The Politics Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

Bernie got stomped in the NY Primary.

 

90% of it is for reasons that are totally unnecessary.

[DramatistDreamer]

Looks like Jamaal Bowman is on his way to taking the 16th District from Eliot Engel. The results are not all in yet but Bowman has a very large lead.

It's almost not even worth mentioning, I don't know who believed Michelle Caruso-Cabrera ever had a chance but AOC retains her seat.

Edited June 24, 2020 by DramatistDreamer

[DramatistDreamer]

Also retaining her seat is Yvette Clark, who the Justice Democrats tried to push out last time around.

[amybrickwallace]

This op-ed sums up beautifully how I feel about President Rump:

 

https://calthomas.com/2020/06/tulsa/

[DRW50]

 

I'd heard Bowman had the edge, but (I'm aware the full results won't be known until next week) I wasn't expecting such a big number, especially since Engel apparently didn't have that big a reputation for not being around until recently. I guess he suffered from the race being nationalized. Bowman seems to be a good guy rather than just a generic DSA puppet, so I hope he can make it all work if he does get the nomination (especially when these groups turn on him the way they are with AOC).

 

I saw that Rep. Carolyn Maloney was running close to a left wing primary challenger, although he is splitting his vote with several others on the left and the absentees seem likely to put her over. From various comments on social media the guy seems to be a complete mess, to the point where many progressives would rather she win again, but I don't think he will pull it out. I do wonder if this may make Maloney retire. 

Meanwhile, Trump fell flat on his face 

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/23/trump-meadows-north-carolina-primary-cawthorn-bennett-337223

 

Mark Meadows resigning at just the right time to try to help Bennett backfired in spectacular fashion, and just ended up making Trump look stupid for getting involved when he had no need to do so. Cawthorn is an extremist and a proud hatemonger, so I have no real interest in being glad for him, but it's always good to see Trump look foolish.

 

Back to New York, if current results hold, Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres will be the first two out gay black men to be elected to Congress. I'm especially happy about Torres as he defeated Ruben Diaz Sr, a notorious homophobe and anti-Semite and on and on (I've heard his name for years now as he helped block gay rights legislation in the New York legislature) who was getting outsized media coverage that insisted he would due to a split left. 

 

This is priceless.

 

 

A moving, quick comment from Torres.

 

 

[DramatistDreamer]

Richie Torres has been criticized for being in the 'pocket' of the real estate industry.  Perhaps if he had a better competitor than that toxic homophobe Ruben Diaz Sr. (who no doubt, was relying on his son's popularity to skate through), those ties to the real estate industry might have made more of a dent in his prospects. Despite the popularity of Ruben Diaz Jr., I really doubt people would've voted for his father.  Regardless of what people think about the state of politics in the Bx, people are politically savvier than they're given credit for.

Last night's result in NYC go to prove what I've been saying previously about the prospects of progressives of color having better results than that of the rest of their party.  It really isn't about Bernie anymore (his dismal showing in NY last night proves that) and I think that even Bernie must realize that.

Carolyn Maloney has been in that seat for a loooong time.  Not surprising that it's been so close.

[DRW50]

 

The results in the race Torres seems to have won bear that out about Bernie - the candidate he and AOC endorsed came in fourth. 

 

Anyway, sometimes I find these types of pieces phony (not helped by Tim Alberta repeatedly whining on Twitter about how mistreated Mitt Romney was in 2012), but this has some good insights from those interviewed. It's a look at black voters in Michigan.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/24/letter-to-washington-grosse-pointe-woods-325641

 

[Vee]

I don't buy anything out of Politico without a side eye, especially from that guy.

 

 

[Vee]

 

[JaneAusten]

Tim Alberta referred to McConnell as a pragmatist and shamelessly defended empty suit, coward, and enabler Paul Ryan. That said, the comments here by well to do black voters here echo some of what you hear here in Chicago from members of the same community. 

 

The local mayoral election in Chicago where there were 2 African American women running head to head didn't produce the turnout expected, the lowest being in that community. It really hasn't been since Harold Washington,  where the black community turned out in high numbers for a local election. You can't argue with the logic when nothing changes. I have respect for our current mayor but she certainly hasn't met the moment here in terms of the calls for police reform. Her reputation of being cozy with the police union seems to have clouded her judgement in terms of meeting the moment. Kim Foxx the Cook County states attorney is really the only one here who has seemed to take her promises and commitments to that community seriously(despite the Jussie Smollett debacle-not entire her fault - the police union had a target on her back since the prosecution of Laquan McDonald's killer), while the Chicago mayor and our own African American state AG's responses have been lackluster. When even NYC can enact something and you still have done nothing in a city as problematic if not moreso in terms of police misconduct, that should say something about the leadership.

 

I do find the comments about Michelle Obama interesting as being the one real winning ticket possibility after the criticism of how little they felt President Obama did for the community.

Edited June 25, 2020 by JaneAusten

[Vee]

 

 

[DRW50]

@JaneAusten those are great insights, delivered without Alberta's heavy-handed Beltway need to show us how above it all (and above the Democrats) he is. 

 

One of the reasons I think I could believe the article is because even though the whole thing feels overwritten and also a bit like that Geraldine Chaplin reporter in Nashville and her patronizing manner toward black people, I do think the party is very tone deaf in this area and I also can't shake the feeling Trump will win again no matter how many 14+ polls I see. 

 

But Alberta was dishonest, as he did not point out anywhere that Gay-Dagnogo is exploring a run for mayor.

 

http://blacknewsportal.com/could-sherry-gay-dagnogo-become-the-first-female-mayor-of-detroit

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Those folks don't really want Michelle Obama.  They already know she refused so she's their safe pick, the mythical Black woman that they claim to want in a high ranking (but not too high, like, certainly NOT president) position--supposed proof that they are not 'misogynoir-ish'.

 

So, out of all the accomplished Black women out there, in these folks' minds, there's only one that is good enough for higher office?  I call it the "there can only be one' mentality

Edited June 25, 2020 by DramatistDreamer

[JaneAusten]

I also notice the "Kamala Harris is not really black" line and is too uppity. Almost like they don't want smart accomplished women.  Although they did like Cory Booker and were upset that Biden narrowed his choices to women. 

 

Reminds me of Professor Dyson saying that yes black men are as misogynistic as white men if not moreso.

Edited June 25, 2020 by JaneAusten

[DramatistDreamer]

 

I suspect that some black men disapprove of the fact that Kamala is married to a white man, let's just keep it real (I see a similar yet different dynamic among some black men when it comes to tennis star Serena Williams, whose husband is white). I also suspect that there is a colorism issue and a looks issue (someone actually used the word "cosmetic" to describe her and I suspect they were using the word to refer to her as decorative in more ways than one ).  People simply turn a blind eye that her mother raised her as a Black woman, just like Halle Berry's mother raised her to be a Black woman.  Also, people conveniently forget that Harris attended and graduated from an HBCU.

I always like to remind people that liberal whites were among POTUS Obama's earliest supporters.  Much of this had to do with the fear and disbelief among many blacks concerning Obama's viability as a candidate (something that Kamala's campaign suffered from too) but I do think when many black people saw Michelle Obama and that he was married to a black woman, that helped his standing among many black voters. Obama still gets criticized by 'hotep' Twitter over the fact that his black parent was African, not African-American but that is said more in hushed tones these days.

 

Lest people forget, the Black Lives Matter movement was started by Black women, and consequently Black women were the backbone of both the civil rights movement and the Black Panther Party.