Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Take a Ways

The first round of the ABQ elections are over.  Here are my take-a-ways.

Tim Keller had a killer ground game and was truly the best all around candidate.  His message resonated with voters and his nearly 40% share of the vote was astounding.  Now, he needs to get an even bigger tent.

The GOP will go all medieval on him.  He will face a well funded NRA and anti gay Dan Lewis who is an ordained baptist minister.  Look for Koch brother money coming in to the race.

Brian Colon suffered from the curse of being a former Democratic Party Chair.  The ability to fund raise and make deals just doesn't translate into charisma for being a successful candidate.  His TV commercials were pretty bad.  Kellers were pretty good.  Colon is a nice guy who needs to get his folks behind Keller.

Wayne Johnson, the anti sanctuary guy can now slink back into the Santolina owned Bernalillo County Commission.

Many Democrats voted against the sick leave issue.  It was just a  bridge too far after folks tried to read through the ballot language and saw how convoluted it was.  The opposition ran a good campaign.

I am all in for Cynthia Borrego in my old home District 5 Council race.  The last thing we need is Robert Aragon, another fundamentalist wacko.  Read up on his background to see what a disruptive person he can be.

Send money to this PAC that helps Tim Keller.  His election will make those clowns at the Santolina development pucker their sphincters. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Get the popcorn out and see what happens. Dan Lewis could have a bazillion dollars and Tim not another penny and not get my vote. Wonder if there is room in the Keller camp for the Colonistas? Brian was too nice. He should have blitzkrieged Dan Lewis with negative ads, but he is not that kind of person. Keller is going to need a huge shovel to clean up the pile of elephant shit that gets left behind for him.

Anonymous said...

Dan Lewis as Mayor. Just he mere fact that pastor Dan takes himself serious with all his Desert Fuels pay to play crap is a joke by itself. Colon had his chance two weeks ago when he could’ve withdrew when he saw his campaign had stagnated and thrown support behind Keller, but didn’t. He can go back to doing what he does best: professional fundraising.

Anonymous said...

Here and there on the internet I've seen Bernie Sanders' endorsement mentioned as a factor in Keller's good showing.

Bernie might also explain that large turnout. He's been credited with bringing a lot of really engaged people in.

Keller was one of several Sanders backed candidates to come out on top the other day. There was also Birmingham, Alabama's now mayor elect and a state assembly race in California where there will also be a runoff.

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/10/randall_woodfin_benefited_from.html


Since Hillary, Democrats generally and the party leadership in particular have been making leftward gestures. Sanders did what he did (as did Hillary) and he still has that Our Revolution group of his supporters and a huge email list the Democratic Party wanted but he wouldn't give them.

Conservative Democrats Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall recently signed on as co-sponsors of Sanders' Medicare For All bill. This was for them a surprising leap to the left, to put it mildly. I went into cardiac arrest. Especially Martin but to large degrees both have always portrayed themselves as the most bipartisan politicians ever, and they never say or do anything that might lead anyone, like Wall Street donors, to believe they'd support any legislation that might effect the status quo to the benefit of working people.

Also, US congressional contender Deb Haaland has language in her platform to the effect that she supports universal health care, which is basically what Sanders' Medicare For All is. In fact, her platform is a model for what Democrats should be, and used to be. (Dennis Chavez). Maybe she's always been that progressive, but even so she knows New Mexico and what with the stranglehold the parties have on politics here it doesn't especially benefit you to side with working people. Jeff Bingamon never did and he spent decades in Washington and came home with a cool $10 million. Michelle Grisham never does and she's been winning every race she enters.

So why are they siding with us now? Because they are being told they have to? Because Bernie.