Why aren't we celebrating? We did GREAT THINGS last night

[LaydeeBug]

and it's seems *somber* around here this morning.

Red assed reddy red red Virginia just got turned blue, and the Dem nominee was an AFTERTHOUGHT and anyone paying attention knows this. Should it have been a larger margin? Maybe. But it's an 'off-year' election *AND* the GOP controls the machines at the moment (Oh, pretend that doesn't matter).

We repudiated the tea baggers and to see things around here, you'd think Chris Christie won 17 separate elections and that he'll hold all 17 offices simultaneously.

We ***WON***

For real.

[scheming daemons]

1. Some are trolls, some are naturally defeatist by nature

Last night was bad for the tea party.

No way to spin it otherwise.

[FSogol]

13. And many are malcontents who are unhappy no matter what happens.

Prepare for months of "McAuliffe isn't pure enough posts."

[lostincalifornia]

2. In most things yes. In New Jersey, prominent Democrats endorsed Christie, and that is an outrage.

[JoePhilly]

3. NJ poltics have always had corruption built in.

The lines between Dems and GOP members there are thin, and drawn in pencil.

Christie looked strong after Sandy. So crossing him was dangerous.

Its a cesspool.

[lostincalifornia]

5. Any "democrat" in new jersey who supported this freak, support anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-minimum

wage, anti-public eduction, etc. etc. etc.

and they can get bent

[JoePhilly]

6. Or, they decided the best way to keep their own job (and pay checks) was to support Christie.

In NJ politics, its personal. "What's in it for me" tends to come first.

That's part of why Christie does well. That's his motivation . And so for many in NJ, they think (correctly or not) that they'll get more if Christie gets more.

The actual issues tend to be off to the side of the board. Its far more personal and self centered.

[lostincalifornia]

15. Would I support someone against civil rights for a pay check? NO I would not.

[JoePhilly]

20. Which is why you would be a bad NJ politician.

Politics in NJ are corrupt.

The government in NJ does not see governing as its primary mission. Almost the entire NJ government runs on kick backs, and various forms of cronyism. Any governing that occurs is a byproduct, not really a goal in itself.

This model is extremely pervasive. I have relatives who live there. Much of NJ runs on a barter system. I do you favors, you do me favors.

My brother in law used to get free Flyers and Eagles tickets from a guy simply for holding a good parking spot in the parking garage my BIL managed. That guy, got the tickets from another guy (I forget what favor he performed), who helped season ticket owners sell tickets they weren't going to use.

Sometimes, my BIL would give the tickets to an auto-mechanic friend of his, who would work on his car, for free or at steep discounts.

Notice in the example I gave above, the tickets change hands 2, 3, 4, 5 times. So one "favor" (tickets) creates a ripple.

Much of the state runs on this system. Its almost like a black market economy.

[lostincalifornia]

22. Since I don't live in NJ I cannot really comment about its corruption. Thanks for the insight

[ReRe]

34. Boarkwalk Empire...

... afterall.

[HappyMe]

4. The tea party had a bad night.

I don't know why people aren't happier.

[scheming daemons]

8. Your username indicates you are biased... Towards happiness

[HappyMe]

9. 'Tis sad, but true.

I'm a glass half full kind of girl.

[Dawgs]

12. Because the tea party isn't a real party.

And a solid blue state like NJ gave the Republicans a big win.

[lostincalifornia]

18. They do have a Democratic legislature, but absolutely obscene what they did with Christie

[ancianita]

23. In a little state.

[tofuandbeer]

32. +1

[Rex]

52. I do.

It is the same crowd that always hates on our party, yet profess to be solid Dems. They complained about nobody showing up in 2010, yet seem to never talk about Reagan Dems or the Dems that voted in Florida for Dubya OR when corrected WHO did not show up in 2010...just keep on bleating the same debunked crap.

IOW, I do not think it is true Dems that are unhappy, but the fakers.

[MineralMan]

7. No news is good enough to override some things.

Or so it seems sometimes on DU.

Another great thing happened yesterday. The Illinois state legislature finally passed a Marriage Equality bill, which the Governor will sign, making Illinois the 15th jurisdiction in the US to have real marriage equality.

Even though there were several threads about it, they didn't get a lot of attention here.

We need to celebrate our successes, I think, on DU.

[cali]

10. I'm thrilled about Bill de Blasio, the miniumum wage raise in NJ

and relieved about Cuccinelli's defeat in VA. However, VA is not "reddy red, red". It's purple. period. Reddy red red states don't EVER vote for Obama- twice. I have no idea what you mean by declaring that McAuliffe was an "afterthought". How so? He raised over twice the amount of money that Cuccinelli did. He had heavy hitter supporter. He's well known.

The tea party was not resoundingly rejected. It was a very close election in a purple state- even taking into account voter suppression (that was the real problem in VA).

Cuccinelli was as extreme a candidate as could be imagined. Granted McAuliffe was a flawed candidate, something Virginians were widely aware of.

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/election-day-110513

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/11/terry-mcauliffe-governor-virginia

[jeff47]

11. Keep in mind the timeframe when Democrats were deciding to run for Gov.

It would have been about 2011. Tea party had just won big. So Democrats sit around, looking at Cooch lining up his run as a popular teabagger. And they start looking for volunteers to run against him.

And they get pretty much nobody volunteering. Because at the time, it looked like they would be volunteering for certain doom.

So McAuliffe agrees to "take one for the team", so that there's at least a D on the ticket. He's a terrible candidate, but he'll run.

Then the last two years happened - teabaggers start imploding, the Cooch starts talking about all the ways he's going to lock up women and minorities, and the race becomes winnable for any Democrat, even one as lousy as McAuliffe.

[cali]

14. good point.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

26. Very good perspective

[cali]

49. I don't buy it. McAuliffe has long wanted to gov. this wasn't his first attempt

[jeff47]

50. Apparently you changed your mind in 7 hours.

Also, McAuliffe has never held elected office before. That's a rather odd situation fro someone who "long wanted to gov".

He's a shitty candidate, but a "good team player". He was tapped so that someone would be on the ballot - it's not like there was an epic primary. He won because Cooch was that bad, but VA will be saddled with a shitty governor for 4 years.

[Fumesucker]

16. Well, one side is never happy with impure wins

And the other side is unhappy that the never happy crowd actually came out and voted, it took away a major talking point.

Just my rather odd perspective, it ain't easy being green you know.

[grantcart]

17. Most of us are. Some folks here just can't believe that they aren't being real progressives

if they aren't expressing full antagonism towards the Democratic Party.

[LaydeeBug]

19. I know, but can't we even celebrate for a DAY?

Cheese and rice on a ...oh never mind.

You are spot on, grantcart

[Peacetrain]

33. Not even for 10 minutes..

Amazing but true..

[uponit7771]

29. +1

[malaise]

21. It was a huge Democratic victory last night

[Pretzel_Warrior]

24. The Eyores can be laughable

[treestar]

25. +1

Nothing can ever be good enough for some people.

[msanthrope]

27. Debbie Downer Democrats shouldn't be on the party planning committee.

They throw the worst celebrations...no alcohol and bad sandwiches.

[SchmerzImArsch]

36. I prefer Debbie Downer Democrats

Over Debbie Wasserman Democrats, because I don't want to see the mediocrity become the enemy of the good.

[msanthrope]

40. You sound concerned. Welcome to DU!! nt

[SchmerzImArsch]

42. Thank you. And yes I am concerned about deaths by a thousand cuts

Which I think results from supporting blue dog democrats because of the fear that progressive democrats can't win. It is a self fulfilling professy when your party doesn't support you because your party thinks you will lose. After you lose, your party points out how correct they were.

[msanthrope]

43. A 'professy?' Sounds series. Hugh, too. No wonder you're here..

casting asparagus.

[Dopers_Greed]

28. We did win, but this election should be a warning

The Tea Bag Party will always be viable. The fact that the wingnuts did so well is scary. Most of the population implicitly don't trust Dems/Progressives but are always willing to give the Repukes the benefit of the doubt. Some bad press on Obama will flip voters faster than shutting down the government and costing the economy billions.

[mac56]

30. You said it, LaydeeBug. Do NOT drink from the DU punchbowl this morning.

Trust me, you will be sorry.

[SchmerzImArsch]

31. I guess because it wasn't a national election?

I'm not sure. For me, it's that not all "D"s are created equal. I would have preferred the Democrats invest more time in Jersey than in Virginia.

[LaydeeBug]

45. We have to play the hand we're dealt, not the hand we WANT

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

Chris Christie SUX, but he was winning re election pretty handily all along.

We *may* have been able to unseat him, but he'd always be able to make a come back and at what expense to other national races? There is only so much money to go around.

[SchmerzImArsch]

48. I'm not asking for the perfect.

I'm tired of allowing mediocrity to be the enemy of the good.

And there is a difference between playing the hand you're dealt, and FOLDING with the hand you are dealt.

[ewagner]

35. What has been overlooked in Virginia...

is that Terry McCauliff isn't exactly a "model" candidate. Under normal circumstances, mainline Dems might even reject his candidacy....

Instead...he beat the tea party...

got that?

A "flawed" Democratic candidate BEAT THE TEA PARTY.

That is a big deal (BFD?) if you ask me.

[SchmerzImArsch]

37. Not at DU.

Because it is all about the D and not what's best for U.

[LaydeeBug]

46. +1 nt

[Fawke Em]

38. Well, Virginia isn't "reddy red."

It's been purple for years.

Now it's light blue.

[William769]

39. Kick & recommended.

[progressoid]

41. Was Virginia the only election yesterday?

Here, we lost. RWers taking over local govt.

[Iggo]

44. People want to feel like they lost even when they won.

I don't get it.

[Kingofalldems]

47. A big Fox news and republican fail on Obamacare:

http://demu.gr/1017156743

[rdharma]

51. I'm having a "Schadenfreude Fest"!

Celebrating the baggers' "SAD"!

[Rex]

53. Oh we are! The trolls and fakers here...not so much.

I for one LOVE watching them cry the same old crap about low voter turnout and NOT how happy we should be about last night!

Trolls are going to hate, just make sure you see who is doing the crying and who is doing the celebrating.

We WON!!! Hahahaha! Suck on that TROLLS!