Tuesday, June 20, 2017

"There's another special election happening Tuesday in South Carolina's 5th District to replace Trump's Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, but GOP nominee Ralph Norman [is] expected to easily best Democratic nominee Archie Parnell in an area where support for the president remains overall strong." [UPDATED]

Test your prowess. The headline is a quote beginning, "There's another special election happening Tuesday ..." that being today. What "other" special election might be referenced there? HINT: The quote is from here.

Further test your prowess. Predict whose tons of money shall prevail to yield the best Rep. money can buy.

That is the unwholesome premise. Of both sides: Money makes political victory.

Two corporatist dominated political parties in a faceoff where money wins, the people lose, regardless.

Go Handlel go. Win Ossoff, win.

It is not a referendum on Trump. It is a referendum on money and the two-party stranglehold. One where each wins and persists. Regardless.

___________UPDATE___________
Congrats in advance, to whoever.

___________FURTHER UPDATE____________
Wednesday after voting; Handel 52%; Ossoff 48% - pay attention Perez et al., money can't buy you love. Quist would have been a more promising investment - but leaving progressives to hang out and dry is the beltway way to oblivion. Which so far they've chosen.

At least Quist enjoyed the ride. AND THIS IS IMPORTANT - Gianforte was a stronger candidate than Handel. ("Stronger" in the quality sense, not the body-slam sense. But GG topped out on both.)

So, standoff. Beltway spenders and hangers on, need the progressives or watch losing. Progressives, need the beltway set, or watch losing. That means one has to yield something to the other. Beltway Perez/Biden crowd wants to concede nothing. You cannot win that way, but is it about winning or about thinking progressives can be starved into submission? What's to lose by staying home. The beltway crowd wants the spoils, Trump has the spoils but is up 2020; it's not rocket science. Progressives have less to lose than the beltway bunch; and then there are the state houses where entrenched Dems have something to lose, un- or under-represented progressives have needs and wants which are being ignored; so what's the turnaround formula? Nothing complex in answering that.

Money can't buy you love.