Before I wrap up The Rift on the Left series and talk about this horrible tax bill that was just passed by Congress, I wanted to first talk about Democratic candidates for 2018 and beyond. To be perfectly honest, I am still ambivalent about the Democratic Party, but a number of the grassroots candidates running next year are pretty exciting.
There may be a progressive wave coming, as signaled by the elections in the latter half of 2017. November 7, 2017 was a watershed moment, as Democrats and some third-party candidates took seats that had been held by Republicans and other entrenched politicians. And the developments in Alabama may have changed the entire landscape.
With the election of Doug Jones to fill the Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions, Democrats feel that they may have found on opening for 2018. Jones’ victory, while close, signaled that Democrats could compete in deep-red states. It also emphasized the importance of voter participation.
Now, Democrats have a tough hill to climb for the next 3 years. Starting next year, they will have a 51-47 gap against the Republicans in the Senate (but the Democrats basically control 49 seats in that chamber since the two independents caucus with them) and a 24-seat gap in the House of Representatives. Democrats also have to defend two dozen Senate seats in 2018, with 10 of those seats in states that Trump carried in 2016.
The good news is both houses of Congress are in play and the developments in Congress have made that so.
Democrats are also looking to 2020 and surveying possible presidential candidates. I know this is waaaaaaay early and it doesn’t immediately help Democrats to focus on the 2020 election this soon, but talk has already begun and these candidates should be examined as soon as possible.
What Is There to Know About These Democratic Candidates?
This was going to be a single post, but as I began doing the research, I realized there was too much information to skip over. So, this be yet another series. I’m still doing the research and I will do my best to finish this one as soon as possible. The descriptions about the candidates will be brief as possible, but I want to include my thoughts on each of the races being discussed here.
Now, while I might not be able to talk about all the candidates vying for office next year and beyond, I hope to focus on key races.
Without further ado, here are the other posts to look forward to:
- Democrats: Who Should ‘We’ Run in 2018? Who Excites Me?
- Democrats: Who Should ‘We’ Run in 2020? It’s Complicated.
- Democrats: Clinton, Feinstein, and the ‘Process’
After I’m done with this, I can finally finish get to other posts outside of the Rift of the Left Series. The afterword is largely written, but I will have more to add.
By the way, I know the appearance of one man in that picture will trigger some who see it, but he will be discussed in the third post.
Shmaltz and Menudo 