MI-11 Democratic Primary: 46 % reported

[brooklynite]

Haley Stevens 30,798
Andy Levin 22,067

Once again, Democratic voters, given a choice, go with the mainstream candidate. Perhaps ther’s a message there.

[AZProgressive]

1. I see Tlaib is winning her race

I consider her mainstream though.

[brooklynite]

3. Tlaib's district in D+32. Stevens' is R+2

[AZProgressive]

6. She has higher name ID

Once a progressive gains name recognition it is very difficult to replace them. Good luck to Ilhan Omar.

[TheRealNorth]

2. Levin isn't mainstream?

I suppose if you think AIPAC is an ally of Democrats.

[brooklynite]

5. No, he's not...at least by OUR REVOLUTION'S standards...or Bernie's

CASE IN POINT: Stevens ran on strengthening ACA. Levin ran on MfA.

[Nevilledog]

4. I think it's a little more complicated than what you're implying

Link to tweet

Tweet text:

Helen Brosnan
@HelenBrosnan
·
Aug 2, 2022
Right wing donors propping up converseive Democrats in favor of maintaining the status quo strikes again.

If you care about democracy, the kind of massive spending from GOP aligned donors spent for Haley Stevens should scare you.

Dave Wasserman
@Redistrict
I've seen enough: Rep. Haley Stevens (D) wins the #MI11 Dem primary, defeating progressive Rep. Andy Levin (D). @CookPolitical November rating: Solid D.

Helen Brosnan
@HelenBrosnan
·
Follow
The good news: more and more Democrats care about ousting the corporate wing of the party, fighting corruption in all forms, and envisioning a progressive multiracial future. But this kind of corporate money will continue to flow in — we have to be prepared to battle it.
5:58 PM · Aug 2, 2022

Link to tweet

Tweet text:

Middle East Eye
@MiddleEastEye
·
Follow
Andy Levin, a Jewish American congressman, has drawn the ire of pro-Israel groups, who have spent more than $4m in negative advertisements against him, as he faces off against fellow incumbent Democrat Haley Stevens

middleeasteye.net
US: Pro-Israel money under spotlight in Michigan midterm elections
Aipac-affiliated group has spent millions of dollars against Jewish-American Congressman Andy Levin
6:30 PM · Aug 1, 2022

[brooklynite]

7. Are you saying the voters couldn't see through the "corporate" and "pro Israel" money?

The voters had a clear choice. And they chose clearly.

[Celerity]

9. AIPAC is NOT a Dem ally

AIPAC endorses dozens of Republicans who refused to certify Biden’s election

(Including Gym 'the paedo enabler' Jordan, ultra MAGAette cheerleader Elise Stefanik, the worm of worms Kevin McCarthy, the crazed gunhumper Greg Steube, Ronny 'Trump's drunk Dr Feelgood' Jackson, Joe 'you lie!' Wilson, John 'I am a racist, climate change denying MAGAt, but Henry Cuellar campaigns and fundraises for me so it's all good' Carter, Troy 'make shit up about being threatened, get caught, and then distract by trying to get Biden 25th Amendment'ed' Nehls, etc etc)

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/j-street-blasts-aipac-for-endorsing-republicans-who-voted-against-certifying-2020-election-results/

AIPAC’s new political action committee announces its first string of Congressional endorsements. They are 120 lawmakers from both parties, but also includes 37 Republicans who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results after the January 6 insurrection — drawing criticism from rival lobby J Street.

“AIPAC’s support for these candidates endangers American democracy and undermines the true interests and values of millions of American Jews and pro-Israel Americans who they often claim to represent,” says Laura Birnbaum, J Street’s National Political Director.

“Claims of ‘bipartisanship’ cannot excuse support for candidates who only respect election results when their party wins,” the group adds.

Responding to the criticism, AIPAC spokesman Marshall Wittmann says, “as a single-issue organization, we remain focused on our mission of building bipartisan support in Congress to strengthen the US-Israel relationship.

snip

[brooklynite]

10. Which has nothing to do with the voters' choice...

[Celerity]

22. 4.5 million usd worth dark money attack adverts certainly helped Stevens

You also constantly have tried to paint Levin as some ultra fringy radical lefty.


Levin endorsements

https://www.andylevinforcongress.com/endorsements

Planned Parenthood Action Fund


Members of Congress


U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren

House Natural Resources Chair Raúl Grijalva

House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler

House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters

House Small Business Committee Chair Nydia Velázquez

Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal

Labor Caucus Co-Chair Mark Pocan

Former Congressman Chet Atkins

Congressman Steve Cohen

Congressman Lloyd Doggett

Congressman Dwight Evans

Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García

Congressman Al Green

Congressman Alan Lowenthal

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

Congressman Jamie Raskin

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman


Unions


American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Michigan

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1658

American Postal Workers Union (APWU) 480-481 Area Local

APWU Detroit District Area Local

Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA)

Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM);

Communications Workers of America (CWA)

CWA District 4

CWA Local 4009

CWA Local 4123

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)

International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)

Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights (MRCC)

National Nurses United (NNU)

Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU);

Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU)

Seafarers International Union (SIU)

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

UNITE HERE

UNITE HERE Local 24

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 951

Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA)



Stevens is a 'Problem Solver' caucus member who will be a less solidly reliable vote for us.


https://www.congress.gov/116/crpt/hrpt150/CRPT-116hrpt150.pdf

Stevens was the only Democrat on the Education and Labor Committee who joined Republicans in voting for two controversial amendments to the Raise The Wage Act: one which would have exempted millions of workers employed by small businesses from the wage increase, and another which threatened to nullify the legislation altogether if a Government Accountability Office report found that the wage increases would contribute significantly to job automation.


https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/doggett-neal-pelosi-prescription-drugs-medicare/

Stevens also said she opposed pharma price reforms that would provide the government with “aggressive tools to ensure drug costs will be brought down.” In her view, she wrote, “allowing the U.S. government to sidestep patents” could have a “chilling effect on other industries and on research.”

Link to tweet

[brooklynite]

28. AIPAC put money into Stevens. OR put money into Levin

What does that tell us?

[Celerity]

30. APIPAC also put 10s of millions into 37 Rethugs who voted against certifying the 2020 POTUS election

including ultra MAGAts

Gym Jordan
Elise Stefanik
Kevin McCarthy
Greg Steube
Ronny Jackson
Joe Wilson
John Carter
Troy Nehls

So pardon me if I do not give a toss what those bastards do, nor do I use them ever as yardstick of whom is the better candidate.

[brooklynite]

31. Which, again, says nothing about the vote in MI-11

We’re not arguing about the merits of AIPAC; we’re discussing the choice of Democratic voters in Michigan.

Either they LIKE supporting Israel, or they simply aren’t enamored with a left-progressive candidate backed by Bernie Sanders and OUR REVOLUTION.

[Celerity]

32. You keep on overstating the effects of a handful of endorsements, when the real difference makers

IMHO were the Rethug redistricting that forced this Dem on Dem cannibalising, in a far less friendly (for Levin) district, plus that 4.5m usd in saturation attack adverts against Levin.

You also ignore all the non Bernie, non OR endorsements of Levin, and just focus in on your pet peeves.

Levin won by 23 and 20 points (in MI-9) with Bernie endorsing him before.

But by all means, keep on banging out OUR REVOLUTION in all caps if that is what floats your yacht.

[brooklynite]

33. I capitalize OUR REVOLUTION because it's a corporate name...

And I accept that the voters saw a difference between a mainstream liberal and a left progressive, regardless of how you compare the two.

[Celerity]

35. lol

I capitalize OUR REVOLUTION because it's a corporate name...

Why did you change?

You did not 'all cap' it here

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215961178

Also, I do not recall you using 'the corporate name' for other organisations on a remotely regular basis (nor do I recall anyone else doing this).

Perhaps you should start exclusively using. for instance, the DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE, if you want to appear consistent in this newfound desire for your usage of legal full corporate names.

[brooklynite]

36. I've evolved in nine months?

If your beignets objection is capitalizing it…..

[Celerity]

38. lol

I've evolved in nine months?

but I do admit, you have me at a bit of a loss on this

beignets objection

I love beignets (nun's farts ie Pets-de-nonne in French)

[dsc]

34. actually AIPAC put the money in due to his position on Israel

but the ads mentioned nothing about it which leads me to believe that they know their position isn't all that popular.

[Celerity]

8. +1

[betsuni]

12. ...

[Nevilledog]

14. So you don't think $4 million in negative advertising could affect an election?

I don't have a horse in this race. I don't know enough about either candidate to say who I would have supported. I was responding to a generalization that Stevens winning meant Dems didn't support progressives.

[JohnSJ]

16. I think redistricting has more effect

[Nevilledog]

18. That will always have an effect.

[The Revolution]

26. Ug. This is one thing that turns me away from

"Progressives". Its all well and good to have a primary, but once the voters have voted, if your preferred candidate loses, the correct response is something like: "we are proud of the campaign our candidate ran, we feel they raised many important issues; now we fully support [insert winners name here]"

Bashing the winner as a "converseive" (sic) or ranting about "corporate" Dems doesn't help anyone. It just contributes to the myth that there's no difference between Democrats and Republicans. This will depress enthusiasm and turnout, and move us further from progressive goals.

Whenever a "progressive" candidate loses, it seems like there is always an excuse. The party sabotaged them, it wasn't fair, someone I don't like gave money to their opponent. If you lost, you lost. The voters made their decision.

[brooklynite]

11. Dave Wasserman has seen enough....

Link to tweet

[Takket]

13. please.........

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/haley-stevens/

she was my congressperson (until redistricting this year) and a good strong voice for the party and for women's rights in Congress. I would have voted for her again if I had the chance.

Let's not act like she's some kind of rethug in sheep's clothing because some Bernie bros are upset about her contributions.

I submit this graph to anyone that questions her.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/haley-stevens/

[AZProgressive]

17. The Tweet that brings up contributions looks like a woman

Rather than a bro to me.

[JohnSJ]

20. and the insinuation by some in the Sanders wing of the party, without explicitly saying it, is

blaming it on “Jewish money”, which is the familiar scapegoating I hear many times

Nina Turner is a perfect example of that

[AZProgressive]

21. The progressive candidates don't take corporate PAC money

They call out all forms of big money lobbying and it is no secret AIPAC & others are spending massive amounts to influence Democratic primaries.

[JohnSJ]

24. You are incorrect. They started their own PAC

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/21/808234797/rep-ocasio-cortez-launches-political-group-to-boost-progressive-candidates

[JohnSJ]

15. It has to do with the make up of the district, and those who believe Levin is losing because of

AIPAC money, are ignoring the fact that it may be for the same reason Turner lost against Brown

Frankly when AOC and Sanders go into certain districts, their endorsements seem to do more harm then good for the more progressive candidate, because of the districts makeup, especially after redistricting in some of these districts

[AZProgressive]

19. Brown came out as cosponsor to M4A and a member of the Progressive Caucus

That was a choice between a progressive and a progressive. There was also a lot of AIPAC money spent on that race as Israel was the major difference between the 2 candidates.

[Celerity]

23. yes, I am sure Brown doing that made a handful on here very unhappy (I was for Brown as Turner is a

nightmare wrecker, and was happy to see Brown do what she did, it was an added bonus win win)

[JohnSJ]

25. Do You think the endorsements of Bernie and AOC helped or hurt Levin in that district?

I know nothing about the Demographics in that district after redistricting, but I suspect most of the populous would be more moderate than liberal based on the results of the primary

[Celerity]

27. AOC never officially endorsed Levin, although she went with others to a rally for him

I care about reliably Democrat progressive votes, and Stevens is less of one than Levin would have been.

I do not like The Problems Solvers caucus at all (Stevens is member), I think they are obstructionists who try and pish the party too much to the right.

I documented a few of Steven's problematic stances above.

Is she better than a Rethug? HELL YES

but between the two I much prefer Levin (who obviously has lost)

I think the 4.5 million usd in dark money attack adverts did more damage to Levin than a handful endorsements from Bernie, etc.

Likely so did the Rethug redistricting that forced this cannibalising race.

[JohnSJ]

29. That problem solver's caucus is a joke. There is no compromise with the party of trump.

As for your other points I agree with your analysis

[W_HAMILTON]

37. You clearly don't know what you are talking about.

Levin's "top industry" and "top contributor" for this cycle was also a Pro-Israel PAC. Refer to: https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/andy-levin/summary?cid=N00042149

Fact is, despite all the slurs from the far left, Stevens and Levin are pretty damn similar when it comes to voting outcomes. If I remember correctly, Progressive Punch rated them both an A, even though Levin was in a Strong Democratic district before, whereas Stevens was in a Swing district; Levin received a score of 99 this cycle, whereas Stevens received a score of 95.

Far left progressives need to realize that many their would-be allies -- like myself -- saw what their unfair and misguided attacks did in 2016 and we will not support candidates that continue to slur good Democrats like that anymore. It is too destructive. This is why I wholeheartedly support strong progressives like Fetterman -- who spends his time going after Republicans -- and it appears many of those on the left do as well. He is doing very well in a swing state, due in part to him not burning bridges among the various factions of the left during his primary campaign that would come back to hurt him in the general.

[AZProgressive]

39. My post was about Brown

Brown is a cosponsor of M4A and a member of the progressive caucus so she was being a progressive in order to win the race. It is also true AIPAC and Dimifi PAC poured money into that race. They also poured money into Summer Lee’s opponent.

The Lamb supporters were toxic in that primary and of course any message sent in that race was ignored by the OP who likes to stir shit.

On edit: I use Govtrack ideology scores to determine who is center or left.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

40. K&R