Housekeeping Notes
Bowman, the Senate, the Debate, and meeting me
First and foremost, THANK YOU! I greatly appreciate those of you who have been reading this nascent blog, and especially those who have contacted me with questions, suggestions, and requests.
The question I have received most is “What do you think will happen in November?”
I am less pessimistic than most, and I guess cautiously optimistic. It’s not just the presidential contest, but what happens to the Senate, the House, and at the state level.
Jamaal Bowman’s huge loss to George Latimer (58.4 - 41.6) bodes well for the Democratic Party overall, and echoes most (albeit not all) of the primaries and specials this year between the far-left and moderate wings. There are a lot of moderate and liberal Democrats who believe the far left goes too far: that the members of the squad are more interested in national profiles than doing the actual job of a Congressperson: providing constituent services and voting the conscience of their constituency. Other far left elected officials, like District Attorneys, strike many people as putting criminal rights above safety from crime.
Bowman’s loss also shows the problem when people go to Congress with a non-political background. It USED to be that people were elected to school board, or town council, then worked up to county and state offices and THEN ran for Congress. This enabled them to build up supporters, as well as the knowledge necessary for political problem-solving and drafting legislation. Latimer had built supporters, infrastructure and knowledge over decades. In 1992, the late Lynn Yaekel ran for Senate in Pennsylvania. She had a lot of good qualities, but her life’s work revolved around women’s health initiatives. While there was a lot of excitement about her (it WAS “The Year of the Woman”) I just kept telling people that no matter what, she’d lose because “US Senator” is not an entry level position. (She lost to Arlen Spector.)
If we are going to win this year, our candidates must appeal to the larger percentage of the voters than the other side. The bigger the tent, the more people who will vote Democratic. While the far left will say “that’s not enough” - they need to understand that this is a binary election. Up and down the ballot.
What about the Senate?
Years ago, I used to write a column called “Sunday with the Senators”, and I had a request to bring that to this platform. That will kick off this weekend with an overview of the playing field, and will continue (hopefully every Sunday, but more likely every other Sunday) with information on individual races, and under the radar information you may not know about the candidates.
Why are you watching the debate?
I’ve heard from a number of you that you will not be watching the debate because you can’t stand to hear from Convicted Felon Trump. I advise you to watch the debate and not wait for the clips.
If you haven’t seen him speak in the past year, you have missed his implosion.
The way we will win the election will be by talking to people. (Honest, it’s the only way.) You cannot talk about what you do not know.
Seeing President Biden will make you feel good.
Would you like to see me in person?
I will be giving remarks in July. I’ll be talking about Block Captains (one of my most very favourite things!) If you live in the Chester County area, and are free the evening of the 10th, drop me a line, and I’ll get you all the details.
Sharing
Thanks to all of you who have shared my work. If you know anyone who might benefit from my insights, I’d really appreciate if you would share with your friends and family.