June 6 Open Thread: Democrats Manage Not to Screw Up Primaries

Filed in National by on June 6, 2018

Except for the action-hungry sports bettors who flocked to Delaware, yesterday’s big stories came from the flurry of primaries in eight states. The generally good news for Democrats wasn’t all good. Especially bad was the poor showing by crooked Sen. Bob Menendez in his New Jersey Senate primary. Though he was let off the legal hook on corruption charges, everybody can see he’s filthy, and he barely cracked 60% against a tomato-can challenger. When Democrats fail to gain control of the Senate, Menendez’s refusal to step down in shame will be among the reasons. Never underestimate voters’ willingness to show revulsion.

California elects its judges, and recalls them, too, though not very often. Yesterday’s successful recall of Aaron Persky, the judge who gave the Stanford rapist a slap on the wrist, was the state’s first since 1932.

Meanwhile, fears about the state’s “jungle” primary system — the top two vote-getters face off regardless of party — undermining Democrats proved unfounded. Democrats avoided being shut out of any races despite their overcrowded rosterswsaq90sz of candidates.

Democrats looking for positive signs for November have focused on a Missouri state senate special election in suburban Kansas City, where a Democrat flipped another Trump-backing district just days after the resignation of Republican Gov. Rick Greitens. Never underestimate the voters’ willingness to show revulsion.

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  1. What was especially disgusting about Menendez’ win was the lengths that all the D pols in New Jersey went to in order to forestall a legitimate primary challenge:

    https://theintercept.com/2018/06/04/democrats-set-to-re-nominate-sen-bob-menendez-after-preventing-challengers-showing-how-calcified-the-party-is/

    We all know that Menendez and Carper were perhaps Big Pharma’s biggest boosters during Obamacare deliberations, and that they are a major reason why drug reimportation didn’t happen. Which is why many drug prices are so needlessly high.

  2. Liz Allen says:

    http://www.koat.com/article/deb-haaland-wins-nm-1st-congressional-district-primary/21089731

    First Native American and a woman wins primary in New Mexico. Its a good day.

  3. nathan arizona says:

    Liz Allen: It was a better day for mainstream Democrats than the “left.” (Not that they weren’t happy about these victories.) This might be for better, it might be for worse. For now just beat Trump and his supporters.

  4. Jason330 says:

    The Democratic Party isn’t going to be reformed overnight. It is a multi cycle process every time someone like Tom Carper faces a primary the ball is advanced toward the goal line.

  5. Jason330 says:

    Carper has some kind of svengali lie control over the press. How does his name NOT turn up in this story?

    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/senate-democrats-banking-fight_us_5b188c89e4b09578259ed910

  6. Liz Allen says:

    I dont think the Democratic Party will be reformed in my lifetime. Until we get rid of the corporate owned candidates, we will never have liberal or progressive values, or an agenda that address’s citizen needs, not corporations. Campaign finance has never been properly addressed. Every legislator spends as much time obtaining funds for their campaigns, they have no time to do research on issues They are willing to “dance with the ones who brung em”!

  7. Liz Allen says:

    https://www.thenation.com/article/bernie-sanders-commonsense-plan-save-postal-service/

    GOP wants to privatize everything, thanks to Bernie Sanders there maybe a way to stop them

  8. Alby says:

    “I don’t think the Democratic Party will be reformed in my lifetime.”

    I’m a couple of years younger but it holds true for me as well. That said, stranger things have happened. Hell, they happen several times a day now.