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Never Met A Primary Challenge He Liked

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 07:05:13 AM EST
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Jon Chait on primarying Blanche Lincoln:

I don't quite get why Lincoln is facing a primary challenger at all. I understand the general principle of fielding primary challengers to force Democrats to accept some political risk for the sake of enacting progressive policies. I just don't get why Lincoln is the target.

Jon Chait on primarying Joe Lieberman:

Moulitsas and many of his allies insist that they just want Democrats to win. [. . .] Their technique of victory-via-purge is on display in Connecticut. [. . .] The whole anti-Lieberman blog campaign has a self-fulfilling quality [. . .]

But wait, I was wrong. there was one primarying idea Chait really liked - primarying Kucinich:

Now this is the kind of Democratic primary challenge I can get behind[.] Democrats in safe seats like Kucinich would be insane to vote against this bill. Of course, Kucinich is insane, but that's all the more reason to replace him with a Democrat who isn't.

Primary the guys I don't like. Leave the ones I like alone. I agree with that. But only if you agree with my list.

Speaking for me only

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    Never Met A Primary Challenge He Liked | 21 comments (21 topical)

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    Life's a risk for all the rest of us (5.00 / 3) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 07:26:48 AM EST
    why should incumbents never feel the fire of living on their gluteus maxiumus like the rest of us?  Coddling them leads them easily to their dysfunctional performance.  I'm okay if you primary someone on my best loved list just as long as primary the ones on my most despised list.

    Also coddling them lets them get too (none / 0) (#7)
    by ruffian on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 08:20:45 AM EST
    friendly with the lobbyists. I am not for term limits, for the very reason that we have elections every two or six years. They should never be allowed to think it is a sure thing, even if their district is solidly blue.

    Parent
    Why are we listening to Chiat again? (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by ek hornbeck on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 07:41:46 AM EST


    Scouting The Slimeballs Ain't Listening (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by seabos84 on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 09:30:23 AM EST
    It is just knowing who they are, where they are, what DLC lies they're peddling.

    He's either smart enough to know that he & his DLC sell outs represent only a small fraction of the population, which means he MUST destroy people out to chuck him into the irrelevance he deserves, OR

    he's just a main speaker for the 2 minute hate doing his job for big brother - which means he MUST destroy people out to chuck him into the irrelevance he deserves.

    oh! I repeat myself.

    rmm.

    Parent

    Hmmm... (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by szielinski on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 07:57:53 AM EST
    Chait just cannot accept that Lincoln and others face primary challengers because some members of the Democratic Party do not agree with her and their politics. But differences like this are normal. Conflict is not only normal, but can be healthy if it serves to prevent organizational ossification.

    I suspect that the health of the Democratic Party can be gauged by the presence and influence individuals like Chait wield in its political culture.

    How do you do it BTD? (