THE DEMS PLAN A COMEBACK

[HairOfTheDog]

So, yesterday, the DNC elected Tom Perez as its new Chair.

Perez is a former U.S. Justice Dept civil rights attorney, former Dept of Labor Secretary, and staunch Hillary Clinton supporter.

He narrowly defeated Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison. Ellison was backed by Bernie Sanders. He's more liberal than Perez. He's also a Muslim and has been plagued by his former association with Louis Farrakhan (who Ellison claims he didn't know had floated anti-semitic rhetoric, which is hard for me to swallow).


It was good to see Perez and Ellison ^ implore the Democratic Party to unite immediately following the vote. Perez named Ellison Deputy Chair on the spot.

I think the White House probably wanted Ellison to win; he's a riper target. But, Republicans are already labeling Perez a useless 'establishment politician, like Hillary' and claiming that he won't be able to pull middle American towards the party. We'll see.

[HairOfTheDog]

President Trump wasted no time trying to troll the Democrats via Twitter following the election.



Perez told the media today that he and Ellison LOLd at Trump's tweets.

[HairOfTheDog]

While more Trump protests were going down yesterday, Trump also tweeted an encouragement for his supporters to rally, and my beloved Bernie replied.

[Maggot]

I'm very happy at the DNC picks. Great job!!

[HairOfTheDog]

Game on, Mags!

I think Bernie, Perez, and Ellison might be a united force to be reckoned with; I hope so.

I really really want at least one branch of the government to be majority Democrat in 2018; balance and all.

[Midwest Spy]

I'm very happy at the DNC picks. Great job!!

Ellison is very divisive here in the Twin Cities.

He definitely likes to stoke the embers.

He's the future of the Democratic Party?

Sheesh.

[Duchess]

Ahahaha! I like his dry sense of humor and can totally hear him saying that in a deadpan manner.

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm very happy at the DNC picks. Great job!!

Ellison is very divisive here in the Twin Cities.

He definitely likes to stoke the embers.

He's the future of the Democratic Party?

Sheesh.

Three years ago, would you have thought the highly divisive, ember-stoking, conspiracy theorist Donald Trump would be the future of the Republican party? I sure wouldn't have.

Truth is, those on the extremes vote more than those of us towards the center and they gravitate more towards candidates like Trump and Ellison.

[Midwest Spy]

I'm very happy at the DNC picks. Great job!!

Ellison is very divisive here in the Twin Cities.

He definitely likes to stoke the embers.

He's the future of the Democratic Party?

Sheesh.

Three years ago, would you have thought the highly divisive, ember-stoking, conspiracy theorist Donald Trump would be the future of the Republican party? I sure wouldn't have.

Truth is, those on the extremes vote more than those of us towards the center and they gravitate more towards candidates like Trump and Ellison.

Tis true.

[Maggot]

So the extreme far left Dems will gravitate towards Ellison. Interesting. Socialism is alive in this democratic cycle and the hope is that it will grow. Good luck with that. Let the immigrants from socialist countries be expelled.

[HairOfTheDog]

I picture you in a Thor costume when you post stuff like that for some reason, Mags.

Yeah, Ellison is far left, like Bernie. He's got a network to tap into those folks, as does Bernie. Perez has established contacts and outreach more in the centrist camp, which could help to maintain lifelong Democrats and attract Independents to the party.

They need to increase mid-term voter turn out among all factions of the Democratic and Independent bases, so I think it's a benefit to have a united team working on one message.

Collectively, they need to pull together a cohesive set of goals and a strategy to achieve them soon though, in my opinion. If they can do that, maybe they can turn a large percentage of the first-time protesters into first-time mid-term voters. It could happen.

[Duchess]

I picture you in a Thor costume when you post stuff like that for some reason, Mags.

[Maggot]

We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow
The hammer of the gods.

[Carsman]

To really make a comeback the way I see it, The Dems need to get outside the box, and start looking at someone in the category like Representative Tulsi Gabbard or the like.

[Maggot]

I believe Perez is the one that got the suit against the Black panthers dropped for intimidatingly standing outside the voting stations in Chicago for Obama's second term.

[HairOfTheDog]

Ahahaha! I like his dry sense of humor and can totally hear him saying that in a deadpan manner.

Bernie is always a worthwhile watch and listen, in my opinion. He's direct, on message, and sometimes hilarious (especially when he's on the reverse troll).

I saw him interviewed by Anderson Cooper the other night and agreed with everything he said in the interview below; that hardly ever happens with any politician.

Remember when Trump said during the campaign that "it's gonna be so easy to repeal and replace Obamacare"?

Well, that was obviously a lie or terribly naive. In any case, Trump changed his tune the other day and said something like, "who knew health care could be so complicated?" Considering it's a major issue that's been challenging administrations for decades, the real question is who besides Trump didn't know that? That's the backdrop for the short interview clip below.

[Duchess]

I don't think I've ever heard Bernie laugh before. He always has a frowny face.

How could anyone NOT know how complicated that issue is.

How do other places manage healthcare and America can't? I don't think I've ever looked into that.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

I think Trumps comment on the complicated state of health care was meant to be Snarky.
It is complicated in the US because its been made that way by politicians, insurance companies and fucking lawyers

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't think I've ever heard Bernie laugh before. He always has a frowny face.

How could anyone NOT know how complicated that issue is.

How do other places manage healthcare and America can't? I don't think I've ever looked into that.

In a nutshell, health care is a public service in other developed countries, funded by taxes. That's essentially what some U.S. Democratic politicians mean when they suggest that "single payer" and "a public option" should be part of the U.S. healthcare system. (Trump was an advocate for "single payer" before he ran for president too.)

I like the idea a lot. Lower and middle income Americans shouldn't lose health care coverage when they switch jobs or leave the work force, and American businesses shouldn't have to bear so much employee health-care burden, in my opinion.

In most, if not all, of the other developed countries....... private health care coverage is also available for those who want it and can afford it.

That's a very simplistic and top level answer to the question based on what I've read, heard, and experienced in this business.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think Trumps comment on the complicated state of health care was meant to be Snarky.
It is complicated in the US because its been made that way by politicians, insurance companies and fucking lawyers

Which of his conflicting comments did you interpret as being snarky?

The one he often repeated on the campaign trail, where he said it was gonna be a piece of cake to rip up Obama care on day 1 and replace it with something very special and everyone's gonna love it?

Or, the comment he just made in regards to why he can't keep his promise, seeing that it's a complicated issue after all?