Winning the 2018 Midterm Elections It will be the Neoliberal strategy, not Donkey versus Elephant nor Winfrey versus Trump
One thing most Americans don't do is relate to anything complicated.
That definitely includes "midterm" elections when there is no Presidential election which offers the same feeling of excitement about celebrity and is less complicated than voting for American Idol contestants in the first decade of the 21st Century.
During the 20th Century, news and communications media technology evolved from newsprint and "snail-mail" to streaming internet video and tweets. This has given the President the ability to dominate "the conversation."
Even more important (and perhaps more inherently deceptive), internet social media such as Facebook has altered the shape of "community" for many Americans.
So when it comes to voting for candidates for state legislative seats, the 21st Century American is not going to feel much excitement nor understand the implications.
In fact, when the midterm ballots arrive they are likely to be looking at a list of names of candidates for numerous state and local government positions plus a Congressional seat, names they don't recognize.
On the ballot in about ⅔rds of the states will be listed candidates for a U.S. Senate seat. In that case, their Facebook friends "down state" and upstate urban center TV news occasionally will be discussing the Senate candidates in the midst of the constant discussion about Trump Tweets.
Consider for a moment these two maps:
The State of Wisconsin, with a total population of 5.8 million, has 99 members in its State Assembly each representing about 59,000 constituents.
The State of Washington, with a total population of 7.4 million has 98 members in its House of Representatives each representing about 76,000 constituents.
Let's consider a hypothetical character you may know with a more realistic take on where she lives. Let's say that the widowed Dr. Meredith Grey takes the half-hour ride each way on the ferry from Bainbridge Island where her home is to her job in the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital.
If you are Dr. Meredith Grey who rides the ferry daily to your job in the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, odds are if you start up a conversation with any one other employee of Seattle Grace Hospital that person will not have the same State House of Representative member and will not be able to discuss candidates for that position in the mid-term election. Heck, you don't even have a
Most certainly no internet "friend" over in Spokane or in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, can discuss those candidates with you.
And since you, Dr. Grey, a widow, work long hours and a lot of nights have a drink at the bar near the hospital before getting on the ferry to go home to spend "quality time" with your kids, you likely barely know anyone in your local community who will also have the same midterm election choices.
In other words, it's all complicated, even if you are well-educated. For most Americans life is radically different than it was in 1789 when the U.S. Constitution was adopted, but the political system is pretty much the same.
Beginning in the second half of the 20th Century, the Neoliberals figured out that pursuant to that 1789 Constitution those state legislative positions were far more important when it comes to controlling government policy than the President of the United States.
For instance you might think that President Obama was important regarding your health care. You also might think that Congress was important regarding your health care. After all the Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress and is generally referred to as Obamacare.
Except that the Affordable Care Act required every state to set up a health insurance exchange, also called a health insurance marketplace. States had the decision whether to set up their own exchange, partner with the federal government, or use the federally-run exchange. Also states, not the federal government, license doctors and hospitals and certify nurses and technicians. In fact, except for money, almost no health care service you receive is a federal matter. Except for money, the President and Congress are nearly irrelevant to your health care service.
Neoliberals understood that in the second half of the 20th Century. They know that Medicare is a money matter. They know that abortion is a state legislative matter. They know that to get most of the government policies they want in place they have to ignore elections at the federal level. In fact, they know that there is no such thing as a federal election, that states conduct all elections.
In their usual fashion, the Americans for Prosperity, backed by the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, poured $50,000 into a recent race for the rural Wisconsin 10th State Senate district supporting Republican Assemblyman Adam Jarchow. Jarchow is your average Wisconsin conservative Republican who also got $80,000 from the Wisconsin Alliance for Reform, a Neoliberal group with ties to the Koch brothers that spent $1.8 million on a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice race in 2018, and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, a GOP-aligned group funded by the business community.
Last Tuesday Democratic candidate Patty Schachtner won by nine points in a district Trump won by 17 points in 2016. Schachtner is obviously no slacker. She is the chief medical examiner for St. Croix County, a former EMT, a member of the school board, a trustee for the local food pantry and sits on the board for a community center that helps victims of sexual and domestic violence. She’s been married to her husband, Joe, for 39 years, and they have six grown children and nine grandchildren.
Schachtner is part of her community which is why on her website biographical page the first paragraph reminds the folks that as a former member of the Wisconsin Bear Hunters’ Association she and her family have enjoyed hunting in Wisconsin for generations.
And as she explained to the Associated Press:
For Progressives, that's a good, albeit modest, start to challenge Neoliberal control of state governments. As of December 1, 2017, there are 7,383 legislators in the 50 state legislatures. Republicans have majority control in 32 of the state legislatures, systematically accomplished through the efforts of the 152 affiliate and associate organizations of the Neoliberal State Policy Network, most funded by grants from billionaires like the Koch brothers as explained here in Wealthy Neoliberals Matter: How an Economic Ideology Took Control of U.S. State and National Legislative Agendas.
As noted in that post, on the weekend of June 24, 2017, at the luxurious Broadmore Hotel in Colorado Springs, Neoliberals that enjoy winning in these United States as reported The Washington Post (emphasis added):
Progressives will need to counter that effort, though organizationally we're well short of the 152 affiliate and associate organizations of the Neoliberal-funded State Policy Network.
The National Democratic Party will not be a source for those funds. They are too enamored with 2018 U.S. Senate and House of Representative races. But it does appear that the National Democratic Redistricting Committee can be a source of funding for contested legislative races.
That definitely includes "midterm" elections when there is no Presidential election which offers the same feeling of excitement about celebrity and is less complicated than voting for American Idol contestants in the first decade of the 21st Century.
During the 20th Century, news and communications media technology evolved from newsprint and "snail-mail" to streaming internet video and tweets. This has given the President the ability to dominate "the conversation."
Even more important (and perhaps more inherently deceptive), internet social media such as Facebook has altered the shape of "community" for many Americans.
So when it comes to voting for candidates for state legislative seats, the 21st Century American is not going to feel much excitement nor understand the implications.
In fact, when the midterm ballots arrive they are likely to be looking at a list of names of candidates for numerous state and local government positions plus a Congressional seat, names they don't recognize.
On the ballot in about ⅔rds of the states will be listed candidates for a U.S. Senate seat. In that case, their Facebook friends "down state" and upstate urban center TV news occasionally will be discussing the Senate candidates in the midst of the constant discussion about Trump Tweets.
Consider for a moment these two maps:
The State of Wisconsin, with a total population of 5.8 million, has 99 members in its State Assembly each representing about 59,000 constituents.
The State of Washington, with a total population of 7.4 million has 98 members in its House of Representatives each representing about 76,000 constituents.
Let's consider a hypothetical character you may know with a more realistic take on where she lives. Let's say that the widowed Dr. Meredith Grey takes the half-hour ride each way on the ferry from Bainbridge Island where her home is to her job in the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital.
If you are Dr. Meredith Grey who rides the ferry daily to your job in the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, odds are if you start up a conversation with any one other employee of Seattle Grace Hospital that person will not have the same State House of Representative member and will not be able to discuss candidates for that position in the mid-term election. Heck, you don't even have a
Most certainly no internet "friend" over in Spokane or in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, can discuss those candidates with you.
And since you, Dr. Grey, a widow, work long hours and a lot of nights have a drink at the bar near the hospital before getting on the ferry to go home to spend "quality time" with your kids, you likely barely know anyone in your local community who will also have the same midterm election choices.
In other words, it's all complicated, even if you are well-educated. For most Americans life is radically different than it was in 1789 when the U.S. Constitution was adopted, but the political system is pretty much the same.
Beginning in the second half of the 20th Century, the Neoliberals figured out that pursuant to that 1789 Constitution those state legislative positions were far more important when it comes to controlling government policy than the President of the United States.
For instance you might think that President Obama was important regarding your health care. You also might think that Congress was important regarding your health care. After all the Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress and is generally referred to as Obamacare.
Except that the Affordable Care Act required every state to set up a health insurance exchange, also called a health insurance marketplace. States had the decision whether to set up their own exchange, partner with the federal government, or use the federally-run exchange. Also states, not the federal government, license doctors and hospitals and certify nurses and technicians. In fact, except for money, almost no health care service you receive is a federal matter. Except for money, the President and Congress are nearly irrelevant to your health care service.
Neoliberals understood that in the second half of the 20th Century. They know that Medicare is a money matter. They know that abortion is a state legislative matter. They know that to get most of the government policies they want in place they have to ignore elections at the federal level. In fact, they know that there is no such thing as a federal election, that states conduct all elections.
As knowledge and technology evolve in the 21st Century, the day-to-day customs and practices of individuals, their organizations, and their governments should be adjusted to assure the creation and maintenance of equitable communities which permit every person the opportunity to pursue personal productive goals while sharing with all other humans equality in personal dignity and human rights while enjoying freedom with responsibility.
In their usual fashion, the Americans for Prosperity, backed by the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, poured $50,000 into a recent race for the rural Wisconsin 10th State Senate district supporting Republican Assemblyman Adam Jarchow. Jarchow is your average Wisconsin conservative Republican who also got $80,000 from the Wisconsin Alliance for Reform, a Neoliberal group with ties to the Koch brothers that spent $1.8 million on a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice race in 2018, and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, a GOP-aligned group funded by the business community.
Last Tuesday Democratic candidate Patty Schachtner won by nine points in a district Trump won by 17 points in 2016. Schachtner is obviously no slacker. She is the chief medical examiner for St. Croix County, a former EMT, a member of the school board, a trustee for the local food pantry and sits on the board for a community center that helps victims of sexual and domestic violence. She’s been married to her husband, Joe, for 39 years, and they have six grown children and nine grandchildren.
Schachtner is part of her community which is why on her website biographical page the first paragraph reminds the folks that as a former member of the Wisconsin Bear Hunters’ Association she and her family have enjoyed hunting in Wisconsin for generations.
And as she explained to the Associated Press:
People sent a message tonight: We don't want to be negative anymore. Change it up. I ran a positive campaign.The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, backed by Barack Obama and Eric Holder, spent $10,000 on her campaign while the Greater Wisconsin Committee (GWC), a Progressive organization founded in 2004 in the face of the Neoliberal effort, contributed $30,000.
My message has always been be kind, be considerate and we need to help people when they're down.
For Progressives, that's a good, albeit modest, start to challenge Neoliberal control of state governments. As of December 1, 2017, there are 7,383 legislators in the 50 state legislatures. Republicans have majority control in 32 of the state legislatures, systematically accomplished through the efforts of the 152 affiliate and associate organizations of the Neoliberal State Policy Network, most funded by grants from billionaires like the Koch brothers as explained here in Wealthy Neoliberals Matter: How an Economic Ideology Took Control of U.S. State and National Legislative Agendas.
As noted in that post, on the weekend of June 24, 2017, at the luxurious Broadmore Hotel in Colorado Springs, Neoliberals that enjoy winning in these United States as reported The Washington Post (emphasis added):
COLORADO SPRINGS—The wealthy donors who finance the Koch network are frustrated that national Republicans are not doing more to capitalize on having unified control of the federal government. But at their summer seminar here in the Rocky Mountains, which wrapped up last night, many were ecstatic—even giddy—about significant conservative gains that have been made this year in state capitals across the country.That is the same Americans for Prosperity that put $50,000 in the Wisconsin State Senate race only to lose. They will not spend so little anywhere in the the U.S. where contested state legislative races are involved.
The network, led by the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on low-profile races and building out grassroots operations in 36 states over the past decade.
In 2017 alone, several of these states have reduced union power, scaled back regulations, cut taxes, blocked Medicaid expansion, promoted alternatives to public education, loosened criminal sentencing laws and eased requirements to get occupational licenses.
Because President Trump is such an all-consuming story, most of these moves received scant national attention. But the 400 donors who descended on the Broadmoor resort over the past few days have been paying close attention and are keenly interested in the outcome of these state-level fights.
“Even in the past six months we’ve seen a lot of success: We have two new right-to-work states, school choice wins in five states, and a dozen states have reduced spending or taxes,” Roger Pattison, director of member relations for the Koch network, said at a dinner on Saturday night. “I could go on and on.”
“We’re coming off the most successful legislative session that this network has ever had, and it’s a result of your investments,” added Luke Hilgemann, chief executive of Americans for Prosperity, which is part of the constellation of Koch-funded groups.
[Tim Phillips, the president of AFP,] revealed at a strategy session that the network’s next targets include Ohio, Minnesota and New Hampshire. “I know Washington tends to suck most of the oxygen out of the room … but the untold story is the dramatic policy advancements … at the state level,” he said. “At the state level, we’re seeing a once-in-a-generation renaissance.”
Progressives will need to counter that effort, though organizationally we're well short of the 152 affiliate and associate organizations of the Neoliberal-funded State Policy Network.
The National Democratic Party will not be a source for those funds. They are too enamored with 2018 U.S. Senate and House of Representative races. But it does appear that the National Democratic Redistricting Committee can be a source of funding for contested legislative races.
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