Democrats Will Get Behind Tomblin

OK, but I will mumble and grumble to myself. (0.00 / 0)

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by: MadAnne @ Mon May 16, 2011 at 00:18:59 AM UTC

I refusing to vote for that crook (1.00 / 1)

I won't vote Tomblin, I'm protesting our parties lack of liberalism I'd rather have 4 failed years of Maloney then 8 of Tomblin,  

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by: michelking @ Mon May 16, 2011 at 02:12:56 AM UTC

Democrats only win by sticking together (4.00 / 1)

The conservative, moderate, and liberal wings of the Party are without power when divided.  If a faction of the Party wants to make a move it needs to take place in the Primary.  Tomblin won the primary convincingly and all the other candidates have thrown their support behind him.  To sacrifice our State to a radical like Maloney as some sort of protest seems short sighted to me.

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by: Jeremiah @ Mon May 16, 2011 at 02:57:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

not convincing me (0.00 / 0)

more than 75,000 voters chose a Democrat other than Tomblin. Our state has already been sacrificed by the very democrats that have run it, with the possible exception of the 1st Congressional District.

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by: DB @ Mon May 16, 2011 at 12:32:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ditto! (4.00 / 1)

That's like saying Manchin is a "moderate." He's not - he's a betrayal of the fundamental principles of the Democratic party.

Tomblin is more of the same - he's a conservadem, and awful on the environment and the need to move beyond coal.

Gawd, why can't our state produce one decent politician to run for Congress? (And don't mention Kessler. You don't want the story of how he sold out on PATH.)

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by: blonde moment @ Thu May 19, 2011 at 14:37:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh yes we do (0.00 / 0)

Too many of this crrap goes unmentioned. We need to start putting this information out there so that all of us will know what we're voting for or against.  

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by: DB @ Fri May 20, 2011 at 13:16:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Given Maloney's primary campaign (4.00 / 4)

and considering he started with the tired God, guns and gays stance - and has shown a willingness to smear his opponents, it's safe to say we have an ugly campaign ahead of us.

I figure he'll go anti-gay and run ads attacking Tomblin for not opposing the ant-discrimination bill.

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by: heath_harrison @ Mon May 16, 2011 at 03:12:22 AM UTC

Then Tomblin needs to decide (4.00 / 2)

Will Tomblin again throw gays under the bus in order to win Fundie votes he was never going to win anyway, or will he actually be a principled man who sides with fairness and equality for ALL West Virginians?

That's going to determine my vote for, at this point, I'm nearly locked into voting for the Mountain Party candidate.

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by: WV26003 @ Mon May 16, 2011 at 11:31:04 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Under the bus, gays, women's right to choose, Obama, healthcare, (4.00 / 1)

to be realistic. But hey, he's a Dem.  So much for grumbling to myself.

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by: MadAnne @ Mon May 16, 2011 at 12:19:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Same old, same old (4.00 / 5)

The makeup of this general election seems all too familiar to me: the choice between a conservative Democrat and a fringe, right-wing lunatic. Last time, I bit the bullet, pushed aside my principles, and voted for the lesser of the two evils. I then watched that candidate go to D.C. and vote against my interests, his state's interests, and the nation's interests time and time again. He opposed repeal of DADT, he opposed ending the Bush tax cuts for the super rich, and now he is supporting the CAPS bill and "alternative energy" that essentially amounts to the conversion of coal to gasoline at twice the carbon footprint and environmental destruction of traditional oil.  

So now WV has to make a similar choice, although for Democrats it's Tomblin this time instead of Manchin. Tomblin, who is the same politician who found the time as acting governor to allow for tax breaks for companies drilling for natural gas in our state but could not be bothered to craft environmental and safety regulations for the same industry; the same candidate who responded to a Gazette Q&A question about LGBT rights with the answer that our existing laws already did enough to protect citizens from hate crimes and discrimination; and the same candidate who had a "call to arms" rally for the coal industry after the EPA used its legal authority under the CWA to veto the Big Spruce Mine permit on the scientifically-supported grounds that it would cause devastating, irreparable damage to the surrounding environment and the health of the local residents.

Although I'm a dedicated and loyal Democrat, when I go to the polls to cast my ballot in the upcoming general election, it's going to be very hard to again abandon my principles and beliefs and not to vote for the Mountain Party candidate.  

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by: Seneca_Doane @ Mon May 16, 2011 at 18:32:54 PM UTC

me too (4.00 / 3)

I just can't see myself voting for ERT.

Unless the Mountain Party candidate is a complete wacko, he's going to get my vote

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by: dlwickham @ Mon May 16, 2011 at 23:03:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

We've got 5 months (0.00 / 0)

in which to make up our minds and ERT must be the one who unites us as dems.  He must show us that he IS willing to regulate the gas industry with common sense approach agenda.  He has to show us he can lead us and make us feel proud.  If he shows us he's really MOJO then he's gonna have trouble with a substantial percentage of dems but unless they organize against him, it will be either Maloney or ERT and we will have succeeded in keeping the status quo.

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by: JBdem4usa @ Tue May 17, 2011 at 01:25:58 AM UTC

Then we should ask this (0.00 / 0)

Isn't it the Democratic Party (liberals, especially) whom are always asking why anyone would vote against their self-interest?

So, in total, is a vote for ERT a vote against one's self-interest? In my case, I say that such a vote is.

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by: WV26003 @ Tue May 17, 2011 at 01:46:09 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Repeat (0.00 / 0)

of the Oliverio/McKinley election. The Democratic base did not support Oliverio or his right-wing, tea-party ideas. The same thing could befall Tomblin if he stays on the same path he's on.

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by: DB @ Tue May 17, 2011 at 03:23:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

And so we get Maloney (0.00 / 0)

and his right-wing tea-party ideas?

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by: JAWVMM @ Tue May 17, 2011 at 13:33:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Maybe. (0.00 / 0)

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by: MadAnne @ Tue May 17, 2011 at 13:54:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

One year (4.00 / 1)

It will be easier to energize Democrats & remove Maloney in a year than Tomblin. Once he's in there we're stuck with him for 8 years and everyone knows it whether they will admit it or not.

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by: DB @ Wed May 18, 2011 at 00:09:17 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not 8 years (4.00 / 1)

The WV Constitution would prevent Tomblin from running in 2016 if, in fact, he was to be re-elected in 2012.

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by: WV26003 @ Wed May 18, 2011 at 00:46:05 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes (0.00 / 0)

I meant 4 more yrs. But it would feel like 8.

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by: DB @ Wed May 18, 2011 at 11:42:15 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Dangerous assumption to make (4.00 / 2)

I seem to recall quite a few folks who didn't like the Democratic candidate for WV-02 in 2000 and figured they could get rid of Capito after 2 years. 12 years later, she's pretty entrenched in that seat.

As lousy as Earl Ray is, I don't see how any progressive-leaning person could root for punishing the state by letting Bill Maloney and his cadre of former Blankenship staffers win in the fall.

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by: heath_harrison @ Wed May 18, 2011 at 01:42:45 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It is dependent (4.00 / 1)

on whether it is possible to mobilize Democrats to vote against Maloney in 18 months.

Why is Capito so entrenched? Are 2nd CD Democrats voting for her? Are 2nd CD Democrats not voting? Is the Democratic Party serious about defeating her?  

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by: DB @ Wed May 18, 2011 at 11:51:31 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

she usually doesnt' mention REPUBLICAN (4.00 / 4)

not on campaign HQ until forced to by the Dems across the street, or on her websites or in that WKRP that franking lets her put in my mailbox every two years. Valley right to lifers do not know she is a member of a GOP woman's pro-choice group, so she has walked that tightrope two-faced.

The legislature made CD2 to cordon off the GOP. Look at where most of the GOP in the state house and senate come from. Overhead projector time, or is that showing my age?

And no i don't think the state and DCCC have been on the same page about a candidate against her. Humprheys twice: not forgiven for trashing Workman. Callahan: money and zipper problems. Wells: $84K total and $15K was their own money. Need I go on?

NFTT: Support My Team or I Will Dance

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by: CA Berkeley WV @ Wed May 18, 2011 at 14:25:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Trending....................... (0.00 / 0)

 Trending.That's a word I see every time I open my Yahoo page.I'm wondering why I never see a heading labeled "DINOs",because we certainly seem to have more and more of them in elected office lately.I believe this is due to the fact that 60% of the registered voters in this state are Democrats,so the logic is if you want to run for statewide office,you must do so as a Democrat,then,once in,you use the power of incumbancy to keep getting re-elected,unless turned out by term limits.It also helps to be less-than princpled if you want to receive campaign contributions from the people who have the money to give.In our state,as in most others,this leads to the officeholder taking his constiuency for granted.After all,we too often say,He or She IS the Democrat.Too often lately,though,I'm afraid it is In Name Only,and we are being dragged farther and farther in the wrong direction,away from NLRA,DEP,ERA,CWA,etc.,etc.,in favor of Big Oil,Big Coal,Big Pharma,the Chamber,the Banks,etc.,etc.,ad infinitum.
 The lesser of two evils is still evil,and we should run better candidates,and support them,not stick with the status quo:the Evil we know!

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by: Lonegunman @ Thu May 19, 2011 at 15:28:39 PM UTC

A thought occurs............ (0.00 / 0)

 Just remembered something from my days in the Corps:The leaders who got "fragged",got it from someone behind them.Just a thought.

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by: Lonegunman @ Thu May 19, 2011 at 15:33:40 PM UTC