I fully believe that our democracy hinges on flipping Congress blue, so I actively promote Democrats.

I carefully select which primary candidates to highlight based on character, expertise & other factors. But most important of all is fit for the district. Will they win?
/1
Some on here take the position that we should boost the profiles of all Dem primary candidates equally. I do not. Because some won’t win. And we must win. /2
There is a danger in the nationalization of local races. Many of us in super blue urban centers view things through a very progressive lens. So when we look to races in rural Michigan, Texas or Virginia we may be drawn to super progressive candidates in those races. /3
But in this age of social media, when highly engaged urban democrats can generate buzz about a progressive candidate in an R+7 rural district in Florida, we are wielding great power and we must be mindful. /4
It is incumbent upon us to understand the context of a race if we are going to push any candidate - much less a very liberal candidate in a lean-red district. Otherwise we’re just meddling blindly in local politics, & potentially torpedoing a race that might’ve flipped blue. /5
The most likely way we lose this thing in November is via over-interpretation of our mandate - i.e. we nominate Dem candidates who are too far left for their district, fueled by national energy instead of local factors. /6
If Conor Lamb or Doug Jones were any more liberal, we would have Rep. Saccone and Senator Roy Moore. Lamb & Jones will cast margin votes that displease the base. But they will vote with their party the vast majority of the time, and make left-leaning legislation passable. /7
These were successes b/c Lamb and Jones were excellent fits for their district/state, even though they would have been easily eliminated via the primary process in Portland/OR, New York/NY or LA/CA. /8
Here are some things I see happening in candidate promotion that should give us pause: /9
1) Supporting social-media-savvy candidates because they are “accessible”. Many on Twitter flock to candidates who are good at Twitter. A case can be made that social media savvy is important. /10
BUT - what if this person’s opponent(s) is/are not as accessible on SM b/c they are out knocking on doors actually connecting with their own constituents? In this case the national SM universe may be artificially propping up a candidate who is not a great fit locally. /11
2) Bandwagon support: When a candidate gets support from major accounts/influencers, folks fall in line & amplify w/o even looking at the race or alternative candidates. Don’t assume that a big-account endorsement (even from me 😉) means the chosen candidate is the best pick. /12
I have asked other accounts why they chose to push particular candidates and have literally gotten these responses: “I’d like to have a beer with him.” “He is really good at social media.” “Because So-And-So met her once and said she was really nice.” /13
Don’t assume endorsements are well-thought-out. There is too much misinformation flying around and too many unsavory influences to use this great power of social media for issuance of blind support of candidates. /14
Boosting Dem primary candidates who would be UNelectable in November is a strategic goal for many, from the GOP to the Kremlin and even the extreme left. We are in an information war and you must vet election information very carefully. /15
Here is a rule of thumb: if you can’t name the Dem primary opponents of the candidate you are boosting and make a locally contextualized argument for why your candidate is superior to the rest of the field, try doing a little more research. /16
(I’m not advocating that people make these arguments out in the open. In general we shouldn’t be tearing down other Democrats openly, as we may need to support them if they prevail in the primary.) /17
Do your own research. Look at candidates’ prior work, not just the positions they say they hold. Have they lived the values they profess? Do they have a history of helping others? How has the district voted before & what are key issues (cultural, economic & political)? /18
Of course, after the primaries, we #VoteBlueNoMatterWho //fin

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More from @NickKnudsenUS

Oct 6, 2018
I wrote this back in July. Of course we didn't know at the time how horrid Trump's SCOTUS pick would be, or how low the GOP would sink to push him thru. But - the argument here held up. This outcome was inevitable b/c of the GOP's lack of integrity. /1
demwritepress.com/2018/07/01/tru…
In fact (believe it or not), what has happened generally in this SCOTUS process (aside from the historically awful confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh) is following what I laid out as the "best case scenario". Yes - there were potentially worse (largely election-related) outcomes.
This final analysis is very significant this weekend depending the final vote. Joe Manchin may very well vote yes for Kavanaugh. But this gets down to my core argument: win the war. The Dems HAVE to win the Senate. A Manchin "Yes" vote is a strategic "margin vote". Please read:
Read 4 tweets
Oct 6, 2018
You: We’ve finally hit bottom.
Me: Oh no we haven’t.

Trump & Putin stole the presidency. Mitch McConnell is about to complete the takeover of the judiciary. The coup is nearly complete.

If they win in Nov, it’s game over. Use your time wisely the next 32 days. /1
Be prepared for a full-scale psychological assault. Trump & team have no qualms about mind-f*cking the American public if it helps them reach their goals. The core assault will be stories, messaging & conspiracy theories that cause Dem & progressive infighting. Don’t fall for it.
There is one party attacking our intelligence agencies. There is one party attacking the free press. There is one party putting kids in internment camps. There is one party hell-bent on eliminating every woman’s right to choose.

The Mother. F*cking. Republicans. That’s who.
Read 5 tweets
Sep 19, 2018
THREAD - Profiles In Cowardice: Republicans from coast to coast are refusing to debate their Democratic opponents in front of constituents. #DemsWannaDebate

A race-by-race rundown (incl. video/photos) of the most egregious cases of debate-dodging:
/1

demwritepress.com/2018/09/18/pro…
The bottom line message here: demand accountability and transparency in representation. And don't settle for anything less.

What follows is a series of quotes from Democrats who aren't having much luck coaxing their opponents into live debates. /2
Liz Watson wants to debate Trey Hollinsworth in #IN09. Where's @RepTrey? cc: @LizForIndiana
Read 17 tweets
Sep 8, 2018
Trump was in North Dakota today. ND data, for Trump & @GOP:

316,000: North Dakotans who have pre-existing conditions currently protected by law that are jeopardized by the Trump Administration’s demand that the courts to strike down protections for pre-existing conditions.

/1
30,100: North Dakotans that would have lost health coverage by 2026 under the GOP House-passed Trumpcare bill.

11,400: North Dakotans with Medicaid would have lost health coverage under Trumpcare.

4,151: North Dakota workers would have lost their jobs by 2022 under Trumpcare.
$3,140: More for premiums a family of four in North Dakota could pay for coverage due to GOP’s ACA sabotage.

$17,060: More for premiums North Dakotans could pay for coverage if they are pregnant under Trumpcare.
Read 4 tweets
Sep 5, 2018
Never forget how far down the rabbit hole we are.

Kavanaugh should not be the deciding #SCOTUS vote. McConnell nuked precedent by kneecapping Merrick Garland & changed Senate rules to take away the judicial filibuster.

/1
If the Republicans in Congress were doing the job our founders intended, the Intel Committees would be deep into ongoing, meaningful Russia & emoluments hearings. Info would have likely come out that made it impossible for the Senate to even entertain a Trump SCOTUS pick.
/2
If the GOP didn’t suppress votes & gerrymander districts - the GOP wouldn’t even have the majority in the House in the first place. If they didn’t spread disinformation and race-bait, working class voters would know that voting for GOP policies would harm them - not help them.
Read 4 tweets

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