One of several reasons the National Party groups get no money from me.

Fundraising, campaign management, etc. It is NOT based on ideology, and it isn't intended to let Democrats feel good about hopeless causes.

Who specifically do you feel they've given short shrift to?

It's highly gerrymandered - stretches across 6 counties looking like a dragon in a Chinese new year's parade. But last election, the Dem candidate came within 3 points of defeating the Republican. Next November, we'll get a good Dem turnout to defeat GOP governor Corbett, who currently has the lowest approval rating of any Governor in the state's history.

Unfortunately, McClelland's having to spend money on the primary because an EIGHTY YEAR OLD man who was on Congressman Murtha's staff evidently overdosed on his Viagra and decided to run. And this was AFTER McClelland had declared her intentions to run. This elderly guy is so bloated and out of shape his eyes are in a perpetual squint. Between his abysmal physical shape and his advanced age, he's clearly not in shape to handle the demands of the job. An 80+ year old, retired Dem. doctor I work on campaigns with commented that if we elected this old fart, we'd have to have another special election when he died in office. The cherry on top and a sign of his inability to follow/understand ethical rules/guidelines? In 2009, he caused a scandal by spending over $2,000 of Murtha's campaign funds to purchase a high power rifle for his personal use at an NRA event.

She raised $90,000 in the last quarter; 7% of what the Republican raised. That's not enough for a City Council race, much less a competitive House race WITH A PRIMARY, much less a campaign in a SOLD REPUBLICAN (R+9) district.

You say you don't give to DCCC; well. I DO give to them and I expect them to take a hard look at the candidates they give support to; not based on ideology, but on competence and potential.

How terrific of you to trash a union-endorsed candidate on DU - NOT. Perhaps you will admit to the fact that it can take candidates several election cycles to build name recognition with the voters, and the Democratic party needs to cultivate, encourage and nurture younger candidates. The One Percent is only interested in the immediate, short term returns/profits, and not the longer term well being of the rest of the country. From what you state, the DCCC bases its decisions on last quarterly fund-raising numbers.

Bottom line. If the DCCC chooses to write off winning my congressional district and leaving us stuck with a Republican representative, we Democrats in the 12th District are not quite so willing to go belly up and give up the fight.

...that can't raise any money? from Union people?

I've said nothing to trash her; I've said, based on evidence, that her campaign doesn't warrant support from Leadership if the race isn't likely to pay off, because to do so is to withdraw support from a candidate with greater potential. Who would you suggest DCCC cut off?

Tell me, do your BFFs at the DCCC only pick the surest of winners, cause that's sort of jumping on the bandwagon. How much did the DCCC give each candidate in the last congressional election? How many DCCC backed candidates won? You're a whiz at pulling up stats from DCCC. Surely you have access to those names and numbers. Inquiring progressive minds want to know.

http://www.politicspa.com/pa-12-mcclelland-endorsed-by-allegheny-county-labor-council/55650/ PA-12: McClelland Endorsed By Allegheny County Labor Council

http://www.politicspa.com/pa-12-mcclelland-endorsed-by-ibew-29/55496/
PA-12: McClelland Endorsed By IBEW 29

http://www.politicspa.com/pa-12-mcclelland-endorsed-by-usw-local-1196/55587/
PA-12: McClelland Endorsed by USW Local 1196

Democratic Congressional candidate Erin McClelland received the endorsement today of the United Steelworkers Local 1196. The 1196 is the oldest USW local in the United States and it represents the workers of the ATI Allegheny Ludlum.

“I grew up in the Alle-Kiski Valley and have friends and family that have worked at Allegheny Ludlum,” McClelland responded. “USW 1196 represents the heart of what was once called ‘Death Valley’ due to the many men and women who died fighting for safe working conditions, fair wages, and a reasonable workday. I am honored to stand with the United Steelworkers as we fight to maintain the economy ladder of opportunity that leads to prosperity, allowing the children of labor everywhere to inherit a better country than they found.”

“The brothers and sisters of USW 1196 are proud to endorse Erin McClelland in her bid to be the next representative of Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional district,” USW 1196 President Fran Arabia said. “We need more people like that in Congress, and we’re confident Erin McClelland will be a champion for working families.”

The McClelland campaign noted that the Gamesa USA wind turbine plant in Cambria County recently closed, a development they blamed on GOP Rep. Keith Rothfus and his complicity in letting a wind energy tax credit expire

.

...and they add candidates later who show progress later and who can make the race competitive. RIGHT NOW, the independent rating groups (Cook, Rothenberg and Sabato) all say this is a safe Republican seat. Maybe your Union support will start raising money; maybe it'll start shifting the polling. Until it does investing in a lost cause simply because the candidate has Union support is ridiculous.

Groups like the DCCC (or its GOP equivalent) don't help candidates for free. There are always strings on future votes attached, and that's how Democratic party policy has ended up as far right as it has become. Same thing happens with party caucuses in state legislatures. Leaderships funnel money to individual campaigns for state house/senate, but by-god, if those candidates are elected they damn well better fall in line and vote the way said leadership tells them, or else.

I'm tired of the same republicans running our show that are running their show.

I couldn't agree more. Democrats spend no money, throw up their hands in sanctimonious defeat, wonder why the candidate then can't raise money, and then have their excuse to spend no money in the next election cycle--let alone cultivate candidates and voters in the mean time.

All of which plays quite nicely into the Republican narrative that Democrats are the party of the Northern elite.


So bravo, DCCC. Maybe you can spend a few extra million in Ohio or Pennsylvania, convincing suburban voters that you're really NOT any more liberal than the Republican you're trying to unseat. God knows that's been a winning strategy for the last 30 years.

Sort of like the man behind the curtain (Wizard of OZ). The great and powerful DCCC knows who can win and who can't. Just shut up, abandon your local candidates and give us your money!

Working on a couple of campaigns in the gerrymandered upstate NY districts, you might say preliminary defeat still strengthens the run next time. A confluence of scandal(the GOP leadership in House campaigns AND upstate were in the spotlights) and the right voting season led a bunch of switchovers which since have slumped back. Now whether a campaign is feckless or merely hopeless or a millionaire's dismal rerun or at a disadvantage that limited Dem funds won't be gambled you can still fume at the general situation.

That situation won't change unless the historical winds fill the limp Dem sails. Would that be wisdom justifies, results earned?

Money, media and gerrymandering to name a few. Enthusiasm and even a great staff doesn't mean all the right contact with all the voters. If we had that generally available both parties would be forced to offer higher quality candidates and not be preening rich guys, conservatives etc. to play the crooked game's board rules. Not to get involved in chicken and egg debates about reforms and dealing with the difficulties you have to go with the necessity of really fighting tooth and nail over every cause great and small and not judging this by the bill. Dean's 50 state strategy and putting this kind of consistent pressure everywhere may not win immediate seats but will start building floodwaters against the miserable, anti-everything power keepers of the present- in any party. To be too realistic or pragmatic is to be neither, especially when facing rampant fiscal crime and media mindwarp. giving up is still giving up and if that mood is spread by a monetary branding iron it can hardly be called leadership by the DCCC or other party functions at the top.

The other tendency is to do the same thing with the ideology of the candidates.

At the same time, they often have a point on the electability and competence of those rejected. A general complaint about the party- or suspicion- is that these self-fulfilling attitudes and inactions seem to be the only effective tool serving the otherwise self-annihilating GOP. Whose tide are they dampening, whose strengthening? What perception or bean counting myopia is being presented and why, when the opportunity in REALITY not media fantasyland may never be greater?

Strategies and gaming is certainly not an absolute, but one thing is. Standing up and fighting everywhere to prove you really intend to represent the whole country and actually DO something. If nothing more than a voter's perception- campaign energy is prelude to trust and enthusiasm. After that comes productivity- another area where both gears and voice become almighty squeaky in obscure incrementalism amid obvious crises.

out of 435. Way to go DCCC!

No wonder the Democrats can't take back the House and are barely holding on to the Senate.

regardless of need, competency of candidate, or partisan make-up of district?

Howard Dean's 50-state-strategy in which the Democrats won big. That's what I'm suggesting.

As we see by the resident DCCC apologist/cheerleader on this and other threads, those chosen by the DCCC are repeatedly labeled "winners"; the rest are de facto losers. And as we see by the OP's link, local press publish info on the DCCC's rejection as labeling Democratic candidates as "not serious contenders".

What a glorious gift to their Republican opponents to further publicize throughout the campaigns - hey, the Democratic party labels its own candidates as likely to lose. What a way to dampen further donations or people volunteering to work on the campaign or coming out to vote.

With friends like the folks at DCCC, who needs enemies!

Post 13 above from the DCCC cheerleader: "investing in a lost cause simply because the candidate has Union support is ridiculous."
So I and all the others who invest time or money to any but the DCCC's chosen few are "ridiculous"? Well, that's not quite as bad as being called a "fucking retard" by Rahm.

On edit: Note, the DCCC supporter has pointedly ignored my request to spell out the DCCC's record for the 2012 congressional election, i.e, ID every individual they supported, the amount of support, and the number of those who won.