‘The Democratic establishment is completely disconnected from where Democratic voters are,’ one strategist told Eric Garcia, after the rebuke to the seemingly out-of-touch 75-year-old Senate minority leader

Democrats are pressing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 75, to stay out of future primaries after his 78-year-old pick for Maine’s Senate race dropped out this week, Politico reported.

On Thursday, Gov. Janet Mills announced that she would drop out of the Democratic primary, essentially clearing the field for insurgent progressive candidate Graham Platner to become the party’s nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Schumer had backed Mills, the two-term governor of Maine, for the marquee race involving the only Republican representing a state with a majority that voted for Kamala Harris.

But Mills consistently polled behind Platner despite a litany of controversies around the oysterman regarding his use of a slur for people with disabilities, and his comments on Reddit from more than a decade ago about Black people not tipping at restaurants and about sexual assault.

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    7 days ago

    “It is not acceptable when you are one of 100 people in the country who hold the position of United States senator to go on national news and say, ‘Well, the Democrats aren’t in charge right now, I guess we can’t do anything,’” she said.

    • Resonosity@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      6 days ago

      In case anyone isn’t in-the-know, DNC leadership is refusing to release the autopsy report from the 2024 election season during which Democrats received record funding ($1bn) yet lost even the popular vote. Why? They say so we can focus on the “lessons learned” that DNC leadership arrived at, NOT the report itself and how they came to those conclusive lessons. For all we know, the “lessons” could be manufactured by DNC leadership to stall party reform.

      Video by The Majority Report covering it.

    • YoureHotCupCake@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Every politician should have an exit vote when they leave office, where their constituents vote whether the politician goes to prison, is executed, or goes free.

      I’m sure they would start trying to make their voters lives better.

        • ViceroTempus@lemmy.world
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          7 days ago

          Agreed, I really like such an idea. I think another option of giving them a tip or bonus if they were exceptional would also be nice. A carrot to go with the sticks, so to speak.

          • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
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            6 days ago

            Only if their constituents vote on an all-or-nothing bonus. Not individuals tipping politicians because that would easily be abused by the wealthy and is basically a bribe.

      • SabinStargem@lemmy.today
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        7 days ago

        Automatic consequences, too. For example, a president who initiates war (without even declaring it!), has to get congressional approval within 10 days. Failure to secure approval is automatic removal from office, and imprisonment. If thirty days pass without congress forgiving the transgression, execution is carried out, and the general public is permitted to do the deed without punishment.

        That sort of thing would make office holders much more reluctant to abuse their stations.