Sunday, March 05, 2017

FLAT LEARNING CURVE: More of the same. DFL - Ken Martin, Inner Party stays as it was; stasis reigns per the 2016 pre/post election.

joke of the day

Strib reports; Martin by a major margin; marginalizing CHANGE, yet a result you have to BELIEVE IN. A short segment from a longer online Strib item:


Cassutt posed a strong challenge by framing the election as one pitting the establishment, status quo candidate against her own upstart bid for change that would emphasize grass roots organizing over fundraising, polls and ads.

Despite the commanding victory that DFL officials said was more than three-to-one, Martin remains at the helm of a party whose activists are still seething from the 2016 election results and demanding answers to questions about what went wrong.

"Was it really beyond our control?" Cassutt said during her speech before the vote, referring to the 2016 results.

But Martin's deep roots among party activists and organized labor overcame DFLers' disappointment with the 2016 results and desire for change.

Well, that set of short single sentence paragraphs has one loaded word. It depends how you define "activists."

The better word there, second usage, "regulars."

Stasis is the opposite of activism. Activism is not shaking money trees [return favors expected], nor is it TV ads. That's passivism. Is there a term "passivists?" For this result, Tom Perez at DNC, there should be that term, and if invented here it should grow legs. It applies. And, "... helm of a party whose activists ..." is an inconsistent use with the latter sentence, "... Martin's deep roots among inner party regulars including organized labor ..." being more properly phrased. Use of "and" in that sentence, and the inconsistent use of "activist" in successive sentences confuses what happened.

As at DNC, the DFL inner party of Minnesota is complacently happy with itself, only craving more spoils, but wanting that without reform. Sooner or later some of those folks may feel the rain . . .

Q. When Cassutt criticized "polls and ads" that had to ring the "kill switch" of the crony consultants; e.g., what else is findraising for, but cronies? A crony cottage industry coalesced, one that needs some snuffing, or at least a good clop upside the head. A wakeup clop, an if you cannot do better for the money step aside and let sincerity go door-to-door instead of phony BS learned in polling school.

UPDATE: Punditry on trial. One of a few short YouTube items showing understanding of what might generate a voter response that Beltway Establishment Experts belittle. May the Minnesota DFL find its way to legislative majorities, while retaining statewide appeal however that has evolved. And may the national party find its way out of the woods with a clear road and a roadmap which is there but they refuse to use or to even acknowledge as better than that old, same old. Better than kissing money. Better than clown consultants demanding money be the preeminent thing. Better than DWS and HRC. Gender not being the factor; witness Tulsi Gabbard and Elizabeth Warren, ON THE ISSUES. Yes. That. The Bern. It seems the last place it will be felt is the first place it should.