Special Election megathread (6/11: OH-6, 6/25: CO-4)

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

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.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

We're all for second chances. We just don't think people who are attracted to first graders deserve one.

You know, like normal people.

It's funny that we finally find a position where I'm more left than you.  I've always felt that the sex offender registry should be eliminated.

Um, what the f#ck?

The sex offender registry isn't about vengeance or second chances, it's about informing the public who in their neighborhood (or on certain forums...) have a sexual inclination towards children and shouldn't be associating with them. I think the system misjudges now and then with regard to age discrepancies (particularly for relationships that are long-term but "become" technically illegal) but there's an extremely valid reason it exists.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

As to Scholl's "abolish prisons" thing, no one except the extremely fringe left seriously believes that's a good idea. Even "Defund the Police" is more nuanced when you put that in context, although it is stupid political branding.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I don't want to derail the thread any further, I'll just say that the reason we have a sex offender registry and not a murder registry is that the former have much higher recidivism rates. And murders are more often personal; most murderers do not get a thrill from killing people. A person who is attracted to children cannot be cured of that. It is on them to do what ever necessary to not give in to those temptations, and that way they won't end up on the list.

I do agree the sex offender registry should be restructured and reserved for the "obvious" offenders, because it is a permanent mark and due process matters especially in cases like this. But for the same reason I don't want violent criminals having access to guns, I don't want pedophiles having access to children.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I haven't commented on this race before nor did I give it much attention. But I don't believe that Nina Turner is someone who's very helpful to the left's own cause. The AOC's and Cori Bush's of the party - hell, the Marie Newman's of the party - are the types of people you want moving the Democratic Party left. If you want to grow your coalition, you need to give a little and be a team player. Bernie did it. AOC did it. Maybe someone from the left not named Nina Turner will defeat Brown next year. Because if a candidate who's gone that rogue can muster 44% in a primary, then a more practical-thinking progressive can win here as well.

Although I don't know much about Brown and I don't think she would vote very differently than Turner would other than maybe on Israel. And, because the grassroots "Bernie movement"/DSA movement (I prefer the former as someone who's not very fond of the DSA itself) is still very new to our politics, it has nowhere to go but up. For that reason, I remain optimistic.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I think November's fate is pretty much set in stone, and Democrats are by no means in a position to get their progressive agenda through in this decade. If you're a progressive, move on to things other than election-watching. Accelerationism is the only tool at our disposal. Then maybe people will start to wake up and Second Amendment leftists will be leading the charge.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I think November's fate is pretty much set in stone, and Democrats are by no means in a position to get their progressive agenda through in this decade. If you're a progressive, move on to things other than election-watching. Accelerationism is the only tool at our disposal. Then maybe people will start to wake up and Second Amendment leftists will be leading the charge.

please don’t say things like this jfc

Why not? Jefferson was right. The tree of liberty is very dry and will only survive on the blood of tyrants.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Not sure what to even say here. Is the House a toss-up now?