I had forgotten what this feels like, this sense of electoral victory. Yesterday was off-year Election Day in America and it was a good day to be a sane, rational and progressive Virginian and New Jerseyan. Both Virginia and New Jersey voted for their governors yesterday in what was the first major election since the 2016 presidential election. If Democrats bungled this, we would have been hearing about it for the next year, and it would have been framed as “Trickle-down Trumpism rules America!” Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Here’s what did happen:
Virginia elected another Democratic governor, Ralph Northam. I voted for Northam, not because I thought he was the bee’s knees or anything, I just vote straight-Democrat in every election. Northam is a mild-mannered Army veteran and pediatrician who has the on-camera presence of a warm bowl of soup. His opponent was Ed Gillespie, a corporate Republican who leaned heavily into Trumpism and stupid culture wars – Gillespie spent a fortune running ads about Hispanic gangs, Confederate statues and gun rights. And he lost by a nearly 9-point margin, which I hope is a preview of things to come. Just FYI: Virginia is mostly a blue/purple state at this point, so stop talking about us like we’re all dumb hillbillies. We voted for Hillary Clinton, we have two Democratic senators and four out of our last five governors have been Democrats.
Virginia went strongly Democratic in lower-tier races too. We elected Democrats to the LT. Governor’s office and Attorney General’s office. And here’s one of my favorite stories: “Democrat Danica Roem became the only openly transgender state lawmaker in America. She beat Bob Marshall, who had advocated for a bill restricting which bathrooms transgender people could use.” The Great Commonwealth of Virginia became the first state in America to elect a transgender delegate. THIS IS AMAZING.
The Democrat won in New Jersey. Progressive Dem Phil Murphy beat Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. This is less about party politics, really, and more about the historic unpopularity of the current Republican governor Chris Christie.
Bill de Blasio won another term as NYC mayor. This sort of surprised me because I thought de Blasio was historically unpopular too?? But he won. Comfortably.
Around the country, people voted for Democrats. Per CNN: “The party won hotly contested mayoral races in Charlotte, North Carolina, and St. Petersburg, Florida. In Maine, voters approved a ballot measure to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.”
And finally, Trump had to chime in:
Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for. Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2017
Let me tell you something: Ed Gillespie ran as a Trump Republican. He ran a stupid campaign based on stupid culture wars and racism. And you know what happened? Virginians shrugged and were like “yeah but what about health care?”
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Crikey, I’m not even American but yay!
That’s how I felt this morning too (as a non american, I mean). Yay!
Aside perhaps unimportant but I think it’s cool anyway note: I live in Switzerland and one of my best friends here is from Virginia. She was dancing with happiness this morning 🙂
Frisbee and Snazzy, 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Yah! Happy news!! Woot! GREAT to see this and it was fun to watch a bit of Maddow too on all the women!!! Trump/gop has made the whole world less stable, so we all have a stake in this wannabe authoritarian get less support!
Just not being a Republican helped a lot. I hope this encourages Congress to control the thing in the White House as opposed to allowing him to trash every other branch of government unchecked.
Democrats, do not eff this up. Get it together and build on this momentum. No more infighting and please get your talking points on the same page.
I know we have sparred mildly in the past about 2016. The HRC wing and the Progressives talked ourselves to death and bickered endlessly, but I am beginning to think that was good a thing. We cleared the air and wore ourselves out analyzing everything.
The Republicans thought that super lefties like me would stay home because we wouldn’t vote for a moderate Democrat but I always knew that was wrong. It is like fighting with family, but if someone threatened us, we would quickly band together to defend ourselves.
There is room for every kind of Democrat-Progressive on the left, but they must reflect their constituency. This is how we can compete even in the Deep South in some areas. I would rather have someone vote with us 70 percent of the time than someone who voted against our values.
They misunderstood how much we despise the Tangerine Lunatic and his corrupt, soulless minions. I would have crawled on my hands and knees through a blizzard to vote against any Republican to repudiate 45.
I feel hope again. I feel like I finally took a deep breath in over a year.
Yes. No purity tests for Democrats. Not every Democratic candidate needs to be in lock step on every issue and the Dems will lose if we not allow ourselves to be flexible.
More than the governors’ races, I think that the amazing gains the Dems made in the Virginia House of Delegates will scare tge GOP. Bodrs well for the 2018 mid-terms.
ITA with everything you said, MagnoliaRose, with the exception being that I don’t feel that the air is “cleared”. I still see plenty of lefties who still want to relitigate 2016 and still feel bitter about the how the DNC/HRC handled the primary.
I hope that these people are the minority but I’m not so sure…
That being said there are core issues the Dems need to stick behind a 110%, because any leniency on them will be taken advantage of, otherwise I agree with this thread 😊
Kitten I feel the same. Know several dems who are still angry about the Bernie thing. I hope they cam make like Elsa and let it go. But we all know how stubborn and destructive aggrieved white men can be.
I agree. Some of the dem party differences are exacerbated by twitter and cable news searching for content 24/7. Trump’s unhinged incompetence and gop congress determination to take health care away and give tax cuts to rich and corporations will bring the democratic voters (and independents) out in droves in 2018.
I am tired of some of my progressive friends sometimes with their irrational blatherings. At this point, it is unhinged for them to keep whining. I even borrow some of the arguments you all make to prove my point. Bernie is not the second coming FFS. Or for us Jews the first. lol
He can support that is all. But we need to be honest about his shortcomings.
Most of the progressives I know are satisfied with the election and are ready to support and resist. Progressives should put their energy in Progressive districts and states but support the left as a whole. The moderates should do the same. I am going to work for the whole left even though I am progressive.
Purity tests are myopic and ridiculous.
@aang, it’s not all “white men”. A lot of the aggrieved you speak of are poc, women and young people.
Yesterday it was a nice win for the sake of sanity in US. But the air is in so way “cleared” for the dems. For my part, it’s not about grievances or Donna Brazil’s book about DNC and Bernie. I’m not discarding Hillary/Bernie and DNC either.
I just don’t have faith centrist-corporate Dems can win against a fractured nation of angry, blue collar americans. Of these, many are right wing conservatives that have been conditioned to hate and mistrust the established democratic party. I don’t think anybody should underestimate how well this strategy has worked for the Republicans over the past 40+ years and how this worked in Trump’s favor. The Tea Party/Republican conservatives are extremely well funded, organized and have a long term strategy they’ve been successfully implementing over 50+ yrs. Plus the Reps still have an upper hand with 1000+ congressional seats across the country lost by Dems over the last decade.
@mag, it’s not just about Bernie and the DNC. It’s about real cultural and economic change. The deciding issue on this imo is universal health care. This is where we will see the moderate or corporate dems turn away from a populist agenda.
I tend to – generally – think it’s a strength of the Dems that there is infighting. We are not a monolith. The party is basically a coalition of historically un/under-represented people. It’s *good* that we’re not lockstop cultist morons. To a point. If you didn’t vote because you were pissed about Bernie, then get f-cked.
I also just vote straight Dem. I think that’s the only sane choice right now. It would be better for the country if we had 2 healthy parties, but we don’t. Like, I would have voted for a John McCain over certain Dems at various points in time. But the GOP is just a super corrupt extremist disgusting mess. They deserve to wander in the desert for a generation for all of this.
Even though Trump and Republicans are atrocious and terrible at governance – evil imo. The Democratic party is not out of the woods and needs to do some serious soul searching.
Great job, Virginia!
And great job, Maine, for voting to expand the ACA. All healthcare bills in Congress will now have to go through Susan Collins.
Happy dancing. 💃
I always love how record numbers of people are signing up for the ACA. It is a dare, and it puts the pressure on the Republicans to understand how unpopular their agenda is and how much they have revealed about themselves. It isn’t pretty, and they have no place to hide. 💃
Nobody in Boston even voted last night. I’m so disappointed in our city because I wanted Tito Jackson.
But on the bright side, Lydia Edwards won my district! We now have SIX WOMEN OF COLOR on Boston city council–almost HALF the thirteen total members. And that’s less than a decade after it was dominated by nine white men and one white woman. 🙂
Nice, kitten, brava! This is how real change is made. 👏🏽
For 8 women total of 13 members on the council.
Meanwhile, my ballot in Malden was printed in English and Mandarin in an attempt to bring in more of the city’s residents (1/3 Chinese). There was a very low turnout over all because only city council and school committee were on the ballot but it’s a start to reach out to the broader community
Yeah Kitten!!! I was so happy when the results started to come in last night.
@kitten That is very good news indeed. It feels good.
Virginia has restored my hope in my fellow citizens. The saying is true that all elections are local and by campaigning on what’s important to the people of Virginia (health care, education, traffic congestion, taxes) Northam and other state candidates have shown a path forward. Candidates don’t have to use Trump as a campaign issue…..Trump does that on his own. Just campaign on the things that are important to the people you’ll represent.
Also, so happy to see people of color and women win so many local elections in places like Georgia, Montana and South Carolina. We will make Make America Decent Again (MADA).
I love that Danica Roem’s issue that she was most passionate about trying to find some solution for Northern Virginia’s terribly bad traffic congestion, where her opponent was hellbent on reviving the culture wars. No wonder the people in her area voted for her.
I heard her on the Lawrence O’Donell” show last night. She is impressive indeed.
I love that Bob Marshall, who introduced a bathroom bill, was defeated by a transgender woman, Danica Roem.
P.S. The bathroom bill died in committee.
Agree with everything you’ve said. I’ll add that I was happy to see the ACLU monitoring the polling places so closely. And I just read that paper ballots were used — something that all states need to consider. I feel like yesterday was such a solid rebuke to the 2016 election on so many levels.
I live in DC but spent the weekend going door-to- door in Virginia. The Dems get out the vote operation was the most sophisticated I have seen since Obama’s first campaign. It gives me hope that even if the party is a mess at the national level, the state parties can deliver in 2018.
I think the best thing state Democratic parties can do moving forward is to eschew and limit the involvement of the National Democratic Party. The National Party is a mess and doesn’t get that local issues are what people are most focused on. The DNC will hurt rather than help state candidates.
Megan, may I ask which organization you volunteered through? I had planned to knock on doors for VA Dems, but their website signup was not good. It wasn’t showing the dates I wanted to volunteer on. Meanwhile, I got incessant texts from VA Dems, but they had no means to sign up through a website, just wanted me to show up at their headquarters. Eventually I was able to sign up to call through hub dialer, but then I never got an email with instructions for it. It was frustrating. I did hear Jason Kander’s org was also knocking on doors, maybe I should have tried that one.
Anyway, not to rain on the parade of great results! Voter turnout (esp POC turnout) is everything.
Edited mildly for clarity
@Sadezilla I volunteered with VA Dems. Most organizers assume you’ve volunteered before and send the bare minimum of info. I got a text asking me what time slots I wanted over the weekend. I assumed I was going door-to-door, but he did not provide more information than the address where I should show up at my designated time.
That’s fantastic. Thank you for volunteering.
Absolutely everything you said.
Danica’s win made me cry. It feels like she represents who we should be and not what 45 and his followers try to destroy.
Women of color represented hard and I am thrilled with the Charlotte mayoral results. State elections mean everything. Without the corrupt ex-governor, they couldn’t steal it away.
All eyes on Doug Jones and Alabama. Donate to fight the big money that will pour in for the Bannon maniac the Repubs chose.
Feels great! Also very happy about the Medicaid expansion in Maine, which will save lives.
It’s a sad state of affairs when the candidate you have vote for has the presence of a warm bowl of soup is this what politics has come to
I think part of the problem with politics now is that voters want a “celebrity” style of politician rather than someone who has the knowledge, skills and temperament to get the job done. I’d rather have a “warm bowl of soup” politician than an “orange blowhard celebrity” politician any day.
I’m hoping Trump’s constant Culture Wars harping has finally made people who aren’t stone-cold bigots sick of the whole thing.
Came to say the same thing. I don’t give a rat’s ass if they’re telegenic as long as they are competent and share the same views and principles.
By that criteria, I doubt Lincoln would have been elected. He wrote immortal speeches, but reportedly had a funny voice and was hardly a looker. We already have a “bigly” personality in power. God help us. Also, Tim Kaine is no ball of fire, but he is one of the finest public servants in the country.
Personality politics gave us W and 45. I don’t need to be excited by the politician. I need to them to do their job and have a sense of decency and compassion.
Republicans should take note. Northam is no barn burner, but we showed up. In fact, I prefer an even temper and slow and steady after a daily barrage of the Tangerine nightmare.
Doug Jones 2017
Exactly. It should be about substance, not presence.
My politicians can have the presence of a goddamn cold bowl of soup as long as they are decent, compassionate human beings and not racist, unhinged reality tv show hosts from the underworld
Oh my god THIS. JFC they are there to WORK for the people not to f*cking entertain us smdh.
So well said, Shambles!
I took that as a compliment for the candidate. To me it meant that person is compassionate, caring and will be a comfort to all (like a warm bowl of soup). It is someone who will listen and do what is best for his constituents.
Give me a warm bowl of soup anyday over a sh*tpie. Call me crazy bit I prefer predictable, serious, little charisma, not crazy boring politicians that are in it for the actual work it takes versus celeb or for status. No more “celeb” politicians.
This was so, so needed. And hooray for Danica Roem!
The news about Ralph Northam and more importantly , Danica Roem, was the only thing that brightened my morning considering my FB feed’s memories were pretty much all of my breakdown watching last year’s election results.
Actual victories feel so much better than “moral” victories, don’t they?
Definitely. For me personally, last night was so much more important than any progress we’ve made in the Mueller Russian probe. Cheers to my celebitches. Let’s hope that this is only the beginning of many more victories in 2018.
And just like that 45 throws another one of his own under the bus.
He makes me sick. Bile rises from my stomach up into my throat whenever I hear his voice. I have never hated anyone in my life but I have nothing but pure hate for him. I do not wish any bodily harm on him but if it happened in front of me I would not do 1 single thing to stop it. These are terrible things to say I know but this is how everything that is happening has affected me and I suspect many others.
And yes I totally see how “the other side”, 45 supports, may feel the exact same way about ppl like me, 45 haters, and that is one of the reasons why we are in this mess.
Positive End Note:
Yay for VA! and yay for Danica Roem!
Former Head of the RNC Michael Steele’s response to Dump:
http://twitter.com/michaelsteele/status/928094443772829697
And I agree wholeheartedly with your second paragraph. Not only would I do nothing, I would do a happy dance around that flaming POS. I hated Dick Cheney, but that was just baby steps compared to this.
I live for your links. lol
How are things in Crimson country? Does Doug Jones have a chance?
I can’t agree enough with your sentiment. I resisted feeling the full blast of how much I hate that man because it doesn’t feel right and it is dark. But we can use it to fuel our participation in elections from the ground up.
If he were bleeding out in front of me, I would shrug and file my nails, and once I heard the death rattle, I would walk away without another thought. I hate that MF just that much.
@magnoliarose. We are cautiously optimistic, something we haven’t felt in 20+ years. There are super enthusiastic Jones volunteers all over the state, from Rocket City in the north to the Redneck Riviera on the Gulf. There seem to be a lot of Repubs who plan to vote for Doug, based on what I see online. Mobile is a Repub city, but I see a lot of Jones yard signs, especially in areas that usually vote R, the Country Club and Old Mobile neighborhoods. Moore refuses to debate. Doug should just appear on stage and debate an empty suit, which represents Moore perfectly.
“If he were bleeding out in front of me, I would shrug and file my nails, and once I heard the death rattle, I would walk away without another thought.”
This would be exactly how he would treat millions too. Millions and millions. Do you think him knowing how so many really feel would open his eyes? Right now, we’re just a faceless crowd of ‘haterz’ If he was to really know how many would watch him burn, would it make him a better person? Only in the Twilight Zone, eh?
@Jerusha
Good to know. I sent out an email warning my friends I will hassle them until they donate to Doug. We don’t want funds to be the deciding factor in this.
@Lady D
Exactly. All of those poor souls in PR and the Virgin Islands don’t keep him up at night.
He’s a narcissist through and through. He will never understand why people hate him nor will he care. He will just dig his heels in and go further into his rabbit hole of delusions of grandeur and blame. Nothing will ever “wake-up” Donald Trump, he will never experience remorse, not even when Mueller (*crossed fingers*) drags his butt to prison will he experience this. He’s just not wired that way. I wish more people would realize not to ever expect empathy, compassion, or understanding from this guy. The most we will get from him is an arrogant disingenuine apology or rage.
Well done VA, NJ, NYC and other districts that voted Democrat last night. The US has suffered 10 months of the Trump regime and people have had enough. I bet Mueller’s investigation on Russia impacted the voting as well.
+1
Democrats should really analyze these wins carefully. Studies show that most Americans don’t make their minds about who to vote for until the last minute. Two major current events have dropped Trump’s poll numbers to the lowest ever of 36%. The fight with a military widow after months and months of of using the athletes not “supporting our troops” to keep up his support. He shot himself in the foot attacking her and Kelly flat out lying about the congresswoman. He was relying on racism towards Black women to override support for a sympathetic widow.
Second was the Muller arrests. Sh* got real with those perp. walks even in expensive suits. Polls in the last week show the majority of voters think he is guilty. Again, he thinks using the cultural war redmeat of “terrorism be afraid of Muslims!” will distract the general public from that high class perp walk. No, those arrests Muller made woke many people up that the Russia probe is legit. What helped with these yesterday where the independents who broke away from Trump after these two recent events. Trump is too stupid to realize that these people voted for what he says is important: supporting the troops and supporting the police (law and order). Talk about having your propaganda work but AGAINST you!!! LOL 🙂
Awesome! Don’t stop voting the bad ones out
I am hopeful that the tide is changing and people are opening their eyes a little bit. After the disaster of last year I felt that hope was lost. I live in a state that is solid blue. Our senators are democrats our governor is the first bisexual women governor to ever serve. So I live in a comfortable bubble. In my state women are protected and the majority are progressive. I take comfort in that.
I really hope people are awake finally. That there is a bad side and good side. Yes, I mean that too.
i also live in the same bubble you come from @aims and the majority is NOT progressive. Oregon was founded as a white Utopian and it was only recently that incredibly anti-black and anti-first nation people language was removed from the state constitution. neoliberal racism is a HUGE problem in places like portland–while it is really great that we live in such a nice bubble, it is such a nice bubble for folks who are white, cis, and affluent–so we need to stay actively involved in the struggle and reckoning, instead of getting too comfortable.
that said, was proud of VA and hooray for Maine. Hooray for this glimmer of hope.
@aims @kaye
Fellow Oregonian here from the PNW bubble (Willamette Valley). I agree with both of your statements and my view is pretty much Eugene and anything south as well as everywhere east of the pass leans more conservative while the rest leans liberal. The thing is there are more people within the bubble than out which is why we have been a blue state since 88. I agree that things need to continue to improve b/c we can still be racist af but I love my land here and have complete faith in my community to continue to get the work done.
You’re right. The history of Oregon is shameful and repulsive. There’s no excuse and the history of how Oregon became a state is a stain in our history.
I would like to think we’ve learned from that disgusting past. For myself, I can only say that we are a state that now opens our hearts and arms to all. That last night made me proud and hopeful.
So proud of my adopted home state. I have lived here for 30 years, originally from Ga. As many pundits are saying this morning, it is hard to pull off the racist, xenophobic appeal in areas that embrace diversity. That would be mainly Northern Va. suburbs, but there are good people all over the state. Gillespie is a spineless toad.
Today for the first time in a year and a half, hope fills me. We can turn this around! Buckle up, Democrats and capitalize on this momentum. With a Democrat majority in 2018, impeachment may be a possibility. Today is a good day!
Amen, sister!
Also, in the wake of this tremendous news, I am sending all good wishes to Jerusha and the folks in Alabama for the senate race!!
Thanks! I see many yard signs for Jones here in Mobile, usually a solid Repub city. Very few for Moore. Of course, if I supported Moore, I’d be ashamed of showing it, too. They’re hiding in the crevices like cockroaches. I’ll be working phone banks every Thursday starting tomorrow, doing the roadside sign holding every Saturday, and sending out postcards. Here’s hoping.
You answered my question I had up-thread. How is funding going for Doug Jones?
Funding is good, I think. Doug is running lots of ads, talking about issues. Always need money, though, as I expect the nutbag money people will pour dollars into Moore ads the last week before voting.
Just a suggestion-can all you CBers temporarily move to Alabama? You have until 11/27 to register to vote.
Can’t move there but I did send Jones a small donation. I’ve been trying to do that with some of these important races around the country, because it has a big impact on everyone.
After Alabama, the next big one I’m hoping for is the Iron Stache taking out Paul Ryan. That would be glorious.
@lucy2. Yes, yes to Randy. Please wipe that smirk off the Munster’s face. Every member of a labor union should vote for Bryce. Do they not understand that Rethugs have been seeking to destroy them for decades, to give all power to management?
Wisconsin has been resembling Alabama more and more recently. Not a good look on them. Time to change course.
@Jerusha
Thank you so much for introducing us to him. I have since checked out some of his interviews and he is almost too good for us! He does hedge on stutter on any Democratic issues including whether women have the right to make decisions about their bodies, their health and their pregnancies. Complete straight shooter. Imagine that, a Democrat with a spine! I have been pleasantly surprised to see how much support he is getting from non-Dems.
Thanks! Here’s Doug’s platform:
http://twitter.com/lbweaver/status/904177118447378432
And a comparison with Moore: http://twitter.com/tizzywoman/status/920444329440792576
More Jerusha links! 🙂
I like his clear platform. I am more than happy to support him!
so, so happy for all of you.
The best part is not how much it bothers trump, but that there are places in the US where there is hope, a haven in the midst of trumpland madness. the tides are turning.
ok, it is fanfreakingtastic is hurts trump!
Here in NY on the local level too. #thetrumpeffect
Yep. The Republicans were iffy in the first place, and now it is just forget it.
My two home states will be beautiful deep blue walls after 2018. Lots of Representatives in New York and California as well as resources and influence.
NY State also voted down Proposition 1 which advocated for a state level constitutional convention. It was purported to be funded in part by Mercer and Koch. Happy to say that NY State voted it down handily with 82% voting ‘no’.
In Erie County NY, home to NY’s second largest city, they reelected a racist sheriff that has presided over the deaths of 22 inmates, most minority. He is a vocal trump supporter and wore his uniform to an alt-right rally. He was reelected because turn out was low in the city, and high in the racist suburbs. If the pattern holds in the rust belt, trump will be reelected. I’m not celebrating yet.
+1 A victory is a victory, but it is important to remember these wins are largely in Dem areas and local.
I am so happy that Gillespie’s trump style campaign tactics did not work. It gives me hope.
+1000
Exit polls showed that 34% of VA voters voted AGAINST trumpism yesterday and only 17% voted FOR.
I am happy that I don’t have to watch his attack ads on TV anymore. I live within a stone’s throw of the VA state line and am so happy a majority of voters took time to vote for a rational
candidate.
I heard this morning that a lot of women stood in line in the cold rain, determined to cast a vote against Bigly.
What a difference a year makes. Last year, I was crying on my way to work the day after the election. Now I feel like there is a small glimmer of hope.
Republicans seeing this turn out will start working to roll back voting rights before 2018.
Ohio, you in danger, gurl. (Jon Husted is still around, right?)
Cautiously optimistic here. Hope the dems won’t take these wins as validation of the policies that caused the party to lose over a thousand seats since 2010 and will put its strength behind solutions that will benefit all. End the means testing, complexity and incrementalism and we’ll find the way out of the desert.
I agree policy is most important, but don’t forget gerrymandering has also had a huge effect on loss of seats – the Wisconsin case is a good example.
Congratulations Virginia, New Jersey and every other place that voted for sanity. Now, will everyone please send positive thoughts to Alabama for the 12/12/17 special election? Vote Doug Jones!!
Sending lots and lots of positive vibes to you guys. I’m really hoping that Alabamians will build off of the momentum of last night and vote for Doug next month.
Maybe last night’s win will encourage people to see that we don’t have to live at the mercy of the GOP and the hideous orange monster, we DO control our destiny and we CAN affect change for the better.
Let’s go, Alabama!
Kitten I left you a message on the Angelina thread yesterday about a video you’d like.
I just watched it. Soooo pretty ♥
Some of the old pics of her and Brad gave me the sads, though 🙁
I’m so relieved Northam won! Ed Gillespie’s campaign ads made my stomach turn. I’ve never seen such blatant fear mongering. Thankfully my fellow Virginians pulled through.
Those ads were definitely fear inducing (terrible tone and messages). Sadly, southern VA still went for it. Thankfully the higher voter concentrations went for blue.
I guess it is possible to convince some rural VA. voters that they have a problem with MS-13. All the while, it’s healthcare, education, roads and bridges they should worry about.
I’m happy we got some wins but let’s be real this is a small victory. The fact that the DNC let state control go so far that we only control 9 states out of 50 is appalling. Say what you want about the GOP but they aren’t complacent.
Now they need to focus on voter turnout, let go of the stupid myth that they can win over racist white voters and tell Bernie to sit down. And say no to caucuses FFS.
There are four races in the VA House of Delegates that have not yet been called. If Dems win all four it will flip the House. Here’s hoping the national party gets the message that it needs to contest state races.
Never gonna happen Nicole. They have all but ignored voter suppression so that tells me they don’t want the black vote. VA busted their backside on the and look where they are, celebrating.
That’s what i mean. They will never win 2018 without the minority vote. Focusing on voter suppression is a part of that. Some of the races are close and had hey registered more people to vote it might not be such a tight race.
Actually, there is a lot of Democratic-backed litigation challenging voter suppression and gerrymandering. Check out the Brennan Center for Justice to see the current docket.
The LWV is very aggressive about challenging voting laws. I have relatives who are deeply involved it just doesn’t get any coverage nationally.
Kathy Tran became the first Asian-American woman elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Ravi Bhalli becomes the first Sikh mayor in New Jersey. Andrea Jenkins of Minneapolis becomes the first trans woman of color elected to the city council of a major city. Justin Fairfax becomes the second African-American to win statewide office in Virginia. Sheila Oliver becomes NJ’s first female African American lieutenant governor. Vi Lyles becomes Charlotte’s first female African American mayor. Yvonne Spicer, a WOC, becomes the first mayor ever of Framingham, MA. Joyce Craig becomes the first woman mayor of Manchester, NH. Tyler Titus of Erie, PA becomes the first openly trans person to serve on a school board in PA. Elizabeth Guzman and Hala Ayala become the first Latinas elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Wilmot Collins of Helena becomes the first black man to be a mayor in Montana. Jenny Durkan becomes Seattle’s first lesbian mayor. Melvin Carter becomes St. Paul, Minnesota’s first POC mayor.
This was a small election as far as elections go but it brought historic changes to many, many places. And I spent last night RTing every single one of these victories to Trump & Pence.
Lol, maybe that’s why Trump was late to make his speech. “What, another one? Nooo!”
Thank you for putting all of this together, LP. This is hope.
Wow, amazing! Thanks, lightpurple, for sharing!
Yes! Permission to share on social media, LP?
Thanks for laying it out. Some great news that should not be overlooked 😀
Sure.
Yes! Small steps in some ways, but big leaps in others.
Very happy we here in NJ went back to a Democrat governor. Hoping he’s better than the last one, but at least we know he’ll be better than Christie, and I was excited for Sheila Oliver.
Thanks! I need to Tweet it too.
“Ravi Bhalli becomes the first Sikh mayor in New Jersey.”
I’m very excited and happy about this!! He was the victim of some disgusting racist behavior about a week ago; someone paid to have flyers made and put all around town calling him a terrorist and talking about “taking back America.” Something similar happened in a mayoral election in another city here in NJ, Edison. The one in Edison was arguably even more disgusting as they went much further in their vitriolic comments about Indians and Indian-Americans, claiming they’re ruining the city…. they even went as far as to mention “they use our soccer and football fields for cricket” and mentioned the fact that many families live with more than one generation to a household, and called for an end to that.
It just made me so happy to see Democrats win again here in NJ because I can’t stomach the racist garbage that feels so emboldened by Trump’s presidency. I’m really looking forward to these scumbags being forced back under the rocks where they belong.
Impactful, thank you. I posted to my FB.
Also, congratulations to Ravi Bhalla! First Sikh Mayor of Hoboken and in the state of New Jersey!
Yessssss!!
Wonderful!
I live in a very red part of Virginia, and sometimes I despair. But yesterday was a good day, here. The State delegate who’s served my area for several years, a Republican, was thrown out by a “progressive” Democrat who wants to bring high speed internet to this poor part of the Commonwealth. And healthcare. And we elected our first woman mayor. There were two women running — one a good friend who is also Indian, but she lost by a very small margin. The establishment, Republican banker who ran against the two women? Lost by a landslide. I feel so much better about things this morning.
The VA state delegate closest to where I live is a longtime red party guy in a strongly red area, and he finally had a female challenger who got a quarter of the votes. He’s gone unopposed for several years, so just having a challenger is progress.
I was having lunch last week at a table next to him, and he was showing off his social media ads and discussing healthcare with his lunch mates. One of them used an MRI test as an example. I am not sure which one said this, but they quoted 450 dollars as the total billed charge for an MRI. No one at the table corrected it. How disconnected from reality they were to think hospitals charge 450 for an MRI! Try several times that!
An MRI on my dog cost $2200 in Florida.
You guys made every member of the Resistance so damn proud last night.
THANK YOU, VIRGINIA. ♥
Proud Virginian here. Thanks, Kitten. 😃 We’re all in it together!
I live in Chester County PA, which is historically are a very republican county when it comes to local politics. The tide has been turning and it voted overwhelmingly democratic in national elections. But since its incorporation in the 1700s, the county has never elected a Democrat to one of the nine row office positions, and the Dems are poised to take 4! And not only are they Dems, but they are women. This is amazing and I’m thrilled I voted!
Thank goodness he won … a doctor with a brain and common sense instead of guy who caters to rootin-shootin fake patriots who seem to love their guns above all else … more than they love other people’s babies and children. It was an easy call to make imo. Sure hope voters continue NOT to vote for anyone the NRA supports secretly or with big donations.
The house is the bigger “get” for Dems here – even if it’s tied 50/50. The state has been gerrymandered to such an extent that winning the House of Delegates in VA is really significant.
I’ve been in a very dark place. The Texas shootings, my own initial non-reaction to the news which made me feel absolutely filthy as a human being, and a recent conversation: my uncle is conservative. I’ve always respected him and his opinions. He’s a very generous, kind, intelligent man. But he’s VERY conservative.
The other night I just had to ask if he’s still supportive of trump. He said yes, and it devastated me, made me feel so hopeless and lost. We talked a little bit about how this could be, the main answer he seemed to be giving me is he has blinders on, as long as conservative judges are appointed he’s happy. It hurt so much. I’ll never feel the same about him.
So this is a small, bright moment in what is a continuous mire of hurt, human evil, and the feeling that one doesn’t know her own family members anymore.
Thanks for reading. Celebitchy is basically political therapy and you are all the best.
Over this year lots of people I care for have disappointed me too. It’s harder now to simply appreciate the differences sometimes, when they are just so fundamental. And yet we still care for the people in question … it’s awful.
I hear you and send you love.
Truth be told … you’re actually a candle in the darkness so don’t let anyone blow out your light. Sometimes family isn’t blood but shared ideals. Find those people who want a healthy , inclusive and just society so America can again become a beacon of light to the world.
Politics and life in general have solidified that we cannot choose family, but can choose our friends. And good friends (however few) are often far more beneficial to sanity than some family members.
Patricia, snazzy, robyn, christin, I hear you and send all good wishes. Most of my family lives in the deep south. Although they are highly educated, they “held their noses” and voted for Trump. The most painful thing is hearing them talk about what a great president Pence would be when they know our daughter is gay. Keep being as hopeful as you can.
Oh, third ginger. That is horrible. I thought about you when Danica won. 🙁
I know the feeling.
My Catholic side of my family voted for 45, and some continue to support him even after it is clear he is a Nazi. They didn’t even realize what they were telling me. It hurts still, but I keep my distance now. They can’t love their Jewish relative and 45 at the same time, and I want them to know that.
Magnoliarose, thank you for your very kind response.
Yay NJ! So happy for my home state (and we’re finally getting rid of the horrid Chris Christie, which is a nice bonus.)
I got to vote for Northam in the primary but moved before the general. This was so fun to watch the election results roll in!
This came right after CNN had an article revealing Democrats had their lowest approval ratings in years (not a surprise given the damage Brazille and her idiot cohorts did last week), so it was a relief. Perhaps Democrats are slowly realizing that – gasp – they actually have to go out and vote and be politically active to accomplish what they want.
For the life of me I can’t figure out what DB released that book RIGHT before the election. Come on!
She was backtracking on TV this morning. Get days of publicity for ‘rigged’ allegations and then (morning after Dems succeed) claim that’s not what you meant. Lovely.
Need to carry this over to Nov 2018! No rest for fighters! Flip the house and impeach that orange clown!
Btw, the West Coast now is a wall of blue thanks to WA state flipping at state level.
Go Manka! My television has been wall-to-wall ads for this State Senate race, which could have gone either way. The Republicans got creative with some of their ads, one of which pretty much guaranteed I would never vote for one of their candidates in any race, ever. I wonder how many others in the district reacted the way I did.
I live in a suburb of New York and I made calls last week and Sunday for,the election. so happy. Our democrat candidate won and she is a female! The Republicans held the position for years. So much corruption and he gave jobs to all his relatives including his wife! This is big news here.
Also so happy for,wins in NJ and VA.
I know where you are and it was an upset. YAY!!! I loved it.
My college friend is now worried that MS13 will come to her neighborhood with the election of this woman. She lives in a $2 million house and the town has private police. She thinks whatever Trump does is fabulous. Am I missing something.? He is a putrid turd. I always though she was a bit of a hippy. Boy I was mistaken.
Small incremental steps. It’s heartening to hear about so many people of color and women running and winning at the LOCAL level. That’s where real change happens….from the bottom up. People were encouraged to get off the sideline and get invested in governing once the orange menance and his ilk came to power. If we are to purge our country of this orange venomous disease it starts small and we build it up stronger and taller. I’ve never understood why third party candidates (Nader, Sanders) think jumping in at the national level is how to win. Build a strong base at the local level and then move up….that’s the only way to break the cycle and dominance of our current two party system.
I follow Emily’s list, and after the disaster that was Nov. 2016, the number of women interested in running at every level SURGED. I’m really happy to see so many women being elected to office.
I’m in NYC and DeBlasio is not popular, it’s true, but I think the majority here is so angry about Trump that no freakin way would we elect a Republican right now.
Plus the Republican candidate had nothing to offer. DeBlasio’s victory was emblematic of a tired shrug by the citizens of NYC.
Yay! I’m so proud of Virginia and I was also proud to cast my ballot yesterday for Ralph Northam and the other Democrats. I really hope VA can do something good with another Democrat as our governor and a House of Delegates that is more reflective of our Commonwealth – like maybe expand Medicaid and less gerrymandered districting! I thought we needed another Democrat in the office to continue to veto the legislature’s crazy right-wing bills, but maybe we can actually enact some reform now.
I’m hopeful this is a sign that the left (even moderate left, though I myself am more progressive) can start winning. I also want Dems to run campaigns that not only harness the anti-Drumpf resistance and dislike of Cheeto Babyfists, but also work on a clear, progressive, affirmative message with commitment to core issues: combating racism, women’s reproductive rights, support for immigration, and healthcare for all. We can’t win only based on a hatred for orange hitler. We need substance of our own that speaks to the needs and hopes of people.
I’m also happy because my city (Austin) approved bonds for park and conservation efforts and a huge bond to help our school district, which has been on the front lines protecting the children of immigrants and welcoming refugees. The teachers and librarians and principals I’ve encountered here as a parent of a third grader are amazing and I’m super happy we will be supporting our schools.
NJ voted for a lot of money for our libraries, and also that money from polluters has to be used to fix said polluted sites, not taken and used on whatever. Two more good steps.
It was a nice 180 from the utter devastation and anger I felt last year. It felt amazing! But this is just the beginning of the beginning. There is another important election in Alabama in December to fill Jeff Sessions’ seat. And then 2018 will be upon us in no time. Let’s celebrate our victory – and then get back to work. Because the job is by no means done.
The Democratic Party is going to have to solve the problem of white women. White women of every socioeconomic class and education level are either split or favor racist and sexist Republican candidates. Those exit polls are disturbing. After a year of Trump and Republican government white women still favor Republican candidates. What is going on?
I think white women are going to have to solve the issue of white women. Because as a black woman what I see (last night and last year), are white women voting for white supremacy at the subjugation of their own interests. And that’s been the issue dating all the way back to the Sugfragette movement: which began not because women wanted the vote but because they were angry that black men were going to get it first.
My BF sent me a screen shot showing VA election and it was White Vote: 67% – Northam 42% and Gillespie 57% and Black Vote: 33% – Northam 80% and Gillespie 20% which..yeah, FUCK. US.
…and thank you, people of color.
Do you (or anyone) happen to have a link that has the numbers by gender/race for every local election? I’ve been Googling like crazy but can’t seem to find a resource. Very curious about our election here in Boston in terms of who voted for Tito and who voted for Walsh.
I suspect that many whites simply didn’t vote….
Kitten, I think Nate Silver’s website 538 has some of those demographic breakdowns, and I saw some on WaPo as well, though I’m not sure which campaigns they go into and how local they get.
Kitten, Boston has the unofficial results by ward & precincts here: https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/2017_-_11-07-17_-_municipal_election_-_unofficial_precinct_totals.pdf
And here’s the ward map https://www.cityofboston.gov/maps/pdfs/ward_and_precincts.pdf
Jackson did well in parts, but not all, of Roxbury, Mattapan, parts of the South End and some precincts in Dorchester. Walsh did well everywhere else, including Chinatown.
They need to include the young people. This is just not about white women.
They are proud to say they aren’t feminists and want Orange Daddy to fix everything. I have a deep disdain for them. Trump can have them. They aren’t allies and like being disrespected and hindered so happy trails.
YES WE DID! So proud of my fellow Virginians! I hope this motivates other republicans in congress to stop supporting Trump’s agenda. There will be consequences at the polls. Because they only care about themselves obviously. I really like Northam actually, I maybe in the minority but he inspired me.
Now Gillespie can return to the important work of locating his chin.
Trump’s response was typical. Newsflash republicans: he will not hesitate to throw any of you under the bus.
I’m hopeful that yesterday’s results are the start of blue wave for 2018. In the Midwest, there are multiple governor’s mansions currently red that need to be flipped blue. There’s some very interesting candidates running as Democrats, including Abdul El-Sayed from Michigan, who could be the first Muslim-American governor if elected and was the former director of the Detroit Public Health Department. With the ongoing Flint water crisis, that background is important. Wisconsin has a number of Democrats who want to make Scott Walker unemployed, including the current state superintendent of education, Tony Evers. The Minnesota Democratic primary is also interesting. One of the candidates, Rebecca Otto has on her platform a gradual increase of the minimum wage to $15. Illinois looks like its going to be incumbent Republican Bruce Rauner versus venture capitalist J.B. Pritzker for the Democrats.
Multiple House seats could flip, especially in Illinois and maybe in Michigan and Wisconsin. Randy Bryce has gotten a lot of attention and fundraising for his challenge to Paul Ryan, but the smear campaign from the GOP machine is starting to target him. It just came out that he paid off delinquent child support earlier this year and has had financial problems, including filing for bankruptcy in 1999. Bryce’s campaign spun this as how he can identify with people who are and have struggled financially, including many in Ryan’s district. The more likely one that could flip is one in northern Wisconsin where former Senator Herb Kohl’s nephew is running and is well funded against a hard right GOP incumbent who thinks that we don’t need a minimum wage, that a seven day work week is a great idea, and the Kwanzaa is a fake holiday.
One of the proposals on my local ballot was a millage for public transportation. People all over my city we’re getting spam texts from random numbers and from people in their contacts telling them to vote against this. My city doesn’t know where these texts came from, how they were sent, how people’s contact lists were hacked so that the texts could look like they were coming from friends and relatives, or who was behind it. I find this highly disturbing and am worried about future national elections. The Russian fake news posts and such on Facebook and Twitter were horrible and absolutely affected the presidential election. I don’t like the idea that hacking and similar tactics are being used to fight even a random local public transport initiative in a medium-sized city.
Jeez, that’s really disturbing!
Let’s not forget the millennials. They came out in droves yesterday. They are ages 18-29. They are the silent majority that has not been fully targeted yet. They are our hopes, our warriors and they are smart although sometimes lazy. I am proud of our younger generation. This is their future and it is good to see them fighting back.
Hooray for the millennials!
Millenials are 18-34 and Gen X-35-50. There are more Millenials, so this is a good thing, and Gen Xers are Dem voters too. The highest Rep voters are older that is part of the story also. The Republicans shrink their base as the younger voters are overtaking them.
Seeing that Danica Roem won against Bob Marshall gave me life.
Fingers crossed for Ginger Jentzen!
And congratulations Lee Carter of Virginia!
The election of Danica Roem had me on the brink of tears when I saw it on the news this morning. It gives me hope that after a year of trauma and horror that the world isn’t completely fucked after all. THANK YOU, VIRGINIA!
Congratulations to all of the ”DEPLORABLES” and the millions of people who gave us a MASSIVE (304-227) Electoral College landslide victory!-The Dotard
By deplorables and millions of people, he means the Russians who hacked the 2016 election in every possible way so that the Dotard would become president. It would be interesting if the press took a look at the 30% who say that they still support the Dotard. It has already been established that the majority of the Dotard’s supporters are Russian bots, so what percentage of the 30% are really bots?
How is this a massive landslide victory? His numbers are wrong. He got 306 and Hillary got 232. Using the numbers that the Dotard posted, the difference between 304 and 227 is just 77. This means that his win was just average, not massive.
He poses with Jared, the man who encouraged the Dotard to fire Comey and who just sparked a massive change in Saudi Arabia after holding meetings with the Crown Prince at 4 am. Stephen Miller, the man who writes the speeches for the Dotard and had a part in the Muslim ban, Legal Immigration Ban, and firing of Comey.
It was refreshing to hear GOP voters in Virginia say that enough is enough(one woman said she was voting for Northam even though she was a GOP because she didn’t like how Ed G was spewing hatred) because we aren’t seeing this same stand against the Dotard from the GOP in the Senate and House. The press keeps telling us that 98% of the GOP still support the Dotard, but yesterday just proved that those numbers are wrong. So once again we have to wonder how many of the 98% of the GOP who support the Dotard are really bots.
The best part from last night were the speeches taking a stand against the Dotard’s attempts to divide this country and start cultural wars. It’s sad that this same message isn’t coming from the Senate and House members who have the power to stop the Dotard.
The DOJ(Sessions) is issuing threats to AT&T and Time Warner, urging them to drop CNN or else they will punish them. What country are we living in? This is what they do in Russia. Why are they allowing the Dotard and his administration to get away with the abuse of power? The Dotard threatened to punish his political opponent Hillary and then some GOP members like Nunes and Chuck G, putting his words into actions, and no one is stopping any of them. Then there is Jared punishing those countries who refuse to bail him out on his debts, Qatar and now the princes of Saudi Arabia who may have loaned him money. Now this? When is enough going to be enough?
Why can’t the press see that the Dotard and the billionaires and millionaires in the WH, are messing around with the stock market? After the DOJ demanded that AT & T and Time Warner drop CNN and threatened to punish them if they didn’t, the Time Warner stock went down. This is why the press needs to stop falling for the con. The stock market isn’t doing well, it’s the billionaires and millionaires in the WH messing around with the stock market to give the Dotard the results he wants. He is trying to pressure AT &T into dropping CNN by dropping Time Warner stocks. This is wrong. When is enough going to be enough?
Also – no premature partying allowed – but 538 now has it at less than 50% chance that Rs keep the House – and last night seriously weakens Dump, who was already weak.
And just generally – – sh-t, CHEERS, EVERYONE! It’s been a craptastic year, I never ever again want to experience the godawful nightmare that was the night of 11/8/16, but the GOP was TROUNCED last night and we should all have an extra glass of Chardonnay tonight!
Now North Korea is calling for the US to oust the Dotard from power.
It’s also being reported that Gowdy just opened an investigation into the decisions that the FBI(Comey) made about Hillary. Gowdy tells the Dotard to let Mueller do his job and then he does this? When is Mueller going to start investigating Gowdy, Graham, Grassley, and Nunes who have been doing everything possible to obstruct the Trump Russian investigation?
Since Nunes, Grassley, and Gowdy’s attempts to discredit the dossier backfired, the Dotard sent out his bodyguard, Keith S, to discredit the dossier. The same bodyguard who punched a protester, delivered the firing letter to Comey’s office, forcibly removed a reporter after the Dotard told him to kick the reporter out, was given a position in the WH and sat at a table with officials when his only experience was being a bodyguard, and accidentally exposed classified information in a photo of him with the Dotard. The bodyguard said that a Russian offered to send 5 women to the Dotard’s room, but that he declined it and thought it was a joke, that he stood outside the Dotard’s door for minutes so no one went into the Dotard’s room while he was on guard, and that it wasn’t the Russian popstar who offered to send the women to the Dotard’s room(it was someone else in his entourage but didn’t know the person’s name). He said that the Dotard laughed at the offer because he thought it was a joke too. The most disturbing thing is that some journalists like Ari M bought into his lie. Ari said that the bodyguard is reliable simply because he was a police officer. Even Ken D fell for the bodyguard’s lie and refused to accept that in revealing the offer that the bodyguard confirmed what the dossier said.
The bodyguard’s story doesn’t make sense. Notice how he claims not to remember who sent the offer, but is adamant that it wasn’t the popstar. Why would he think that sending 5 women to the Dotard’s room was a joke considering the Dotard’s comments about grabbing women inappropriately? Another analyst pointed out that the bodyguard is a Dotard loyalist and will do anything to support the Dotard and that his statement actually confirms what the dossier said because he admitted that the offer was presented just in case someone steps forward saying that they overheard the conversation and he can’t be charged with perjury.
The Dotard claims that the Russian story is a lie because he is a germaphobe. We know that this isn’t true because of his addiction to fastfood , his aggressive hand shakes, and we never see him with some form of disinfectant.
Mueller interviewed Stephen Miller today about the firing of Comey.
Puerto Rico is still having problems. A powerline installed by Whitefish failed, leaving millions without power again. It’s also disgusting how the media has completely forgotten about Puerto Rico, Transgender Ban, and Muslim Ban. Why can’t the press report on these issues? Instead of covering Sarah’s briefings, perhaps the press can start covering these issues more aggressively.
People are saying that Chris Hayes also fell for the bodyguard’s lies. He thinks that the bodyguard is a reliable source and wouldn’t lie under oath. What’s wrong with the press? It seems like lately Ari and Chris, have been doing a lot of spinning and making excuses for the Dotard’s staff.