Everyone is basking in the fact that the Democrat, James Thompson, lost by only 7 points against Republican Ron Estes. Lost is the operative word for Democrats.
Grassroots organizations like DailyKos and MoveOn fought to elect Thompson, and it is clear that what they did worked. But they did not have the support of the DNC. Rob Kall, founder of OpEdNews laid it out perfectly in the article he wrote titled “The DNC leadership just demonstrated, in Kansas, how they will lose in 2018” that must be examined.
The DNC leadership just Demonstrated, in Kansas, how they will lose in 2018. By doing the same failed thing they’ve been doing.
I just got an email from a progressive organization asking for donations for Jon Ossoff’s Georgia Special election. The message says that the org didn’t support James Thompson, the Kansas candidate, but gee, look how great he did=- losing by only six percent, as compared to Trump winning the district by 27%. So, they ask, please support Jon Ossoff, because Trump only won his district by one percent.
Excuse me, but why didn’t a progressive organization help a real progressive? Why didn’t the DNC help this real progressive. Imagine how much better he’d have done if he’d been supported by the DNC and progressive organizations (Dailykos did do some fundraising.) Could he have won, or cut the win by two, three or more points? I think so.
The DNC leadership did not even try. People want to know that someone is fighting for them else they fall back to form. Imagine if the DNC would go all out for all five Red State candidates, running ads, hitting the ground, pointing out what they will do differently than the fiasco most are watching in the Washington political sphere. Many would respond. As it turns out the DNC absence is tantamount to a status quo that has lost Democratic legislatures, legislators, and politicians locally, statewide, and nationally.
Kall suggests that donors should give directly to candidates and not to the DNC. I don’t think it is time to do that yet. It is time to let the new know that we expect them to support the candidates of the grassroots. Everyone reading this can do so by flooding their telephone (202) 863-8000, send letters to 430 South Capitol Street Southeast, Washington, DC 20003, or send feedback here instructing them to support the candidate in the remaining four congressional races fully. If they fail to act, then support the progressive candidate that represent our values.
Kall’s closing statement is necessary. It should be the guiding light of all progressives.
There’s an amazing possibility for a repudiation of right winger politicians and the clown king Trump in 2018. But it won’t happen the way the DNC and some “progressive” organizations are operating. Tell them to wise up and smarten up. I know. Many of you have written off the Democrats altogether. I don’t blame you. So, fight for change.
We must not allow the establishment to marginalize the progressive grassroots movement that best represents poor and middle-class America.