On Joy just now:

[JHan]

A panel discussion about Ossoff's loss and South Carolina:

Points I took away:

1) We have to focus on our base, we have to micro target those who consistently support the Democratic Party through thick and thin and demonstrate consistently we actually care . That would be African Americans, "latinos", single women, young people. In SC , specific messages were used to reach out to African American voters about their concerns. It wasn't just about the repeal of "Obamacare" or having John Lewis do an ad but talking about heart disease and how gutting healthcare would impact vulnerable communities.( for example)

2) Nationalising campaigns enables the opposition to continue demonising our national leaders tying them to small local races.

3) DCCC should have channeled more funds to SC.

4) GA is a Republican district. Quit trying to convince people who will never vote for you and work on buttressing those who consistently do - that means targeting voter suppression, and engaging in mass voter registration efforts to counter Republican chicanery.

5) Stop crying over losses and using losses in red districts to attack democratic leaders.

Good discussion which made me revise some of my views.

[Me.]

1. Point 6

Shut up about Nancy. She's not in charge of the DNC or the DCCC, men are and it's up to them to get candidates elected, or not if they don't do their job. Which they haven't been doing very well.

[Demsrule86]

7. We have not had a real election yet...so it is no one's fault...honestly the fault lies with summer

soldier progressive voters who had a butt hurt in 2010 because Obama didn't give them everything they wanted...including single payer...so they sat out the 2010 election ....had a big pout...this allowed the GOP to win the states and use the census to gerrymander...these voters never think about the long game and are the first to criticize when they cause the damage over and over.

[Me.]

13. You Make Good Points

However, when we do have a 'real' election, it is not her job to get them elected, though she does do a great job at money raising. She is not the only one in this party and the article Joy Reid has on the Daily Beast does a wonderful job of pushing back on the San Francisco liberal meme.

[Kolesar]

31. Such stridency!

Don't you ever change!

[Me.]

38. From Defending Dems Who Have Done Right By Us?

Why would I?

[Demsrule86]

33. I agree. We should never allow the GOP to pick our leaders or accept their

demonizing of our effective leaders. McConnell and Ryan are disliked and you don't see the GOP trying to dump them.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Let's get real,

in Georgia it was Voter Suppression 101.

[JHan]

3. tackling it will be a big fight.

a seriously massive voter mobilization effort is required.

[Wellstone ruled]

4. As long as the States control the Voting System

you have a path to Criminality.

[pandr32]

15. I agree!

We need a standard for presidential/federal elections, though. What happened with the Russian hacking of our 2016 election proves it. If we could trot Thomas Jefferson out to give his opinion (after considering our modern day predicament)--I am sure he would agree!

[Ligyron]

18. and yet we have to win these rigged elections in order to do so.

Kinda a conundrum.

Nevertheless, we persist.

[pandr32]

20. Persist and Resist

[Demsrule86]

8. I don't think so.

[Demsrule86]

5. Why so we could spend more money losing? I think these special elections should be funded by

donation unless there is a realistic change...and I don't think there was in any of the races...getting close was a victory. The base comes out always...the real base...not those who threaten not to vote if they don't get their way...put out our message...and see what happens...run on health care...I do think that is an issue that helps us. Also, Trump broke every promise so if we want a wave election, we can't ignore him.

[JHan]

10. Yes, it's true that we also tie in republican national figures to local races..

Still there's only so much money to go around and we have to be smart. I am still encouraged by Ossoff overperforming expectations and that trend shouldn't be ignored but some obvious mistakes were made and maybe if SC had more support it would have gone Dem.

I think the experiment they ran in SC is something to note going forward: The Mercers and Trump's data analysts micro targeted the Dem base last year, we must respond to this effort focusing on Dem values in a very personalised way to our base as well and control the narrative. Don't let them define us.

[JustAnotherGen]

32. At the town car show last night

Democratics in our area (we flock together) were emboldened by Ossoff's loss. It proved a few things for our November election:

We can pick up Indies.
Our GOTV efforts will ensure a decimation of the GOP in NJ.
If those folks in his District could climb a mountain - we can jog up a hill.

I would love for someone on the ground in Virginia to weigh in.

These losses - especially in my district - where Clinton won but Lance held his seat (the sweet spot in 2018) - are increasing our activism and those willing to join us.

We've forced Lance to appear on MSNBC in primetime because that is the the network that covers our Town Halls.

[Demsrule86]

34. There has to be money and the DNC will allow the donors back now...it was nuts they stopped

doing so in the age of United...the GOP has unlimited money.

[meadowlark5]

6. And there is just more money backing the republican party

No way in hell were the repubs going to lose any of these special elections. That would have provided bad optics as well as a lost seat. I knew every outside group, PAC and big money donors would dump money into these elections to keep their seat. And play as dirty and filthy as they could.

The dems/libs were talking about how these elections would be a signal of what was to come in 2018. Well it is and expect it to even be dirtier and costlier because if they lose the house - all of their asses could be on the line for criminality. They will be fighting for their freedom from prison. They don't intend to lose and Vlad has probably promised them it won't for a price of course.

[Ligyron]

19. Vlad and the Koch Bros.

That's what's so concerning about this upcoming Trumpcare vote.

Normally, a vote to take away people's health care would be suicidal, but the Koch's have their backs with almost unlimited money to protect the particular GOP congress critter's territory.

[certainot]

22. the only advantage they have is talk radio, at $1000/hr worth 5BIL/yr

at a cheap $1000/hr x 15hrs/day x 5 = $75,000/wk x 1200 stations rw talk radio is worth $18MIL/day or 390MIL$ /month or 4.68 BIL$/ year FREE for coordinated global warming denial, pro republican free market deregulation and wall st think tank propaganda, swiftboating, and the hate and fear used to get people to vote republican.

and 14 of 22 limbaugh stations in GA would probably be doing music and sports talk instead of attacking ossoff and dems and liberals 15 hrs/day if they couldn't piggyback 3 'liberal' GA university sports teams? - Georgia 7, Georgia Tech 5, Georgia Southern 2

at $1000/hr x 15 hrs /day those 14 stations were worth about $1MILLION/WEEK FREE for republicans and attacking ossoff

the talk radio monopoly is the only major medium with no direct alternative on the left challenging it. that is the biggest reason dems lose, and they continue to ignore it.

[Alice11111]

27. It's huge to overcome. CNN OR NMSNBC need to buy stations

Its all they get in the backwoods..24/7 RWNJs
.

[Demsrule86]

35. CNN and MSNBC are moving right...Hugh Hewitt is getting a show.

[Alice11111]

39. Yeah. They let Kayleigh on CNN. I flip CNN off as fast as

I can grab the remote, just like I rush to change the channel or turn off the tube if a really violent or tortuous scene is on.

[Demsrule86]

40. Me too. I can not tolerate lying righies.

[BainsBane]

9. I had that same thought about nationalizing races

I don't think it helps us.

[ProudLib72]

11. That stood out for me as well

But if you take the next point into consideration, would Ossoff have done as well if the campaign was not nationalized so that he could pull in a lot of contributions? It's catch 22, really. Plus the fact that he did do so well is mostly drowned out by our own negativity and need to blame someone (anyone) no matter the consequences.

I guess the solution is to contribute directly to the DCCC in the hope that they will distribute funds appropriately?

[BainsBane]

12. Well, if you look at the SC race

It's possible Ossoff might have even done better.

[Alice11111]

28. "Hope" is a key word. They need to be findin our besy

Candidates and helping them w money. Thanks to the people,

We are still rising up from the bottom though.
I do think it is important.

[Demsrule86]

36. You have to trust your party.

[Gothmog]

14. I love AMJOY

This was a good discussion of the GA 6

[czarjak]

16. How do you win a "rigged" election...

If you're not the one doing the rigging?

[elmac]

17. there is no way to win an election

when criminals are in charge and making the rules. Democracy is dead, the next step isn't very pretty.

[Alice11111]

29. It's going to be hard, but ill die trying.

[Demsrule86]

37. I don't think it was rigged...about what I expected.

[certainot]

21. did they mention anything about talk radio? because that's why democrats lose elections

to trumps and gomerts and bushs and cruzs more than any other single reason. that is the only advantage republicans have, the only reason they win anything

did they mention 14 of the 22 limbaugh stations in GA would probably be doing music and sports talk instead of attacking ossoff and dems and liberals 15 hrs/day if they couldn't piggyback 3 'liberal' GA university sports teams? - Georgia 7, Georgia Tech 5, Georgia Southern 2

at $1000/hr x 15 hrs /day those 14 stations were worth about $1MILLION/WEEK FREE for republicans and attacking ossoff

instead, dems and analysts sit around studying fish without the water, blaming symptoms of ignoring talk radio, and preparing to tweak here and there - idiotic

[JHan]

23. I agree, communications is part of it - actually the core of it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

24. Was #3 really an issue in this race? Sounds like both sides spent oodles of money and the race was..

very close.

[Alice11111]

30. Yes, but dems, as usual. Collected huge numbers of

Donators from all over the US. Im sure not posh, but i sent mt $25...The Repubs fewer donations, but greater amts of money.

[JI7]

25. 2 is the most important. it takes a lot of time and it can be really really boring but that's how

you build real support which can last into future elections.

[Alice11111]

26. Disagree w 4. If Hill would have slammed camp in Wiscosinn &

Mighicam at the right time, DT would have had a harder time. More to explain