The other day, Axios asserted that Republicans are getting nervous about Democratic House recruitment, implying-- incorrectly, of course, that the DCCC is recruiting top quality candidates. I bet I'm more nervous about their recruiting than House Republicans are, and for the opposite reason.
Rob Quist is way too independent-minded and too dedicated to values and principles for the hacks at the DCCC to get too worked up over his race in Montana. Besides, it goes against their forever backward-looking modus operandi to contest Monatana too strongly. They only want to fight in districts where Hillary beat or did very well against Trump.
Texas has been ignored by the DCCC for too long. I fear 2018 isn't going to change much either, despite rumblings of some early interest. Is the new DCCC regional Vice Chair even paying attention-- or just running for governor of Colorado?
The DCCC-- as it is wont to do-- is putting all its eggs in one basket. Their operating premise is that Trump and Ryan will cause the congressional Republicans to be so loathed that voters will go to the polls in 2018 with only one thing in mind-- replace Republicans with Democrats. It could happen. If it does, even the worthless, garbage candidates being recruited by the DCCC will be swept into office (for a term or two before the GOP reclaims those seats).
Ross Douthat painted a potentially catastrophic picture of what could happen to the House Republicans-- a total wipeout isn't possible because of 135 districts with PVIs between R+10 (there are 16 of them) and R+32 (welcome to the Texas Panhandle) where Señor Trumpanzee won a whopping 79.9%. That's Mac Thornberry's district.
(COMMONDREAMS) Underscoring previous assessments that the Democratic establishment, including the party’s 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, has “a Wall Street problem,” new polling and focus group data shows that Democrats are perceived as woefully out of touch when it comes to the econo
This week I've been getting to know/vetting a Democratic congressional candidate running against a GOP arch-villain. I really, really, really wanted to candidate to be good-- or at least as good as Jon Ossoff. Not everyone is going to be as stellar as Elizabeth Warren or Bernie or Grayson or Ted Lieu. It's an unfair standard.
What is the DCCC looking for in candidates?
Last night, we tried explaining why we think Jon Ossoff is a good choice for progressives... in if he isn't a clone of Elizabeth Warren or Pramila Jayapal. After all, that's not how politics works. Ossoff is progressive enough and the effect on Trump's legislative agenda if he beats Karen Handel in GA-06 on June 20 is something every progressive should be focused on. (And, no, if Ossoff were a Blue Dog or New Dem, I would not have written that and Blue America would not have endorsed him.
