Are we glad Heath Mello lost to a doctrinal Republican? I am not.

[Akamai]

See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/heath-mello-loses-jean-stothert-omaha_us_59124e8de4b05e1ca202e4aa?su&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

My view is that the perfect is the enemy of the good!

Any reactions to this?

[Jno_Gilmor_]

1. I wish he won, but to be fair, he was kind of a bland candidate running in a city that was doing

relatively well to other US cities. I think we have a better chance in GA. I wish national leaders would give him more support, but he also, isn't a very energizing candidate.

[frazzled]

2. Well

It should teach everyone that the Sanders' rhetoric is not the silver bullet many thought it would be.

What a waste of effort and public relations. People don't want to hear about big ideological issues and economic mambo jumbo in a mayoral race. People just want to know the potholes will be fixed and the schools are good and their property taxes won't go up.

Epic fail.

[Akamai]

3. Epic fail for a lot of citizens.

[Cha]

11. It was ridiculous to hold Mello up as "progressive" who was

"aggressively anti-choice" and saying on the day of the election in Georgia.. that he didn't know who the Pro-Choice Candidate Jon Ossoff was.. who is only running in a critical House seat left Vacant by Tom Price.

[bettyellen]

4. No but it's a local race and has no effect on congress so a waste of time I think....

For me and for Bernie too.

[Akamai]

5. Yes--but he was trying. Great Emily Dickinson poem about the fall of a bird being an important goal.

"If I can stop one heart from breaking,
"I shall not live in vain;
"If I can ease one life the aching,
"Or cool one pain,
"Or help one fainting robin
"Unto his nest again,
"I shall not live in vain."

Emily Dickinson

I know people think about this issue differently, but I think we could have won a bit and we didn't.

[bettyellen]

6. I don't think it's a great look to have top senators get involved in distant small mayoral races....

Unless there is some compelling thing going on on that local community that deserves wide attention.
This seems to be the opposite, that he is basically trying to collect Berniecrats to boost his own profile, while he's ignoring more significant Dem races. It's not great outreach, it's not as if this one mayor should by any measure be more important than any congressman right now. It's weird.

[Akamai]

8. Sanders and others want to extend, I think, support the people in red areas, encouraging them to

"strive, to seek, to find and not to yield." As Tennyson said.

For too long the Democrats have written off the people in blue states, blue areas, and have thought they should not compete there. Dr. Howard Dean of Vermont want that of 50-state strategy, and so do a variety of people, including Bernie. And I really believe that's important to, to press the Republicans as often as we can other weaknesses, on how they are failing to support voters, etc.

Hamlet said, "There a special providence in the fall of a sparrow." And I think that the little signs grow up to be larger signs and can indicate a tidal wave is coming.

In terms of behavioral economics, it is amazing how little displays of kindness can really motivate people--just check with psychologist Daniel Ariely about this.

[bettyellen]

9. Yeah, I don't think that why- he's growing his own faction while ignoring other Dems

Totally political move to benefit his own movement. Which is to be expected from career politicians.

[JI7]

10. if you want to compete you have to figure out what people vote on . when it comes to mayors people

often vote on local everyday things like whether there is too much traffic in some area. whether the streets are clean.

you have to figure these things out if you want to compete.

[Akamai]

12. Yup. I think you are right on this. Nudge them in correct direction.

[Jake Stern]

7. Mayor today, Senator tomorrow

Those local and state races produce national politicians. Here in Colorado ultra-right Wingnuts like Ken Buck, Scott Tipton, Marilyn Musgrave and Doug Lamborn held local and state seats and later helped fuck our country up on a national level.

Keep an eye on Jean Stothert, there's a very good chance you'll be seeing her again in a few years.