MA-07: Boston City Councillor to Challenge Capuano

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

We lost a progressive champion who had the courage to vote against the PATRIOT Act back in those dark days in the near aftermath of 9/11. Now we have someone who staked out exactly one position to the left of a long-term incumbent. I hope the residents of MA-07 enjoy their new lack of seniority, and I further hope a certain element on Atlas comes to the realization that being "dynamic," which Pressley is, is not the same thing as being "left," like AOC is.

[DrScholl]

Ideology isn't the only thing that matters, representation is also key. People will elect someone who actually asks for their vote as opposed to just expecting it and this is especially true with minority voters. Pressley asked for those votes and got them. It's not as if a white person cannot represent a majority-minority district, it just that some are better at it than others (Steve Cohen).

[Landslide Lyndon]

Capuano was one of the good guys and it's regrettable that he was targeted by the alt-left while someone like Lynch got a free pass.
Pressley might be young and charismatic but doesn't seem ready for prime-time (just like AOC). I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Forum Democrats:

When a black candidate unexpectedly defeats a white candidate, try not to sound like this Nazi douchebag:

https://twitter.com/yooroppawo/status/1037158786153103360

Thanks.

Some of my relatives died in the Holocaust, [Inks]hole

[Zaybay]

Capuano was one of the good guys and it's regrettable that he was targeted by the alt-left while someone like Lynch got a free pass.
Pressley might be young and charismatic but doesn't seem ready for prime-time (just like AOC). I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

You cant just try to apply Right terms on the Left, especially when Pressley and Capuano didnt share any real policy difference.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Capuano was one of the good guys and it's regrettable that he was targeted by the alt-left while someone like Lynch got a free pass.
Pressley might be young and charismatic but doesn't seem ready for prime-time (just like AOC). I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

You cant just try to apply Right terms on the Left, especially when Pressley and Capuano didnt share any real policy difference.

That's exactly what made this race a waste of resources.

[Brittain33]

I'd hate to side with hofoid, but a majority minority district voting based on race pretty much IS the definition of "identity politics". And the idea that its not OK for a white person to represent such a district is no better than attacking the idea of a non-white person representing a majority white district.

That said this will have zero impact on partisan elections anywhere.

Pressley won by 18 points in a district where whites are a majority of voters. She won with a *lot* of white voters who wanted the newer progressive woman and some of whom support diversity for the benefits it brings. Yes, race was a factor, but so was geography, youth, gender, and novelty.

[Zaybay]

Capuano was one of the good guys and it's regrettable that he was targeted by the alt-left while someone like Lynch got a free pass.
Pressley might be young and charismatic but doesn't seem ready for prime-time (just like AOC). I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

You cant just try to apply Right terms on the Left, especially when Pressley and Capuano didnt share any real policy difference.

That's exactly what made this race a waste of resources.

Well, thats just the voters choice, you know. The Rep. incumbent in NC-09 lost for literally no reason, and now it looks like the Ds will take the seat. If voters wont to oust someone, then let them oust, thats what makes democracy.

[Blair]

I probably would have voted for Capuano, and I know a fair few D-MA posters have backed him heavily, but it's not the end of the world that Pressley has won. She's got political experience in the City Council, she's been endorsed by some local unions and she's ran a valid campaign.

All this race confirms is what we already knew- female candidates are doing extremely well, African-Americans are doing better and the Democratic electorate is being much more engaged. 

[Sherrod Brown Shill]

Mike Capuano is a great guy. Pretty sure on DW-Nominate he is the furthest left not-POC representative. But I really think he lost touch with his district. Pressley ran such a good campaign I think she deserved this victory just on merit.

[Brittain33]

I probably would have voted for Capuano, and I know a fair few D-MA posters have backed him heavily, but it's not the end of the world that Pressley has won. She's got political experience in the City Council, she's been endorsed by some local unions and she's ran a valid campaign.

All this race confirms is what we already knew- female candidates are doing extremely well, African-Americans are doing better and the Democratic electorate is being much more engaged.  

In addition to City Hall experience, I’ve learned she was a staffer for Kerry and Kennedy (which one, I don’t know) so she will be going to Washington with knowledge how things work. On NPR this morning Marie St. Fleur corrected the Republican commentator who said leaders in Washington would take her aside and teach her the ropes by citing her experience.

[OneJ]

FiveThirtyEight seems to sum up this race:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Looking at this, it does seem that there were quite a few voters who thought Capuano did a good job, but he just simply lost touch with his district. I don't understand the outrage of Capuano losing here, however.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-ayanna-pressleys-upset-win-in-massachusetts-isnt-really-like-alexandria-ocasio-cortezs/

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Imagine screaming "identity politics" to discredit a POC for winning an election.

[Nyvin]

Capuano was one of the good guys and it's regrettable that he was targeted by the alt-left while someone like Lynch got a free pass.
Pressley might be young and charismatic but doesn't seem ready for prime-time (just like AOC). I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

There's no such thing as the alt-left.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Imagine screaming "identity politics" to discredit a POC for winning an election.

This.  Gasp, voters saw two extremely similar candidates and chose the one...what's the dog whistle people like to use again..."most likely to get a beer with" aka the one who was more relatable to them!  Unfortunately people no longer "want to get a beer with" an old white man anymore.

How is “most likely to grab a beer with” a dog whistle?

[Wisconsin SC Race 2019]

Fact of the matter is, there was no ideological reason to throw out someone who already fought for the causes of the people in the district. Capuano was a white male that struggled against a party that hates people like him.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Capuano was one of the good guys and it's regrettable that he was targeted by the alt-left while someone like Lynch got a free pass.
Pressley might be young and charismatic but doesn't seem ready for prime-time (just like AOC). I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

There's no such thing as the alt-left.

There was also no targeting of Capuano. Pressley was just sick of waiting for him to retire.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Fact of the matter is, there was no ideological reason to throw out someone who already fought for the causes of the people in the district. Capuano was a white male that struggled against a party that hates people like him.

Which completely explains the other defeats of Stephen Lynch and every other white male in Massachusetts' delegation.

[Brittain33]

Fact of the matter is, there was no ideological reason to throw out someone who already fought for the causes of the people in the district. Capuano was a white male that struggled against a party that hates people like him.

The overwhelming sentiment toward Capuano was "he's a good guy, but we want someone else now."

[Rookie Yinzer]

I'd hate to side with hofoid, but a majority minority district voting based on race pretty much IS the definition of "identity politics". And the idea that its not OK for a white person to represent such a district is no better than attacking the idea of a non-white person representing a majority white district.

That said this will have zero impact on partisan elections anywhere.

White people vote for white candidates all the time. Why is it an issue when POC do it? Furthermore, you actually have no idea why people voted for her.

We lost a progressive champion who had the courage to vote against the PATRIOT Act back in those dark days in the near aftermath of 9/11. Now we have someone who staked out exactly one position to the left of a long-term incumbent. I hope the residents of MA-07 enjoy their new lack of seniority, and I further hope a certain element on Atlas comes to the realization that being "dynamic," which Pressley is, is not the same thing as being "left," like AOC is.

He is not owed the seat. The funny part about all of this is that white people gave Pressley her margin of victory.

Ideology isn't the only thing that matters, representation is also key. People will elect someone who actually asks for their vote as opposed to just expecting it and this is especially true with minority voters. Pressley asked for those votes and got them. It's not as if a white person cannot represent a majority-minority district, it just that some are better at it than others (Steve Cohen).

These fake progressives on this forum show their ass everytime an unlikely person of color beats their anointed white fave. People of color go into communities and asks for votes because they don't have the luxury of coasting on perceived electability. This myth that black voters run to the polls and crawl over glass to vote for black candidates has been debunked over and over again. They go into these communities and ask for their vote and tell them how their policies will make their lives better. A lot of these white incumbents think virtue signaling about Trump is supposed to be enough to win.

[Blair]

Besides aren't the hot takes about the Democratic Party hating white men a little over hyped considering that Dan Lipinski, a well known cretin, managed to win enough democrats in his primary to scrap over the line?

[Zaybay]

Besides aren't the hot takes about the Democratic Party hating white men a little over hyped considering that Dan Lipinski, a well known cretin, managed to win enough democrats in his primary to scrap over the line?

well, thats technically not true. He lost the D and I vote. He won the R voters who voted in the D primary, which is why he won.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'd hate to side with hofoid, but a majority minority district voting based on race pretty much IS the definition of "identity politics". And the idea that its not OK for a white person to represent such a district is no better than attacking the idea of a non-white person representing a majority white district.

That said this will have zero impact on partisan elections anywhere.

White people vote for white candidates all the time. Why is it an issue when POC do it? Furthermore, you actually have no idea why people voted for her.

Literally a whataboutism, but yes whites voting on race us terrible too. If you saw my posts about how some white voters reacted to Obama and some trends in 2008 you'd clearly see me saying that.

The second point is correct though.

[BuckeyeNut]

We lost a progressive champion who had the courage to vote against the PATRIOT Act back in those dark days in the near aftermath of 9/11. Now we have someone who staked out exactly one position to the left of a long-term incumbent. I hope the residents of MA-07 enjoy their new lack of seniority, and I further hope a certain element on Atlas comes to the realization that being "dynamic," which Pressley is, is not the same thing as being "left," like AOC is.

He is not owed the seat. The funny part about all of this is that white people gave Pressley her margin of victory.

When did I say he was? Diversity for its own sake has some merits, and if that’s your goal, okay. The fact of the mattsr is that Capuano was one of the best members of the House on policy, and ran to Pressley’s left on every issue but ICE. This is not a victory for the left — it is a loss.

[Rookie Yinzer]

I'd hate to side with hofoid, but a majority minority district voting based on race pretty much IS the definition of "identity politics". And the idea that its not OK for a white person to represent such a district is no better than attacking the idea of a non-white person representing a majority white district.

That said this will have zero impact on partisan elections anywhere.

White people vote for white candidates all the time. Why is it an issue when POC do it? Furthermore, you actually have no idea why people voted for her.

Literally a whataboutism, but yes whites voting on race us terrible too. If you saw my posts about how some white voters reacted to Obama and some trends in 2008 you'd clearly see me saying that.

The second point is correct though.

I'm not saying "what about", my point is that white people can vote for white candidates and not have their motives be questioned. Or that black candidates can't win elections on their own merits and hard work. It had to be because the black voters brainlessly voted for them. Has it happened before? Sure, but it's problematic to scream "identity politics" every time it happens.