Special Election megathread (4/30: NY-26)

[Never Made it to Graceland]

How long after Turner wins does she give a speech suggesting we impeach Joe Biden for eco-terrorism because he didn't pass the Green New Deal by executive order?

Or maybe that's a bit hyperbolic, perhaps she just goes on Joe Rogan's podcast and trashes Biden/Kamala for 35 solid minutes, then pretends she has no idea why right-wing think tanks and GOP strategists are tweeting it all over the place and using it in ads.

The Biden Boys in this thread are off their rockers.

Hey, whatever you do, don't look at me, y'all, I said my piece on & made my peace with Congressman Turner months ago, the latter aspect of which is presumably something that - let alone presumably more than - I presume the likes of GMac will ever be able to do. I'm just in the business of trying to make halfhearted-but-still-somehow-witty quips at this point.

While you were a Biden primary supporter, you did so with intelligence and logic to defend your stance, which is more than can be said for some of the folks on this site who are primarily motivated by extreme irrational hatred for anything connected to the Bernie universe.

[TJ in Oregon]

The main question I have is why Fudge even wanted to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first place.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

The main question I have is why Fudge even wanted to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first place.

She didn’t. She wanted Agriculture and she spoke publicly about how she thinks black Cabinet members are often shunted to HUD.

[TJ in Oregon]

The main question I have is why Fudge even wanted to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first place.

She didn’t. She wanted Agriculture and she spoke publicly about how she thinks black Cabinet members are often shunted to HUD.

Then why did she say yes? To my knowledge the president has no ability to force HUD upon an unwilling candidate.

[brucejoel99]

The main question I have is why Fudge even wanted to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first place.

She didn’t. She wanted Agriculture and she spoke publicly about how she thinks black Cabinet members are often shunted to HUD.

Then why did she say yes? To my knowledge the president has no ability to force HUD upon an unwilling candidate.

Something something "when the President asks you to serve," something something "everything else is crap."

[Tintrlvr]

The main question I have is why Fudge even wanted to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first place.

She didn’t. She wanted Agriculture and she spoke publicly about how she thinks black Cabinet members are often shunted to HUD.

To be fair, it would quite odd for a Congresswoman from a clearly entirely urban district to become Secretary of Agriculture. I suppose the Democrats are rather lacking in districts that include substantial amounts of farmland these days, but if there was going to be a black Congressperson who became Secretary of Agriculture, surely it would be someone like Bennie Thompson or Terri Sewell who actually represents a lot of farmers (though I don't think either of them in particular has focused much on agricultural issues).

[brucejoel99]

The main question I have is why Fudge even wanted to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first place.

She didn’t. She wanted Agriculture and she spoke publicly about how she thinks black Cabinet members are often shunted to HUD.

To be fair, it would quite odd for a Congresswoman from a clearly entirely urban district to become Secretary of Agriculture. I suppose the Democrats are rather lacking in districts that include substantial amounts of farmland these days, but if there was going to be a black Congressperson who became Secretary of Agriculture, surely it would be someone like Bennie Thompson or Terri Sewell who actually represents a lot of farmers (though I don't think either of them in particular has focused much on agricultural issues).

Perhaps it would've been odd at first glance, but I think that would've just been an unfortunate casualty of the quasi-misnomer of the title that is "Secretary of Agriculture" moreso than anything else, given that "Agriculture" invokes rural farming, even though 80% of the Department's focus is nutrition assistance (e.g., SNAP) & she was literally the Chair of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, & Department Operations when she was still back in the House.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The main question I have is why Fudge even wanted to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first place.

She didn’t. She wanted Agriculture and she spoke publicly about how she thinks black Cabinet members are often shunted to HUD.

To be fair, it would quite odd for a Congresswoman from a clearly entirely urban district to become Secretary of Agriculture. I suppose the Democrats are rather lacking in districts that include substantial amounts of farmland these days, but if there was going to be a black Congressperson who became Secretary of Agriculture, surely it would be someone like Bennie Thompson or Terri Sewell who actually represents a lot of farmers (though I don't think either of them in particular has focused much on agricultural issues).

That's what Shirley Chisholm thought at first.

[BuckeyeNut]

Nina Turner has received the endorsement of the Cleveland Plain Dealer this fine Fourth of July morning.

[DrScholl]

She seems to have backed off of Medicare For All and made it a state issue

https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2021/07/nina-turner-in-the-democratic-primary-for-the-11th-congressional-district.html

As she recently suggested to cleveland.com reporter Seth R. Richardson, while she supports Medicare for All, that idea might best grow outward from the states rather than being imposed from Washington.

And the paper also praised her for standing up to a union (isn't she supposed to be pro-union?)

The same Nina Turner who stood up to the Cleveland Teachers Union and delivered state legislative votes across the aisle for Mayor Frank Jackson when he was fighting for his all-important Cleveland Plan for reforming the Cleveland public schools

[Nyvin]

She seems to have backed off of Medicare For All and made it a state issue

https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2021/07/nina-turner-in-the-democratic-primary-for-the-11th-congressional-district.html

As she recently suggested to cleveland.com reporter Seth R. Richardson, while she supports Medicare for All, that idea might best grow outward from the states rather than being imposed from Washington.

And the paper also praised her for standing up to a union (isn't she supposed to be pro-union?)

The same Nina Turner who stood up to the Cleveland Teachers Union and delivered state legislative votes across the aisle for Mayor Frank Jackson when he was fighting for his all-important Cleveland Plan for reforming the Cleveland public schools

Being against Teachers Unions can be seen as a good thing in some progressive circles in regards to education reforms.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

The main question I have is why Fudge even wanted to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first place.

She didn’t. She wanted Agriculture and she spoke publicly about how she thinks black Cabinet members are often shunted to HUD.

To be fair, it would quite odd for a Congresswoman from a clearly entirely urban district to become Secretary of Agriculture. I suppose the Democrats are rather lacking in districts that include substantial amounts of farmland these days, but if there was going to be a black Congressperson who became Secretary of Agriculture, surely it would be someone like Bennie Thompson or Terri Sewell who actually represents a lot of farmers (though I don't think either of them in particular has focused much on agricultural issues).

The Chair and Vice Chair of the House Agricultural Committee, FWIW, are David Scott and Alma Adams, respectively. Both are black members who represent urban districts.

[CookieDamage]

Can we get a poll pls, like hellaurrrr...

[PSOL]

Nina Turner has received the endorsement of the Cleveland Plain Dealer this fine Fourth of July morning.

[Donerail]

Nina Turner has received the endorsement of the Cleveland Plain Dealer this fine Fourth of July morning.

It's the newspaper.

[Anti Democrat Democrat Club]

And perhaps this will be the election where people figure out - hopefully - that Clyburn isn't some kingmaker in Democratic primaries, and that his endorsement is a lagging indicator rather than a leading one: that he almost always endorses the candidate who has the best chance of winning (and the rest of the time, as is likely the case here, endorses a candidate out of sheer pettiness).

You forgot one key detail, Griff. Not voting blue is fine if the "blue" is on the left.

[Sir Mohamed]

Nina Turner has received the endorsement of the Cleveland Plain Dealer this fine Fourth of July morning.

It's the newspaper.

I'm not convinced newspaper editorial board endorsements mean much these days.

[BuckeyeNut]

Nina Turner has received the endorsement of the Cleveland Plain Dealer this fine Fourth of July morning.

It's the newspaper.

I'm not convinced newspaper editorial board endorsements mean much these days.

Generally, I agree. But the subset of the population that cares about such things is usually the sort that leans toward the establishment, so if it brings some of them off the fence, it’s good for Turner.

[Donerail]

Nina Turner has received the endorsement of the Cleveland Plain Dealer this fine Fourth of July morning.

It's the newspaper.

I'm not convinced newspaper editorial board endorsements mean much these days.

Means more than the endorsement of some Congressman from another state, and we spent a couple pages of this thread talking about that

[Not Me, Us]

Nina Turner has received the endorsement of the Cleveland Plain Dealer this fine Fourth of July morning.

It's the newspaper.

I'm not convinced newspaper editorial board endorsements mean much these days.

Means more than the endorsement of some Congressman from another state, and we spent a couple pages of this thread talking about that

Frankly, I think they matter equally much, which is not at all.

[VAR]

If Republicans were smart, they would rally behind Kunze in order to, via redistricting, draw her into a competitive/fair suburban Columbus seat — one that she could hold through the decade. Her views on abortion/guns (which I disagree with) are honestly quite irrelevant.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

If Republicans were smart, they would rally behind Kunze in order to, via redistricting, draw her into a competitive/fair suburban Columbus seat — one that she could hold through the decade. Her views on abortion/guns (which I disagree with) are honestly quite irrelevant.

Neither Trump nor Stivers are backing her

[VAR]

If Republicans were smart, they would rally behind Kunze in order to, via redistricting, draw her into a competitive/fair suburban Columbus seat — one that she could hold through the decade. Her views on abortion/guns (which I disagree with) are honestly quite irrelevant.

Neither Trump nor Stivers are backing her

Yes, I’m aware.

[TJ in Oregon]

If Republicans were smart, they would rally behind Kunze in order to, via redistricting, draw her into a competitive/fair suburban Columbus seat — one that she could hold through the decade. Her views on abortion/guns (which I disagree with) are honestly quite irrelevant.

Other Republicans, probably the majority of the party see no point in having her in office. If we're going to get a Democrat anyway, why not a real one? I'll take my gamble on someone else, thanks.

[Stuart98]

Interesting race. It's basically become national establishment vs progressives and local establishment. Turner's still got significantly more local support. I'm feeling high single digit to low double digit margin for Turner right now