Comments on: The Narrative Is That There Is No Narrative http://news.firedoglake.com/2009/11/04/the-narrative-is-that-there-is-no-narrative/ Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:44:55 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: David Dayen http://news.firedoglake.com/2009/11/04/the-narrative-is-that-there-is-no-narrative/#comment-2637 David Dayen Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:38:46 +0000 http://news.firedoglake.com/?p=785#comment-2637 I wouldn't want to over-read CA-10. Garamendi had superior name ID and a long history in California, as well as all the labor support. In special elections in this state, that's pretty much all you need. He did see pretty good turnout yesterday, much better than other special elections in the state, probably because it was held on a traditional Election Day. But yes, he did not moderate himself one ounce and still won comfortably. I wouldn’t want to over-read CA-10. Garamendi had superior name ID and a long history in California, as well as all the labor support. In special elections in this state, that’s pretty much all you need. He did see pretty good turnout yesterday, much better than other special elections in the state, probably because it was held on a traditional Election Day.

But yes, he did not moderate himself one ounce and still won comfortably.

]]> By: Teddy Partridge http://news.firedoglake.com/2009/11/04/the-narrative-is-that-there-is-no-narrative/#comment-2636 Teddy Partridge Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:33:59 +0000 http://news.firedoglake.com/?p=785#comment-2636 Superb roundup, you've got it all exactly right. I would add that CA10 is exactly the kind of district the GOP needs to find its resurgence: suburban/exurban, growing, economically wary, and demographically fluid. A moderate Republican might have given the Democrat a scare here; calling CA10 a "reliably Democratic district," as TradMed has all along, ignores its long representation by GOPs prior to Tauscher's wresting it from them by a squeaker in 1996. Ellen Tauscher may have been exactly the right kind of transitional Democrat to make voters comfortable pulling a 'D' lever, but Garamendi proved yesterday that you don't need to use the excuse of "representing your voters." Corporatists will be corporatists regardless of the district's needs and wants; liberals can win when they are unabashed and proud. Lawrence O'Donnell's description yesterday of Daniel Patrick Moynihan's successes in upstate NY, where politically he was anathema but his integrity won voters over. We need more liberal Democrats unafraid to carry our message to voters: <strong>A Choice, Not An Echo.</strong> Superb roundup, you’ve got it all exactly right.

I would add that CA10 is exactly the kind of district the GOP needs to find its resurgence: suburban/exurban, growing, economically wary, and demographically fluid. A moderate Republican might have given the Democrat a scare here; calling CA10 a “reliably Democratic district,” as TradMed has all along, ignores its long representation by GOPs prior to Tauscher’s wresting it from them by a squeaker in 1996.

Ellen Tauscher may have been exactly the right kind of transitional Democrat to make voters comfortable pulling a ‘D’ lever, but Garamendi proved yesterday that you don’t need to use the excuse of “representing your voters.” Corporatists will be corporatists regardless of the district’s needs and wants; liberals can win when they are unabashed and proud.

Lawrence O’Donnell’s description yesterday of Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s successes in upstate NY, where politically he was anathema but his integrity won voters over. We need more liberal Democrats unafraid to carry our message to voters: A Choice, Not An Echo.

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