What Being A Progressive In A Red State Has Taught Me

[pstokely]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-being-a-progressive-in-a-red-state-has-taught-me_us_58657bb5e4b0eb586488c5c0

"In the past four years, I’ve run statewide in Missouri twice. I won once and lost once, always substantially outperforming the top of the Democratic ticket by wide margins in a pretty red state. When I lost in November, I received 225,000 more votes than our presidential ticket and held the incumbent to under 50 percent. I was able to do that because I made an argument for progressive ideas rather than apologizing for the letter next to my name on the ballot or running a conservative campaign.

I told audiences that black lives matter in Ferguson, but I did the same in rural areas. I stood up for an increase in the minimum wage no matter whether I was at a union hall or a local chamber of commerce. In each case, I’ve been unafraid to tell voters why lifting up people they don’t know lifts them up too. They may not all agree with me every time, but they know I mean it and they know I care about everyone, including them.

I whole-heartedly believe that progressive policies are best for the entire country. I whole-heartedly believe that having a Democrat in the White House is better for the lives of every single American no matter their wealth, their geography, their race or their religion. And, essentially, that’s the argument I made in my campaign. And I darn near won with that strategy in a red state that Donald Trump carried by 19 percent.

As Democrats consider the way forward as a party out of power, my humble suggestion is this: Let’s start by being unafraid to make our argument to everyone. I’m not interested in conceding a single voter to the Republicans. Let’s never again focus on getting enough voters to win. Let’s get back to trying to win every single vote. My experience as a progressive in a red state has taught me this: Voters will forgive you for disagreeing with them on something so long as they know you are genuine in your belief and that they are included in your vision for the country. Democrats need to get back to doing that again."

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Makes sense to me.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. You truly deserve a Way-To-Go.

Your Campaign style and message is the real winner. Same message to all the people not just some of the people. It does work.

[Crunchy Frog]

3. Oh noes! A "progressive" went for and got, thousands of Deplorable's votes.

Last edited Sun Jan 1, 2017, 01:56 AM - Edit history (1)

And advocates that the rest of the party follow the same strategy. Some enlightened person better cut his head off.

[elmac]

4. It taught me how to sell my house fast.

California here i come, right back where i started from................

[Jim Beard]

5. Makes sense to me....I'm too old to travel in the fast lane much less .....

live in it.

[Dustlawyer]

6. +1!!!

[bettyellen]

7. Unfortunately Hillary did spend too much time in unwinnable states because she was trying to help

Downticket races. I'm not sure what the point here is as it describes Hillary's campaign pretty closely. She could not be everywhere as a state candidate did. She didn't tell some voters one thing and another totally different things. Amazing how little people doing analysis ignore the shitty media coverage and their obsession with emails. Must be really awesome to forget about that and instead, pat yourself on the back.

[pstokely]

16. HRC gave $$$ to downballot candidates in MO while never going there other than a few fundraisers

nt

[The Wizard]

8. Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything.

I'm thinking the DLC has to be silenced. One successful campaign (Bill Clinton) does not constitute popular support.

[pstokely]

15. like roaches, it may never go way

nt

[mountain grammy]

9. +1000

I donated to this guy's campaign..I had such high hopes. But, he's a good guy with a good message.

[47of74]

10. I refuse to appease conservatives

And that's what it sounds to me like this guy is wanting us to do. There are some people that hate people on our side and all the talk in the world or empty platitudes will not get these people to vote differently.

[Jim Lane]

11. The author is Jason Kander and that's not what he's saying.

Telling audiences that black lives matter or that the minimum wage should be increased does not constitute appeasing conservatives. He's also called for overturning Citizens United.

[msongs]

12. he got all those votes because he can dissassemble/assemble his rifle blind-folded IMO nt

[pintobean]

17. Yeah, I didn't see him as running as a progressive

at all. He also came across as a bit creepy.
I'm surprised he did as well as he did.

[barbtries]

13. Absolutely.

Some people will listen. Some never will. But it is best to be completely who we are and stand up for what we believe.

[pstokely]

14. Kander did better than the ex-Repuke gubernatorial who ran a conservadem (Koster)

Koster had the NRA endorsement while the NRA ran ads against Kander, yet Kander outperformed Koster