Friday Open Thread | The future of the Democratic Party is Stacey Abrams

Posted on March 8, 2019 by rikyrah

I can’t help myself- I am absolutely a fan of Stacey Abrams.

Unapologetically a fan.

I definitely hope that she runs in 2020. This country needs someone like her in political leadership in this country.
She has the way forward. Stop chasing after muthaphuckas who wouldn’t pour water on your if you were on fire. Get to YOUR voters – those that believe as you do and aren’t registered. Or, those who have been voter suppressed, and get them the right ID so that they can vote. Find YOUR voters. STOP chasing after those who are willing to follow every shiny object that the GOP throws into their path, determined to vote against their self-interest, cause, quite frankly, clinging to the Whiteness is the most important thing to them.

And make no mistake, that election was STOLEN from Stacey Abrams by a cheat. Hillary is absolutely right – Stacey should be the Governor right now.

Democrats need to be Democrats. Stand for what we stand for. Stand for it proudly. Go out and find OUR voters and FIGHT for their right to vote. There isn’t one phucking issue that the Republicans stand for that has any kind of merit. Not.A.One. We need to take it to them in 2020, and shove it down their throats. Our values, represented by the policies that we support, are humane and better. They stand for nothing but hatred and fear.

Stacey Abrams, After Narrow Loss, Has Some Decisions to Make

ATLANTA — Pick a strategy Democrats are considering ahead of 2020, and Stacey Abrams’s narrow loss in the Georgia governor’s race serves either as a blueprint or a warning sign.

Democrats are debating how much voting issues can swing an election, whether identity politics are energizing or polarizing, and if it is better to double down on politically engaged women, people of color and left-leaning voters or tack to the center. All of those played out in a fight that catapulted Ms. Abrams to national attention. The open question is what lesson to draw: that her strategy was more successful than any recent Democrat who ran statewide, or that it still was not enough to tug Georgia — and perhaps the country — into the blue column.
For Ms. Abrams, the answer is unequivocal: Her campaign turned out record numbers of black, Latino and Asian voters, and she also won a larger share of the white vote than President Barack Obama or scions of Georgia political royalty like Jason Carter and Michelle Nunn. She actively courted voters and highlighted issues central to an emerging demographic majority that proved elusive for Democrats in 2016.

“We recognized that we could center communities of color, marginalized communities, and talk about their needs without alienating the white community,” she said in a recent extended interview. “That’s been a false narrative that’s been part of politics, especially in the South, for a very long time.”

This, she argues, is a playbook Democrats should follow for 2020, whether or not she runs for president — a choice she is actively considering.

“I need women of color, particularly black women, to understand that our achievements should not be diminished,” she said, particularly that she came so close in a red state. She added, “Now I’m not saying I would be the best candidate, but I’m not going to dismiss it out of hand the way others do.”

ICAM, Ms. Abrams.

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100 Responses to Friday Open Thread | The future of the Democratic Party is Stacey Abrams

  9. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 8, 2019 at 4:03 pm

    In Carson news…..

    Don’t change the tv if he’s watching cartoons….he’ll start crying…. and wants the remote back.

    Whenever he and his daddy are riding in the car and the music is on….he tries to sing too…..

    💋💋💋💋💋

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      March 8, 2019 at 4:13 pm

      Looks like they are going to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law, unlike Trump’s cronies.

      Reply
  12. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 3:15 pm

    Watch: Arkansas State Sen. Stephanie Flowers Is the Hero We Deserve

    Stephen A. Crockett Jr.
    Today 2:12pm

    ………………..

    Arkansas State Sen. Stephanie Flowers has officially become my spirit human after an impassioned speech during a debate over the state’s “stand your ground” law.

    Flowers, A Democrat from Pine Bluff and the lone black face on the state’s eight-member committee, wanted more time to debate the merits of “stand your ground law,” which argues that civilians have the rights to use their firearms when they feel threatened because it disproportionately targets people of color.

    …………………………..

    She also pointed to gun rights enthusiasts who openly carry guns in front of the Arkansas courthouse and how uncomfortable that makes her feel because she doesn’t know if any of these people are crazy. She called them bullies.

    At one point, Arkansas Sen. Alan Clark, a Republican from Lonsdale, Ark., who must’ve never had a “What you aren’t going to do” experience in his life, learned Wednesday that what he’s not going to do is try and tell Sen. Flowers that she needs to stop.

    Oh, but he tried it.

    “Senator, you need to stop,” Clark said.

    “No, I don’t!” Flowers replied.

    “Yes you do,” Clark shot back.

    “No, I don’t!” Flowers said. “What the hell you gonna do? Shoot me?”

    It is at this point that a single tear fell from my right eye. I didn’t even know that I was on the verge of tears but Sen. Flowers bullied it out of me. Maybe it was her passion or her willingness to speak up for those whose voices are usually silenced. Maybe it was just her full-on gangster, “I don’t give a fuck about anybody in this room” attitude. Or, maybe it was because any black man that has been raised by a strong black woman has seen this happen before. My mom acted like this for me all the time. It was indignant and embarrassing to me as a child, but it became the quality of my mom that I wished I had once I got older.

    Reply
  13. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 2:56 pm

    47 Months: A Case Study in Systemic Racism and Why The Time for Tokenism is Over

    There is righteous – and right – outrage at Judge T.S. Ellis’ feather-light sentence on Paul Manafort in the case against him in Virginia. The sentencing guidelines called for the imposition of a 20-year sentence, but Judge Ellis took it upon himself to ignore the guidelines and sentence Manafort to 47 months.

    It’s not that Ellis has any great general opposition to imposing harsh sentences, even on men of means. In 2009, Judge Ellis sentenced former Rep. William Jefferson – who committed crimes similar to what Paul Manafort was convicted of by the Virginia jury – to 13 years in prison, about half the time recommended in the government’s sentencing memorandum. In contrast, Paul Manafort got less than a quarter of the time prosecutors outlined in his sentencing memo. William Jefferson, though, is black.

    This isn’t about resources. This is about race. This is what racism is about.

    When we utter the word ‘racism’, most people automatically think of epithets, terms used to refer to individuals. Or a little more advanced, we think of phobias that individuals hold against groups of people. And racism is in part about that: the conscious and subconscious thoughts, words and actions of individuals, epithets and attitudes directed from individuals to other individuals or groups.

    But racism is far less about the individual epithets and far, far more about systemic, institutionalized, normalized disparity in the treatments of whole groups of people. It is more about attitudes that are ingrained in the bricks that make up our justice system than about stereotypes harbored by individuals, without excuse though those might be.

    Reply
  14. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 2:50 pm

    UH HUH
    UH HUH

    After Being Called Out for Lack of Black Execs, CNN Blames Delay in Meeting with NABJ on Roland Martin

    Anne Branigin
    Yesterday 3:17pm

    The National Association of Black Journalists put CNN on blast Tuesday, calling out the cable network for its failure to hire and retain black people in key decision-making roles, as well as for CNN president Jeff Zucker’s refusal to meet with a four-person delegation of NABJ leadership.

    As a result, the black journalists’ organization has placed CNN on a “special media monitoring list,” according to an announcement posted on its website.

    In its statement, NABJ highlighted CNN’s specific failings with regard to diversity, which included the following bulleted list:

    ▪ CNN President Jeff Zucker has no black direct reports.

    ▪ There are no black Executive Producers at CNN.

    ▪ There are no black Vice Presidents on the news side at CNN.

    ▪ There are no black Senior Vice Presidents on the news side at CNN.

    CNN responded the same day, seemingly blaming NABJ board member Roland Martin for the delay in addressing NABJ’s concerns.

    Lips pursed

    Reply
  19. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 8, 2019 at 1:53 pm

    Lord Jesus! Come down and deal with this wicked man.

    https://twitter.com/jdawsey1/status/1104097056593977344

    Reply
  20. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 1:46 pm

    Been looking for this comment about David Brooks coming out for reparations. I think they nailed it:

    hueyplong says:
    March 8, 2019 at 8:59 am
    Any time you think David Brooks might not be attempting some passive-aggressive destructiveness, look again. You’ll see it.

    Let’s have 2020 be white America’s referendum on reparations instead of Donald Trump’s fitness for office.

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      March 8, 2019 at 12:50 pm

      @BreeNewsome
      20h20 hours ago

      Does this resolution include any specifics about what the House intends to do regarding ongoing oppression of racial and religious minorities in the US? Or is this purely about targeting Omar with more vigor than any of the many white supremacists who hold power in this gov’t?

      @BreeNewsome
      19h19 hours ago

      The USA’s bipartisan neoliberal establishment was not even this moved to call for such a resolution when neo-nazis marched on Charlottesville shouting “Jews will not replace us” and murdered a young woman. I WONDER WHY THAT IS… 🤔

      @BreeNewsome
      19h19 hours ago

      Dylann Roof murdering Black people in Charleston to start a race war didn’t warrant such a resolution. No such resolution was proposed the whole time mass anti-racism protests were occurring in every major American city. At that time the response was, “All lives matter.” 🙃

      @BreeNewsome
      19h19 hours ago

      We see you, white power establishment. We see you.

      Reply
  22. Liza says:
    March 8, 2019 at 12:43 pm

    All of it is pure, unadulterated bullsh!t. The Democrats going along with this to pander to their AIPAC master is unconscionable. One of these days I’m just going to register as independent and be done with it.
    https://twitter.com/jjz1600/status/1104004042953510913

    Reply
  25. Ametia says:
    March 8, 2019 at 11:38 am

    ALL.THIS!

    Reply
  26. Ametia says:
    March 8, 2019 at 11:26 am

    Heard this broadcast yesterday on MPR

    Wurzer: “Do you think she should kinda reign in some of her tweets. Kinda hard to discuss foreign policy in240 characters?” REALLY?!

    Who do we know that tweets on the regular and is sitting in the highest office in the land?

    ‘She’s speaking truth to power:’ Local Jewish group rep reacts to Rep. Omar’s comments
    The U.S. House is expected to vote Thursday on a new resolution condemning hate. The resolution began as a denunciation of anti-Semitism, in the wake of comments last week by Minnesota DFL Rep. Ilhan Omar.
    On Tuesday’s Morning Edition we heard from Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, about why many Jews feel that Rep. Omar’s recent comments were anti-Semitic. But others in the Jewish community disagree with that sentiment, including Amber Harris, who represents the Twin Cities chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace.

    MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Harris about the situation.

    Listen here:

    https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/03/07/local-jewish-group-representative-reacts-to-rep-omars-comments

    Reply
  31. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 8, 2019 at 10:33 am

    https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1104051790771830785

    https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1104052436644384769

    “If you hear the dogs, keep going
    If you see the torches in the woods, keep going
    If there’s shouting after you, keep going” —Harriet Tubman

    Reply
  32. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 8, 2019 at 10:12 am

    My son said, Mom don’t put your faith in these people getting long sentences for their crimes. He said, they’re being sentenced frm 2 weeks to 30 days in prison, while Black people are sitting years in prison for weed. How is that justice? I told him to believe. What can I say now? #JudgeEllis #ManafortSentencing

    Reply
  33. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 10:11 am

    Did you all see this?

    From a White House source, the House Oversight Committee has obtained documents related to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s security clearances that the Trump administration refused to provide, according to a senior Democratic aide involved in handling the documents.

    The government professionals are trying, folks. They are trying to hang in there and get the truth out to us.

    Reply
    • Ametia says:
      March 8, 2019 at 11:48 am

      It’s coming. It’s just a matter of time. Because the only way to get these fuckers, is that enough white folks have to gain a pair

      AND

      DO.THE.RIGHT.THING

      Reply
  34. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 10:00 am

    Judge’s light Manafort sentence undercuts justice system: McQuade
    Barbara McQuade, former U.S. attorney, talks with Rachel Maddow about how federal sentencing guidelines work, and why Judge T.S. Ellis disregarding those guidelines to give Paul Manafort a lighter sentence undermines the legitimacy of the criminal justice system.

    Reply
  35. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 9:56 am

    First debate between the two candidates for Mayor of Chicago last night:

    https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/watch-lightfoot-preckwinkle-chicago-mayor-debate-506854321.html

    Reply
  36. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 8, 2019 at 9:51 am

    Sometimes when your soul is bruised, it helps to listen to music. This #Manafort sentencing fuckery was a stab to the soul. A life of crime and all he got was a slap on the wrist. Corrupt system. corrupt judges. I’m still shook.

    Crazy

    Reply
  37. Ametia says:
    March 8, 2019 at 9:35 am

    Word of the Day : March 8, 2019

    Shard: noun SHAHRD

    Definition
    1 a : a piece or fragment of a brittle substance; broadly : a small piece or part : scrap

    b : shell, scale; especially : elytron

    2 : a fragment of a pottery vessel found on sites and in refuse deposits where pottery-making peoples have lived

    3 : highly angular curved glass fragments of tuffaceous sediment

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/shard-2019-03-08?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=s&file=shard001&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=wotd&utm_content=pron

    Reply
    • majiir says:
      March 8, 2019 at 8:27 pm

      Thanks for continuing the “Word of the Day” feature, Ametia. It’s keeping my mind sharp and adding new words to my vocabulary.

      Reply
  41. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 8, 2019 at 9:12 am

    William Jefferson was sentenced to 13 yrs in prison. Judge Ellis didn’t think the guidelines were excessive in his case b/c William Jefferson is Black. Paul Manafort is white. He’s unfit to sit on the bench. Folks MUST take a look at more of his cases. What he did was fucked up

    Reply
    • vitaminlover says:
      March 8, 2019 at 9:28 am

      Reading the body language it looks like the guy closest to the Duchess is more open to her yet the guy with his hands behind his back is more anxious or distrustful.

      Reply
  47. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 7:49 am

    Patrick Healy (@patrickhealynyt) Tweeted:
    NEWS: Elizabeth Warren is proposing a new regulatory plan that would break up big tech companies like Amazon, Google and Facebook and roll back acquisitions like Facebook’s deals for WhatsApp and Instagram. https://t.co/xZboYv9Cby https://twitter.com/patrickhealynyt/status/1104015484855484417?s=17

    Reply
  48. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 7:47 am

    Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) Tweeted:
    Extensive wrongdoing, misconduct, corruption, criminality, and, yes, collusion have *already* been conclusively documented by the “witch hunt” and spinoffs.

    Anyone who treats lack of *criminal charges* for conspiracy with Russia as vindication is willingly bolstering his spin. https://t.co/x9kq7GWSkr https://twitter.com/ThePlumLineGS/status/1104015510570782720?s=17

    Reply
  53. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 7:25 am

    😠😠😠

    Molly McKew (@MollyMcKew) Tweeted:
    Ken Starr is on CNN talking about how poor pitiable Manafort deserved mercy + compassion, then pivoted smoothly into condemning Monica Lewinsky as a devious manipulative perjurer even at age 21– & I feel like we’ve reached a new low to punditry. Happy int’l women’s day from @cnn https://twitter.com/MollyMcKew/status/1103998739293847552?s=17

    Reply
  55. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 7:24 am

    Like I said below…
    We could do this everyday, all day, and not run out of cases

    https://twitter.com/olgaNYC1211/status/1103875284493713409

    Reply
  60. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 7:16 am

    Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) Tweeted:
    There was only one Black lawmaker on the committee this week to review a Stand Your Ground bill in Arkansas. Thank God it was state Senator Stephanie Flowers. The bill failed in committee 4-3. #arleg https://t.co/oP2q7vJkOC https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/1104004160704307200?s=17

    Reply
  61. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 7:15 am

    😒😒😒

    David Mazel (@david_mazel) Tweeted:
    @RadioFreeTom @Popehat Well, Mueller gave it his all, but at the end of the day he just couldn’t turn Manafort into a black guy. https://twitter.com/david_mazel/status/1103835746270568448?s=17

    Reply
  71. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 7:01 am

    We could go all day with stories like this

    https://twitter.com/keithboykin/status/1103811870031572993

    Reply
  72. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 6:54 am

    I think that this movie is going to rock

    https://youtu.be/S3vO8E2e6G0

    Reply
  73. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 6:53 am

    The curve for Unqualified White Men is REAL 😡 😡

    https://twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/1103829442126925824

    Reply
  81. rikyrah says:
    March 8, 2019 at 3:04 am

    Good Morning, Everyone 😄😄😄

    Reply

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