Sure is quiet...

[prole]

Ironically, this election may make them less likely to do so in the future. Some good news...

 

Blue Dog Coalition Crushed By GOP Wave Election

 

Tuesday was a tough night for Democrats, as they watched Republicans win enough seats to take back the House in the next Congress and began to ponder life under a likely House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). But one group hit especially hard was the Blue Dog Coalition, with half of its members losing their seats.

 

According to an analysis by The Huffington Post, 23 of the 46 Blue Dogs up for re-election went down on Tuesday. Notable losses included Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-S.D.), the coalition's co-chair for administration, and Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.), the co-chair for policy. Two members were running for higher office (both lost), three were retiring and three races were still too close to call.

 

The Blue Dogs, a coalition of moderate to conservative Democrats in the House, have consistently frustrated their more progressive colleagues and activists within the party . . . .

 

Half of the Blue Dog incumbents were defeated, and by themselves accounted for close to half of the Democratic losses. Some of us have been arguing for quite some time that the Rahm-engineered dependence on Blue Dog power is one of the many factors that has made the Democratic Party so weak, blurry, indistinguishable from the GOP, and therefore so politically inept, and would thus be stronger and better without them -- here's a 2008 Salon article I wrote making that case. Despite viewing last night's Blue Dog losses with happiness, I wouldn't point to this outcome as vindication for my argument, as there are many complex factors that account for last night's crushing of Congressional Democrats: widespread economic suffering, anxiety over America's obvious decline, the perception that Obama has done little to undermine destructive status quo forces and much to bolster them, etc. etc.

 

But for slothful pundits who want to derive sweeping meaning from individual races in order to blame the Left and claim that last night was a repudiation of liberalism, the far more rational conclusion -- given the eradication of 50% of the Blue Dog caucus -- is that the worst possible choice Democrats can make is to run as GOP-replicating corporatists devoted above all else to serving corporate interests in order to perpetuate their own power: what Washington calls "centrists" and "conservative Democrats." That is who bore the bulk of the brunt of last night's Democratic bloodbath -- not liberals.--from here.

[tvashtarkatena]

Buh bye, Dino. Looks like STOP THE SPENDING will have to wait. Of course, you've sure spent a whole lot of other people's money with nothing to show for it, and that makes me smile. Beaten by a horse-faced mom in tennis shoes; even better. Will you be back to become a 4 time loser? I can only hope so.

 

And farewell Ms. Whitman. You suck far more than the gays you hate cuz God told you to, and, considering how bad your ass got handed to you during this tidal celebration of stupidity, even your planet sized ego has probably taken the hint by now. Damn, even your own company's founder wouldn't endorse you. Now kindly fuck off to your McMansion and STFU.

 

Christine, Christine...I kinda wish you'd won for the entertainment value, but alas, even a pretty little head-shot like you could not pry Delaware's hands from its genitals. Perhaps those conspicuously rare full body pics of your rhino-sized ass should have been suppressed more rigorously. Who knows? It's all form and no function in your world.

[j_b]

Its pretty hard to say with a straight face that losing 40+ house seats in one shot is just Republicans voting. Thats a significant loss.

 

You might be right. I've heard that progressives that secretly hate America and yearn to bring her down crossed over in large numbers to vote Republican. You know, to send the country down the crapper even faster.

 

I don't know if you're joking but voter turnout was a little higher than 2006, which means participation was in the low 40%, ergo the GOP dead-enders voted for the GOP (while they pretended to be tea-baggers), while youth and minorities mostly stayed home (apart from hispanics to punk Angle the racist). No large cross-over, just the usual "it appears that my vote doesn't matter?"

[j_b]

The D's *squandered* an opportunity.

 

Pure truth.

 

Like Carter and Clinton before Obama: campaign to the left, govern on the right.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

At least the House will now have the first "person of color" as Speaker. Too bad that it's orange.

 

Dude, can't you see? He's just a token orange man! He's like a muthafuckin' circus peanut cookie, orange on the outside white on the inside.

 

He was probably born in Ooompa Loompa land. Demand the birth certificate!

 

Look for the forthcoming Chair Peak TR with Tvash...

[prole]

And farewell Ms. Whitman. You suck far more than the gays you hate cuz God told you to, and, considering how bad your ass got handed to you during this tidal celebration of stupidity, even your planet sized ego has probably taken the hint by now. Damn, even your own company's founder wouldn't endorse you. Now kindly fuck off to your McMansion and STFU.

 

It's possible we may never see John McCain's dream of the Ebay Economy come to fruition.

[tvashtarkatena]

At least the House will now have the first "person of color" as Speaker. Too bad that it's orange.

 

Dude, can't you see? He's just a token orange man! He's like a muthafuckin' circus peanut cookie, orange on the outside white on the inside.

 

He was probably born in Ooompa Loompa land. Demand the birth certificate!

 

Look for the forthcoming Chair Peak TR with Tvash...

 

Oh, my latest TR is SO much more interesting...but you'll have to wait until after Sat to lap it up.

[Nitrox]

Are they recounting the WA governor race?

 

Less than 1% apart.

 

http://vote.wa.gov/Elections/WEI/Results.aspx?RaceTypeCode=O&JurisdictionTypeID=1&ElectionID=37&ViewMode=Results

 

 

[prole]

Every indication signals that Obama is now caving on whatever's left from '08. What a stupid bitch. Hillary would've been a better choice for Dems. I will not be voting for him again no matter who the GOP throws up there in '12. Fuck it.

[Phil K]

Palin/Rossi 2012! Damn, that would be some awesome, Maveriky, forward thinking ticket.

[glassgowkiss]

I am really looking forward to republifaq "economy improvements". Bringing back the same crew, which wrecked the place 2000-2008 will guarantee the success for sure. I am really looking forward to the return of trickle down economics, more bailouts and cuts in education. I am also looking forward to tax cuts to the richest few and fucking over everyone else. but we will have our "cheesus". i am sure they will try to resurrect another mid-east crusade.

[rob]

It's simple, really. Deregulate everything. Slash taxes. Spend more. It's a winning formula!

[prole]

I am really looking forward to republifaq "economy improvements". Bringing back the same crew, which wrecked the place 2000-2008 will guarantee the success for sure. I am really looking forward to the return of trickle down economics, more bailouts and cuts in education. I am also looking forward to tax cuts to the richest few and fucking over everyone else. but we will have our "cheesus". i am sure they will try to resurrect another mid-east crusade.

 

...And watch Obama and the Democrats roll over for every one of them (if they're not proposing them themselves)!

[rob]

It's like The Great Money Grab, V2.0!!!

[tvashtarkatena]

Spoken like a true progressive! Stay pure!

[KaskadskyjKozak]

It's simple, really. Deregulate everything. Slash taxes. Spend more. It's a winning formula!

 

Spend more? After B-HO's and D-controlled congress's two-year, multi-trillion dollar spending splurge, you've got a lot of nerve on that one!

[tvashtarkatena]

It's simple, really. Deregulate everything. Slash taxes. Spend more. It's a winning formula!

 

Spend more? After B-HO's and D-controlled congress's two-year, multi-trillion dollar spending splurge, you've got a lot of nerve on that one!

 

Yeah. Memory of a gnat, apparently. Suprising, really...you're analytical abilities aren't even that good.

Edited November 3, 2010 by tvashtarkatena

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

Yeah. Memory of a gnat, apparently. Suprising, really...you're analytical abilities aren't even that good.

 

*yawn*

[Phil K]

The fundamental message I take away from this is a) Money Talks b) 'Sure is easy to scare people into voting against their best interests. how else to 'Splain 1098 going down?

 

Much as the Dems in general and Obama in particular have deeply disappointed me, I still tend to see them as the best choice given that any third party vote typically equates to a plus in the R column. I'd absolutely love to see a meaningful third choice, but don't have high expectations given how powerful the two corporate parties an the mainstream media have become (and how throughly demented the electorate seem to be.)

 

The (perhaps) only reason I'd vote for the tall, thin, dark-skinned gentleman for president again is because the next one is likely to have a huge impact on the makeup of the next SCOTUS, and we can't deny how very important that is given the F'd up current batch of activist judges and how they've allowed big money to anally rape this country with their Citizens United "decision."

[Phil K]

KKK, next time you feel like ranting about govt spending over the past two years, do us a favor; think back to the good old days under Junior AND STFU!

[KaskadskyjKozak]

KKK, next time you feel like ranting about govt spending over the past two years, do us a favor; think back to the good old days under Junior AND STFU!

 

B-HO has managed to massively outspend even W. Pull your head out.

[j_b]

Not only that is certainly not true but Bush didn't have a catastrophic recession to deal with.

 

I should say a recession of this magnitude because the nasty dotcom bubble burst occurred when he took over.

Edited November 3, 2010 by j_b

[j_b]

Spoken like a true progressive! Stay pure!

 

so, refusing to attack a country for its resources, not enabling torture, the patriot act, rendition, budget busting and unnecessary tax breaks for the wealthy, etc is a matter of purity versus practicality? Do you even stop to ponder what you are saying?

[Fairweather]

Are they recounting the WA governor race?

 

Less than 1% apart.

 

 

 

The DNC is on the phone with King County Elections as we speak...

[Fairweather]

KKK, next time you feel like ranting about govt spending over the past two years, do us a favor; think back to the good old days under Junior AND STFU!

 

Not sure what metric you're using there, genius.