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.

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.

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? (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by ruffian on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 08:18:05 AM EST

Your synopsis' (synopsii?) if these guys are all I can stand to read. I admire your commitment and intestinal fortitude.

What's the real reason for Chait? (none / 0) (#3)
by observed on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 07:44:20 AM EST

It's not the HCR bill.

How about this for Chait's reason. (none / 0) (#8)
by observed on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 08:27:59 AM EST

Rep. Kucinich (D-OH) is critical of Israeli use of force in the Palestinian territories. Although he has said that Hamas should renounce terrorism, he opposed the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, arguing that the legislation would exacerbate a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories. He said the United States should urge Israel to "accept the Palestinians' right to self-determination and economic survival and humanitarian relief, for food, medical care, for jobs.
In July 2006, Kucinich expressed concern that Israel's response to the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers was disproportional and risked worsening conditions for Palestinian civilians. He called on Hamas to back down, but also argued that Israel should "halt its incursion into Gaza" and begin to work again toward a two-state solution

: If that guy were 6'2" and such (5.00 / 0) (#13)
by Salo on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 09:47:26 AM EST

He'd be more than a back bencher. It's very strange how politics works.

I didn't know that Chait hates DFHs. (none / 0) (#5)
by jeffinalabama on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 08:01:36 AM EST

Must say, I agree with BTD's take. it's as though Chait is saying "MY list is made up of REAL democrats, not poseurs."

What a crock.

MT, right there with you. It's an election. If people want different representation, why not primary all of them? I do get tired of the implication that these are the best, most liberal Democrats we can get. Blanche Lincoln? Joe Lieberman? Blanche frikkin' Lincoln is the best Arkansas has to offer? Maybe we should ask the Big Dog to move back, just long enough to run for the senate.

If the incumbent wins running away, good for the incumbent. But if s/he has a tight race or plurality result, it might be time for them to re-think positions vis-a-vis the electorate.

Yep, I do live in a fantasy world...

Edit (none / 0) (#9)
by me only on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 08:53:23 AM EST

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

Lieberman (none / 0) (#10)
by CoralGables on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 09:08:39 AM EST

Democrats in safe seats like Lieberman

isn't a Democrat anymore.


: Chait is referring to the 2006 (none / 0) (#11)
by me only on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 09:19:30 AM EST

election in which Lieberman was a Democrat. His post is from July 2006. The title of the post is
"Destroying the party to save it."

Is it about who you like? Or what we get? (none / 0) (#14)
by RonK Seattle on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 05:53:07 PM EST

Primarying Lincoln sends a message -- and puts an additional Republican in the Senate - maybe the one that tips R's into the Senate majority.

Primarying Lieberman sent a message -- and got us an embittered Lieberman for 6 years, plus greater chances of a Republican in his place after that.

Primarying Kucinich sends a message (DK was an avowed HCR hold-out when this piece ran) -- and gets us no change (probably) or a different and more effective progressive Democrat (possibly) in the same seat.

Hard to argue with Chait's picks here ... unless "who I like" counts more than "what we get".

You think Lincoln would win in November? (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by andgarden on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 06:27:28 PM EST

I don't.


Any predictions re Specter in primary (none / 0) (#16)
by oculus on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 06:31:02 PM EST

and/or GE? Lengthy piece on NPR yesterday.


: I'd say he has a good chance (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by andgarden on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 07:09:06 PM EST

of making it through the primary, and a better-than-even chance of winning in November.

Before Halter's challenge, most sources rated ... (none / 0) (#18)
by RonK Seattle on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 07:09:54 PM EST

... the Arkansas race a toss-up or slight Republican lean. Now they're maybe 3-1 to capture the seat. (Not all of this erosion can be credited to the primary challenge, of course.)

YMMV.


Well, the polls told me (5.00 / 1) (#19)
by andgarden on Fri Apr 02, 2010 at 09:28:51 PM EST

that it was likely Republican before. I think it still is, but Halter has more upside potential.


Well, you may have misheard them (none / 0) (#20)
by RonK Seattle on Sat Apr 03, 2010 at 11:49:47 AM EST

But familiar as I am with your understanding of the relationship between evidence and argument, I see no point in pursuing the matter.


: heh (none / 0) (#21)
by andgarden on Sat Apr 03, 2010 at 12:12:46 PM EST

You can go back and check yourself. Lincoln was well in the hole.