Dem Groups Consider Throwing Support Behind Tea Party Candidate Against McConnell

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM



TOM KLUDT 9:38 AM EST, MONDAY JANUARY 28, 2013

Liberal and Democratic-aligned groups are mulling the possibility of offering organizational and financial support to a tea party challenger against Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in 2014, according to a report published Monday in Politico. McConnell's re-election bid has been the subject of intense focus from both the left and the right, as the powerful GOP leader may be in for a difficult primary and general election campaign next year.

From Politico:

The idea: Soften up McConnell and make him vulnerable in a general election in Kentucky, where Democrats still maintain a voter registration advantage. Or better yet, in their eyes: Watch Kentucky GOP primary voters nominate the 2014 version of Todd Akin or Richard Mourdock, weak candidates who may actually lose.

“We are doing a lot of reaching out to some of the tea party folks across the state,” said Keith Rouda, a field organizer with the liberal group MoveOn and the Democratic super PAC, Progress Kentucky. “What we’re finding — at least in this stage of the race — we’re finding that our interests align. It’s unusual.”

Progress Kentucky has begun circulating petitions urging Republicans to jump into the race, and Democratic donors active in Bluegrass State and national politics are privately making it clear they’re willing to help bankroll a tea party candidate. Neither the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee nor the Kentucky Democratic Party is involved in the unorthodox efforts at this point, officials said.

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Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/dem-groups-consider-throwing-support-behind-tea-party

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Link to full Politico article:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/democrats-tea-party-unite-to-defeat-mitch-mcconnell-86787.html

[Demeter]

1. I suppose running a bone fide, qualified Democrat against him in the General Election

is out of the question?

[Chef Eric]

4. No. It's a two-part plan.

The first part of the plan is to weaken McConnell by making him compete against a well-funded opponent in the primary.

Not that I think it's an especially good idea.

[adieu]

22. It's all about money

if the Dems can force McConnell to spend money during the primary, as well as expose him negatively to people who would otherwise vote for him, that would make it harder for him to compete against a normal Democratic candidate.

I think the DSCC has seen what happened in the 2012 elections are want to replicate the process: get the GOP planned candidate to fight hard in a primary that they ordinarily wouldn't have to do. Then, if the "moderate" candidate (supposedly, the incumbent) loses, go start pointing fingers at the radical one, like they did with Akins and Mourdock.

If the incumbent still win primary, then use all the attack points that worked in the primary campaign as ammunition during the general election. Plus, by this time, the incumbent's war chest will have dwindled somewhat.

[FiveGoodMen]

30. "the incumbent's war chest will have dwindled somewhat"

I'm pretty sure the Kochs will find a way to replenish it if it matters to them.

[adieu]

36. You think they want to spend

another couple million and still lose? After all, they spent over $100 million for Romney and got nothing out of it. And it's not just McConnell. They have to spend to defend others. The march away from the right is happening. They need to see who they can best leverage. If they think McConnell is a goner, they'll go with someone else as the minority head and let Turtleboy become a lobbyist or something.

[FiveGoodMen]

39. "The march away from the right is happening"

Nothing would make me happier.

But I've been hearing variations on that theme for at least a decade.

And all during that time things have gotten worse.

Totalitarian laws have been instituted.

Spying on Americans has become standard and accepted.

The rhetoric coming for DC has become bat-shit crazy and no one seems too concerned.

Obama does things like the drones that would have horrified the left (if Bush did them) and people here defend it.

I don't see that march you're talking about at all.

[adieu]

44. I agree with much of your presentation of the evidence

I think the main sea change away from the right is in their social views. We are more tolerant, as a nation, of gays, smoking weed, women's rights. Civil liberties have been hammered a bit, and the constant warring is disturbing, but I see this last item as one that will die off. We will not be going into any more wars in the foreseeable future.

[MADem]

53. This is the race that A. Judd was contemplating jumping in on--the idea is to wear the guy down

and possibly even boot him out in the PRIMARY.

Make 'em spend money--that is money that won't be used on other campaigns for other GOP candidates.

Make 'em campaign.

When they are forced to campaign, they open their mouths and screw up. They also have to defend their records.

It's an artful strategy.

[bemildred]

2. I like it. What could go wrong? nt

[indypaul]

20. You could wind up with another Rand Paul n/t

[reverend_tim]

31. McConnell could win

I do not want to see him for another 8 years, the next two is bad enough

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. I understand the advantages of this tactic, but I don't support it

It is the same reasoning that Republicans use in supporting Green Party candidates running against Democrats, and yes some times it can work. But I oppose giving support to candidates who oppose what we believe in. For me it is that simple, call it a means and ends type argument. I don't support going there.

[backscatter712]

47. If they're going to do it to us, I'm fine with retaliating.

Rule #1 of politics. There's no such thing as a clean fight.

[TheDebbieDee]

51. I agree. I think that it is the Dem's insistence to fight the clean fight.....

to take the high road, that has led to us becoming the weak-kneed, spineless party that can be stepped all over by the republicant's.

I'm sick of the repukes talking shit about Dems and their supporters (that's us) with impunity. Alan West and that numb-nut guy from Illinois, Tammy Duckworth just beat him in the race for that congressional seat - should have been scared shitless to say half the shit that they said about us.

Just thinking about this stuff pisses me off and raises my blood pressure. Phuck it all! I'm going to bed!

[struggle4progress]

50. +

[AllyCat]

5. So red KY can elect someone even more bagger than McConnell?

I think this is a bad idea. How about running a good Dem against him? That seems to make more sense.

[leftyohiolib]

16. see post 4

[mopinko]

6. is this supposed to be news?

this happens all the time, people. mucking in each others primaries is as old as voting.

[albear]

7. If they do this kind of B.S. against us why can't we do the same to them? :)

It would be a great opportunity to get rid of that toad McConnell! And then the strawman teabagger will be also gone in two years making it easier for a Democrat to win!

[Coyotl]

8. This is a recipe for a disaster.

You don't hand power to the worse possible person!

[Sunlei]

26. Koch funded his JBS clone- tea party, ask your suger daddy for more $$$

[a la izquierda]

9. I don't like this one bit.

I don't like when Republicans do it, so why should I appreciate it when Democrats do it? Especially because I imagine the kind of Kentucky Democrat that would win is only slightly to the right of McConnell (this is how it works in Oklahoma, where I lived for some time).

[redstatebluegirl]

10. It worked in Missouri....

[blackspade]

11. Um, No.

This is a shitty idea.
Democrats do not need to give money or encourage this type of destructive social behavior.
If anyone has read about the lunatics that gathered in Frankfort for 'National jack my gun off day' it should give them pause about supporting these crazies.
McConnell is a worthless sack of shit, but this is not the way to get rid of him.

[Ian Iam]

17. I quite agree

In fact, this will help Mr McConnell's campaign, as the old geyser can point to his "Democrat-backed" tea party challenger and play on Republican paranoia.

[Plucketeer]

12. You know...........

More than I like, I find myself leaning back and wondering: Do we HAVE any qualified, level-headed strategists in the Democratic party - or does Ms. Wasserman preside over a gaggle of amateur dart-tossers and a huge dartboard full of outlandish ideas???

Is McConnell REALLY the main impediment in the Senate? After seeing the so-called leader of that body perform a dumb-founding distillation of the filibuster last week - I'm inclined to think our problem isn't ol' Mitch, the Kentucky pond turtle.

[DonViejo]

21. Wasserman is not involved...

it's MoveOn and several liberal PACs.

[Plucketeer]

33. I'd bet she's an influence

even without saying a word.

[2pooped2pop]

13. any chance the teabagger can beat him and

we can beat the new bagger like we did in Indiana with Mourdock and Donnelly. We could never beat Lugar so they backed Mourdock. We could and did beat Mourdock and put a dem in that long republican held seat.

Is that the hope here or are they just wanting to make him spend his money?

[Berlum]

14. What could possibly go wrong?

[maindawg]

15. perfect

what you are doing here is giving the bigots enough rope to hang themselves. Its a perfectly acceptable tactic.

[liberal N proud]

18. I am all for getting McConnell out of there by any means

As long as we are prepared to deal with the other edge of that sword, and can beat the teabagger, it should be good.

[forestpath]

19. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[valerief]

23. Only problem is--you get what you pay for. nt

[Eleanors38]

24. hand grenade in a tank tread: Usually doesn't work, but in times of desperation...

This was done in Texas back when it was mainly a one-party (Democratic) state, only the GOP was doing it, trying to get the most liberal Democrat elected in the primary, so they would have a better chance beating him/her in the general election. Now, after the GOP has built a real party, they don't need to do this.

It is a desperate move in any event.

[Sunlei]

25. not money to republicans baggers, let them sway their own politicans with their Koch billions.

[33Greeper]

27. Draft Ashley Judd

That is all

[SwankyXomb]

52. +999

[EastKYLiberal]

28. They better not fuck this up. nt

[patrice]

29. Where the hell is what calls itself "the Left"? MIA on filibuster reform. nt

[Sekhmets Daughter]

32. So typical of Dems...

this lost any chance of being effective when it became public.

[patrice]

35. Did you make the phone calls? If so, thank you for your input. nt

[Sekhmets Daughter]

38. But of course...

wrote as well. Didn't hold out much hope....I hate to say this, but I have ever diminishing respect for the Democratic Party....

[patrice]

34. We need to ask ourselves if BARBARA BOXER couldn't produce enough support from "the Left" in CA,

or at least from what calls itself "the Left", if CA couldn't produce enough phone calls to get BOXER on board with filibuster reform, what the fuck is going on??????????????

[Sekhmets Daughter]

37. I think it had to do with Boxer herself...

6 of the 8 Dems who were against it are long timers, including Babs. Dems always live in fear...that's why we're in this mess.

[patrice]

40. Yes, that is the predominant factor, which in the status quo the only remedy is absolutely massive

numbers, which timing-wise were probably affected by how concurrent issues affect people's responses, in this case that issue would be guns because they reach across so many political lines and there's so much utter bullshit floating around, right now, in re what's going to "happen to gun owners".

[Sekhmets Daughter]

41. And the 2014 election... n/t

[randome]

42. What if the tea bagger takes the money then drops out?

McConnell wins and we have lost a bundle. I don't like playing 'spy games'. Better to play according to our strengths.

[People b4 profits]

43. By any means necessary.

Taking any weapon out of the arsenal is simply surrender.
Whatever it takes, whether the cowards here want to admit it or not.
Methinks they are really more worried about losing what little they have left than crossing some non-existent line of acceptable tactics.

[okaawhatever]

45. This would make sense if we helped a conservative Independent. Someone who could take a few

percent from the republican side like Perot. If KY is like TN only republicans allow independents in their primary, so it wouldn't hurt us there and then divide up 3 ways in the general.

[backscatter712]

46. The Republicans do the same to Democrats.

Turnabout is fair play as far as I'm concerned.

This is the kind of thing that will either get McConnell replaced by a raving loon who loses the general, or at least forces him to go full teabagger himself to beat the raving loon, in which case, we get lots of material for the attack ads.

At minimum, McConnell will have to raise shitloads of money which could go to other candidates to survive, and this could succeed in throwing Turtlebeak out!

[AndyTiedye]

48. DON'T DO IT! We'll End With Another 'Bagger in the Senate

[Jim Lane]

54. Would a teabagger be worse than McConnell?

You're right that the plan could backfire and put a Mourdock-class RWNJ in the Senate. But, so what? On any vote that mattered, McConnell and the RWNJ would vote the same way. Their differences would be over bills to abolish the Fed or to repeal the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments -- bills that aren't going anywhere anyway.

For that reason, I think the downside is small.

[jberryhill]

55. Rand Paul

[A Little Weird]

49. Seems like a bad idea

It would be fine to fund ads attacking McConnell but I don't think it's a good idea to support a tea bagger. It's likely the tea baggers will run someone who has even more extreme positions. If they want to waste their own money, that's great but I would much rather see support for an actual democratic candidate.

[yurbud]

56. Mitch McConnell isn't enough of an embarrassment?