living in the deep south myself, I'm not at all surprised by this but I am saddened...But they still have legislators calling for lynching down here so...is it really a surprise to anyone?

My first and only thought when I read the article.

As much I thing it is imperative Democrats change their electoral strategy, I can't tell you just how wrongheaded I think this all is.


Democratic Chatter Grows About Ousting Nancy Pelosi
Some Democrats are calling for fresh ideas as special election losses pile up.


This is scalp hunting and has almost nothing to do with Democrats getting elected. House leadership is something you win by getting like minded candidates elected and comes at the beginning of a congress not in the middle.

The changes need to come at the DNC and D triple C not in congressional leadership. Right now we are in the fight of our lives in congress and we need experienced leadership that knows all the tricks.

After 2018...lets put on a new face.

What the DNC needs most right now is not experienced leadership, but some charismatic, eloquent, and dynamic personalities. Pelosi, Reid, and Warren are all skilled and efficient politicians, solid VP picks, but they aren't the kind of outsize characters people can project their own hopes and dreams onto they way people do with Corbyn, Obama, Sanders, Macron, and, yep, Trump. I was expecting after Hillary lost that the Democrats would have been pretty quick in introducing us to a new hand-picked team of charismatic frontbenchers ready for 2020. As far as I can see no such steps have been taken, its still the old guard and the same public face. They need someone new and interesting, who the media loves more than Trump, who is more more interesting, more fun, more popular than the Donald. Someone who can take command of the narrative rather than just be responding endlessly to Trump's Twitter inanities.

Pelosi shouldn't leave until they can find someone better to replace her. The problem for the Democrats is they don't have anyone better to replace her.

You are conflating the DNC with congressional leadership...we need new political leadership at the DNC Perez is definitely a third way operative...Pelosi is the leader of Democrats in the house.

And there is a movement to replace her...it has nothing to do with getting people elected.

How do you gauge better? Because for someone in her position i believed it was efficacy in wragnling congress critters. I understand someone could use her position to parlay a push for a more prominent position, but as Trump is finding out, governing is more than just winning an election.
http://www.rollcall.com/news/opinion/pelosi-proves-shes-still-unequaled-vote-counter

http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Nancy-Pelosi-skilled-in-art-of-political-warfare-3605268.php

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/the-staying-power-of-nancy-pelosi/440022/

Pelosi gets work done. So perhaps find someone else to bring up morale, rally the electorate, and to set a path for the Democratic party going forward. They can do that without Pelosi's job.

Republican Karen Handel wins Georgia House special election, CNN projects
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/20/politics/georgia-house-results-ossoff-handel/index.html?adkey=bn

52% to 47%? Blame the Russians!

Like you're blaming the Russians for the 'global warming scam'?

#LaughingMyOssoff

$55 million spent, and still your guy lost, in a race painted by the NYTimes as 'a real test for Trump'!

People do not want what your side is selling.

But hey, downmod me –– it makes you feel better, I know.

Eh, frankly I didn't expect Ossoff to win in deep Newt country, I'll admit to being disappointed the margin wasn't tighter. Interesting result in SC though.

Sure, go right ahead.
Like I give a fuck that you call bullshit.

Please remember to take your meds, MP

Props to Ossoff for spending $25 million (!) on a House race still managing to lose by more than Hillary did. That's impressive.

Trump beat Clinton by 1.5 percentage points in GA-6 in November. Handel's on track to beat Ossoff by nearly twice that.

Utterly amazing that this "critical test of Trump" (NYTimes description) reveals the fake Russia story (invented as a fig leaf to explain Hillary's loss) has had virtually no effect, outside of concerned non-partisans like Rachel Madow

True that she did better than Trump, but on the other hand Tom Price last won with 23 points, so take note of that difference. Not to take away from your gloating victory here fishpenners.

What I can't seem to find at this point are reports from the people who voted for Karen Handel. Why did they vote for her? Why did some people stay home who might have voted for her? Why did the people who may have voted for Ossoff stay home? Everyone knows why the people who voted for him. Everyone can see how the GOP are taking the win and can guess at how the DNC feels right now. I don't care about that.

Ixnay on requests from ounalismjay.
Do you want journalism? Because that's how you get journalism.

CNN did some interesting 'on the ground' reporting in the days leading up to the election (beware autoplay). Not sure how useful or revealing it really is. Despite all the money and attention, both candidates were fairly lackluster, neither was that popular. Some Dems felt that Ossoff was too centrist and not aggressive enough.
But the other issue was that this runoff took 2 months after the original special election, and voters were absolutely hammered with nonstop campaigning and solicitation to the point of fatigue and anger. How much this drove people's decisions is hard to say.

It's a republican district since 1980, always by more than 20 points. Prime example of the Southern Strategy.

I know one special election doesn't show a trend, but I was wondering if you see my point from your post
http://sensibleendowment.com/entry.php/9643

Because it makes my point. The last three elections both in red districts. The centrist once again gets ALL the money and support....another lose


Progressives already thought Democrats were aimless. The special election wipeout might prove their point

"Defeating Republicans in districts that they have traditionally held requires doing something drastically different than establishment Democrats have done before," he said, listing among those priorities "heavily (investing) in direct voter contact to expand the electorate."

Don't get me wrong I thought Ossoff was a good candidate could walk and chew gum was well spoken..I would have voted for him. He also ran against a female troll who had lost her last three election.

But Ossoff ran a republican lite..."I know Washington sucks, I'm not part of that Washington crowd but would very much like you to send me there so I can work across the isle with our Republican brothers and sisters"....

"We won't defeat Trumpism by courting moderate Republicans in wealthy suburbs,"...

""I don't think many (national Democrats) have the charisma of Obama, the weird likability and material language of Sanders, or the conniving ability of Harry Reid," said Felix Biederman, co-host of the "Chapo Trap House" podcast. "It's time for them to stop ratf-----g even the hint of a left in their party and activate those voters who usually don't vote."

Here notice the difference in tone...

"My values are my neighbors’ values, and we know that Washington has gotten way off track. Whether it’s healthcare, jobs, national security, education, or the environment, there’s not one issue where Paul Ryan and Donald Trump are headed in the right direction. It’s time for a change in Congress.”

Meet Randy Bryce, a union iron worker, Army veteran, and mustache owner.

Interesting that when you read the words it sounds a lot like the reasons people gave for supporting Trump. Of course it seems clear that this guy isn't a corrupt billionaire elitist.

He's not a billionaire, but we don't know that he's not corrupt.

True, but being that he's not a billionaire, it's a good bet that even if he's corrupt, he's not corrupt on the same level as Trump.

“Paul Ryan, you can come work the iron and I’ll go to D.C.”

It's a great ad, frankly its slickness makes me suspicious. Dude's got some backing.
I doubt he can knock off Paul Ryan but it would be nice if he can at least make him sweat a little.

My thought exactly. But it is a Democrat spreading a democratic message .More power to him!

Here is another story written about him...

“The ironworker is a cancer survivor, Army veteran, political coordinator for his union, and member of the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors. His memorable Twitter handle — @IronStache — evinces a savviness for social media.”

Meet the Ironworker, Veteran and Single Father Who Raised 100k In 24 Hours to Take On Paul Ryan