because the biggest wrench in electing democrats is lack of awareness/apathy. We far outnumber republicans 6:4, and if people actually voted on the policies that those parties represent, it'd be like 8.5:1.5.

I thought we didn't stand a chance if we ran more progressive candidates in dark red states. Especially the Bernie pie-in-the-sky socialist aligned candidates. Where is our DINO candidate so that we can chalk up another D for our side? (even though they will vote with their buddies in the Republican party every time)

It seems there is only one person running as a Democrat, so perhaps more information about the candidate himself? Just because he's getting money from a Bernie PAC, it doesn't follow that he's aligned with him necessarily.

Also, is chalking up a D for our side somehow a bad thing? And why? You do know that this propaganda about DINOs is pretty much recycled stuff from the RWers and their whining about RINOs who vote for common sense measures in violation of the GOP partyline? Why use their talking points to attack Democrats, whom you know nothing about beyond their name?

What he is saying if you read between the lines alludes to our party's history.

1. Most southerners were Democrats until LBJ forced passage of the Civil Rights Act. It really was an uneasy alliance between the Northeast and West Coast New Dealers and the Dixie Dems - if you read bios of Roosevelt, you'll see how the New Deal had to make compromises to get the support they needed from the racist southerners. But that support was permanently lost by LBJ.
2. The Republicans went into the south with their vaunted Southern Strategy and used racist dog whistles to take over the post-Jim-Crow power structure, which is why the south is so deep-red and full of immoral stuff like voter suppression.
3. This caused Dems to experience disastrous losses through the 70s.
4. In the late 1980s, the Democrats created the 'Third Way.'
5. The third way was basically the idea that if Dems wanted to win seats, they needed to be a bit more business friendly and a bit more socially conservative.
6. Somehow it became ensconced into the Democratic Party mythos that we couldn't 'seem' too lib-er-al, because that was a dirty word. Imagine Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly talking in very disparaging, condescending terms about the LIB-ER-ALS. Making fun, lying, basically brainwashing their listeners using very sophisticated techniques about the dangers of liberalism. Making it a dirty word.

OK, now let's explore some angst - some of the angst we leftie (read New-Deal Socialist) Dems feel. The poster you replied to was wryly alluding to the irony that a guy like Bernie, who is an avowed Socialist, can go barnstorm in a deep-red state and actually turn people around. Because, hey, the wisdom of the DNC under the former chair Wasserman-Schultz was that a socialist, who (gasp!) isn't even a Democrat couldn't possibly beat someone like Trump.

The poster was sort of saying indirectly that this particular election may serve as a test ground for a really leftie message in a deep-red district. Can he win?

So, to spell it out, when he asks, again wryly, where the DINO candidate is, he is poking fun at the so called 'establishment' Dems who genuinely believe that some aspects of LIB-ER-ALism need to be absent from our public message, and we need to be willing to compromise with the neoliberal 'privatize everything, deregulate everything and end all social safety net programs because the market is ALWAYS better, faster and cheaper and it will take care of EVERYTHING' type people we face across the aisle.

There it is. So, we will see, you and I - and all the rest of us - how this guy's election strategy works or does not work in just a few days. It is a test. Bernie always maintained that his positions are positions the far majority of Americans agree with. Now, because of how this has gone down, we will see if that is true. Hey, even if the guy loses, if it is by a narrow margin, that will be a huge message to those who have ears to listen.

However this works out, one of the most exciting things I've heard in a LONG TIME is that our new DNC chair, Tom Perez is going to barnstorm with Bernie in red states. I was so encouraged by this that I sent the DNC $100 this very day. If Perez takes this approach instead of sitting on his ass like Schultz did, we are going to start WINNING elections at all levels!

However this works out, one of the most exciting things I've heard in a LONG TIME is that our new DNC chair, Tom Perez is going to barnstorm with Bernie in red states. I was so encouraged by this that I sent the DNC $100 this very day. If Perez takes this approach instead of sitting on his ass like Schultz did, we are going to start WINNING elections at all levels!

This is great news for our side whether or not Thompson wins - it means that our efforts in red states aren't as futile as some would have us believe.

Is Kansas on the list of states Tom and Bernie are barnstorming? I know they're going to Maine, Florida, Arizona, Kentucky, Nevada, Nebraska and Utah and that Bernie spoke in Topeka in February.

I guess should have included the sarcasm tag. I thought it was obvious.

I would say also that even if he does not win, if he even comes very close to winning, it should be a great signal. It would show that at the very least, Democrats that unabashedly stand by more socially egalitarian principles, can do NO WORSE than a DINO in the same spot. So then it becomes a "why not run an actual Democrat?".

See, the problem with all the "hidden" things you saw between the few lines and the "indirectness" here is that there is literally nothing elucidated about the actual canddiate.

To spell it out, why is it that no one knows anything about this guy other than that Berni's PAC is supporting him?

Do you even know anything about him, or are all the hidden meanings, and the indirectness and the tangential history lesson enough, because this isn't about the candidate, his stance, himself or anything but Bernie?

I think that the people with the ears to listen and the eyes to see are seeing this for what it is, about American's displeasure with the president and the party they did NOT vote for as the majority.

My direct point, that you don't have to work at, any special decoder rings or any acrobatics to get through, is that his race isn't about Bernie, socialism or any revolution.

It is about James Thompson, who is fighting a Koch backed candidate in a Koch controlled area and doing surprisingly well because Americans are tired of the GOP. Perhaps you missed all that with the concentration on allusions to things that have nothing to do with what's going on in Kansas right now? The need to insert Bernie into all things (that he's not doing himself).

Here's a little more about the man:

http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article132183819.html

Here's how he was selected to run:

I hope he wins, but he's no socialist. Bernie did very well in many rural states and won the Kansas Dem primary by a very large margin.

http://www.votejamesthompson.com/issues

make Democrats win again!

The public is becoming more aware of the fact that socialism is different from democratic socialism so labeling a candidate as a socialist isn't the slur that it used to be.

We're talking about a deeply misogynistic base that has some severe issues with treating women like human beings and acknowledging things like racism.

The public is well aware of what an actual Democrat is and isn't so into labels like socialist or hyphenated socialist.

Thompson seems more like a traditional Democrat. I think it's a bit odd that people are projecting so many labels on him, and basically ignoring him as a candidate by choosing to focus on a Senator that's not really that involved here, given that he's been a bit busy with other things, his book tour, and the various other things that the Senators and the Democrats in general have been up to in the past few months as the Trumpet and the GOP have careened from one blunder to another.

It would have been nice if the OP that was ostensibly about his race had done a bit more to focus on him rather than some Super PAC that supports him and a man that isn't really involved in his candidacy.

The public is very well aware of what's going on, and is very much in support of Democrats. The GOP knows this, and Thompson is well aware of the divisive games they're going to be playing to try to decrease turn out. Those games won't work, Democrats are not that stupid.

We need all demographics to win in 2018 and 2020.

Defining red states as inherently racist and misogynistic might make us feel better after our devastating loss last year but it's actually stupid and incredibly short sighted.

It's also incredibly insulting to Democrats in those states who are anything but racist and misogynistic. How do we think it makes them feel when they're dismissed as simple hicks who only vote for white men?

Seems like a good strategy if we want to keep losing.

Thankfully leaders like Tom and Bernie aren't doing anything like that - in fact they're on a unity tour to court voters in red states.

They're the only candidates who give people a real alternative other than Republican (wanna-be) vs. actual Republican and have the policies that the majority of the people in this country want. If you're conservative enough to vote for a DINO, better to vote for the Republican anyway because at least your 2nd amendment rights will be safe. If you're progressive, there's no good choice, so people will just stay home.

(And I realize you were being a bit sarcastic here, but I'm really irked about this whole DINO thing and have about made up my mind to never support one again even if the Republican is worse. I'm done with voting for crappy candidates, so the party needs to start running some real choices.)

He's going to need all the luck he can get.

50-state, compete anywhere and everywhere....that's what we have to do.

Beyond his name and Bernie's blessing, do you have anything to share about the candidate himself or is that not the point of this post?

Ah well, it did prompt me to learn more about the man, and thank you so much of posting this here so that other people can learn about him beyond a single super PAC that's supporting him.

He sounds like an excellent candidate and a "actual" Democrat, for those who have been a bit confused about what that actually is.

and make it about an unrelated politician. OP's posts seem to be all about the unrelated guy, which is fine, but this is an odd way to wedge that in at this time. I guess if you've got crush, everything's filtered through the one that makes your heart throb.

Just really odd with politics, ya know? I expect this from Beliebers (those die hard Justin Bieber fans) who make everything about him, no matter what.

But, at least it has served the purpose of making people like you and me, and several others post things about the candidate who hopefully will succeed.

His platform sounds great, KS Democrats are fighting the good fight, and it's energizing the populace, and getting Democrats all over the country on board. I think he's got some virtual phone banks going on.

Even if the OP doesn't care about the candidate, or getting Democrats elected, DEMOCRATS do!

The numbers are promising, hopefully that will translate to actual votes. Brownback is terrible as the Kansas GOP! (And the GOP in general!)

Appreciate your post letting me know this is another place where a red state candidate is getting support and attention.

everyone I know is voting for him

Excerpt:

The special election in Kansas has largely flown under national Democrats’ radar. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has not invested in the race, but the organization seemed pleased that Republicans felt compelled to do so.

“President Trump won this traditionally red district by 27 points just a few short months ago, so the fact that the NRCC is panicking now confirms how strong the headwinds are that Republicans face across the country,” DCCC spokesman Tyler Law said in a statement.

The national Democratic Party and liberal activists have focused heavily on the contest for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, where 30-year-old filmmaker Jon Ossoff is running a competitive race in the seat vacated by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. High Democratic turnout in early voting in Ossoff’s district bodes well for him, too.

Like the Kansas race, the battle to fill Montana’s House seat has gotten less national attention.

But the Democratic candidate in the district, Rob Quist, a popular banjo player who supported Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid, has generated substantial enthusiasm across the state, raising the possibility of an upset there as well.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kansas-special-election-congress_us_58e6ac26e4b0ace57cc0b43a?

Bernie spoke to Kansas Dems in February and they were fired up. If we've got them running scared in red red Kansas that's a good indication that our efforts are paying off.

And that's not an easy feat since he never takes a break. I know people half his age who don't have that kind of stamina.

Thank you for all you do, Donkees!

It's obvious that Bernie's message energized millennials in 2016 and from what I've seen Generation Z is following in their footsteps.

And I'm sure you'll agree that his continued outreach to our youth and other demographics in red states is a good thing. Tom Perez recognizes Bernie's appeal and is capitalizing on it during their Unity tour.

....who will be tapping several prominent Democrats to be passengers on his train during his tour.

the barely referred to Kansas Democrat that's actually on a ballot right?

It's an hour long video, so it's kind of pointless if this is just the usual Bernie speech and not one that introduces the guy whose election is literally going on right now. Isn't this post supposed to be about him?

“We are super-excited to have Sen. Sanders coming to speak at our state convention,” Gooch said. “We’re hoping that Sen. Sanders is going to come and it’s going to draw a lot of his supporters to help them get more engaged in the Democratic Party.”

Sanders is probably the most popular Democratic Party figure in Kansas, having won last year’s state presidential caucus by more than 2-1 over Clinton, Gooch said.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article132303819.html#storylink=cpy

The loud democratic socialist from little blue Vermont with almost no name recognition who was told he would be lucky to win his home state became a rock star. And he's still speaking to sold out crowds.

It's inspiring for progressive underdogs everywhere.

who inspired him to run, not sure why that's an important thing to assert when no evidence exists of such a statement. Have you done any research on Thompson himself, or is this yet another all praise to be Bernie, to whom all thanks must go and who is responsible for all things.

It's just this seems to ostensibly be about Thompson, but rarely are there any mentions of him by the OP, just a lot of baseless assertions that fail badly when links are followed.

The assertions that he's a socialist, Bernie's chosen one, and was supposedly inspired by Bernie to run are all odd things to say when there is nothing to back them up.

Thompson seems like a good Democrat who didn't need anyone revealing to him the good news that he should run.

He is not expected to win, given the history of that district. But I fully support the attempt. And who knows? He might win.

If Dems can pick up at least a couple of these special elections, I think that will send a message to the Republicans: Be afraid, be very afraid.

Only thing keeping this presidency going was the Judge Neil Asterisk nomination​ and GOP voter support.
Now that Garland's seat has been stolen the only thing stopping full scale revolt is 80% approval amongst voters. Which is falling rapidly. A bit more GOP fear and this administration implodes.

Keep resisting!

And it's likely to be much closer than that. If he manages to reduce that margin by 20+ points or if the stars align and he wins, it will shake the political world more than Ossoff winning in GA. There are dozens of districts across the country just like KS-04 which suddenly become pick-up opportunities for us. We just need good candidates and motivated voters.

blessed him, and made him socialist. And forgot to tell him all of this, which is why the OP feels the need to make these assertions, so that the truth be known, that all praise be upon Bernie, who also might not know he has done all these things, since he's not the one making all these claims.

Some here seem quite excited about Bernie who visited the State on his book tour and gave some speeches a couple of months ago, but James Thompson, the man on the ballot, seems a bit less exciting to them, hence the rare mention of his name or anything about what he actually stands for, his beliefs and his stances.

Some others (including yours truly) have posted some links for those that would like to actually find out about the man on the ballot. The Senator's numerous speeches, videos and rallies are great fun for his fans, but they don't do much to educate about the candidate.

He's a veteran, a Civil Rights lawyer, and he's well aware that the divisiveness that some are trying to foment is a tool being used by those on the Right to try to keep Dems from winning seats. Seems like a bright guy, a true Democrat, who sees what's happening and is not going to let them win.

I'm a little prejudiced, having been born there, but i think a lot of the problems the Democratic party has faced there are similar to the ones in other states including my home state of Minnesota. It's a split between less educated, less informed voters in rural areas and urban dwellers. Sedgewick County is a very affluent and well educated place and is home to Raytheon, Spirit Systems, and Cessna aircraft. Wichita is by no means a backwards place and the people are not fools. the real problem has been a dysfunctional DNC and other Democratic bodies to give any support to candidates in these "red" districts. Voters tend to stay away when the race seems hopeless and the candidates can't get a lot of publicity. I believe turnout is the key and you have to give the voters a reason to vote for you. To consider all of the non-voters as apathetic or in the middle makes no sense. Running a campaign of Republican light won't excite anyone.
A good example of the failure of the Party was a candidate who almost defeated Michelle Bachmann 2 elections ago who had no money and got no national support until just before the election. It scared the bosses so much they retired her.
It looks to me this guy could win. Pompeo had a lot of support through his contacts in the aerospace industry. I don't know much about their current candidate, but I suspect he's tied in with Brownback in the voters mind, and I think a lot of people want to see the last of him.