What happens when the Democratic Party Establishment...

[NCTraveler]

and the Democrats on the ground don't fully support candidates all across the country, regardless of your thoughts if they can win or not? You end up elevating jackasses like Charlie Crist in Florida. This guy is such a flake it is unreal. The support shown for him in past elections by Democrats has moved our state to the right and established Crist as a sensible centrist. When he went up against Meek a clear line should have been drawn between the two. Instead, Crist received the Democrats backing, showing Meeks views as being outside the norm. Nothing about the great Kendrick Meek is outside the norm. Crists armor should have been seriously dinged by all Democrats. How can Democrats in Florida make the case that Rick Scott is a right wing nut job when they back someone like Crist. Democrats are helping Crist to become as loved as Jeb is in this state. How fucking stupid. This state can elect a true Democrat to the governorship. This state is willing to elect a progressive in a statewide election. We need help from the party.

Every fight in every state is important. When it comes to elections that cannot be won, we much damage the opponent. We must always fight to move the electorate and the government to the left. That is a constant fight. Supporting people like Crist and Christie do nothing but move us to the right. Christie should have come out of this with some blood on his shirt. Instead he has been elevated even further.

[woo me with science]

1. It's pretty damned clear by now

that this is no longer a simple Red versus Blue game, as so many Blues are now overtly working for the corporate One Percent.

Robert Reich summed up what we are really dealing with here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3994720
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/2013-election-results_b_4226267.html?utm_hp_ref=media&ir=Media

Pundits who are already describing the victories of Terry McAuliffe in Virginia and Chris Christie in New Jersey as a "return to the center" of American politics are confusing the "center" with big business and Wall Street.

The relevant battle here is between corporatists representing the One Percent, and the rest of us.

[Laelth]

3. +1. n/t

-Laelth

[L0oniX]

9. ^^^this^^^

[Scuba]

10. + another ...

Being progressive on a few social issues while being a hard-line conservative on fiscal issues just isn't good enough. This is falling right into the neo-cons trap: move the line so far to the right that middle-right starts to look good.

[Laelth]

2. Good question and good point. k&r n/t

-Laelth

[pscot]

4. cc: The Whitehouse

[NCTraveler]

11. I think they would scoff at the idea....

and then tell me how wonderful Christie was during the storm. We all need to work together, don't ya know.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. And just what is it we should do to support...

these proper Democrats in 50 states across many thousands of miles? I've got a job and just ran for office (with no help from DU, btw, except maybe five or six attaboys) and have sent some money to other states and areas that seemed to be able to use it. Other than that, WTF am I supposed to do to get the "proper" Democrat in Florida's governor's mansion? How do I even know who the "right" one is?

Now I'm not complaining above about not getting DU support because I didn't ask for it and didn't expect it. Just saying that even DU members running for office historically get squat out of this place but now you're saying we should somehow rise up and support hundreds, maybe thousands of races around the country?

What did you yourself do for Florida? Or New Jersey? Or the race for Babylon Supervisor?

But, before I get too far into this rant, next year I will be asking everyone I know around the world to contribute to Tim Bishop's congressional campaign because millions are already flowing in to unseat him even though they don't have a candidate yet. He's seen as the easiest Democrat to throw out of the house of the half dozen or so possibilities because last time it took a week for the recount and he won by just a hair against a carpetbagging teabagger. Or teabagging carpetbagger. Whatever.

[NCTraveler]

6. You are making the main point behind my op more complex than it really is.

The Democratic party establishment should never support a republican like Crist. They campaigned for him. They campaigned for a republican/independent. When the party establishment supports a republican, registered democrats should tell them to fuck off and support the democrat. It is simple. Don't support right wingers. If you do, you are doing nothing but helping move states and the country to the right.

Running for office is very difficult. I have been an inside player in a number of campaigns. It is so difficult. Good for you for putting yourself out there.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Yeah, the establishment is the focus...

I'm still kinda het up about our humiliating loss Tuesday and should be working, not posting.

[NCTraveler]

8. Losses can be painful and personal.

I do understand that. Specially when more could have possibly been done.