Blue Dog Coalition

[Frodo]

Does anyone see the Blue Dog Coalition still in existence in January 2015?  Will the 2014 midterms be its last throw of the dice before it officially disbands?  

[IceSpear]

It's possible that its members could fall into single digits after 2014. So hopefully it just goes away.

[publicunofficial]

Lynch, Cooper, Lipinski, Bishop, Costa, Schrader, Scott, Thompson, Sanchez, and Cuellar are safe. Peterson is safe so long as he doesn't retire. Gallego and Barrow will probably win outside of a really bad year. So right now they're looking at a maximum loss of 3 members: Matheson, Michaud, and McIntyre.


It's also fairly likely that the 114th Congress could bring in some new members (Gwen Graham, Pat Hays, Jennifer Garrison, Nick Casey, Jerry Cannon) so I wouldn't stick a fork in them just yet.

[ElectionsGuy]

I don't think it will ever just disappear, there will always be a coalition. But its diminishing very fast. Every election it will just get infinitely smaller.

[Indy Texas]

It was formed originally as a forum for a certain type of Southern Democrat that simply does not exist in sufficient numbers to justify its existence. Turning it into a catch-all caucus for any Democrat from a red state/district isn't really helpful.

I'd rather see a new centrist Democratic caucus be formed that could hopefully serve as a counterweight to the Elizabeth Warren-ist tendencies the Democrats seem to be adopting as of late. Their chief issues would be things like advocating for free trade agreements, as opposed to mainly differentiating themselves based on things like guns and social issues.

[Frodo]

I'd rather see a new centrist Democratic caucus be formed that could hopefully serve as a counterweight to the Elizabeth Warren-ist tendencies the Democrats seem to be adopting as of late. Their chief issues would be things like advocating for free trade agreements, as opposed to mainly differentiating themselves based on things like guns and social issues.

We already have one -it's called the New Democrat Coalition.  And it has taken the place of the Blue Dogs as the chief moderating force within the Democratic Party.  

And I agree with you.  Given that there are only a few white, rural southern Blue Dogs left who still hold office, and that most in that body are also members of the NDC, I really don't see any need for their continued existence as a separate caucus.  Whatever remains of the Blue Dog Coalition should just merge with its larger and more powerful New Democrat counterpart, especially after the next elections which should spell the final end of white rural southern Democrats as a political force to be reckoned with.    

[smoltchanov]

Precisely as coalition of mainly rural and southern  (and - mostly white) Democrats Blue Dog coalition may become extinct (right now, probably, only 2 Democrats, satisfying all these conditions, are  McIntyre and Barrow) really soon. But there always will be an formal or informal coalition of centrist/moderate (no one, even McIntyre and Barrow, is a conservative by standards of recent past, just as no Republican (even Collins and her like) stands close to Republican moderates (even more - liberals) of relatively recent past) Democrats. Whether it will be called "Blue Dogs"  or some other name - we shall see.