Northam win - a direction to not select a "purist?"

[question everything]

Northam is a Gulf War veteran and pediatric neurologist who voted for George W. Bush twice and who once toyed with becoming a Republican.

As the campaign progressed, he put aside attacks on Trump and pledged to work with him on behalf of Virginia. He flip-flopped on sanctuary cities, abandoning his support and coming out for cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

And in the primaries he defeated Perriello - who was supported by Sanders and Warren.

[Skittles]

1. purist meaning someone who is really for civil liberties

fuck that moderate shyte

[Hortensis]

27. Extremism is growing on the left, as well as the right,

Skittles. Psychologists say it's a slippery slope, where individuals and the groups they join to share their attitudes with all tend to reinforce each other and become more and more extreme in their thinking.

This isn't the first time you've said this, and each time you seem terribly sincere.

Perhaps it would be helpful to consider that perhaps 30% of the nation -- at most -- strongly agree with "fuck that moderate shit." Worse, the largest number are on the far right, where outrage at moderation and cooperation rules.

"FTMS"ers on the left are somewhat less than 10% of the left, self isolated from the more moderate left, including moderate progressives, but notably not necessarily that much from FTMSers on the far right.

That little satellite forum, JPR, now has a pack of ex- DUers who slid down that hostile, but peculiarly righteous slope in 2015-2016. They are unhappy when Democrats win and they chat with satisfaction, and sometimes real pleasure, about anything they see as Republican and/or Russian victories over Democrats, liberalism, "the center," and, of course, the moderation that allows cooperation between citizens with different viewpoints.

[question everything]

36. Thank you. Well said

I have posted here before. I lived in California in the 90s when Republicans lost all state offices because the "stands on principles" candidates won the primaries.

(Arnold is not a Republican. He is... Arnold).

The point is, do we want to "stand on principles" (whose, BTW) or do we want to win. To control Congress, to chair committees, to stop the right tilt of the Supreme Court.

[Hortensis]

38. Yes. And as you point out, all groups have principles.

And rights to representation as citizens.

A defining characteristic that separates out radicals and extremists is an overweaning, and very dishonest, righteousness that leads them to great contempt for all who don't join them and to ruthlessly ignore the wishes and rights of anyone who disagrees with them.

Psychologists say extremism encourages a belief that we're always on the edge of some dreadful crisis that only they in their righteousness can save us from. That end justifies all their means, no matter how unprincipled and stupidly counterproductive those may seem to others.

They also say the numbers of people, though still small, who are developing extremist tendencies is growing on both right and left. We can all always find others who agree with us these anxious days. The balancing effect of local family and friends is far weaker than it used to be. Not exactly a positive sign for democracy.

[LexVegas]

2. He defeated an anti choice candidate endorsed by Sanders?

Yep.

[jalan48]

3. How could anybody vote for George Bush twice? What's happening to our Party?

[question everything]

4. I think that Jon Stewart voted for papa Bush (nt)

[jalan48]

5. Is John Stewart running for office as a Democrat?

[question everything]

6. OK, I get your point. But I was taken aback when I heard that (nt)

[jalan48]

7. Me too.

[GulfCoast66]

10. Do you wish the republican had won?

Not being a smart ass. But we have a Democratic Governor in Virginia. Would you rather he lost?

I used to be a republican. Would you never support me if I ran for office?

[jalan48]

11. I wish we weren't running people that voted against Democrats in past elections.

What it tells me is that we have become too conservative.

[GulfCoast66]

12. Ok then. I guess you hated Hillary since she was a Republican

Till she was 17 years old or so?

I voted against Democrats most of my life until I travelled to Europe and became a Social Democrat. And I may eventually run for a local office. My wife disagrees! Would you vote against me?

[jalan48]

13. Hated Hillary because of decisions she made as a kid? LOL

What caused you to change? Social Democrat a la Bernie? It would depend on what you stood for and who was running against you.

[GulfCoast66]

16. Read more carefully. Social Democrat

Not Democratic Socialist.

No Bernie fan here. Can’t stand the man. And certainly no Socialist.

What caused me to change? Can’t tell you that, just realize that my believes were fucked up. And that the average European lives a better life than the average American. Which pissed me off.

Western European countries realize that capitalism generates more wealth than any other system. But unless it is ridden hard it will quickly turn to slavery. The ultimate free market expression!! FDR Understood that as well.

[jalan48]

17. You don't sound like someone who would have voted for Bush and Cheney twice.

I find it disturbing that our nominee did this.

[GulfCoast66]

19. Well, I did. And against Obama the first time

Not at all proud of it. But will not lie.

I was a true son of the South...educated version which meant I did not See myself as a racist nor use racial epithets. But the goodness of President Obama showed me that I was wrong. And the reaction of Republicans to him. Totally racist.

I had already left the republican party and become an independent voting for the Democratic party when I saw President Obama give his talk after the slaughter and Charlston. When he broke into amazing grace I realize I was really a member of the Democratic Party.

Americans have always been open to the redemption story. And we members of the Democratic Party should be more open to it than most. And Lord do I know it!

[jalan48]

20. Thanks for being honest. I'm open to redemption. As I live on the West Coast I don't pay much

attention to what happens in places like Virginia. I'll follow it a little more closely to see how he governs now that I know his history. Let's hope he does the right thing. I'm a more liberal voter-the entire West Coast is blue. I really disliked Bush and especially Cheney. So many innocent people killed in their Wars on Terror and for what? Oh well, I think I'll take a break and read a book. Have a great evening...

[GulfCoast66]

22. Thanks. I am now very liberal...

In my part of the country people who identify themselves as Social Democrats are rare. But I do so publicly outside of work.

The irony is that for all my talk of redemption, I am an Agnostic!

You have a nice evening as well.

[mcar]

24. Elizabeth Warren was R into the 90s

Just saying.

[jalan48]

25. But voting for Bush and Cheney and all the carnage and torture associated with that Presidency?

We've stooped pretty low on this one. Ten years from now someone who voted for Trump will be cool?

[DFW]

41. Not cool, just duped

And I think it will be less than two years before at least a quarter of the people who voted for him will despise the man, their vote for him, and not be ashamed to say they made absolutely the wrong decision for which there is no apology great enough.

[MrsCoffee]

26. And I wish we werent running anti-choice candidates.

[question everything]

37. Sanders voted, or at least encouraged voting, against Demcorats

including seeking someone to primary challenge Obama in 2012.

[jalan48]

39. Did he vote for Bush and Cheney, Iraq War (torture)?

[Bleacher Creature]

8. The lesson of the election is that Democrats neeed to come out and vote for Democrats.

Everyone should feel free to work their tails off for their preferred primary candidate. Purist, non-Purist - all are welcome.

But when the primary is over, it's time to come together. No exceptions.

[question everything]

9. Agree. Which is why it is still disturbing to know that many Democrats stayed home

last November, just as they did in 1968.

[NurseJackie]

14. Oh, that's right. That explains a lot.

And in the primaries he defeated Perriello - who was supported by Sanders and Warren.

Oh, that's right. That explains a lot.

Weird.

[Kirk Lover]

15. There's no such thing as a purist because it's subjective.

[ProudLib72]

21. Tell that to the people in certain "progressive" groups

Because they seem to know just how to determine if someone is a fit candidate. Interestingly enough, those fit candidates seem to be in very short supply.

[Kirk Lover]

23. Oh there is no telling them...I know and I hear ya. Hello let's win..PERIOD.

We need blue candidates in red districts/states...THAT CAN WIN.

[BannonsLiver]

18. It was an excercise in matching a candidate with an electorate.

There is no cookie cutter approach.

[PatsFan87]

28. One takeaway which I've thought for a while is running more veterans, doctors,

police officers, firefighters, teachers, blue collar workers instead of the usual lawyers, lobbyists, politicians. People trust and respect certain professions and we need to be mindful of that and work with that instead of against it.

Another lesson is spending money on grassroots activism/on the ground efforts instead of pouring money into tv ads.

[MineralMan]

29. As in every election, candidates need to be able to win

enough votes to gain office or they are just another losing candidate. Every congressional district has its own political center point. Stray too far from that point and you will lose if you run. It's that simple.

In statewide races, the balance point is even more difficult to find. Northam isn't the most progressive governor out of the 50 governors who will be in office next year. Not by a long shot. However, Virginia, as a state, has its overall center somewhere to the right of most of our opinions.

Perriello was supported by some people a little farther left of center. He lost in the primary election. He would have lost in the general election, too. Northam straddles the political line and got elected.

Bottom line: If you do not get elected, you do not get to participate in governance. We need people who can be elected where they are running. Northam is one such person in his state of Virginia. I don't live in Virginia, so I don't get to decide.

[peggysue2]

30. To his credit Perriello . . .

worked his ass off to get Northam elected, was on the ground expending a lot of time, energy and shoe leather. He didn't crawl into a ball of bitterness or screeching complaint that the 'system' had abused him. He worked as a Dem to ensure another Dem took the Governor's mansion.

Lesson to be learned. You either support the Democratic Party and its members to win elections. Or you don't.

There's no in-between, righteous position, particularly in the climate we find ourselves. Dems need to win to save not only ourselves but the country at large. The stakes are that high. Our House truly is burning.

[MineralMan]

31. Yes, he did, and that's to his credit for sure.

[workinclasszero]

34. Good to know

And good for him.

[lagomorph777]

32. Case-by-case.

In the case of Virginia, he is apparently as good as we can do right now.

Next time, the state's demographics and politics will have continued to shift blue, and we'll do better.

In other cases, don't run a center-right guy where a true-blue is needed (NY, CA, WA, MA).

[DFW]

33. No, merely proof that Top O'Neill was right

All politics are local. Northam was right for Virginia. He would not have been right for California, but he didn't run there, did he?

[question everything]

40. Agree. Yes on these pages I've seen deates about "purity"

in general terms. I did not follow the campaign there but I will not be surprise to find out that many here objected to him because... the above attributes, as seen in some comments on this thread.

[JI7]

35. Periello was anti choice and pro gun

Nobody is pure.