Buffalo, NY - The Comeback Kid

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

I agree with Sawx that the judge should’ve recused himself to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.  I also think Brown is pretty awful and acting like a spoiled brat.  Assuming Walton is more like Bernie/Ritchie Torres/Jamaal Bowman than AOC/Omar/Tlaib, I’d vote for her (my VBNMW rule is only for Presidential elections when Trump or a family member of his is in the ballot, I’d have voted for Nader in 2000).  Otherwise, I’d just sit this one out entirely.  I certainly wouldn’t reward Brown’s antics by voting for him in the GE.

That said, I don’t think there’s any evidence that Caban lost b/c of some sort of chicanery.  It’s not impossible, but right now it seems more likely that she lost fair and square by a razor thin margin.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Glad to see the neoliberal-MAGA alliance thwarted and democracy preserved.

Lol, there's no "neoliberal-MAGA alliance"; Byron Brown is just an egomaniacal sore loser. I agree with you this is a great outcome.

I'm more referring to the judge who made this ruling being a nakedly corrupt Trump hack. I find it funny that some of the centrists on here are suddenly okay with a blatantly activist ruling because it boosts their candidate. The ruling in the Walton case is, like many Supreme Court cases, totally devoid of legal precedence and chock full of partiality.

Contrary to your username, VBNMW isn't BS, it's a great principle. But the NMW part is critical. Support India Walton. Support the Democratic nominee for President, whether it's Rashida Tlaib or Joe Manchin. I agree with you that some establishment Dems are hypocrites on this front. "VBNMW except BS" (which I believe is someone else's username) is laughably ironic.

Sure, in practice it's a good principle. How it's carried out, it's absolutely BS and more proof of the one-way unity expectation.

The Democratic Party has an incredibly schizophrenic view of the left. They see them as responsible for everything bad that happened since 2016. They hate Bernie Sanders because he dared to challenge the party's main goal in the 21st century, and even go as far as to call him a foreign agent.

They trot out figures from outside the party to attack leftist darlings, and they stereotype the left as a group of rabble-rousing entryists instead of fellow members of the coalition. They cancel leftists for not getting in line while giving those who didn't keep that same energy when the left won a free pass, and choose not to support candidates for being "too far left" and "unelectable". Biden has made progress, but significant parts of the party establishment continue to demonize and marginalize the left at every turn.

At the same time, they recognize that there's no path to victory without the left's votes and browbeat them. You have the same people who promised never to back Bernie - even if he won the nomination - suddenly preaching unity when it was their candidate that prevailed. You have the same people who called Bernie a Russian agent suddenly telling his supporters to "listen to Bernie" and unite behind the nominee.

Instead of changing their approach to a more conciliatory one, or taking a stand against people who don't vote against the platform, they offer threats, bread and circuses, and empty platitudes. Instead of making sure the candidates, they hold an axe over our heads and browbeat us into voting. They spew BS platitudes about how we need to "raise the wage" and "expand access to healthcare" but choose to hide behind the parliamentarian and Manchin and Sinema when it comes time to do those things. You have them demonizing leftist candidates and voters while simultaneously demanding their votes.

I say VBNMW is BS because "voting blue no matter who" is only expected of one side. The Democratic Party doesn't want unity - they want left-wing submission.

I disagree with your reasoning here.  VBNMW absent extraordinary circumstances is a terrible rule because you’re then training yourself not to hold people on your side of the isle accountable.  If folks want leftist votes, they need to at least offer someone leftists can live with.  Beating Trump or someone like him is an extraordinary circumstance, but even with Senate races, there’s often no reason to vote for a GE Democratic nominee who opposes abolishing the filibuster.  Manchin has an excuse, but why not sit out the Arizona Senate GE or vote third party in that race if Sinema gets renominated?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Donated to Walton’s campaign last night on principle, Jacobs’ comments were disgusting.  Also, Jacobs was a staunch ally of Andrew Cuomo’s, but apparently Walton is now supposed to be a bridge too far?  Give me a f***ing break