Liberals target the Rust Belt: 'Democrats should be able to win in all these places'

[TexasTowelie]

WASHINGTON — As the Democratic Party struggles to find its moorings after losing a handful of special House elections this spring, liberal activists say the party’s future in Washington, D.C., isn’t in moving centrist, but rather in moving left.

A trio of new political action committees — the People’s House Project, Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats — are looking for ways to support candidates with economically progressive platforms and to challenge the party establishment, especially in Rust Belt states where President Donald Trump saw much unexpected success last November.

The activists aren’t daunted by the odds.

“Democrats should be able to win in all these places,” said Krystal Ball, founder of the People’s House Project, which has endorsed its first candidate, Randy Bryce, an iron worker with an attention-getting advertising shtick who is running for House Speaker Paul Ryan’s seat in Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District.

The People’s House Project says it will run candidates in every Republican-held district in 2018, with an emphasis on Midwestern and Appalachian states. A central tenant of the organization’s platform is that candidates cannot receive donations from big money donors, who Ball said have distorted the party’s messaging and intentions.

Read more: http://www.qconline.com/news/politics/liberals-target-the-rust-belt-democrats-should-be-able-to/article_f0445d44-6436-11e7-9f46-57a3486e6ca4.html

[elleng]

1. 'Ball said the Peoples House Project will use grass-roots campaigning to gain traction with voters

and raise money through small donations in a similar fashion to that of Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders’ surprisingly competitive presidential bid for the Democratic nomination inspired the creation of Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress, which have a similar mission to the People’s House Project.

They’ve already begun gathering candidates, and they’re not just going after Republicans.

Frustrated with increased poverty and poor working conditions in her home state of West Virginia, environmental activist Paula Jean Swearengin launched a campaign with the help of Brand New Congress to challenge centrist Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in 2018.

“It’s a disgrace as a coal miner’s daughter that I have to beg for clean water and clean air for my children,” she said. “He challenged us to primary him, so shame on Joe Manchin that a single mom of four is going after his seat.”'

Interesting. (And maybe productive.) Thanks, TT.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. Those special elections were in the most deep red bullshit places on earth.

Why these writers characterize this as a struggle is absurd.if anything its was pure fantasy. Actually they all did quite well considering.

[JI7]

4. yup, what if Maxine Waters or Nancy Pelosi had won by under 5 percent

[Initech]

3. We *DID* win these areas. They were stolen from us.

Stolen from us like Lucy pulling the football when Charlie Brown goes to kick it.

[riverbendviewgal]

5. Celebrities , sports figures should be helping

By raising money to get photo ID for citizens so there will be no problems at the polls.