Progressives (Liberals)

Christopher Hooks is a freelance journalist, who frequently writes for the Texas Observer. He’s spent the past few months traveling with the O’Rourke campaign. He says the candidate’s star power, and even the new fundraising numbers announced this week, won’t necessarily translated into victory in November.

“He’s probably the best statewide candidate the Democrats have had in 20 years,” Hooks says. “I think his problem really is that the Democratic coalition in Texas is emaciated, it’s weak.”

Another natural advantage for O’Rourke, his connection to the Hispanic community in Texas, hasn’t yet been translated into voter enthusiasm, Hooks says. O’Rourke speaks Spanish, and represents El Paso in Congress. But even in the Rio Grande Valley, which is critical to success for any Texas Democrat. O’Rourke has yet to catch fire.

“The Democratic vote is underdeveloped in these areas,” Hooks says. “Particularly in the Rio Grande Valley, people often vote in the primary, because that’s where local elections are decided. And they don’t necessarily come out in the general election.”

Hooks says O’Rourke has hired more field organizers in the area.

O’Rourke is fond of touting the fact that he has visited all of Texas’ 254 counties during his campaign. Hooks says. And the candidate has made the most of his stardom,both in terms of fundraising and presence within the political zeitgeist. And he may be in a better place than gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, who had a similarly high-profile in 2014, only to lose to Gov. Greg Abbott by 20 points.

“I think the major dynamic here is a little bit like what we saw in the NBA finals recently,” Hooks says. “LeBron James is maybe the greatest basketball player in history. All he needed was for the team behind him to be OK enough to let him with the championship. for them. And they couldn’t do it.”

But even if O’Rourke loses, while keeping the race with Cruz close, Hooks thinks some Democrats could see benefits down the road.

“Ted Cruz is not particularly popular in Texas, compared to what he probably ought to be as a Republican,” he says. “I think if [Cruz] has a single digit margin on Election Day, I think a lot of Democrats would be really, really thrilled with that.”

Written by Shelly Brisbin.

Edgar, I'm listening to the Young Turks today (after the election) and very much enjoying their show.

A problem I see with my last posted article is how people are conceding defeat so soon before the election. I wrote early on of the problems Democrats face, with a prediction. But, now, it's time to give a positive boost. I admit he is no progressive, but I have decided to give him a vote. If that paves the way for progressives to advance in coming contests, it will have been worth it.

Dozens dead after school bus carrying children hit by airstrike in Yemen

Is that progress?

You're right about O'Rourke not being a progressive, but it's inaccurate the way he's singled out by PDiddy and his sources to be someone who's throwing Hispanics out of the barrio for the purpose of white gentrification. City Hall has been trying to revitalize the downtown area for decades, long before Beto was elected to City Council. The latest push, of which Beto was a part early on, is to build an entertainment complex in a few blocks in the barrio. There is strong opposition to that. The city bought up a lot of parcels through eminent domain. A lot of low income Hispanics were thrown out, and more will be if the city gets around the legal wrangling that's going on right now for the last few parcels of land. The thing is, this entertainment center will attract higher income people who, for the most part, will be Hispanic. The city is more that eighty percent Hispanic. In regard to gentrification, it is. In regard to racist gentrification, it isn't.

It's part of America's endless wars.

Well I have said I will vote for him.

Edgar. There are other A2K members who agree with many of the things you believe in, just not necessarily everything. There are different degrees of progressive ideas and thoughts. Some more and some less than others. There are also different tactics and strategies of achieving progressive agendas. There can definitely be disagreements with what strategies and tactics are best to achieve progressive goals. I do agree that the democratic party, as a whole, would do much better if the party were to move more to the left. I also agree that moving more to the left would energize more people to come out and vote democrat.

The tactics I disagree with are talking progressive but taking corporate money, claiming increments work even though the whole of the New Deal has vanished, congressional Democrats voting with Republicans even when it means installing a disastrous Supreme Court member, establishment Dems torpedoing progressive candidates, changing the rules when it looks like a progressive might win. You know. Nitpicky little things like that.

I forgot to mention I have no respect for Democrats piling on to the war efforts instead of seeking peace.

The article says it best: With celebrity comes scrutiny.

I hope Ocasio-Cortez gets that much needed coaching from her colleagues. She's has a habit of making her causes easy to attack.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/08/10/fact-checking-alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-media-blitz/?utm_term=.e34746b33e56

Words from Pence:
Al Jazeera English

"America will always seek peace in space, as on the Earth."

As on Earth? Screwed again.

I have asked this question and never get an answer. What country would you rather have as the dominate superpower? China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia or feel free to name another.

I hope the new progressives hold to their convictions.

Tlaib and Ocasio say no to Republican-Lite Pelosi as leader.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna899561

A bit:

WASHINGTON — It seems like almost every other day, yet another Democratic House candidate says they won’t support Nancy Pelosi if elected. The latest one: Rashida Tlaib, the Michigan Democrat who’s poised to become the first Muslim woman in Congress.

“She doesn't speak about the issues that are important to the families of the 13th congressional district, and they are a priority for me,” Tlaib said of Pelosi yesterday.

Star Wars...

Well, they can hold and hold until the cows come home; but, the holding too hard on some issues and/or votes can lead to horrifying results - look at the evidence which is currently ensconced in The White House (although it's the weekend, he may be in Florida or Jersey for golfing at his hideaway). Hillary was (and is) Republicanish (although not particularly of the lite variety, she's more hard-core in her words and presentations....and pretentiousness as well).

On the matter of retaining Pelosi, that'll be up to all the Dems in Congress. If too much of the old school doesn't budge, it'll be another two years of Miss Pearls of St.Francis (a reference to her first speech upon ascension to her throne).

A couple of observations: A "space force" in fact violates a treaty signed by the United States and ratified by the Senate. Not that one can expect the Moron-in-Chief to know or respect that.

Bill Clinton was and remains a classic conservative Democrat. His wife simply imbibed that, and I'm sure was impressed by the traction it got with black voters. (Do you remember DOMA?) She ran a lame, shitty campaign, and she is responsible, more than any other single individual, for President Plump. It's high time to consign her, as well as Pelosi, to the political trash can.

All this can be true AND there can also be millions of idiot Stein voters and non-voters who also bear responsibility. Not all of it. But when the rubber hits the road it was non enough people casting their ballot for her that got us Trump. That’s citizens voting who made this choice either through heir actions or inactions.

Clinton could have ran a shitty campaign and still won the WH if people took the Trump presidency seriously.

I’ll vote for Stein again if Dems put up one of their Koch candidates. Trump’s in office because you didn’t vote for the progressive in the primary.