That was the centerpiece of the campaign K. Rogers ran in the Texas primary elections for the 22nd Congressional district. It was shouted from a sound truck, and posted on an 18 foot banner. During the campaign, Rogers denounced warnings of global warming as imperialist genocide, proclaimed that London banking interests are bent on ruining America's economy and accused Obama of “pissing on the legacy of President John F. Kennedy”
So what, you say? The Republican party is chockablock full of right wingnuts, especially in the south; what's one more racist teabagger? Well, there's more:
Rogers won the primary, and is now the party's candidate for Congress from the 22nd district.
Again, so what? As Peter Jennings famously said after Reagan's reelection, "The angry white male has had his little tantrum"- let the Republicans keep marginalizing themselves. Well, there's still more:
Kesha Rogers is an African American woman, and she won the Democratic party's nomination for Congress. Here is a news story about the election, and Ms. Roger's website. Note the campaign broadcasts on her website, with their cute "Down with the traitors" theme song.
My point? One more bit of evidence that it's time to stop blaming Republicans for the lack of progress. When you own the Presidency, both houses of Congress, a majority of Governorships, a majority of state congresses, a majority of big city mayors, and a majority of those city councils, it starts getting really old really fast when you keep blaming the other party for an inability to pass legislation or implement policies.
6 comments:
We've had a Democratic Gov and majorities in both branches of the legislature for years. Veto proof majorities as of 2006... and it's been stagnation. Now the Gov's been impeached and it's still stagnation with Illinois losing jobs not just to India but Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa... it's a nightmare.
Joel,
A quick Google search for Kesha Rogers would tell you that she isn't your typical Democrat. She's a follower of Lydon LaRouche:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesha_Rogers#LaRouche_movement
A person who belongs to a cultish fringe group under the "Democrat" label needs to be understood as such. She's no more "representative" of the Democratic Party than David Duke was "representative" of the GOP.
And that's the context behind this Democratic Party candidate's primary win. More analysis of her primary victory can be found here:
"'I Am Leading a War Against the British Empire'"
http://washingtonindependent.com/78347/i-am-leading-a-war-against-the-british-empire
Politico reports that this house seat race won't be receiving national Democratic Party support because it took the gross ethics violations of Tom DeLay to get a Democrat in this seat in 2008. They aren't expecting to win this seat even without a nutty fringe candidate on the ballot.
I don't know...I met LaRouch then known as Lynn Marcus when his National Cacaus of Labor Committees rented the IWW Hall in Chicago. Pat Murfin along with Fred Thompson were with me... Marcus a plenty weird guy then and know... but he may well be becoming the typical Democrat!
Watch the video of Rahm and Massa and it seems a party of those becoming unhinged.
Steve, yes, her own website has lots of LaRouche stuff on it. I wasn't saying that she represents the entire Democratic party. What I'm saying is that she was able to win a primary election. Not a general election, a primary election. That means registered Democratic voters voted for her. Which goes to my point: that the Democratic party doesn't have a center; The Democratic tent is now so open that it no longer encompasses anything. Which goes to my conclussion: when you own every branch of government at every level of government and you still can't get anything done, it's time to stop blaming the other party and look to your own organization.
Joel -- Texas does have an open primary system.
One doesn't have to be a registered Democrat to vote in the Democratic Party primary in Texas.
The incumbent Republican ran unchallenged in this district that Tom Delay formerly served (basically it was strong GOP territory).
So ... we don't know how many cross-over GOP voters voted for Ms. Rogers in the other party's primary.
You are correct that the Democratic Party in this part of Texas is pretty weak. The two mainstream candidates in their primary lost to a fringe LaRouche candidate.
But I don't know if you can generalize this result beyond this Texas district.
Edmund Burke lives, eh?
Shows that no reform procedure will guarantee quality results on a self-sustaining basis. The old reformation formula of education-involvement-conscience needs our advocacy, our support, and our constant vigilance.
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