You know, the dream where you’re trying to warn somebody, but they can’t hear you, and they keep blithely going onward towards their doom:
Talking with a conservative House Democrat from the South recently, I commented that it must be horrible to go home and get beaten about the head and shoulders by angry constituents. He added, “And then come back here and get beaten up in my own caucus.”
Via Kaus. Although Charlie Cook’s solution (redistricting reform) won’t actually solve the Democratic Party’s problem for it. The reason why? Because the aforementioned ‘conservative’ and ‘moderate’ Democrats obey their exceedingly liberal leadership, and those leaders are almost certainly going to keep getting elected, redistricting or no.Take a look at the seven most powerful Democrats in the House (yes, I’m deliberately excluding Steny Hoyer. Everybody else does):
| Speaker of the House | Nancy Pelosi | CA-08 | D+35 |
| Appropriations | David Obey | WI-07 | D+3 |
| Energy & Commerce | Henry Waxman | CA-30 | D+18 |
| Financial Services | Barney Frank | MA-04 | D+14 |
| Judiciary | John Conyers | MI-14 | D+34 |
| Rules | Louise Slaughter | NY-28 | D+15 |
| Ways & Means | Charles Rangel | NY-15 | D+41 |
Seven liberals, six of whom are going to cruise to re-election (if the GOP has the year that many people expect next year, David Obey is going to have a massive fight on his hands for a change*). The urban nature of most of these people’s territories means that there’s not much chance of redesigning their districts as being more competitive; some areas are going to be more conservative and/or liberal, and that’s how it goes. Plus: until these people retire, their seniority gives them the inside track to leadership positions. None of them care about bipartisanship.
For that matter, none of them care if they lose 39 seats in the House next election. Or whatever the number is on Election Day that’s ‘one less than enough to flip control of the House.’
Moe Lane
*DisOBEY. Support Sean Duffy for Congress.
Crossposted to Moe Lane.
Steve Maley
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Proving the theory of the two sets of liberals running the party
archer52 Monday, September 28th at 11:01AM EST (link)In the article I noticed the leadership either came from NY or CAL or the MI/WI/ILL area. No Tennessee, no Florida, no Mississippi, no Arizona.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi CA-08 D+35
Appropriations David Obey WI-07 D+3
Energy & Commerce Henry Waxman CA-30 D+18
Financial Services Barney Frank MA-04 D+14
Judiciary John Conyers MI-14 D+34
Rules Louise Slaughter NY-28 D+15
Ways & Means Charles Rangel NY-15 D+41
That means the left/right coast and the Chicago Machine control the party, just like we figured. And those two are going to end up trying to eat each other when the food (money) becomes scarce.
For all you democrats I just have to ask. How in the world did you get here?
See to be a Democrat is to be a complete
Richard Mullins (Diary) Monday, September 28th at 11:44AM EST (link)suckup to the leftists running the show. Really, you can’t be one and not be a water boy for them.
Speaking on your point of the will eat each other when the money dries up, proves that Democrats are cannibals.
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Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
I Consider it Inexcusable.
farstar99 (Diary) Monday, September 28th at 12:44PM EST (link)The GOP must run candidates for every seat and make a credible effort to win these seats every time. If there isn’t the money, get it.
Are there no contributors like Soros out there but who are on our side?
Soros can't give like that to candidates
Neil Stevens (Diary) Monday, September 28th at 12:48PM EST (link)He funds third party groups, per federal law.
RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
Technically yes.
The_Gadfly (Diary) Monday, September 28th at 1:15PM EST (link)But we all know those third party groups are directly supporting candidates Soros wants elected, so at least the sense of the question stands.
And yes, I know that if we get enough people directly involved in their local political parties, especially as precinct chairs, that will do more to revitalize the Republican Party than having twice the money Soros puts into his groups.
5
Neil Stevens (Diary) Monday, September 28th at 3:26PM EST (link)Meg Whitman can only get a bunch of former California chairmen to endorse her because conservatives sat out “sending a message” while squishes took over the party.
RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
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Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
50 states
redpens (Diary) Monday, September 28th at 1:48PM EST (link)We have to contest every district, every state, no matter what. If the Dems can do that like in the last 2 elections, so should we.
Redistricting reform probably wouldn't help,
The_Gadfly (Diary) Monday, September 28th at 1:12PM EST (link)but the public would certainly see it as a positive move. In these days of super-precise computer mapping, the gerrymandering is getting completely out of control.
Even here in the People’s Republic of Maryland, where the population would pretty much guarantee a solid supermajority of Dems in both houses even with compact districts, they still have some weirdly shaped districts where you know the only things the voters have in common are which buttons they push on election day.
Of course, since the public is the only group to support it and leaders in both parties are likely to object to it, it pretty much is a pipe dream. And that too feeds the cynicism of voters.
The words . . .
ranthony (Diary) Monday, September 28th at 1:18PM EST (link)“conservative” and “Democrat” are together an oxymoron.
What I don't understand
Robert A. Hahn (Diary) Monday, September 28th at 6:20PM EST (link)…is why the same thing doesn’t happen on the GOP side. For the Dems, the mechanism by which all leadership positions end up in the hands of leftside wingnuts appears to be
The same thing ought to happen on our side. But it doesn’t. What we get is:
Drink Good Coffee. You can sleep when you’re dead.