How Claire McCaskill Helped Todd Akin Win the Republican Nomination
August 13, 2015 5:55 AM Subscribe
As it turned out, we spent more money for Todd Akin in the last two weeks of the primary than he spent on his whole primary campaign - how Claire McCaskill got her opponent nominated, in order to beat him.
"All of a sudden I understood the enormous risk I had taken: I had spent millions trying to control the outcome of the Republican primary. If it worked, some would call it political genius; if it failed, and especially if I went on to lose in November, it would be called the stupidest thing I had ever done."
A fascinating peek inside the sausage factory.
"All of a sudden I understood the enormous risk I had taken: I had spent millions trying to control the outcome of the Republican primary. If it worked, some would call it political genius; if it failed, and especially if I went on to lose in November, it would be called the stupidest thing I had ever done."
A fascinating peek inside the sausage factory.
That article ends on a cliffhanger! What does he say next?
posted by LtRegBarclay at 6:10 AM on August 13, 2015
posted by LtRegBarclay at 6:10 AM on August 13, 2015
What does he say next?
That you cannot get pregnant from rape. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
posted by effbot at 6:28 AM on August 13, 2015 [10 favorites]
That you cannot get pregnant from rape. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
posted by effbot at 6:28 AM on August 13, 2015 [10 favorites]
I'm a little surprised that a politician would write so openly about the potentially unethical tactics of getting elected. Especially with conservatives harping on "voter fraud," this seems to play right into the narrative that liberals are evil tricksters.
posted by rebent at 6:28 AM on August 13, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by rebent at 6:28 AM on August 13, 2015 [7 favorites]
I'm a little surprised that a politician would write so openly about the potentially unethical tactics of getting elected. Especially with conservatives harping on "voter fraud," this seems to play right into the narrative that liberals are evil tricksters.
I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, I see your point. There seems to be something...unseemly about trying to engineer who your opponent is going to be (This is something that came up in a sports thread awhile back about whether or not it should be against tournament rules for a competitor to half-ass or throw a particular match in order to get the seed they want in the next round).
On the other hand, there's nothing particularly shady about it, is there? I mean, it's not like she funneled money through some PAC to get pro-Akin ads run; she ran ads, under her own name, that said "This guy is very conservative." Which was true! My guess is that the Akin campaign didn't mind at the time. And I don't think it was a secret in Missouri that she had basically hoped Akin would be nominated even before the election happened.
Also Slate's (otherwise pretty worthless) writeup of this does have an excellent graphic.
posted by dismas at 6:37 AM on August 13, 2015 [15 favorites]
I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, I see your point. There seems to be something...unseemly about trying to engineer who your opponent is going to be (This is something that came up in a sports thread awhile back about whether or not it should be against tournament rules for a competitor to half-ass or throw a particular match in order to get the seed they want in the next round).
On the other hand, there's nothing particularly shady about it, is there? I mean, it's not like she funneled money through some PAC to get pro-Akin ads run; she ran ads, under her own name, that said "This guy is very conservative." Which was true! My guess is that the Akin campaign didn't mind at the time. And I don't think it was a secret in Missouri that she had basically hoped Akin would be nominated even before the election happened.
Also Slate's (otherwise pretty worthless) writeup of this does have an excellent graphic.
posted by dismas at 6:37 AM on August 13, 2015 [15 favorites]
I for one am happy to see non-conservative politicians actually playing the game. Hope and idealism can't win every election, and it does you no favors when you're trying to push policy through. The democrats could use some shrewdness. And Todd Akin gets no sympathy from me--he had plenty of opportunity to win that election, and lost it all on his own.
I also think McCaskill knows that, if Hillary wins the presidency, she'll have better things to do in 2018 than run for re-election. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see her in a cabinet position. At worst, she alienated a subset of voters that were never going to vote for her in the first place.
posted by almostmanda at 6:42 AM on August 13, 2015 [24 favorites]
I also think McCaskill knows that, if Hillary wins the presidency, she'll have better things to do in 2018 than run for re-election. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see her in a cabinet position. At worst, she alienated a subset of voters that were never going to vote for her in the first place.
posted by almostmanda at 6:42 AM on August 13, 2015 [24 favorites]
I'm a little surprised that a politician would write so openly about the potentially unethical tactics of getting elected
Unethical? They just pointed out *what Todd Akin was saying* and Missouri Republican went HELL FUCKING YEAH THAT'S OUR MAN!
Seriously. McCaskill's message was "too conservative for Missouri" and she put her name on it. And GOP voters went "FUCK YOU, BITCH,* I'LL SHOW YOU TOO FUCKING CONSERVATIVE FOR MISSORAH!" and they nominated the nut job. She did not in any way hide that she was saying or doing this. She said, point blank, that I am Claire McCaskill, Democrat, and Todd Akin is too consverative a nut job for Missouri, and Missouri promptly nominated him.
And Claire McCaskill was absolutely correct.
This isn't unethical. This is brilliant. You want to show the world what nut jobs look like? PUT THE LIGHT ON THE NUT JOBS. Don't let them go Scott Walker or Ted Cruz and pretend to be reasonable. Make them go full nut job to get nominated, then use that to defeat them in the general.
* You better believe sexism was a BIG part of why this worked, too. How DARE a woman tell me that man is too conservative.
posted by eriko at 6:43 AM on August 13, 2015 [109 favorites]
Unethical? They just pointed out *what Todd Akin was saying* and Missouri Republican went HELL FUCKING YEAH THAT'S OUR MAN!
Seriously. McCaskill's message was "too conservative for Missouri" and she put her name on it. And GOP voters went "FUCK YOU, BITCH,* I'LL SHOW YOU TOO FUCKING CONSERVATIVE FOR MISSORAH!" and they nominated the nut job. She did not in any way hide that she was saying or doing this. She said, point blank, that I am Claire McCaskill, Democrat, and Todd Akin is too consverative a nut job for Missouri, and Missouri promptly nominated him.
And Claire McCaskill was absolutely correct.
This isn't unethical. This is brilliant. You want to show the world what nut jobs look like? PUT THE LIGHT ON THE NUT JOBS. Don't let them go Scott Walker or Ted Cruz and pretend to be reasonable. Make them go full nut job to get nominated, then use that to defeat them in the general.
* You better believe sexism was a BIG part of why this worked, too. How DARE a woman tell me that man is too conservative.
posted by eriko at 6:43 AM on August 13, 2015 [109 favorites]
Also I sort of wonder if McCaskill is kinda banking on a Democrat winning the white house and being appointed to a Cabinet position or something. (On preview, beaten by almostmanda!)
The current (Democratic) SoS of Missouri is forgoing an attempt at re-election in order to run against Roy Blunt. I like Kander but I'm not sure how I feel about his chances against Blunt (although he's only 5 points behind, despite probably much lower name recognition); I do like his chances against the rest of the Missouri Republican back bench if he runs again after McCaskill becomes Attorney General or something.
posted by dismas at 6:45 AM on August 13, 2015
The current (Democratic) SoS of Missouri is forgoing an attempt at re-election in order to run against Roy Blunt. I like Kander but I'm not sure how I feel about his chances against Blunt (although he's only 5 points behind, despite probably much lower name recognition); I do like his chances against the rest of the Missouri Republican back bench if he runs again after McCaskill becomes Attorney General or something.
posted by dismas at 6:45 AM on August 13, 2015
Don't let them go Scott Walker or Ted Cruz and pretend to be reasonable. Make them go full nut job...
Are you implying that Walker and Cruz are not nut jobs? Or just not full nut jobs?
posted by MtDewd at 6:52 AM on August 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
Are you implying that Walker and Cruz are not nut jobs? Or just not full nut jobs?
posted by MtDewd at 6:52 AM on August 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm a little surprised that a politician would write so openly about the potentially unethical tactics of getting elected. Especially with conservatives harping on "voter fraud," this seems to play right into the narrative that liberals are evil tricksters.
Not really. This is merely an amped-up version of some very common tactics played by parties for ages and ages. Here in Indiana, where one must declare for one party or the other during the primaries, it's a time-honored tactic to have people declare for the opposition party in order to throw votes to the weakest candidate. The idea being that your candidate would then have a much easier time winning the general election.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:54 AM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
Not really. This is merely an amped-up version of some very common tactics played by parties for ages and ages. Here in Indiana, where one must declare for one party or the other during the primaries, it's a time-honored tactic to have people declare for the opposition party in order to throw votes to the weakest candidate. The idea being that your candidate would then have a much easier time winning the general election.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:54 AM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
There's nothing particularly unethical about what McCaskill did:
She made a commercial showing what Akin said
The ads warned against him and implored voters not to support him
Nothing forced or encouraged republicans to nominate him. But in the same way that republican congressmen believe "if Obama is for it, then I'm against it," this compelled republican voters to support akin in droves, knowing what he believed in and that democrats didn't like it.
posted by deanc at 6:55 AM on August 13, 2015 [8 favorites]
She made a commercial showing what Akin said
The ads warned against him and implored voters not to support him
Nothing forced or encouraged republicans to nominate him. But in the same way that republican congressmen believe "if Obama is for it, then I'm against it," this compelled republican voters to support akin in droves, knowing what he believed in and that democrats didn't like it.
posted by deanc at 6:55 AM on August 13, 2015 [8 favorites]
I would like to see this increase such that all political fandoms are beset with fear that their enemies may be trolling them into casting their ballot unfavorably. This would help accelerate the demise of electoral representative democracy.
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 7:01 AM on August 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 7:01 AM on August 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
This isn't unethical, it's out-thinking the other fellow. Not everything that's effective in politics is morally wrong.
It just seems that way.
posted by Devonian at 7:17 AM on August 13, 2015 [7 favorites]
It just seems that way.
posted by Devonian at 7:17 AM on August 13, 2015 [7 favorites]
My guess is that the Akin campaign didn't mind at the time.
No need to guess; the memoir excerpt mentions that Akin's campaign actually called McCaskill and asked to see her poll data about the effectiveness of the Huckabee ad they'd stupidly pulled. They had to know exactly what she thought she was doing, and took a similar risk themselves in trusting her numbers.
posted by mediareport at 7:21 AM on August 13, 2015 [5 favorites]
No need to guess; the memoir excerpt mentions that Akin's campaign actually called McCaskill and asked to see her poll data about the effectiveness of the Huckabee ad they'd stupidly pulled. They had to know exactly what she thought she was doing, and took a similar risk themselves in trusting her numbers.
posted by mediareport at 7:21 AM on August 13, 2015 [5 favorites]
They had to know exactly what she thought she was doing...
I keep harping on this, and it keeps being true: Most candidates (especially Republicans, and especially Tea Partiers) are in these bubbles of yes-people and are one hundred percent certain that the voters are clamoring for Any Republican, so all they have to do is win the primary. I can guarantee you that Akin's people knew what McCaskill was doing and were cackling with glee at how she was playing into their hands, because obviously she was going to lose, but she must have hated the other two people in the GOP primary more.
posted by Etrigan at 7:24 AM on August 13, 2015 [12 favorites]
I keep harping on this, and it keeps being true: Most candidates (especially Republicans, and especially Tea Partiers) are in these bubbles of yes-people and are one hundred percent certain that the voters are clamoring for Any Republican, so all they have to do is win the primary. I can guarantee you that Akin's people knew what McCaskill was doing and were cackling with glee at how she was playing into their hands, because obviously she was going to lose, but she must have hated the other two people in the GOP primary more.
posted by Etrigan at 7:24 AM on August 13, 2015 [12 favorites]
(whoops, missed the edit window -- change "Any Republican" to "Any Member Of Their Party" -- Democrats fall into the same trap, though less often)
posted by Etrigan at 7:32 AM on August 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Etrigan at 7:32 AM on August 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Here in Indiana, where one must declare for one party or the other during the primaries, it's a time-honored tactic to have people declare for the opposition party in order to throw votes to the weakest candidate. The idea being that your candidate would then have a much easier time winning the general election.
I wonder if this tactic might have backfired in 2000, with Dems casting primary ballots for Dubya instead of McCain. At the time Bush was pretty much a punch line for everybody, but once he became the nominee suddenly all of the GOP voters went into lockstep.
posted by Strange Interlude at 7:32 AM on August 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
I wonder if this tactic might have backfired in 2000, with Dems casting primary ballots for Dubya instead of McCain. At the time Bush was pretty much a punch line for everybody, but once he became the nominee suddenly all of the GOP voters went into lockstep.
posted by Strange Interlude at 7:32 AM on August 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
PS Go Trump
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:47 AM on August 13, 2015 [12 favorites]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:47 AM on August 13, 2015 [12 favorites]
Four weeks out we would begin with a television ad boosting Akin, which my campaign consultant Mike Muir dubbed “A Cup of Tea"
Phase 2 we dubbed: "Kermet fuggin sippin it"
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:50 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
Phase 2 we dubbed: "Kermet fuggin sippin it"
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:50 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
We live in a nation where the Republican members of the Supreme Court literally stole the Presidency for the Republican candidate in 2000.
A nation where, despite only getting 47% of the votes cast for the House of Representatives, the Republican party had so throughly gerrymandered the system that they gained a commanding majority of the seats in the House.
A nation where the Republican party is, thanks again to the Republicans in the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act, enacting sweeping vote suppression laws.
And some people here are getting in a tizzy because a Democrat did something that seems ever so slightly untoward?
People, when one side fights by the Marquis of Fantailer rules, and one side fights by no rules at all, then the Marquis of Fantailer people are going to lose. Every time.
The Democrats seem determined to lose despite everything being in their favor. Republican ideas and ideology polls miserably in the USA, when separated from the Republican name, and Democratic ideas and ideology poll excellently, when separated from the Democratic name.
Yet, despite that, in the name of a "Big Tent", the Democrats make room for elected officials who, literally, call the Democratic presidential candidate a traitor and campaign for the Republican candidate. It is apparently impossible to be too right wing for the Democrats, but it is frighteningly easy to be too left wing for the Democrats. The "Big Tent" doesn't cover filthy liberals, just arch-conservatives.
Count me among those who are cheering McCaskill for her willingness to fight using all the tools available to her. She didn't even cheat, she didn't even do anything immoral, she simply fought and abandoned the foolhardy, losing, pretense that the Republicans would play fair and that she should be a goody two shoes. I sincerely hope other Democrats follow her lead and begin seriously fighting their Republican opponents rather than acting as if it were a gentlemanly sport and any serious conflict would be far too crude for their delicate sensibilities.
posted by sotonohito at 7:52 AM on August 13, 2015 [34 favorites]
A nation where, despite only getting 47% of the votes cast for the House of Representatives, the Republican party had so throughly gerrymandered the system that they gained a commanding majority of the seats in the House.
A nation where the Republican party is, thanks again to the Republicans in the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act, enacting sweeping vote suppression laws.
And some people here are getting in a tizzy because a Democrat did something that seems ever so slightly untoward?
People, when one side fights by the Marquis of Fantailer rules, and one side fights by no rules at all, then the Marquis of Fantailer people are going to lose. Every time.
The Democrats seem determined to lose despite everything being in their favor. Republican ideas and ideology polls miserably in the USA, when separated from the Republican name, and Democratic ideas and ideology poll excellently, when separated from the Democratic name.
Yet, despite that, in the name of a "Big Tent", the Democrats make room for elected officials who, literally, call the Democratic presidential candidate a traitor and campaign for the Republican candidate. It is apparently impossible to be too right wing for the Democrats, but it is frighteningly easy to be too left wing for the Democrats. The "Big Tent" doesn't cover filthy liberals, just arch-conservatives.
Count me among those who are cheering McCaskill for her willingness to fight using all the tools available to her. She didn't even cheat, she didn't even do anything immoral, she simply fought and abandoned the foolhardy, losing, pretense that the Republicans would play fair and that she should be a goody two shoes. I sincerely hope other Democrats follow her lead and begin seriously fighting their Republican opponents rather than acting as if it were a gentlemanly sport and any serious conflict would be far too crude for their delicate sensibilities.
posted by sotonohito at 7:52 AM on August 13, 2015 [34 favorites]
I don't think most Democrat politicians are actually like anything you describe sotonohito. They fight plenty dirty, especially against each other. They just aren't usually this good at it.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:55 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:55 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
Missing the rat-fucking tag. This is one of the classiest, most elegant examples.
posted by Cookiebastard at 7:57 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Cookiebastard at 7:57 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
Are you implying that Walker and Cruz are not nut jobs? Or just not full nut jobs?
Their nuts are not even visible at the moment as Trump's big brass balls are blocking out the sun
posted by srboisvert at 8:05 AM on August 13, 2015 [9 favorites]
Their nuts are not even visible at the moment as Trump's big brass balls are blocking out the sun
posted by srboisvert at 8:05 AM on August 13, 2015 [9 favorites]
What McCaskill did wasn't rat-fucking, it was Jujutsu.
posted by klarck at 8:09 AM on August 13, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by klarck at 8:09 AM on August 13, 2015 [8 favorites]
What McCaskill did wasn't rat-fucking, it was Jujutsu.
Needs the brerrabbit tag.
posted by Etrigan at 8:27 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
Needs the brerrabbit tag.
posted by Etrigan at 8:27 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
Well, I'm on her side, so it's hard to criticize, but it's very cynical. I'm tired of how deeply cynical politics is now, but I also see that we have to beat them at their own game or see our country get ever more fucked up. It's 11:30 a.m., not too early to start drinking, right?
posted by theora55 at 8:37 AM on August 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 8:37 AM on August 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
It tickles me silly to think there are thousands of people who might suddenly realize they'd been played by a woman liberal.
*cackle*
posted by Mooski at 8:45 AM on August 13, 2015 [9 favorites]
*cackle*
posted by Mooski at 8:45 AM on August 13, 2015 [9 favorites]
if the republican party is going to keep using evil people to energize the most disgusting parts of their base, than i think it's only fair that the democrats point that out. this was an expert level move of pointing it out.
posted by nadawi at 8:48 AM on August 13, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by nadawi at 8:48 AM on August 13, 2015 [8 favorites]
Both McCaskill and Akin were making the same appeal to energize the right wing base - for differing definitions of base.
posted by klarck at 8:57 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by klarck at 8:57 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
In the documentary OutFoxed, they have a Republican strategist on tape describing how they successfully funded a primary candidate against a democratic representative who was hassling them. On my phone and can't find the Rep's name right now, but she was in a safely-Democratic district, so the only way they could get her out of office was to convince another candidate to run in the primary, fund ads, and get people to register As dens in order to vote for the other person.
This is small potatoes.
posted by KGMoney at 9:23 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
This is small potatoes.
posted by KGMoney at 9:23 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
I keep harping on this, and it keeps being true: Most candidates (especially Republicans, and especially Tea Partiers) are in these bubbles of yes-people and are one hundred percent certain that the voters are clamoring for Any Republican, so all they have to do is win the primary.
Todd Akin's own mailings took it as a foregone conclusion that you already agreed with him. I received junk mail from his campaign where the entire message was "Claire McCaskill loves gun control and hasn't voted to restrict abortion access!" Nothing about him or his issues. And it's like, yeah, I know, that's why I am voting for her. It didn't seem strategic at all, and the intended message would only connect if you were already so far right that you would never vote for McCaskill in the first place.
posted by almostmanda at 9:31 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
Todd Akin's own mailings took it as a foregone conclusion that you already agreed with him. I received junk mail from his campaign where the entire message was "Claire McCaskill loves gun control and hasn't voted to restrict abortion access!" Nothing about him or his issues. And it's like, yeah, I know, that's why I am voting for her. It didn't seem strategic at all, and the intended message would only connect if you were already so far right that you would never vote for McCaskill in the first place.
posted by almostmanda at 9:31 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
Todd Akin's own mailings took it as a foregone conclusion that you already agreed with him. I received junk mail from his campaign where the entire message was "Claire McCaskill loves gun control and hasn't voted to restrict abortion access!" Nothing about him or his issues. And it's like, yeah, I know, that's why I am voting for her. It didn't seem strategic at all, and the intended message would only connect if you were already so far right that you would never vote for McCaskill in the first place.
The point is to get asses out of their seats to the voting booth. You get people fired up about how bad the other candidate is, so they don't say "eh, it's not that important if I vote" on election day. Since voter turnout in general is pretty low in a lot of places, that matters.
At least, I assume that's the strategy, anyway. I've not worked on a campaign and I'm not a political scientist.
posted by dismas at 9:57 AM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
The point is to get asses out of their seats to the voting booth. You get people fired up about how bad the other candidate is, so they don't say "eh, it's not that important if I vote" on election day. Since voter turnout in general is pretty low in a lot of places, that matters.
At least, I assume that's the strategy, anyway. I've not worked on a campaign and I'm not a political scientist.
posted by dismas at 9:57 AM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
Claire McKaskill ratfucked that primary with an elegance and savagery that was breathtaking to behold. And as others have mentioned, I don't think it's unethical at all. Risky, but not unethical.
I have wondered if Fox News is similarly ratfucking the GOP primary this way around, figuring that a Trump loss will be better for their revenue stream over the next 6 years than a Bush win.
posted by KathrynT at 10:04 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
I have wondered if Fox News is similarly ratfucking the GOP primary this way around, figuring that a Trump loss will be better for their revenue stream over the next 6 years than a Bush win.
posted by KathrynT at 10:04 AM on August 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
People, when one side fights by the Marquis of Fantailer rules, and one side fights by no rules at all, then the Marquis of Fantailer people are going to lose. Every time.
While I agree with the sentiment, I feel compelled to point out that Marquis de Fantailler rules only apply on the Discworld. Here on Roundworld, it's Marquess of Queensbury.
posted by nonasuch at 10:25 AM on August 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
While I agree with the sentiment, I feel compelled to point out that Marquis de Fantailler rules only apply on the Discworld. Here on Roundworld, it's Marquess of Queensbury.
posted by nonasuch at 10:25 AM on August 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
Alright, I'm moving to Missouri to be represented by Claire McCaskill.
I do believe his nomination reaffirmed more than ever his conviction that a higher power had chosen him for this race.
Well, a power did...
(Had to look up who Akin's opponent John Brunner is; the only one I know is the sci-fi writer.)
posted by Rangi at 10:28 AM on August 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
I do believe his nomination reaffirmed more than ever his conviction that a higher power had chosen him for this race.
Well, a power did...
(Had to look up who Akin's opponent John Brunner is; the only one I know is the sci-fi writer.)
posted by Rangi at 10:28 AM on August 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
Yeah, I was somewhat torn when I first heard about this, but I come down with eriko. With misogyny, the more transparent the better in my opinion. As Hillary Clinton said recently, comments Trump has made about Megyn Kelly and other women are outrageous, but the policies that Walker and Rubio support are equally outrageous. Walker, especially, literally said during the Fox debate that women shouldn't have access to abortion even if their lives were threatened by their pregnancy. Like, the fact that Walker thinks my life is worth less than that of a fetus makes me angrier than anything Trump has ever said. But Trump has a way similar to Todd Akin of not trying to pretend to be something he's not that I appreciate in a candidate.
posted by Asparagus at 11:05 AM on August 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Asparagus at 11:05 AM on August 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
House of Cards worthy
posted by harrietthespy at 11:49 AM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by harrietthespy at 11:49 AM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
If this affects anyone's opinon of her: Claire McCaskill presents herself as pretty much a pro-business, centrist sort of Democrat -- Boeing is her good buddy. She's much more like Hilary Clinton than, say, Elizabeth Warren.
posted by Foosnark at 11:54 AM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Foosnark at 11:54 AM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh yeah, I love her shrewd tactics, but I don't necessarily love her as a Senator. For one, she's terrible on climate change.
posted by Asparagus at 12:00 PM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Asparagus at 12:00 PM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
Did Claire McCaskill Illegally Coordinate with Todd Akin’s Campaign?
posted by anotherpanacea at 12:36 PM on August 13, 2015
posted by anotherpanacea at 12:36 PM on August 13, 2015
if the republican party is going to keep using evil people to energize the most disgusting parts of their base ...
My question is, what is the difference between ratfuckery and stiob (hypernormalization)? If there is a difference, where do the two intersect?
posted by eclectist at 1:06 PM on August 13, 2015
My question is, what is the difference between ratfuckery and stiob (hypernormalization)? If there is a difference, where do the two intersect?
posted by eclectist at 1:06 PM on August 13, 2015
I'm a Missourian. I have met Claire McCaskill. She is sharp as a tack, and, yes, an extreme pragmatist. You've got to be, to be a woman and a Democrat and win in Missouri right now. She may be cynical, but she is also, at least, one of the sanest politicians in my state. And she's very genuinely willing to speak with her constituents, even those who disagree with her, about their concerns; she makes a real effort to communicate and listen at public events, on social media, or over email. I am far to the left of her on many issues, including domestic surveillance and environmental issues, and I've felt genuine anger and frustration at some of her positions, but I can genuinely say I'm glad to have her as my Senator. In Missouri, progressives are facing a state of crisis, with the state government legislature controlled by conservative extremists funded by big money, pro-corporate special interest groups, and ridiculous gerrymandering effectively silencing the voices of voters in liberal leaning areas of St. Louis, Columbia and Kansas City, hugely favoring the election of conservatives to represent us at the federal level. This may not be the time for idealists in government, honestly. People like me need people like Claire McCaskill throwing elbows and shotgunning beer.
posted by BlueJae at 2:17 PM on August 13, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by BlueJae at 2:17 PM on August 13, 2015 [8 favorites]
Rather a McCaskill that can win than a Landrieu who loses.
posted by klangklangston at 2:21 PM on August 13, 2015
posted by klangklangston at 2:21 PM on August 13, 2015
Part of me wonders if the publication of this story isn't, itself, Dogwhistle 2.0. I mean, what's going to rile up the right-wing diehards more than a Democrat telling them that Todd Akin is too conservative for their state? A Democrat crowing about how she played them like a fiddle by pulling that trick.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 2:39 PM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 2:39 PM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
This may not be the time for idealists in government, honestly.
There has not been a single election year since I've been eligible to vote in which I haven't been told that repeatedly by multiple people. I feel like we're going to pragmatically drive straight over the cliff.
posted by Foosnark at 2:42 PM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
There has not been a single election year since I've been eligible to vote in which I haven't been told that repeatedly by multiple people. I feel like we're going to pragmatically drive straight over the cliff.
posted by Foosnark at 2:42 PM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
The UK doesn't have a Primary system as it's understood in the USA; instead each party chooses its own leader, and the leader of the largest party that secures a majority in Parliament typically becomes Prime Minister.
The Labour party is in the process of choosing its leader, and there were three-plus-one candidates: the "plus one" is Jeremy Corbyn who is a lot further left than something very far to the left indeed. He is, however, a good speaker and more interesting than the Three, whose exciting message is something like "don't rock the boat."
So the Labour party has this program where you can join for only £3 and then get to directly vote on the party leadership - I don't know whether that bit is new, I thought it was a drawn out process of picking committees that pick other committees. Anyway, lots of right-wing rabble-rousers have been encouraging people to join Labour just so they can vote for Corbyn. The strategy seems to be working, although I don't know how much of an effect it's had. Labour wasn't going to win next election anyway, but now they're probably going to face the electorate with a range of novel and exciting policies that most people won't have been expecting.
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:41 PM on August 13, 2015
The Labour party is in the process of choosing its leader, and there were three-plus-one candidates: the "plus one" is Jeremy Corbyn who is a lot further left than something very far to the left indeed. He is, however, a good speaker and more interesting than the Three, whose exciting message is something like "don't rock the boat."
So the Labour party has this program where you can join for only £3 and then get to directly vote on the party leadership - I don't know whether that bit is new, I thought it was a drawn out process of picking committees that pick other committees. Anyway, lots of right-wing rabble-rousers have been encouraging people to join Labour just so they can vote for Corbyn. The strategy seems to be working, although I don't know how much of an effect it's had. Labour wasn't going to win next election anyway, but now they're probably going to face the electorate with a range of novel and exciting policies that most people won't have been expecting.
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:41 PM on August 13, 2015
Is Donald trump running a false flag campaign? (No, but fun to read)
posted by The Ted at 6:24 PM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by The Ted at 6:24 PM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
Let me be clear about Claire McCasklll. In an ideal world? I'd vote her out of office in a heartbeat. She basically republican.
But by republican I mean 1960 Northeastern republican. Which makes her probably one of the least conservative people in office today.
She is very smart. If I were in office, I'd argue like hell with her on the floor and work like hell with her off the floor -- like they did in better days. I disagree with her in a lot of ways, and her stance on climate is frankly criminal.
But I respect her. There have been legion of worse democrats. I'd far rather have her running for president than Hilary, other than the fact that right now, she'd lose.
And she is probably the first person to agree with that assessment.
But there's a reason she's able to not just hold on, but to succeed in the meat grinder that is Missouri politics. She is smart, she is good, she takes care of her people, and she know exactly how to beat you.
Come 2020? I think she might well be presidential. I'm not sure how I feel about that, given her climate stance. But she can win.
posted by eriko at 6:26 PM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
But by republican I mean 1960 Northeastern republican. Which makes her probably one of the least conservative people in office today.
She is very smart. If I were in office, I'd argue like hell with her on the floor and work like hell with her off the floor -- like they did in better days. I disagree with her in a lot of ways, and her stance on climate is frankly criminal.
But I respect her. There have been legion of worse democrats. I'd far rather have her running for president than Hilary, other than the fact that right now, she'd lose.
And she is probably the first person to agree with that assessment.
But there's a reason she's able to not just hold on, but to succeed in the meat grinder that is Missouri politics. She is smart, she is good, she takes care of her people, and she know exactly how to beat you.
Come 2020? I think she might well be presidential. I'm not sure how I feel about that, given her climate stance. But she can win.
posted by eriko at 6:26 PM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
McCaskill handled the Ferguson protests last year relatively well. I'd vote for her above almost any candidate currently on the bench for president.
posted by sandswipe at 7:52 PM on August 13, 2015
posted by sandswipe at 7:52 PM on August 13, 2015
Foosnark, trust me, I know I sound like a jaded sell-out when I say that Missouri doesn't have room for idealists at the moment, and I would really really really really really really really really really really really rather have a far-left progressive civil liberties champion and environmental activist representing me in Congress than Claire McCaskill, but I'd also like a million dollars and a cabin in the woods where I can write poetry in peace with no small children banging on my door asking me where their socks are, and that stuff isn't going to happen for me right now, either. So for now I'll take Claire, and be happy as hell that she not only ISN'T Todd Akin, but knows exactly how to kick Todd Akin's ass, and keep working when and where I can to change things so that we DO have more room for idealists here. My support for McCaskill doesn't mean I'm not also fighting for more progressive candidates, even when they have a snowball's chance in hell of winning here; it doesn't mean I don't still go door to door registering people in poor neighborhoods to vote; it doesn't mean that I don't send Senator McCaskill angry emails when she fails to represent my hippie interests well. I still do all of that stuff. I just also make room in my life to appreciate the utility of a moderate Dem with iron ovaries who knows how to play politics like a pro as a positive force in a state currently largely controlled by anti-feminist, anti-intellectual, anti-education, climate-change-denying Young-Earther corporate cronies.
Just like how in the presidential race, I'll give my money to Bernie Sanders now, but vote for Hillary Clinton when she's (probably) the nominee.
posted by BlueJae at 10:52 AM on August 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
Just like how in the presidential race, I'll give my money to Bernie Sanders now, but vote for Hillary Clinton when she's (probably) the nominee.
posted by BlueJae at 10:52 AM on August 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
"The UK doesn't have a Primary system as it's understood in the USA; instead each party chooses its own leader, and the leader of the largest party that secures a majority in Parliament typically becomes Prime Minister. "
This is closer to primaries for ridings, which Canada has and apparently the Tories are starting to use in the UK.
posted by klangklangston at 11:05 AM on August 14, 2015
This is closer to primaries for ridings, which Canada has and apparently the Tories are starting to use in the UK.
posted by klangklangston at 11:05 AM on August 14, 2015
« Older The Tough Birchers Paddle 445 Miles in The Yukon... | Melæna Stools' patient consultation Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by hepta at 5:56 AM on August 13, 2015 [2 favorites]