic. We have to expand our majority to render Money Manchin and Kirsten "Joe Lieberman" Sinema moot.

I think we can do it.

[brooklynite]

1. What if the only way to pick up seats in IA, NC, WI and PA is to nominate moderates?

[DFW]

3. Then we do just that

Just pick them VERY carefully!

[mountain grammy]

24. Exactly!

My senator is a moderate, but he's not an attention graber. He does his job!

[Just_Vote_Dem]

8. I have no problem with that

As long as they deliver on any promises they make to the electorate

[stopdiggin]

11. yep. The OP did mention DINOs

I believe we (and the party) can make a distinction between 'moderate' - and someone that really doesn't believe in core values. (like a moderate and widely supported, tax against the most wealthy?)

[bullwinkle428]

10. I don't think we have to look beyond Arizona for the perfect example illustrating

the difference between a really high-quality moderate and an absolutely loose, unreliable cannon.

[DFW]

52. I agree, but any comments I have on the AZ Senators are not free of bias

One is a friend, and the other I wouldn‘t want as a friend unless she is brilliant actress, and has s REALLY good reason for this show she‘s putting on.

[Celerity]

17. IA's (Bama w/ corn) gone, it'll be old thug Grassley or his POS grandson (if grandpa dies) in a trot

[quaint]

25. Works, but only if they're not billionaires.

[IronLionZion]

26. Plenty of moderates support infrastructure and voting rights

Sinema's problem is not that she's a moderate. The right seems to always turn one or 2 mavericky types against us. Before it was Tulsi Gabbard.

[Gore1FL]

32. I doubt that is the case.

The moderate argument has been thrown into the debate since Mondale lost in 1984. IT has never been a good argument, and the strategy has been shown to fail.

Better we nominate people who can make good arguments for progress rather than running GOP-Lite.

[Wounded Bear]

40. I think the point is that there are plenty of moderate Dems that are not GOP-lite...

We need more of those and fewer of the DINO types.

[empedocles]

46. It does appear that way, as you 'wryly' suggest. Abe Lincoln's 'public sentiment' is a

time-honored concept.

Elections tend to be won in the middle, which is where majorities are won.

[Silent3]

2. Catch-22

The current bare majority, due to Manchin and Sinema, is doing it's damnedest to make Democrats unpopular and to let Republican election rigging slide.

If the voting public were smart, they'd see through the problem, largely caused by Republican obstructionism and enabled further by barely-Democrats and realize that more Democrats, not fewer, is the answer to making things better.

People aren't that smart.

[Vinca]

4. You're exactly right. We not only need a majority, we need a super, super majority.

60 votes will overcome a filibuster so we need more than 60 as long as Manchin is in the Senate. In the meantime, we have to accept that the small crumbs of positive things we do get is as good as it's going to get for now.

[Bettie]

7. No, we need enough to do away with the filibuster

so, 50 plus the VP who are willing.

Fact is, Republicans can get everything they want through reconciliation.

Our agenda is the only one that gets filibustered.

[Vinca]

9. That's true. The filibuster is a double-edged sword though and that does worry me.

I'd prefer the super, super majority, but I guess we have to take whatever we can get.

[Gore1FL]

33. Like all things rooted in slavery in our country, the filibuster is a cancer. nt

[Bettie]

34. Or reform it so that the minority party can

get their message out.

They can stop the final vote for X days, during which they can call for discussion, to make the case for their side.

At the end of that time, the vote happens.

No secret holds, no "gentleman's agreement".

Or someone has to be talking the entire time they are filibustering WITH at least 40% of their caucus on the floor to maintain.

[onecaliberal]

47. Because the only thing recons ever want is zero taxes on their owners.

[Bettie]

49. Exactly, all of their goals

are financial.

They can do all of that through Reconciliation since they did away with it for judges, so it only damages Democrats.

[onecaliberal]

51. I guess it's a difficult concept for some.

[Polybius]

53. 60 Democrats is a tall task though

It's out the question in 2022. Maybe 2024.

[Vinca]

56. It almost doesn't matter because there's a very good chance the GQP will take the Senate and

then if Mitch decides he doesn't want the filibuster, the sheep will dutifully line up, go "baaaa" and it will be gone. Elected Democrats need to wake the fuck up. They're treading water as if they've got forever and don't get me started on how casual most of them seem about the impending end of democracy.

[DFW]

5. I think we can, too

But like college or medical care in Germany, the sooner we ditch the myth that it will come for free, the better. Deals will have to be made. Iowa is not likely to elect an Al Franken to the Senate.

I also think that Manchin and Synema would vote more reliably with us as expendable parts of a solid majority that will ignore their grandstanding if they persist in it.

[bullwinkle428]

14. But what about Michael Franken's chances in Iowa?

CEDAR RAPIDS — Retired Admiral Michael Franken confirmed Monday that pending a clean bill of health from his doctors he plans to run for the U.S. Senate.

Franken, 63, joins a field of Democrats who have announced their intentions to challenge Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley in 2022. Franken finished second in the Democratic primary race to challenge Sen. Joni Ernst last year.

Although his announcement wasn’t expected until fall, Franken hasn’t been keeping his plans under wraps.

“I'm fixing a last-minute medical issue at Walter Reed,” he told Linn County Democrats recently. “Once that's in the rearview mirror and I get a clean bill of health and I can do pushups with Chuck Grassley, I'll do my very best to represent the state of Iowa in the U.S. Senate.”

https://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/michael-franken-confirms-plans-to-run-for-u-s-senate/

[DFW]

54. I have no earthly clue.

I don‘t know the first thing about him. I have exactly one—count ‚em, ONE—good friend among the Iowa Democrats. I have been pleading with him to run for Grassley‘s seat for years, but he doesn‘t think the time is ripe. I have never even set foot in Iowa, and he has lived there all his life. Who am I to tell him he‘s wrong?

Actually, he sees his current position (state auditor) as a logical springboard to the Governorship. Since Vilsack, I can‘t even think of the name of a governor of Iowa. My friend (his name is Rob) has been getting some quality statewide air time in Iowa—he sent me some clips. I thought they were very favorable to him. It helps that he looks 18 (he is about 40), and has a very folksy way of speaking, which I‘m sure goes down well there. He is also very smart and very dedicated, which gets in the way of rushing headlong into races where he doesn‘t think his chances are high. He did knock out a sitting Republican to win his current position, but it wasn‘t a wipe-out. More like 52-48.

So, where I have heard of and know Rob Sand well, I know none of the current Iowa Democrats under consideration for the nomination to topple Grassley. I should probably ask Rob who he likes, but he‘ll immediately wonder why, and probably not tell me so as not piss anyone off whose support he thinks he might need down the road. He knows I talk to people. Hell, when he was running for state auditor, I told him he should consult with Howard Dean. He laughed and asked, „sure, how in the world do I do that?“ I said, „like this.“ I took out my phone, called Howard, said I had a young Iowa Democrat who I thought had a great future. Howard said, „sure, put him on.“ They talked for half an hour, and ran my battery way down, but Rob DID win that race, so it wasn‘t for nothing. Howard told me he really liked him, by the way. I wasn‘t surprised. Most people do!

[walkingman]

6. IMO, the key has got to be turnout. Not letting the voting obstacles being put

in place around the country be an effective deterrent. That and citizens paying more attention to what their elected legislators at the Federal and State level actually are doing.

I just cannot believe that people will continue to support those that lie, support business over people, and think that being nasty is the path to victory.....Wake up, Wake up, Wake up!!

[Fiendish Thingy]

18. 100% turnout won't matter if the legislature can overturn the will of the voters. Nt

[walkingman]

22. If that really happens then our Democracy is in peril.

[Fiendish Thingy]

50. Democracy is hanging by a thread- it's not a matter of "if", it is happening now. Nt

[CrackityJones75]

12. Here is what is frightening

Here is what is frightening. The Republican party is ALL NUTJOBS now. That is all that is left of it. Forget that it was a party of relatively sane people who we disagreed with on policy. Now it is all about hate and cruelty and that is ALL it is.

And the sad part is that if history shows us anything it is that they will get power to some degree at some point. When that happens we have to hope this country still has a conscience and critical thinking skills. Two things I am seriously starting to think we lack as a nation.

[lark]

13. Sinema isn't popular at all with AZ Dems. Her approval rate was in the 30's last I saw.

We should be able to get someone who actually cares about Democratic priorities and won't just vote with the highest bidder.

[Wounded Bear]

41. I don't believe she's up in '22. They have to wait until '24 to dump her...nt

[former9thward]

58. Her polling is not in the 30s.

It most recently is at 46% for AZ Democrats. That would be enough to win any primary.

https://morningconsult.com/2021/10/04/sinema-manchin-approval-rating/

[lark]

59. 46% for Democrats, 36% percent overall approval is not a winning formula.

AFAIK. Of course, things change, and she's been one of the most changed so who knows what she will do in the future.

[gab13by13]

15. Excellent post,

great attitude, I am with you. We got exactly what we could get and we need to make that good news not bad.

[Fiendish Thingy]

16. Not likely unless voting rights passes.

With voter suppression and anti-democracy laws being passed in numerous states, the elections of 2022-24 will not be politics as usual, and traditional paradigms such as GOTV will not apply.

The GA legislature now has the power to deny Warnock re-election, even if he wins by a large margin, and the AZ legislature can also block Kelly from keeping his seat. That means Dems would have to pick up four senate seats to “make Manchin and Sinema irrelevant.”

That’s highly unlikely. In addition, Dems are likely to lose the house before a single vote is cast due to gerrymandering in FL and TX alone.

The only effective counter measure to creeping fascism is passage of strong voting rights legislation, unlikely as long as the filibuster remains.

[Lonestarblue]

28. It may be too late even if the voting rights bill gets passed.

Texas picked up two new House seats, and they have already gerrymandered new districts to ensure that those seats will go to Republicans. They also created more Republican leaning districts, so the state will likely send at least 4 more Republicans to the House after 2022. Other red states, especially those that gained seats, are doing the same. And once those new districts are drawn for states that picked up seats, the courts are likely to allow them to be used for the 2022 election because the old districts do not work. The voting rights bill should have been passed before the redistricting started. Democrats may be able to pick up a couple of seats from redistricting, but keeping the House majority will be tough. And once that’s gone, Biden’s agenda is gone.

We definitely need to hold on to the Senate because if McConnell becomes Majority Leader again no judges at any federal level will be confirmed, just as he prevented Obama from appointing judges and thus got hundreds of right-wing zealots appointed by Trump.

The 2022 election is pivotal, and the most important thing we could do is get more younger people registered to vote, from college age through 30s. And then urge them to get out and vote. They are the people who need to see that only Democrats will address climate warming and only Democrats will protect the rights that they’ve been able to take for granted, such as reproductive and LGBTQ rights. Texas may have done us a favor by outlawing abortion and denying transgender students the right to compete in sports, though of course their laws are already hurting thousands of Texans.

We need the DNC to do a state-by-state version of Beto O’Rourke’s Powered by People. They are registering voters on college campuses and helping them make sure they have the right ID to vote because Republicans here try to prevent them from voting.

For the DUs here who live in other states, is anything similar to Beto’s group organizing and registering voters?

[FBaggins]

48. I don't think Texas can add more than 2-3 new republicans

They would have to win a D+7 district to add three. The next most competitive looks like D+17.

If they get to +4 it's a wave so big that we'll lost 40-50 seats.

[Scrivener7]

19. This is very true, but it's a real balancing act. There was a piece here about how Manchin's

constituents are furious at him. As they should be. But it is unlikely another Democrat will win West Virginia. So, paradoxically, in addition to taking more seats than we have, his rightfully furious constituents have to come out for him and vote for him so we don't lose his seat.

It seems like a different Democrat could beat Sinema.

[plimsoll]

21. It's not who votes that counts.

It's who counts the votes.

We need to push back on the intimidation. If election officials get threats, it should be forwarded to the local prosecutors office. I'd like to see if the gutted voting rights act can still be used to pursue officials that fail to protect voting rights.

[johnthewoodworker]

23. The wealthy have owned the system for a loooooong time. That's not changing.

[OldBaldy1701E]

31. Well, it could change

But that would take convincing the population to make some changes that most of them have been brainwashed to resist. We are talking about a major alteration in the very way we live. But, yes, until that happens, nothing is going to change.

[SoonerPride]

27. Without passing voting rights legislationthat will never happen.

The game is rigged against us and getting worse.

[OldBaldy1701E]

29. Yep! (n/t)

[aocommunalpunch]

30. Unless you cancel the American donor class, a majority will ALWAYS be at risk for corruption.

That's why shit don't get done: the donors like it that way and they sign the fucking checks. Wonder why the hated Justice Democrats can speak out on this shit? They don't take corporate money. Get more like them.

[Patton French]

35. Yes indeed! (n/t)

[DownriverDem]

36. Exactly what I've

been saying for years. Without the votes we can't get past the repubs. It is dangerous for folks to not understand this.

[The Revolution]

37. Every reliable Dem voter should find one person

they know that will vote for the Democratic candidate but who wouldn't normally vote in a midterm, and convince that person to vote.

That's all you have to do...that one thing will make all the difference. You don't have to boil the ocean. Just do that one small part.

[UCmeNdc]

38. K&R

We need people who will support the Biden agenda once elected to office. After all that is why Democratic voters voted them into office in the first place.

[Eyeball_Kid]

39. Good idea. But first things first.

The first step is to prosecute the GOPers who coordinated the Capitol attack and who aided the attack in any way. And that step is forthcoming. A lot of GOP support will drop when the indictments start to pile up. And that's the DOJ's task. We elected a Democratic Party majority to the federal government so that a real DOJ can operate once again. Now is the time for the DOJ to produce. It's coming.

[station agent]

42. Expand it and make it way more progressive and class conscious n/t

[hot2na]

43. We have to expand but...

We have to keep the Manchins and Sinemas out of the party. I remember in 2008 when the Dems had 59 seats but unfortunately we had the Blanche Lincolns, the Joe Liebermans, Max Baucus's. I realize that there is a fine line between keeping those people out of the Senate, and handing the majority over to Mitch McConnnel. Somehow we have to do it otherwise we cannot make the progress that this county desperately needs.

[calimary]

44. I hope you're right. But I'm so damn tired of Dems shooting themselves in the foot.

And now it’s not just Manchin and Sinema gumming you the works. It’s Pramila Jayapal, too. Just saw a clip of her “holding court” in the center of a crowd of reporters, basking in all the attention. Look at ME, everybody!!! I’M important TOO!!!

Sickening!!! They’re gonna lose us the House next year at the rate they’re going. Standing so firm on getting THEIR way that they’ll wind up getting NOTHING.

And that’s certainly a big ol’ big-ass gangbuster way to win over voters next year.

[empedocles]

45. Agree. And when the 'mic grabbers' get more attention, they get more national campaign $.

Dem overal party policy supports are less important, sometimes far less important.

[budkin]

55. Unless we pass the voting protections we won't have a majority for decades

I think that is hands down THE most important bill out there.

[Baltimike]

57. We have to fight and stay on point

we can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

We can do this!!!