Joan Walsh: Yes, Democrats Did Get Blown Out In The States

Joan Walsh, hyper-lefty extraordinaire, takes a stab at rationalizing the horrible losses Democrats suffered in the states

How to Understand Democrats’ Disappointing Losses in State Legislatures

Joe Biden won the White House, overwhelmingly, but otherwise, since Election Day, the news for Democrats has been bleak. They failed to flip the Senate—though the Georgia runoffs could still give them a 50-50 tie, broken by Vice President Kamala Harris—and lost seats in the House of Representatives, where they had been projected to pad their majority. But nowhere was the news worse than at the state legislative level, where despite unprecedented investment by Democratic organizations and outside groups, and expectations that they’d flip from four to eight legislative bodies—or more, in a “blue wave” election—the party lost ground.

With surprising candor, Nicole Hobbs, cofounder of Every District, a state legislative organizing, fundraising, and data analysis group, wrote in an election post-mortem: “It was a bloodbath.”

I heard that word a lot. Also “shit show.” Most mild: “No way to sugarcoat it.”

The losses were everywhere. Not all races in all states are called, but there’s no way, even with the outstanding contests, that Democrats will flip chambers. Against all expectations, they lost the New Hampshire House and Senate. Activists hoped Democrats might pick up the Iowa and Minnesota houses; they lost five and seven seats, respectively. They seemed close to flipping both the Arizona House and Senate; despite Biden’s win, they gained only one Senate seat there. They thought they had a decent shot of flipping the North Carolina House and/or Senate; they lost an estimated four seats in the House while gaining one in the Senate. After winning 12 seats in the Texas House in 2018, there was optimism Democrats could flip it by winning nine this year; they won one.

They were given good odds of winning the Michigan House, which seems reasonable in hindsight, since Biden won the state by almost 150,000 votes; instead, zero gains. Biden also won Wisconsin, though more narrowly, but thanks to hugely gerrymandered districts, Democrats lost two seats in the state Senate, while winning two in the House. And he won Pennsylvania, but Democrats lost three seats in the House and apparently one in the Senate.

So, pretty much bad for Dems, right? What happened?

The number-one explanation: Donald Trump had long coattails, even in defeat—and Biden had short ones, even in victory. “That’s what people just didn’t see coming,” says Carolyn Fiddler of Daily Kos, long an evangelist for Democrats to pay more attention to statehouse races. “Trump wasn’t on the ballot in 2018. We don’t know what would have happened if he was.” Everyone I interviewed agreed. And the suburban “blue wave” that helped lift Biden to victory? It did not carry Democratic state candidates (or, to be honest, a lot of US House or Senate seats). “Republicans heavily voted down-ballot, where Democrats did not again,” says Joanna Cattanach, who ran and narrowly lost a second time for a Texas state senate seat in Dallas County. “And we saw a slew of ticket splitters.” I heard that all across the country. It will take a lot more district-level analysis to be sure.

So, wait, Trump had long coattails, which provided destruction in the states (and, let’s not forget all the taken House seats), yet, somehow, he lost those same states? Might it have something to do with the huge deviation in president only ballots, a giant jump that looks like, dare I say, fraud?

As with the disappointing House and Senate outcomes, some Democrats complain that the Biden campaign focused too much on Trump and not enough on the devolution of the entire Republican Party into a racist, antidemocratic swamp. As Ron Brownstein put it in a must-read Atlantic piece, “Rather than presenting Trump as the culmination of Republican policies and values, Biden consistently portrayed him as an aberration; many strategists on both sides believe that made it easier for voters to oppose Trump but still back Republicans in House and Senate races.”

Maybe people wanted Trumpism without Trump. Would it be wrong to say that Democrats focused too much on defeating Trump, legally and illegally, and forgot so much down ballot? Anyhow, Joan continues providing excuses and Excuses. One thing to remember, Obama, despite a big win and easy win in his 2nd election, lost a lot of House, Senate, and state positions. Of course, he was a master campaigner, was likeable, didn’t seem mentally confused, and didn’t win by as much a margin as Biden, which seems weird, right?

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15 Responses to “Joan Walsh: Yes, Democrats Did Get Blown Out In The States”

  1. Elwood P. Dowd says:

    The unpopular Trump attracted record numbers of voters and was trounced. Dem voters voted against Trump (not for Biden) but not down ballot. GOPhers supported Trump and local Repubs.

    “Defund the Police!”, BLM and GND were big losers.

    • formwiz says:

      30% of Democrats agree their party tried to steal the election, so clearly, he wasn’t.

      ‘Twas the Demos who got trounced.

  2. Elwood P. Dowd says:

    American voters rejected Trump and his failed presidency.

    President-elect Biden will become President Biden on Jan 20.

    Trump is kicking and screaming, throwing a tantrum, using donor money to delay the certifications all to soothe is brittle ego. He may even think he won.

    Anyone who genuinely believes Trump won the 2020 election in any way, shape or form is either delusional or being paid $20,000 a day by the Trump campaign.

    • formwiz says:

      American voters rejected Trump and his failed presidency.

      Obviously they didn’t or the Demos wouldn’t have had to cheat.

      President-elect Biden will become President Biden on Jan 20.

      No, he’ll be back in his basement.

      Trump is kicking and screaming, throwing a tantrum, using donor money to delay the certifications all to soothe is brittle ego. He may even think he won.

      Only because he did. Maybe to the tune of 100,000,000 votes.

      Anyone who genuinely believes Trump won the 2020 election in any way, shape or form is either delusional or being paid $20,000 a day by the Trump campaign.

      Makes your $15/hr seem kinda platry.

    • Dana says:

      For $20,000 a day, I will write and post all of the “He wuz robbed!” articles they want!

  3. Elwood P. Dowd says:

    Although the GOP at all levels tried to block Black voters in Detroit, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Philadelphia, the voters showed up. They came early, they waited in line for hours and they mailed ballots. On top of that, suburban voters felt abandoned by the GOP.

    Trump et al is unabashedly challenging votes from predominantly Black communities.

    BTW, Georgia certified their vote. The Michigan Repubs that Trump flew to DC to bully announced they saw no evidence to overturn the vote. They said they lobbied the President for funds for combating Covid in their state.

    Little Trump’s tantrum is harming America. He can continue his tilting at windmills but it’s time to start the transition process for the good of America.

    • formwiz says:

      Although the GOP at all levels tried to block Black voters in Detroit, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Philadelphia, the voters showed up. They came early, they waited in line for hours and they mailed ballots. On top of that, suburban voters felt abandoned by the GOP..

      Sounds like the blame is on the city fathers, all Demos.

      Trump et al is unabashedly challenging votes from predominantly Black communities.

      The challenge is to Democrat tampering with ballots. Trump doubled his share of the black vote.

      BTW, Georgia certified their vote. The Michigan Repubs that Trump flew to DC to bully announced they saw no evidence to overturn the vote. They said they lobbied the President for funds for combating Covid in their state.

      Whigs. As for GA, evidence of fraud abounds. Certification of a bad vote means zip.

      Little Trump’s tantrum is harming America. He can continue his tilting at windmills but it’s time to start the transition process for the good of America.

      Jeffery is getting nervous. Try to hustle things through. That’s what the media declaring His Fraudulency the winner was all about.

      The longer this goes on, the more chance the truth comes out.

      • Elwood P. Dowd says:

        Lil Sibley Shithead is as sick, desperate, unAmerican, democracy-hating and demented as his Mango Messiah.

        The belief is: Caucasian, Christian, Cis Conservatives (C4’s) built America and deserve to rule it!”

        Be a man like Kye and just admit it. Lame Duck Don gave “men” such as you permission to come out of the closet.

        • formwiz says:

          Excrement indulges his homosexual delusions.

          Yet again.

          And it becomes more obvious even the giant flapping prolapse anus realizes Trump is going to win and he just gets nastier and nastier.

        • President Elect Kye says:

          “The belief is: Caucasian, Christian, Cis Conservatives (C4’s) built America and deserve to rule it!”

          Do you dispute this historical fact and if you do why? Asians built China do they not deserve to rule it? Negroes built Somalia don’t they deserve to rule it?

          Why is America the only place you feel the Founders, conquers and builders do not deserve to rule? Why should I turn my country over to people other than my own?

          The New Radicals are simply following the logic that they’ve been taught and that literally every figure of authority tells them is true: All people are perfectly equal and any disparities are the result of White racism/sexism (conscious or unconscious).

          Unlike the Old Guard (which probably never truly believed that), they are following that logic to its natural conclusions. If there are wealth inequalities, money must be taken from Whites and given to non-Whites. Affirmative action at all levels must required by law. Blacks must be given houses in White neighborhoods. Etc.

          And when the disparities persist despite their increasingly stringent policies, they will reach their final conclusion: Whites must be either stripped of any power or simply eliminated. That’s the only way to stop the disparities.
          What’s coming couldn’t be more clear if it was written on a billboard.
          The question is what will Whites do?

          I imagine Elwood is pro White genocide to “cleanse the Land” of straight, White Christian God-worshippers and make more room for queers, commies and mooslems.

          Elwood’s Ideal White woman:

          https://i0.wp.com/www.powerlineblog.com/ed-assets/2020/11/download-9.jpg?resize=600%2C380&ssl=1

          • Elwood P. Dowd says:

            Kye,

            Although I disagree with your position, I do respect your transparency. You admit to white superiority. You’re wrong, of course, but at least you are honest.

            You may recall that we have elections to determine our leaders; it’s not based on privilege, race, religion or heredity. No one is entitled to “rule”. It was also Caucasian, Conservative, straight Christians who tried to destroy American in the Civil War and who are hoping to restore America to its oppressive past.

            President-elect Biden is Christian, straight, white and a moderate. Your opposition to him is nothing personal, it’s based on his acceptance of diversity. Your adoration of Lame Duck Trump originates from his support of white privilege.

            Trump leaves in no more than 59 days.

    • Dana says:

      The esteemed Mr Dowd wrote:

      Although the GOP at all levels tried to block Black voters in Detroit, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Philadelphia, the voters showed up.

      How, exactly, did the GOP try to “block Black voters in Detroit, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Philadelphia”? Those cities are all run by Democrats.

      There are 17 members of the Philadelphia City Council; only two of them are Republicans. The Mayor is a democrat, and the when the last Republican Mayor left office, George VI was still King of England. The District Attorney is an anti-police Democrat funded by George Soros. The Police Commissioner is appointed by the Mayor, and she is a liberal black woman from the left coast.

      The COVID-19 restrictions in Philadelphia? Put in place by Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, and mayor Jim Kenney. Where did Republicans have any power, any power at all, to prevent black people from voting?

  4. formwiz says:

    Although I disagree with your position, I do respect your transparency. You admit to white superiority. You’re wrong, of course, but at least you are honest.

    no, he just says whites built the country. You can’t make an honest statement to save your life.

    You may recall that we have elections to determine our leaders; it’s not based on privilege, race, religion or heredity. No one is entitled to “rule”.

    That includes you and your Commie buddies.

    It was also Caucasian, Conservative, straight Christians who tried to destroy American in the Civil War and who are hoping to restore America to its oppressive past.

    No, the southerners wanted to rule their own destiny. And it was Caucasian, Conservative, straight Christians who preserved the Union.

    President-elect Biden is Christian, straight, white and a moderate. Your opposition to him is nothing personal, it’s based on his acceptance of diversity. Your adoration of Lame Duck Trump originates from his support of white privilege.

    If anybody has supported white privilege, it’s His Fraudulency. And he’s no more a moderate than you are. He’s always gone along to get along. He’s a cafeteria Catholic, just like Pelosi Galore, so you can take him off the Christian (notice if you’re not a Lefty, Jeffery calls you a christianist) Opposition to him lies in his history of corruption and bad judgment.

    Trump leaves in no more than 59 days.

    Make that 4 years and 59 days. Gropin’ Joe stays in his basement.

  5. Elwood P. Dowd says:

    Lil Sibley Shithead supports the heathen trump and lectures other on christian qualities. LOL.

  6. Elwood P. Dowd says:

    Federal Judge Brann in dismissing the suit excoriates Trump team over lack of evidence…

    “One might expect that when seeking such a startling outcome, a plaintiff would come formidably armed with compelling legal arguments and factual proof of rampant corruption, such that this Court would have no option but to regrettably grant the proposed injunctive relief,” he wrote.

    “That has not happened. Instead, this court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations, unpled … and unsupported by evidence,” Brann wrote. “In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state. Our people, laws, and institutions demand more.”

    Trump’s A-Team seems reluctant to allege voting fraud in the courtroom. Why is that?

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