We need to message Georgia to win

[empedocles]

'SEN. JOE MANCHIN, in a BURGESS EVERETT/HEATHER CAYGLE joint about Dem messaging: “Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said no one in the party could work harder than Schumer but said: ‘Chuck has to understand we need to take a strong look at ourselves.’ ‘I’ve watched the last three elections: 2016, ‘18 and ‘20. We truly should have been in the majority and it didn’t happen,’ said Manchin, who won reelection two years ago in a deep red state. ‘Whatever our message is, it hasn’t worked. And I would hope that our leadership from the top to bottom understands that. It has not worked. And if we’re going down that path again, we’re in trouble.’ - Politico 11/10/2020

[TwilightZone]

1. We won nearly every possible seat in 2018, including a couple dozen in right-leaning districts.

Manchin should probably review the results of the election he "watched".

[empedocles]

5. With a moderate, balanced approach we gained in 2018

We gained instead of losing seats in 2020

[Celerity]

2. so says the Senator who endorsed the horrid Rethug Susan Collins

[empedocles]

6. Manchin is a Democratic Senate vote!!!

Much better than a 'con Senate votevote representing trumpers, and the state W. Va. Manchin does what he needs to do to win in
W. Va.

We can 'explain' Defund,Socialism, green this, 'squad' that, here, - we hurt Dems in W. Va.

The 'cons frequently, for a long time, have been saying, to Manchin, come over to our side, - and struggle less, funding is easier.

[Celerity]

7. he did NOT have to endorse her, he had 5 years until his next election when he did so

so sick of these excuses made for him

[empedocles]

9. On the surface I I agree, I don't like Collins either.

However, there may be other considerations on Manchin's mind. He may need a Collins vote, now or in the future.
The Senate can be subltle

[Celerity]

10. Collins will NEVER vote with Dems on anything of true import, especially with Biden as POTUS

Manchin now coming out and saying he will block on so many things of vital interest also kicks us in the jacobs with the GA runoffs. We are going to run down there on the premiss that if we win both, we have effective control of Senate (at 50-50 with Harris breaking ties). BUT now, Manchin has said he will block on a number of things that energise the hell out of our party. That will help tamp down enthusiasm. Plus, in his interview he used the damn RW 'socialism' faming, which is going to run with even harder now by the Rethugs as false scare tactics. Even if not directly from Manchin's words, it still is not at all helpful at all for him to re-enforce that big lie.

Finally, even if we win both runoffs, Manchin likely will be the first to block many things, which kneecaps not just Biden, but the whole party, and will lead to further apathy and/or frustration, as people will say (without doing any sort of deep dive like we do on here to understand what is actually going on) 'Well you had control of the Senate, the House, AND the POTUS, and fuckall got done, so, well, fuck it, I give up, why even bother to vote, nothing changes.' THAT will happen, no doubt.

[empedocles]

11. Collins owes the Dem Senator Manchin.

[Celerity]

12. lol, that and 5 quid will get you a cup of coffee. She is a true worm and will fuck us every time

I have less than zero faith in that piece of shit. she is the ultimate long con in the Senate. Plays all for fools by portraying herself as a bi-partisan moderate centre-rightist, but is a partisan hack RWer like all the rest of the Rethug.

Not having a go at you at all btw. I just find it so fucked that we are reduced to hoping vermin like Collins play ball with us.

cheers (and zero hard feelings, I hope I did not come across as such)

[empedocles]

13. Collins and other Senators do not do well in the Senate where the 'word' is important

The Manchin vote went there, and other places, for a reason.

Collins knows the Senate. Collins is a survivor inside the Senate and outside in Maine.

[Bettie]

3. Weird, we generally get more votes than Republicans in every election

but due to a system rife with ways to cheat the system (EC, gerrymandering) we end up on the bottom, but our message appears to work for the majority of voters.

[empedocles]

8. Biden's 2020 message worked to pull together a disparate coalition, and not by that much.

Not approved of by some here, in a way that hurt Biden's efforts.

My point, is that winning in November, is not too much about Dem policy, but Dem pragmatism - ala Manchin in the post above.

[exboyfil]

4. So how many thousands of absentee ballots

are languishing in post offices across the country that might impact the House races. I agree the messaging was wrong (in Iowa our messaging was horrible), but it was more about not responding to the negative strawman than actual policy goals. We also ran a lightweight for the Senate seat.