A democratic socialist beat the House GOP whip in Virginia.

Hating on Democrats isn't going to cut it anymore.

Sheesh.

"He is an active member of the Manassas City Democratic Committee"

He's a marine veteran and has been a Democrat for years.

We have a big tent. Electing moderates, in some cases, allows us to govern and win over more Americans to our point of view. And that allows us to be more liberal in the future.

Moderates for moderate states and districts. More liberal to progressive candidates for appropriate constituencies.

This is not rocket science, nor is it new. Howard Dean's 50-state strategy works. Dean is now getting gold stars for that effort but, back in the day, there were howls that all the candidates were not liberal/progressive enough.

Let's go back to this idea: Democrats of any stripe are better than Republican candidates.

This is particularly true today where Trumpsters are on a rampage to destroy progress of any kind, to take us back to the 'good ole days' of their imaginations and fever dreams.

Dems are poised to win long-term as long as we do not shoot ourselves in the foot.

GOBLUE!

Btw, there is actually no "moderate" political type. Liberals come in a range of strengths, including moderate, and the same for conservatives. And wouldn't it be wonderful if a few of those latter voted Democrat yesterday? I'm hoping.

This bodes well for us.

Not playing that game.

My point is that all of drama is for naught. Vote Democratic!

YOU ARE THE ONE USING THE WORD

moderate = someone's rights are being trampled

I WILL ALWAYS SPEAK OUT

<rolling eyeballs>

... then again I pretty much am only considered a 'moderate" on DU, not among those I deal with in RL. To them, I'm a flaming liberal.

I support commonsense gun regulation, requiring background checks for private party transfers to be done the same way they can be done if a person purchases a firearm online out of state -- go to a pawn shop or gun store, pay $20, and they do the check. I believe in cooldown periods unless a person already has a CHL or a "paper shield" because they help prevent suicides, but CHL holders are likely to already own a gun and a person with a restraining order should be able to purchase the same day they get the paper shield if they hadn't already started the waiting period beforehand.

I believe in a woman's right to choose, though I support efforts to make the need for abortion more rare by making unplanned pregnancy itself more rare and enhancing safety nets for women who would rather give birth but just can't see a way to do so and not lose their career chances, etc. I do think any procedure done post-viability that's not an emergency termination should be accomplished in a way that could allow the baby to survive and be adopted if possible, simply because in most cases it's easier on the mother medically to induce and that's not going to kill a viable baby. But before we make that a law, we had better make the funding available for taking care of those children who are severely disabled, because that's the practically the only reason its done then. Which Republicans will never do, and until they accept responsibility for helping women raise kids they can focus on their own damn families.

The only "charter schools" I support are virtual schools that allow for homebound learning -- if people are going to homeschool their kids I want them to at least learn science correctly. Such technology might only be able to be accomplished by a company vs a state. But we need to invest in our brick and mortar public schools -- often in the very bricks and mortar as well as the curriculum.

I think there can be compromises worked out for demanding artistic endeavors or actual attendance at an event that goes against someone's strongly held idiotic religious views that doesn't discriminate against anyone, and as a straight person I almost wish every business that didn't welcome gay business would say so in order for ME to not give them my business accidentally, but since that would suck for people who aren't straight I will avoid Jesusfish and support rainbows in advertising instead.

I'm Pagan, and if they can put up a statue of the 10 Commandments, I want to replicate Stonehenge. Until then, I support the Church of Satan's statuary proposals. And we can move Civil War monuments to museums or, preferably, graveyards.

I do see politics as sometimes a thing where we have to ask for more than we reasonably expect to get, and try our damndest to get what we can, but any progress is better than going backwards or none at all. So while the ACA has its problems and denying them is insanity, it's better than what we gad before. We don't need to sit on our "laurels" with it, though -- protect AND improve it, with the goal of single payer. State level single payer is possible under the current law if a state pilots a way to make it happen and it's successful. We need to get these on the 2018 ballots in states where we can, to prove single payer is better than insurance.

So am I trampling rights? I hope not. But often people call those views moderate.

For what it's worth, I appreciate it.

DU has a wide range of views. I'm a liberal in a red state. So what my neighbors think isn't representative of what Skittle's neighbors might think, if they're lucky enough to live in a better state.

First, "radical" in the way you said it came across with a negative connotation, and I really like the "Radical Faerie" spirituality movement (they embrace me as "differently queer", and as a Pagan I prefer that side to the current white supremacist trend penetrating Paganism under the guise of Asatru -- we already had to overcome the sexist and heterosexist influences from Gerald Gardner, and the RadFae movement is truly beautiful, especially the "heart circles" at gatherings). To me, "radical" isn't a bad word.

But when I think of the "radical Left" that has a negative connotation to my mind, I don't think about people who are posting on DU.

I think about people who actually think that kooktrails are real, deny science by being totally anti-vax, and who think a protest vote is actually going to accomplish anything in our current political system. Even if you support every value the Green Party holds, if you realize that until instant runoff is implemented a vote for the Green candidate is a vote for the Republican that wasn't cancelled, you aren't part of the "radical Left" that I think is causing problems.

Being radical is sometimes necessary. You can hold radical views and use pragmatic ways to accomplish them, though.

Because that's what radicals want. Radicals want drama.

"Radical" is the perfect adjective. If radicals don't like that, tough.

For example, the "Radical Faeries" I mentioned got their name and origins back in the '70s as primarily a gay male spiritual movement. Being gay itself was "radical" then, being Pagan was certainly "radical", and they in particular rejected binary gender concepts -- extremely "radical" even for Pagans. You had female spirituality going on, and embracing of female power which was great, and you had the Gardenerian-influenced heteronormative books, but that didn't help gay men or people who were not gender-conforming.

Yet the movement itself has grown beyond those roots. They still have some sanctuaries that are "queer safe space" that is meant specifically for gay men to have their own sacred space. Others are still "queer safe space", but welcome everyone who is fine with respecting that the Sanctuary *is* exactly that -- sacred, safe space, and if you can't deal you can either leave willingly or be escorted unwillingly off of their space. They also have very good relationships with sanctuaries embracing lesbian spirituality, and essentially have united a group that had been extremely divided over really silly patriarchal BS we never should have had to deal with. Including embracing those of us who are "differently queer". Wow, radical! Then. Not now.

They're one of the few movements left that still supports the "radical" idea of "intentional community" -- and the most successful Sanctuary is a full-time IC that is preserving land where plants exist nowhere else naturally -- certain mountains in Tennessee were islands in the past, and when they chose the location for its natural beauty they recognized the unique ecology. They have raised money from their business endeavors and gatherings to purchase and caretake as much of the surrounding area, and are now tax-exempt not just as an IC but as a nature preserve as well.

Yet drama isn't what you find (well, all communities have drama, but that's part of living with other people at all vs being a hermit) in successful intentional communities. You find people who share a vision of the world they want to live, and are accomplishing it together for at least their group. In many ways, pure "communism" only really works for a group about the size of an IC, and they are self-regulating in that -- when they get too big they split because they realize things aren't working.

Now, I won't deny that the RadFaes enjoy getting to be their true selves during Gathering -- there are some pretty flamboyant activities at times. But that's them being themselves in their own space. If that causes "drama", it's not *their* problem.

And many RadFaes are also members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence -- which lovingly embraces the label "radical" and their momentary rumored inclusion on the Catholic Church's "official list of heretics" because that's their way to get attention for AIDS fundraising and meth reduction programs. When you cosplay nuns in whiteface to highlight your makeup and a beard for charity (and truthfully they DO consider themselves a "sisterhood" and a service organization and demand a great deal of dedication) I guess "drama-seeking" does apply.

But it works!

Usually when someone uses that snarl term, they're a wingnut assclown who thinks any political platform left of Joe Lieberturd is Communism.

So now we're using that to describe a great deal of DU's voting posters?

DAMN.

I have a tendency to be overly diplomatic.

Actually give me as much as you need to. I love saying that, spare me your righteous indignation. It rolls off.the tongue so easily doesn't it?

Perhaps you can provide a link?

let's go a whole day . . .

This is a good day for Democrats and therefore for America.

waste of time...and really hope these folks are in the minority...If Perriello and Northam can work together so can we...unity...is way better than endless GOP asshats being elected.

I'm laughing at them. I highly recommend that, too. It's good for the soul.

consider themselves moderates.

fuck that moderate bullshit

And he beat the Bernie/Elizabeth endorsed candidate Perriello...come on. Anyway who cares.

So he was not progressive.

Bernie went to Virginia and campaigned for Perriello.

Ralph Northam could never be governor of CA and Jerry Brown could never governor of VA

Maxine Waters is my congress rep.. she wouldn't work in many other places in this country. We need to be smart and focused on each area.

The sooner people realize that, the better off the Dem Party will be.

The idea that the progressive candidate can win a red state is ridiculous.

Score one for the Democratic Party!!

So much for the gloom and doom

Is that this guy was for banning sanctuary cities.

don't fall for that bullshit

How odd.

You took my opening post way beyond the positive message and celebration that I expressed.

That's 100% on you. Whatever issue you're acting out, I want no part of it.

candidates do better in certain states...for example could Elizabeth Warren win in Missouri? No,But hopefully Claire Mccaskill will; she at least has shot...not candidate further left than would win.

That's what I like to see. We just have to turn out.

Given Trump's approval rating and independent slant on election day. IMO, a more progressive candidate would have won. The vote was against Trump and any Democrat would have benefitted.

However, that type of thing is not obvious on primary day. I don't mind where it ended up.

Hillary would have won in 2008. I have to laugh every time that is disputed. No clue regarding situational influence. Like Trump's approval rating influenced tonight's results, Bush's sustained low approval rating for 3+ years post-Katrina was going to elect any Democrat in 2008.

Republicans are evil. Vote Democratic!

Our candidates moderates?

People who live in glass houses ought not to throw stones.

You are wrong, there were no moderates running.

to endorse our winning candidate and how they label Democrats.

And they certainly don't own liberal since many after gun nuts and hostile to immigration.

refused to endorse them and what that group calls mainstream Democrats. Looks like mainstream Democrats turned out in droves and ruled the night!

him...kind of blows up the 'we must have the most progressive candidate talk I have been hearing...tailor the candidate to the state...no accident that Northam won big. We are all progressive including Northam who is a moderate progressive...and actually voted for Bush II...but a left left progressive won't work in all 50 states...and Cary is right Northam is centrist Democrat on some issue but not all...so maybe our little labels don't work anymore either. And may our electorate has wised up to the fact that Northam is way way better than Gillespie or any Republican...progressive groups that supported Perriello worked their asses off for Northam...and that my friend is what unity looks like...and I must say Perriello worked his heart out for Northam...so maybe he will run in the House next year or be part of the Northam government. I was happy to see such unity last night...if we keep it up the long national Trump nightmare may be over in 18 when we take the Senate and the House.

I have no secret agenda. I think you understand.

Vote Democratic!

I really liked your approach and agree with it!

It's unfortunate that so many can't see fit to work together towards common goals. I don't go for process over substance.

massive amounts of evidence. I understood what you meant...vote Democratic, but I don't feel the need to pretend 2016 signalled the ascent of the super super left. It didn't.

is a good guy and his coattails may just have flipped the assembly...just stop it. We don't have to always have the most progressive candidate...just one chosen by the people who can win.

last night. She was a Sen. Sanders supporter- celebrating Northam's victory...she was involved with grassroots...did a hell of a job...very impressed with Perriello also and of course Perez, Indivisible and everyone else who united and fought for a Democratic governor(he was an imperfect candidate but a Democrat...and I think all in all a good guy) and maybe flipped the assembly...time will tell. If we can do this in gerrymandered Virginia, we can do it in the House races in 18 as well. We will stop Trump and his jackbooted followers.

I have to believe they are the last of the bitter 2016 holdouts...and are in the minority. No matter what, we move forward with a winning strategy...a moderate progressive in a statewide race when we have a somewhat moderate state, but at the Assembly level make it about local issues and a wide variety of candidates can run...our first Transgender woman-Danica Roem- was elected to the Assembly she beat the 'chief homophobe'-Robert G Marshall who authored a bathroom bill that was never brought to the floor...she ran on local issues...like infrastructure and also healthcare. This is a winning strategy and will get more candidates who are more to the liking of those progressives who lean more left than say a Northam this way and the move up the food chain and pull the state a bit more to the left.

1 . This happens when Tangerine Idi Amin freezes federal hiring, wages and cost of living for retirees. which is where professionals in places like Arlington, Church Falls, et al actually WORK.
2. I'd hate to see the progressives turn it into a victory speech for sanctuary cities and identity politics and uber progressive values
because the other factor was Latin turnout understandably given the disgusting campaign Gillespie ran painting them al as M13 members ad nauseum. however Latin's are not particularly progressive on social issues. They care about issues pertinent to working families as a regular rule.

So the takeways:

1. It's STILL the economics, stupid as Bill Clinton aptly noted almost 30 years ago.
2. Don't mistake pissed off Latinos with a mantle to go confidently forward on identity politics.

I'm so sick of the smears and attacks and denigrating of Democrats and the Democratic Party. Enough of the negativity! Enough of the name calling.

Enough drama. Enough hand wringing.

The fascists are down. Let's kick their asses back to wilderness!

Please, can we all just decide to forgive each other? Can't you see, we are all part of a vast wave that will save our country? And that we make each other possible? Nobody has all the answers; each of us has a different piece of the puzzle. Whoever is not against us is actually with us!

Vote Democratic!

Vote Democratic!

I still don't see anything provocative about my opening post.

That leaves me with just one conclusion, which is that some people want to fight for no real reason.

Vote Democratic! It's that simple because that is the reality that "conservatives," who are pure evil, have left us in. About 37% of our population is evil, with no redeeming qualities.

I forget who said this but a third of the population would murder another third, and the remaining third will sit idly by and do nothing about it.

37%. That's pretty damn close.

Sen. Sanders who endorsed Perriello was correct and opine that if we run 'moderates' we lose...this upsets their preconceived notions...about the Democratic Party...and how it must be totally remade in the Sanders brand of progressiveness in order to win which is not true. We lost a close election in 16 for a whole host of reasons that will likely not be repeated for years if ever- so time to move on and not base everything on one election. Those on the attack (shame on them) needed a wakeup call...so good for you. Thanks for this OP.

I'm not sorry when I provoke them.

I just can't take any credit for doing so, this time. It is my civic duty to laugh at people who take themselves too seriously. And I take that duty very seriously!

Another hostile thread.

They will find divisive.

Vote Democratic Melman.

You can pretend you don't but others don't have to play along.

I need you to tell me what I'm doing.

Please.

Both took stances on key issues that could have sunk them:

Phil - Sanctuary Cities and Marijuana

Ralph - Those god damned statues

As I'm in NJ- tip of the hat to Phil for clearly defining his agenda , but if you listened to his acceptance speech last night . . .

He's against Trump, Bannon, Racists, Sexists - we'll work with you on Infrastructure but fuck all y'all Trumpsters not living in NJ. This is how we doooooooooooo iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttt!

He also won upt to $50K, up to 100K and 100K + voters. 67% of Union Voters. Pssst - don't tell anyone but he made his fortune at Goldman Sachs. Shhhhhh - don't tell anyone - but he grew up in Poverty in Massachusetts . . . never hold it against him for wanting his children to not have that!

I don't live in Virginia or New Jersey. I wish the best for the good people of those states and I am proud of them for mKing the right choice.

Chris Christie, good grief. Coming off of that can only be at least 10 steps up.

I am so eager to end Rauner's folly here in Illinois.

It was a good night last night! We even flipped two seats in our Borough!

My dial goes to 11.

This election proved that all politics are local. Allowing people from other states narrowly define what should be acceptable to voters in a state that they don't live in and don't understand is a recipe for disaster.

Seems far too many newcomers to the Party have no comprehension of this.

Sowing discord and discontent is going to be a rough biz. I am not buying any here or anywhere else.

Yay! We kicked ass!

When you brush off some of the tenets of FDR's Second Bill of Rights and those who adhere to the notion that they should become America's standard with a curt "well, that's nice, but let's be serious here" . . . well, fuck that noise.

Sorry, but that's what I hear when I read "sober discussion", as if my political beliefs are nothing but quaint pie-in-the-sky "nice to have"s.

I vote Democratic because the other options are Christo-Fascism, "Rah Rah AnCaps!" or The Tofu Palin Circus.

STILL giving you side-eye. STILL not bending the fucking knee.

Let me know when you realize that you can be better without having to lug that warm bucket of.piss around with you. I'll be here when you've had enough.

Vote Democratic!

I mean, I know I'D be if I had a 7-year losing streak to some of the worst homophobic, anti-science, anti-woman, anti-progress troglodytes around, capped off with losing to the WORST Presidential candidate in American history.

This despite stock performance, overall economic performance, job growth, consumer confidence and government frugality all historically positive under Democratic rule.

Point is, it shouldn't have taken the plane-crash disaster presidency of a Fascist human Cheeto to wake people up.

If the message was on point, the party not fractured and supporters of a more progressive agenda not dismissed as leftist dreamers, we wouldn't be IN this situation.

Part of the "fracture" is the sort of digs and division you're obviously displaying here.

We're going to have to decide what sort of future we leave our children and grandchildren when the Boomers go to the rest homes and GenX retires (theoretically). Leaving UBI, an increased minimum wage, decreasing college costs substantially and instituting multi-payer either out of the discussion or off to the sidelines is doing nothing but kicking the can on your way to a debt-blanketed nightmare.

Obama for not getting single payer; I well remember lurking here and seeing the used car salesman bullshit about Obama and worse...After 10, the GOP gerrymandered states so even though we won more votes...they held the House. Obama won in 12 which was huge and we held the Senate...We lost Senate seats in 14 in red and purple states that were won during Pres. Obama's presidential run in 08...coattails and all...not unexpected. Thus we lost the Senate. As for 16, It was a mess starting with a divisive primary and a whole bunch of folks supposedly on our side who fell for Comey, Russians and GOP Hillary hate...I would be embarrassed myself to to be them... so your premise is completely wrong and seems to demonstrates a (to say the least) dislike of Democrats and the Democratic Party.We won yesterday...yet you can talk of nothing else than what you deem as past Democratic failures that supposedly proves something? You are simple wrong about Democrats and the Democratic Party. Your words say something about your beliefs sadly but are completely irrelevant in terms of the Democratic Party as you have twisted the facts to prove something that is simply false.

My very blue area of NJ went red for the first time last year because they felt that Hillary and the Dems were capitulating to Bernie's ideas and that, to them, meant Socialism. The hours myself and others spent door knocking only to hear this over and over again and then see it manifest itself on election night was extremely sobering.

Contrast that with last night. The NJ Dems brought in candidates with both Moderate and Progressive Democratic values that profoundly resonated with local voters. These candidates inspired many of us to get out and work hard week in and week out. The result? Our Dems swept all local races by double digits with the very voters that went the other way last year. It was amazing and a big wake up call to ignore the outside naysayers.

The Democrats lost 2010 for three reasons:

a) Natural mid-term complacency/lower voter turnout after a presidential victory, although highly damaging in a Census year.

b) Because Obama didn't repair the Failure Fuhrer's catastrophic reign in less than two year's time.

c) Not because "Obama couldn't get single payer" (really, it wasn't up to Obama to get ANYthing; that's Congress' job), but rather because of the failure of Congress (still IN Democratic control) to even accept merely a public option (multi-payer), which HE CAMPAIGNED ON. And it wasn't JUST because of Republicans, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF EIGHT DEMOCRATS shooting down TWO different proposals FOR the Public Option in committee. It never had a chance because of CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS capitulating to their Big Insurance/Big Pharma handlers. They NEVER wanted this public option, and NO blatant re-writing of history CHANGES that.

While Obama won 2012, he did lose some counties and a couple of states from his historic 2008 victory. That should have been a red flag, but it wasn't.

2014 is not as simple as you're making it out to be. That was a combo of Republican small state strategy on a glacial pace and a string of bad international news tied to President Obama:

Liberals have criticized Obama and his staff for moving to the middle and bargaining on healthcare reform, as well as the financial regulatory overhaul and even the $787 billion economic stimulus package, which some liberals said should have been larger.

Just last week, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow described Obama political adviser David Axelrod as a “human pretzel” for his explanation of the administration’s position on gay marriage. Axelrod had explained that Obama opposes same-sex marriage but favors equal benefits for partners in gay relationships.

Attacks from liberal political groups like the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), which raises money for liberal candidates and causes, are also frustrating to the White House.

Adam Green, one of PCCC’s founders, repeatedly blasted Obama for a “loser mentality” during the healthcare debate, criticizing the president and Emanuel for not trying harder to include the public option in the final healthcare legislation. The group even ran ads accusing Obama of ignoring the will of the millions who voted for him by courting the support of Republican Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/113431-white-house-unloads-on-professional-left

He was abandoned and as a result...we got nothing after health care which by the way is a huge accomplishment...seems like some (not you) whine about what they caused...and we can win but we need to stop attacking the party.

Democratic candidates( the purity quest)...the legacy left to our kids and Grandkids will be a Republican one...so think about that.

Since Reagan, we haven't really made ANY ground in income inequality. In some areas, things have gotten WORSE.

We refused to contain necessity costs in the face of zero real-dollar wage growth and it's KILLING us.

Now we have to contend with a possible world of paycheck scarcity.

Let's wring our hands and bitch and moan and bicker with each other over the past rather than address the here and the now. That's going to so move us forward.

That's some mighty impressive thought you got going there. Who knew that it would turn out to be all due to an anonymous poster on an irrelevant internet b.s. board?

You blew my cover. Good work.

win elections...we have other issues than those...take the good and move on. FDR was by no means perfect you know...although I admire him greatly.

Yes we did!

that is;but I am so happy you were right" I felt we would see a wave in Virginia.

Yes we did!

This is a victory for moderates