While Rep. Eric Pettigrew can reasonably blame his tiny iPhone screen for him missing the party preference field in the online candidate filing form, a number of other Democratic incumbents have no such excuse for failing to know the proper name of their own party.
“Prefers Democrat Party.” That’s the party preference currently filed for Democratic legislative incumbents Paull Shin, Chris Marr, Tracey Eide, Sharon Nelson and most egregiously, House Speaker Frank Chopp, plus a number of hopefuls.
Of course, the party they prefer is the Democratic Party, not the nonexistent “Democrat Party,” the latter misnomer having become a Luntzian pejorative of sorts, I suppose after research concluded it polls worse than our party’s proper name.
You can’t get much more emblematic of the Democratic tendency to suicidally embrace Republican frames than this. Sheesh.
I’ve used the Democrat v Democratic without meaning insult. I just assumed that political parties were assumed to be samll d democratic, while the Democrat party was distinguished by simply writing ‘Democrat.’
But in general this ‘prefers democrat’ should tell you something about internal poll numbers and where the voters are that Democratic elected officials are attempting to hide that fact.
@1 This makes no sense, at least how you wrote it. Are not both parties assumed to be in the republic of the United States, so I can only assume that you also like to talk about the Republic party as well.
One key thing to watch for today is what number, if any, of his colleagues Chris Hurst is successful in convincing to register as an “Independent Democrat”.
He has consistently said that he will have a large number of rural Democrats who will adopt the label, but as far as I know not a single was has indicated that they will to this point.
@1 “Democratic elected officials are attempting to hide that fact”
I understood that to be a Republican idea that they came up after tarnishing the brand. Then instead of using “refers Republican Party”, they started using “prefers GOP”. I recall some polling showing that this fact hiding, as you call it, actually helped them.
4
Sure. Republicans or GOP or whatever name is current play political games with party names when they feel they need to. After all, politics is a game. All I was saying is that the polling taken by these gentlemen must make them want to play the re-branding game on the Democrat (OK Goldy?) side.
Re 2
Never really thought about it, except that Republic really doesn’t mean much unless you’re referring ot a country. Come to think of it, I never really gave a lot of thought to Democrat v Democratic.
Pretty soon Democrats will ID themselves by–
Dislike ObaMao/Pelosi/Reid
Those 3 idiots plus Rahmbo and David “The Devil” Axelrod are absolute poison in close races.
“After all, politics is a game.”
Before I was willing to give this the benefit of the doubt. But considering what you country has been through over the past decade & more, I can’t call it a game anymore. It’s serious business.
As for the names, we had a Canadian visitor in our home the other day. She corrected those who referred to us as “Americans”, pointing out that she, also is from North America. For the life of me I can’t imagine what else you could call us, however. Where I come from, calling someone a “Yank” is grounds for libel.
So… how many primary candidates are identifying themselfs as “prefers Tea Party”?
@6: Fuck, you’re ignorant!
I guess you must have had your head up your goat’s ass during the recent special election to replace Murtha, PA-12.
The R-Teahadist candidate and the R party who chipped in 5 million dollars used the exact same bullshit you just did (“funny” how that is, huh Klynical?).
The D won by 9 points.
@6) You have sufficiently demonstrated your talent for spewing insults.
Try this for a change: Argue policy.
It occurs to me that you are utterly incapable of making an argument for policy, so you resort to insults.
Please explain how conservative political philosophy will solve the problems created by conservative political philosophy; like deregulation of everything, disregard for the environment, tax breaks for large corporations, free trade without restrictions, lower marginal tax rates (especially for the rich), corporations as people…
The saving & loan meltdown, Enron, financial institution collapse, the economy on brink of depression, two un-winnable wars, the gulf oil disaster… all of these are the direct result of conservative political philosophy.
Please explain how lower marginal tax rates for the rich and deregulation will solve the problems caused by lower marginal tax rates and deregulation.
I can’t wait to read your brilliant analysis.
Re 7
In consequences politics has always been serious business. I’m referring more to the process than the output. The process of getting elected, especially to national office with the costs that entails, should disqualify the candidate. The deals, compromises and outright lies a candidate must perform to get elected are borderline criminal mostly.
Once in office I honestly believe even a Bernie Sanders is trying the best within personal ability to do what the congressman thinks best for the country. In my saner moments, when not dismayed or outraged by his policies, I believe this of Obama. I can and do disagree with much purely policy issue on either side of the political aisles, but this doesn’t mean either side is necessarily ill intentioned.
I used to date a girl from Mexico. If I wanted to wind her up I’d tell her she was from Central America. For some reason this really bothered her, as, for her, Mexico is in North America. A young woman who enjoyed light hearted banter, this got her going every time.
@8,
And how many primary candidates are identifying themselves as “prefers Psilocybin Mushroom Tea Party”?
Sarge @10, to Cynical:
Here, Sarge, let me help him…
He’s got nothing.
11. lostinaseaofblue
I once dated an Italian woman and during that time we engaged in a sprited hours-long argument over whether a Starbucks would ever open in Rome (and presumably remain in business). It’s all about the things on which one hangs one’s indentity, whether national or poltical.
I worked with a Colombian some decades back who assured me that Mexicans were crazy and would cut you over nothing.
Re 10
You give conservatives too much credit.
You also ask for book length analysis is the scope of a blog posting. You cover pretty much all of American political and economic life and want a brief answer.
Briefly, then as brevity is the soul of wit (sorry, favorite line and I couldn’t resist) it is a question of whether government should address the present or plan for the future. Liberals and progressives, as I understand it, see a multitude of injustices, pain, ignorance and so on and want a fix. They want everyone to eat, have medical care and housing and have a meaningful and remunerative job. This is admirable. It is also historically impossible. Put another way, Socialism freally is a beautiful philosphical idea. The problem is that it ignores intractable problems of human nature like greed and the lust for power or sociological diversity in a culture. It would be wonderful to obtain the goals of progressive thought. Problem is the means necessary to do so would invalidate the goals.
Conservatives look at the same problems and take a different approach. They consider present injustice and so on something that can be cured by a long term application of policies tending toward individual freedom to make a better world for the individual and his or her community. The problem here is that this must be done at the expense of those presently on the butt end of social problems. We could feed everyone today, or educate, empower and enable them to feed themselves tomorrow.
All this is pie in the sky, with the realities of both approaches considerably watered down by practice and political necessity. But your analysis of conservatives being responsible for all social ills is at least a little disingenous.
Already seen in the SoS candidate-filing database:
(Prefers Republican Party Party) — Jerome Delvin, LD8, Senate
(Prefers Neither Party) — Jon T. Haugen, LD18, Rep.1
(Prefers Lower Taxes Party) — Tim Sutinen, LD19, Rep.2
(Prefers Republican (GOP) Party) — Paul Wagemann, LD28, Rep.2
(Prefers Independent Dem. Party) — Christopher Hurst, LD31, Rep.2
(Prefers (R) Problemfixer Party) — Leslie Klein, LD36, Senate
(Prefers Conservative Party) — Rod Rieger, LD38, Senate
There are also a few Green Party and Independent Party candidates. No Libertarians thus far. Nor has anyone followed Hurst’s “Independent Dem” schtick.
I do appreciate Jon T. Haugen’s honesty.
Re 14
“I once dated an Italian woman and during that time we engaged in a sprited hours-long argument over whether a Starbucks would ever open in Rome.”
Not yet. But it would be a damn shame. Starbucks would replace great little cafes in centuries old buildings with bric a brac and family heirlooms operated by the owner replaced by chintzy plastic tables and cheap chinese merchandise no sane person would want. Already on the outskirts of Rome near Civittavechia there is a Costco style place. Shopping is gradually going from the baker, cheesemaker, butcher and so on in small shops to mega shopping centers selling mediocre food packaged in bulk. I used to buy bread by the quarter loaf every day for freshness in Pisa. Now the ancient town center is emptying of wonderful shops because of a shopping center outside of town.
Oh well. The world changes and we change with it. But I don’t have to like it.
17. lostinaseaofblue
Earlier the day before we had driven by the McDonald’s at Pompeii.
LOL. Maybe we should take back “Democrat Party” and start using it to refer to the group of “sensible moderate” surrender-monkeys that steal our votes on election day and then stab us in the back throughout their terms.
Re 18
My favorite picture from Rome was taken at the rear of the Pantheon. The dark medieval looking alley that runs behind the building has a brightly neon lit internet cafe right behind the oldest intact structure in the city. Juxtoposition isn’t always a bad thing, particularly when taking pictures.
Guess we’re getting off topic, but I do love visting Italy.
Deliberate insult with a long political history.
See
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_(phrase) for details.
DaddyLove @ 14: My high-school Spanish teacher was from Bogota. Apparantly a bit of the upper-crust side, as she frequently expressed dismay that we would eat fried chicken with our hands. If you wanted to really get her going, make some comment about “chickens running around the yard”, and she would spend the rest of the class in high gear, explaining in amazingly rapid English and Spanish (combined) how Columbia IS NOT Mexico.
One student went down there to spend the summer with her and her family as part of an informal exchange program. Afterwards she said she wouldn’t do it again, he caused too many problems by talking to the servents and giving them “too many ideas” about equality, etc.
The same teacher also taught French in our school. My sister, who inherited a thick southern-Alabama accent from my mother, took that class. She ended up speaking French with a thick southern-Columbian accent. Which is why I never took French in school.
Sarge @ 10–
Your questions included editorial assumptions I disagree with.
Here is what I agree with–
http://www.americanroadmap.org
Get used to it.
Hope & Change is not a policy statement.
American Roadmap is.
Read it.
Let me know your analysis of the issues.
“the latter misnomer having become a Luntzian pejorative of sorts”
You make yourselves look extremely dumb when you say that “Democrat” is a pejorative.
So, keep it up!
That said, as a pedant, I always try to use proper nouns properly, so I will use “Democratic” and occasionally correct people who, reasonably, get it wrong (after all, “Republican” is both the noun an adjectival form, so it makes sense that people will incorrectly believe the same of “Democrat”). But to think it’s a pejorative is insane.
@23 The roadmap to Somalia. Spare us the mindless drivel and just move there yourself.
“But to think it’s a pejorative is insane.”
Perhaps that’s because you’re thoughtless and inconsiderate of others. If you prefered not to be called “Pudgie” and I did it anyway, odds are that I couldn’t give a shit what you think and that’s one way of my showing it. And in case you’re more severely reality-challenged than I suspect, you shits on the right most definitely use “Democrat Party” with intent to insult. So go fuck yourself, Pudgie.
Cynny @ 23
Given your handle, you sure don’t exhibit any cynicism about the pap that the Republican Party feeds you. Rather, it’s simply, “well, if the GOP is spooning it to me, it must taste good.” Paul Ryan’s “roadmap” is nothing but platitudes and generalities. It isn’t the stuff of government, and certainly not of legislation. Follow that roadmap, and you won’t take one step. Nice try, though, big guy.
Update… Hans Dunshee filed as (Prefers Democrat Party) too.
Eric Pettigrew, subject of the “iPhone” post, has already corrected his listing to the correct (Prefers Democratic Party).
@9 – Don’t get too cocky. He was a pro-life, pro-gun and anti-healthcare Democrat. Not the shining example of a good, progressive member of the caucus.
Dumb cunt Tracey Eide is up for re-election? About as fucking smart as a tree stump that twat is. LOL.
Please Seattle, defeat Frank Chopp, enemy of democratIC values
This happened 2 years ago because the candidates misunderstood how the filing form would be filled out. They thought they were saying “I am a Democrat”. Probably the same deal again. It is correctable if they make the Secretary of State office aware of the error. People simply need to let them know that.
Last time I contacted each candidate that made this mistake to bring it to their attention and all, save one, had the SoS correct it. The only one that stubbornly refused to was Dave Upthegrove.
Mark1 @ 30
Let me provide you some quick (and free!) psychological analysis: You are a complete misogynist. You do not get along well with women, because you neither understand them, nor respect them. Yet, you think you are God’s gift to women. You blame women (or a particular woman) for your inability to have a lasting relationship. You never, however, look at yourself with regard to why you cannot have a long-lasting relationship with anyone. Hey, fuckhead (advice, and it’s free!), it’s not always about you, and you, actually, are a dipshit, who doesn’t count for much. Uh, so my advice is, shut the fuck up and listen. Try to hear out someone else without passing judgment. Without thinking you have all the answers.
Stevie: Perhaps that’s because you’re thoughtless and inconsiderate of others.
No, that’s you.
You ignored the part where I noted that I personally use the proper name: Democratic Party; and the part where I correct people who make the error of using the wrong name; and also the part where I noted the fact that much of the confusion stems from a fact that has nothing to do with malicious intent (which is why many DEMOCRATS make the same error): that the noun and adjectival forms are different (perhaps you didn’t notice that this sort of confusion is common in the English language?).
If you were not thoughtless and inconsiderate of others, you would not have turned it into an attack on me, for doing something, or contributing to something, I neither do nor contribute to.
Or, you’re just stupid.
Tough choice there.
Pudge, “But to think it’s a pejorative is insane.”
Steve, “Perhaps that’s because you’re thoughtless and inconsiderate of others.”
Does the word context have any meaning whatsoever for you, Pudge? You throw out “insane”. I call that “thoughtless and inconsiderate”. Now tell me, Pudge, is any of this getting through that thick skull of yours?
You idiot, look again at what I wrote. Let me spell it out for you and let’s see if you can get the gist of it. People on the right use “Democrat Party” as a disparaging remark. You say it’s “insane” for the left to take that as a disparaging remark.
There’s two pssible outcomes here I see here, Pudge. 1) You either admit that you’re full of shit or 2) You’re insane. To be clear, the latter isn’t meant as a disparaging remark. Nothing pejorative about it at all, Pudge. It’d be just a straight-forward clinical assessment of where you’re mind’s at if you fail to admit that you’re full of shit.
Eh, I left out the other possibility – Pudge runs and hides – although that still points towards either option 1 or 2, his being either full of shit or insane.
Run if you want, Pudge, it makes no difference. You’ve still had your ass handed to you.
Now is about the time for forming the state-level “TO” party.
I mean, how cool would it be for the ballot to state that you “Prefer TO Party”?
@39
or the “A” party as in “Prefers A Party”