Let's look at Conor Lamb

[gab13by13]

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/conor-lamb-manchin/

When Lamb first came to Congress he voted with Trump positions 68% of the time. One of Lamb's closest allies is Joe Manchin, even attended a fund raiser with Joe. Some of Lamb's largest contributors are from the fossil fuel industry. Lately Lamb has changed his voting stance, voting with Democrats 99% of the time, my how he has changed since deciding to run against a popular progressive Democrat.

John Fetterman does not accept contributions from fossil fuel executives, lobbyists, or PACs, which are some of Lamb's biggest donors.

Will Conor Lamb continue to vote with Democrats if he were to become a Senator, or will he revert back to voting 68% Republican?

Conor Lamb has some explaining to do.

I am from Pa. and I am one of John Fetterman's small donors. Wife and I are voting for John because he brings enthusiasm to the race, will bring out voters to vote for people like Josh Shapiro. I am excited, can't wait to vote.

[hlthe2b]

1. I hope all vote for Fetterman. IMO, he's the one who will defeat those moronic RW candidates--all

[gab13by13]

2. Wife and I can't wait.

Josh Shapiro too.

[AntivaxHunters]

18. Where did you find the pin

in your avatar? How neat!

[hlthe2b]

30. Governor's office... Received a request to assist w vaccination

Of Ukrainian refugees when/if they arrive. I am supposedly going to receive the pin in the mail…

[AntivaxHunters]

32. Nice!

[Cosmocat]

3. I like Lamb a bit and Walker, too, but John F is a progressive powerhouse

This party is STARVED for that he provides - an unabashed progressive who goes directly at republicans.

[gab13by13]

4. He brings what Democrats need, enthusiasm.

He will help the down ticket in Pa. Hopefully he will bring enthusiasm to the Senate, man I miss Ted Kennedy.

[brooklynite]

7. In the Primary poll, he's getting about 1/3 of the Democratic vote...

Last edited Fri Apr 1, 2022, 09:29 AM - Edit history (1)

...which is what he got in the Primary for LtG. But this time he won't have a Governor with coattails to help him win. And as much as people HERE like progressives with attitude, votes in Pennsylvania have this habit of voting for mainstream Democratic and Republicans for the US Senate.

[gab13by13]

8. Really? Like the moderate McGinty? Try another analogy.

IMO Wolf won because he got help from Fetterman's coattails. I actually live in Pa. and I hear a lot od negativity towards our governor, I don't hear that same negativity toward Fetterman. What do I know, I'm just a Pa. native.

I know this for a fact; The GQP, the Magats, literally hate Speaker Pelosi. IMO Speaker Pelosi is the best Speaker in my lifetime. Twice, Conor Lamb voted against Speaker Pelosi. I guess she was too liberal for him?

[brooklynite]

26. So, nothing to do with actually being the Governor?

Lamb voted for an alternative to Pelosi secure in the knowledge that she’d win anyway.

[AllyCat]

37. Why? What is the point in that?

[Butterflylady]

31. And that is exactly why we need Fetterman.

In case you haven't noticed politics is no longer what it used to be with people voting for mainstream democrats like Lamb. People want someone that they know will fight for them, someone that is not the same old, same old type. Take for instance Casey, who is a good democratic senator who represents PA in the senate. I like Casey and will always vote for him, but he is no Al Franken which I feel Fetterman is.

Please believe me, I mean no disrespect of Lamb, but with politics what it is today the democrats need a new playbook if they want to win and keep this great democracy.

Evolution has proved that we are ever changing and that includes politics.

[brooklynite]

33. "politics is no longer what it used to be with people voting for mainstream democrats"

How do you think we won in 2018?

Add to which, the two Senate seats we won outright in 2020 (Kelly and Hickenlooper) were mainstream.

Add to which, the Democratic candidates who won Mayoral races in 2021.

As for Pennsylvania, consider Bob Casey, Jr.

[BumRushDaShow]

36. "the two Senate seats we won outright in 2020 (Kelly and Hickenlooper) were mainstream."

So you actually left out who ACTUALLY won us the Senate? Um like Ossoff and Warnock?

(not quite "mainstream" )

[brooklynite]

39. Actually, no I didn't

Last edited Fri Apr 1, 2022, 11:20 AM - Edit history (1)

Loeffler and Perdue came out ahead in November. My analysis is that Warnock and Ossoff won largely because Trump went in to Georgia and kept telling his supporters not to bother voting in the runoff because the election was rigged.

[BumRushDaShow]

40. Ummmm

M'kay.

To hell with the black folk there who crawled over glass through COVID during a low-turnout special election.

ETA - and calling Ossoff "Ossify" speaks volumes.

[brooklynite]

43. My computer has auto-correct functions, as does yours. But feel free to leap to conclusions.

[Deminpenn]

55. Maybe you missed it, but Sen Casey

is pretty darn progressive.

[BumRushDaShow]

35. "Governor with coattails to help him win"

He's got this guy -



Both firebrands who have been very much engaged in battling the RW loons on national television on behalf of PA Democrats. I.e., they have been engaged in the very (fiery) "messaging" that DUers claim Democrats don't do.

There's also a difference between "mainstream" and "milquetoast".

[Deminpenn]

58. Exactly

The same Josh Shapiro who got more votes than anyone on the ballot In PA in 2020.

[druidity33]

67. that's disingenuous...

Fetterman got 33% in that poll, yes, but Lamb got only 10% and Kenyatta got 7.6%. He is far afield of the rest of the pack. Give him his due why don't you? And also, i'm quite sure independents in PA (roughly 15% of the electorate) would swing more decidedly towards Fetterman than Lamb.



https://www.yahoo.com/news/poll-fetterman-leads-lamb-double-190000321.html

[GoneOffShore]

5. If I get my ballot in time, I'll be voting for Fetterman.

Lamb seems to be wearing a pelt.

[gab13by13]

6. Yeah, an election official told me not to worry, vote absentee,

my ballot is still listed as pending. Hopefully the Pa. SC makes a decision soon.

[The Jungle 1]

9. I really like Fetterman and will vote for him.

"My boy's is wicked smart"
Good Will Hunting

[Gilbert Moore]

10. THANKS gab13by13

Thanks for pointing out Conor's weak points. I don't have a horse in your race (out of state) but it's nice to know.

[gab13by13]

12. I didn't start this,

In my past posts I stated that Conor Lamb was a good man, a good candidate but John Fetterman brings more enthusiasm to our party and that is what is needed now.

Someone went negative yesterday here on Fetterman, posted a Willie Horton ad and it set me off. I responded. I don't plan on going negative for any Democrat, but I will respond in kind. I will only be posting positive John Fetterman posts from here on out.

[Deminpenn]

11. Lamb was always a centrist

that's well-known. It was undoubtedly the upset of the year when he won the old, pre-2018 PA 18th CD. It was less surprising he won re-election for a full term again in 2018. By the time the state supreme court threw out the heavily gerrymandered CDs and ended up drawing and imposing their own map, the 17th CD was bluer and Lamb was re-elected fairly easily.

Fracking has boomed in western PA, no surprise Lamb supports it or that Fetterman does. This area has been desperate for jobs for nearly 50 years after the mills started closing or moving out. Fracking has created jobs, although not even close to the scale the mills did, and it provides a small stream of revenue to the localities where the wells are.

Now the choice is between a centrist and a true, progressive Dem. If Lamb was running for re-election in the 17th, I'd vote for him, but with a clear choice in the Senate primary, Fetterman has my vote.

Just a word on "electability" which is the Lamb campaign as far as I can tell from his ads. There are lots of people here in western PA living in towns like Braddock that are still struggling to recover from the loss of the good paying jobs with benefits and pensions. When those jobs left, there was nothing for the younger generations and they left. That started a downward spiral. Don't underestimate how much Fetterman's moving to Braddock, continuing to live there and dedication to turning it around means to voters here.

[gab13by13]

15. Good post, great explanation.

Yeah, fracking has brought back some jobs, but I still see those white pickup trucks with Texas and Oklahoma license plates.

Ironic story; some powerful people wanted to strip coal and frack on our pristine watershed, put a coal cleaning plant in a flood plain. I roused the people of our small borough, we had the largest crowd ever at a council meeting. This is in a bright red town. Well we didn't stop all of the activity but we put enough regulations in that we protected our watershed. Well, I made the paper and ended up getting elected to borough council, as a Democrat of course. I serve 2 terms until my job took me on the road too much.

A lot of my friends and neighbors work in oil and gas, a couple are coal miners.

[Deminpenn]

17. Great story, thanks for sharing

Shell is finishing its huge new ethane cracker plant here in Beaver County. When construction is complete sometime this year, all the out-of-state workers will leave for the next job. Even as gigantic as the complex is, it'll only provide about 500 full time jobs although they should be good, well-paying jobs with benefits. There should be continuing work for skilled trades, but probably contracted as needed.

[gab13by13]

24. Daughter lived next to 7 Oaks golf course there,

she just moved to Allison Park.

[Cosmocat]

51. Yep, Lamb is OK, and Walker is to. But, Fetterman can be a star

nm

[Indyfan53]

13. I'm writing to PA voters

Reminding them via postcards to vote in the PA primaries next month.

[gab13by13]

16. Waiting on our state Supreme Court

to OK no excuse mail in voting. My application is sitting, pending, the release of my ballot.

[Joinfortmill]

14. John Fetterman seems like a pretty cool dude. I hope he wins.

[uponit7771]

22. I'm black and this is patronizing bullshit, we understand the difference between an imperfect

... ally and someone who befriends Manchin.

Lamb isn't winning friends with this level of stupidity, black people are NOT simpletons

Come on people, we're better than this

[AllyCat]

38. I cannot see the post you are responding to. I have a question.

I follow a few black influencers on Twitter. They all feel Fetterman is too far left and that not voting for Lamb is akin to voting against the will and well-being of black communities. I was surprised by this but try to just listen/read.

[BumRushDaShow]

41. "I follow a few black influencers on Twitter."

And that is a problem. There are a billion "fake" so called "black influencers" on social media.

The type of smear that is apparently making the rounds is akin to what was done with Pete Buttigieg and even to Hillary Clinton.

The guy is married to a POC - a Brazilian.



She is continually attacked by the racist loons in the state calling her the "n word".

Link to tweet

Gisele Barreto Fetterman
@giselefetterman
*TRIGGER WARNING* I love love love this country but we are so deeply divided. I ran to the local grocery store and was met by and verbally assaulted by this woman who repeatedly told me I do not belong here. The confrontation continued into the parking lot where I was able to
6:28 PM · Oct 11, 2020

(the video is one that Giselle captured of the racist scum who followed her to her car at a supermarket after ranting about her "not belonging here" then telling her "You're a n***er" )

[AllyCat]

42. I know about the fake accounts. One in particular

Holds up HRC at every opportunity. I don’t see her as fake.

[BumRushDaShow]

46. As a note

(being one)

Black folk are not monoliths. With all this discussion about "establishment" vs " (activist) progressive", it goes back to tailoring your message to a community and their needs, and there are many many communities and varying needs.

It was unheard of here in Philly (despite a mayoral endorsement of someone like Lamb who is being supported by the "establishment" as a sidenote), where you had a "progressive" D.A. re-elected - Larry Krasner, despite every dirty trick in the book thrown at him because his focus has been on criminal justice reform, which gets thwarted by many sides of the political spectrum.

You also had, for the first time in memory here, where a member of our City Council was not a Democrat or a Republican or even an Independent, but was from a 3rd party - and a "progressive" one at that - the "Working Families Party", and that was an at-large seat. She is young and has been working her behind off for the people that Democrats demand come out to vote, and then who get left behind. Hell... even my own PA State Representative counts himself in that "activist progressive" group.

So if one wants to look at what is happening deep down in the trenches - there is a grassroots thing bubbling under the surface of many big cities and it hasn't been flashy like you see with AOC and that crowd.

[AllyCat]

49. Good to know. I don't mean to sound like I see her

Last edited Fri Apr 1, 2022, 02:06 PM - Edit history (1)

As a monolith. Just trying to understand her perspective because, as a white person, it is something I need to do more of…listening. But I was surprised at her support for Lamb. I don’t live in PA but I have liked him (Fetterman) up to now.

[BumRushDaShow]

57. I have no problem with Lamb

but he represents where he lives and works in western PA, which is essentially the polar opposite of Philadelphia, a city (and county) that alone, out of a total of 67 counties, literally consists of almost 1/5th (20%) of Democrats in the entire state, and by itself, gave Joe Biden 1/5 of his total vote.

I.e., here in the east is where the majority of state's Democratic base resides and in a high turnout election, the total number of voting Democrats in Philly is twice the size of the entire population of Pittsburgh, PA.

Right now, a huge sector of our community are actually supporting Malcolm Kenyatta for Senate and as much as I love him in the PA State House, where he is a true firebrand, I think we need someone young and fiery like him right there where he is in the state legislature calling people out. And he has done it enough times to actually be able to have his oratories rise above the noise of the loon GOP, and gets his sound bites actually reported in the media.

So for either of the "front runners", there is a large part of the Democratic party tent that is out there ready to be interacted with and no, showing up at some random black church here and there ain't cutting it.

[uponit7771]

45. Yeah, Fetterman is in ... didn't know that. He's going to be PAs next senator and yes the partner

... makes a difference.

Obama would .... NOT ... be president or accepted in the black community as quickly if it wasn't for Michelle ... bet that

[BumRushDaShow]

47. I think he has been trying not to have the media try to frame her

as a "token". She is just "people" if you know what I mean.

If anything, I think because his high profile position as Lt. Gov. has put the family in the spotlight (and moreso since he is campaigning), she has become a target of unwanted racist attention and attacks that have apparently shocked her to the core. But I am certainly not shocked at all... just saddened.

[uponit7771]

48. Damn, GZP has normalized racism too much ... we're going to make them go back and hide bet that.

[Celerity]

52. preach!

"I follow a few black influencers on Twitter."
And that is a problem. There are a billion "fake" so called "black influencers" on social media.
The type of smear that is apparently making the rounds is akin to what was done with Pete Buttigieg and even to Hillary Clinton.

Sally Albright and her army of bots are/were deffo in that mix.


How A Twitter Fight Over Bernie Sanders Revealed A Network Of Fake Accounts

One Democratic Party consultant said an unnamed client controlled many of these accounts.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democratic-bot-network-sally-albright_n_5aa2f548e4b07047bec68023

[uponit7771]

56. " Network Of Fake Accounts" WTF ?! 😲 Dammit, this crap on SM is ...

[Deminpenn]

54. She is Brazilian iirc

Nt

[uponit7771]

44. Biden wouldn't be president if the black community held every slight every white person ...

... did against us.

Fetterman just has to do what Biden did and step out in front of this and get it out in the open, own it and represent how he's changed his mind.

Lamb knows this and makes me trust him less because Lamb aint goin into the hood to say shit different than what Manchin is sayin.

He's down in the polls for a reason.

[AllyCat]

50. .

[Deminpenn]

53. Well said

Bet this tweet was meant to outrage liberals who want to address and change racial and other inequalities. If so, it won't work.

[NNadir]

20. I'm in your neighboring State and I'm pulling for Fetterman

I emailed my son, currently a PA resident, although he'll move in July, to suggest a Fetterman vote.

[BumRushDaShow]

21. I have been a Fetterman supporter from day one

mainly because of what I have seen of him as a "liberal populist" - something that is rarely shown because it seems they always want to apply the term "populist" to RW loons.

Fetterman has been prominent on national TV pushing the Democratic party agenda. During the election fiasco, he (along with AG Josh Shapiro who is running for Governor), was a steady presence on M$M and continually trolled the loons who attacked this state non-stop with dozens of frivolous lawsuits.

He has actually been fighting, with words and deeds, not only for marginalized communities like for LGBTQ rights through civil disobedience acts like hanging a Pride flag off the balcony of his office at the capital, but also argues for topics popular across the political spectrum (including for Independents) like legalization of recreational marijuana. That alone is something that can generate much needed dollars for states like ours (as has been seen with states that have adopted the legalization), and that money is definitely needed here in PA, where getting any kind of dedicated funding for schools and transportation, is like trying to wring water from a rock.

He has made it a point to reach out across the state with some humorous and silly stuff like a "Sheetz" vs "Wawa" running gag... But then that is something that touches the average person here familiar with those convenience chain stores in this state. I had never heard of "Sheetz" until he started talking about it (apparently it is big in central and western PA). I think the closest one to me is about 50 miles away in Berks County or something... We are all Wawa here in the east.

[JoeOtterbein]

23. I'm a small PA donor...

...for big John too!!!

Thanks for posting.

[gab13by13]

25. Let's flip a Senate seat!

[spanone]

27. K&R

[YorkRd]

28. Lamb has proven he can win in a red district Fetterman chases people around with a shotgun

Conor Lamb is Biden Democrat while Fetterman is a cosplaying millionaire. https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/03/07/conor-lamb-biden-pennsylvania-house-race-carroll-pkg.cnn|

[Demsrule86]

59. Lamb would be jut like Sinema and Manchin...in fact he has fund raised with Manchin...we need

to hold Manchin and Sinema's seats...but we don't need another like them. He voted to fund Trump's wall. Fetterman heard gunshots...he ran out and talked to a Black man...Fetterman is no racist...he was Mayor Baddock for four terms...He is a beloved figure Lamb will break our hearts in the end with his maverick tendencies and his pattern of voting with the right.

[brooklynite]

60. "In fact he has fund raised with Manchin"

This is beyond silly. PLENTY of Democratic Senators have fund raised with Manchin. I was at a DSCC event with Manchin and one...Bernie Sanders.

Beyond that, name a specific policy position Lamb has that makes him "just like Sinema and Manchin".

[Demsrule86]

61. He also takes money from fossil fuels and look at his votes in the house...he thinks he is a

maverick...he could not be counted on to vote for our legislation like BBB...we don't need someone who is like Sinema and Manchin in terms of voting to end the filibuster and/or BBB...sure we need them...but not another one. Manchin is the best we can do in WVA. I think we can do better than Sinema in Arizona possibly. But in PA Fetterman can win and he will be trustworthy like Sherrod Brown in Ohio.

[brooklynite]

62. Lamb voted for BBB. Care to try again with something specific?

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/conor-lamb/

[Demsrule86]

65. Sure he did...but I don't think he would in the Senate...take a look at his votes.

If he was the deciding vote I just don't know. I do not want to have another who goes against Biden and the party. He voted for funding Trump's wall and the tax cuts too. I still fear he won't win a general in PA. So while I can't vote in PA, I am close enough to help with GOTV and donate. Please understand that I would vote for any Democrat in the General, but we have a chance to end a progressive to the Senate quite similar to Sherrod Brown and we should.

[brooklynite]

66. So you're saying Pennsylvania is as conservative as West Virginia?

In which case, why would it vote for Fetterman.

[PA Democrat]

29. I used to live in Lamb's district and voted for him and donated to his campaign.

I will be voting for Fetterman in May. Lamb's tweet about the 2013 incident really seems to imply that it was racially motivated. He made false claims that Fetterman is refusing to debate him because he doesn't want to address the issue.

First, Fetterman was on the debate stage with Lamb on March 20 and has agreed to participate in 2 future debates.

Second, as far as the charge that Fetterman has never addressed the issue, I will just say that Google is your friend. Some people may not like Fetterman's response , but to say he won't answer questions about what happened is disingenuous at best.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/the-braddock-man-john-fetterman-confronted-with-a-shotgun-in-2013-says-that-should-not-stymie-his-senate-bid/ar-BB1fcmTM

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/03/john-fetterman-senate-pennsylvania-democrat/618257/

I have lived in southwestern PA my entire life and have watched as people living in towns like Braddock, McKeesport, New Kensington, Clarleroi, Clairton, Glassport, Donora and Monessen to name a few lost their livelihoods and in many cases their hope. Both my husband and I can trace our roots to one of these towns. It is heartbreaking to drive through a once thriving town and see the decay.

I became intrigued with Fetterman after hearing about him and then reading the 2009 Rolling Stone article John Fetterman: The Mayor of Hell

He earned a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 1999. He came to Braddock while working for AmeriCorps running a GED program there. He decided to run for mayor after 2 of his students were killed due to gun violence. He served as mayor of a town with a population that is more than 68% black from 2006-2019. While mayor he earned the huge salary of $150 a month. The work Fetterman did as mayor establishing programs for town's young people, building a community center, fighting for access to health care and economic opportunities for Braddock's citizens has received national attention.

I find Lamb's very obvious implications that Fetterman is somehow a racist to be divisive and a huge disappointment.

[SmallFry]

34. Nothing wrong with a primary battle.

I have reasons to like Fetterman and Lamb. I also have no say as I'm not in that state and rarely donate to out of state candidates. I've currently got my hands full in Florida.

I wish Lamb wouldn't have done what he just did with respect to the debate call out. I wish Fetterman didn't restrict campaign contributions. I'm pretty confident I would vote for Fetterman in this primary. I don't view either act as a positive.

Then again, I happily voted for Charlie Crist for congress. Crist does have one of the most beautiful tans I've ever seen. My district came pretty close to giving the country our next MTG. Luna, who ran against Crist, was as extreme and dishonest as they come. Plenty of campaign fliers with her holding an assault rifle.

My love hate relationship with my state and the people in it presents itself as darn near manic.

[The Jungle 1]

63. Fetterman is leading by double digits

Fetterman 33%
Lamb 10%

[BWdem4life]

64. Sounds like

he may be a wolf in lamb's clothing.

[FakeNoose]

68. Conor Lamb is known in southwestern Pennsylvania, Fetterman is known all over PA

... especially since becoming Lt. Governor 4 years ago.

Lamb is for the most part, pro-gun in a state where a lot of gun owners live, both Dems and Repukes, liberals and conservatives. Like it or not, we have a lot of deer-hunters in this state. Even the ones who don't actually hunt, but they like to pretend they do.

Fetterman is a bona-fide progressive. He's almost a "Bernie Sanders" progressive, but he's also a Democratic Party member. He's a smart man with a lot of good ideas. No one will ever mistake Fetterman for a closet Republican, that's for sure.

I'm leaning more towards Fetterman every day. However if Lamb should win the primary, I'd be happy to support him also. The PA Democrats will decide this in about 2 months.

I feel like this discussion belongs on the Pennsylvania board, not General Discussion.