Archive for the ‘Democrats’ Category

The Fix: Scott Walker never graduated from college. So what?

In the wake of Dave Fahrenthold's great piece about Scott Walker's college years, Democrats have begun to openly question the Wisconsin governor's ability and readiness to be president, given that he doesn't have a college degree.

Former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean went on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" late last week and called Walker "unknowledgeable" because he didn't graduate from college."I worry about people being president of the United States not knowing much about the world and not knowing much about science," Dean added. "I worry about that."

Then on Friday, Media Matters for America's Eric Boehlert tweeted this out:

Boehlert later retracted that tweet.

This seems to me to be a MAJOR strategic mistake that could badly backfire on Democrats if Walker happened to become the Republican nominee in 2016. Here's why:

1. The idea that smart/able = college graduate reeks of elitism. Lots -- and LOTS -- of very successful people have never graduated from college. (There is a Web site called the College Dropouts Hall of Fame.) And, no one likes the guy (or gal) who asks what you got on your SAT scores or what college you went to when you meet them. Elitism is rarely an appealing trait in a political party. Democrats would do well to remember that.

2. A majority of people in this country don't have college degrees. According to Census numbers from 2009-2013, less than three in 10 Americans (28.8 percent) over the age of 25 have a bachelor's degree or higher. That means that there are tons of people who have a similar educational background to Walker, people who almost certainly don't (or wouldn't) appreciate a dismissal of their intelligence because of their lack of a college degree. Remember, too, that there's a growing belief in conservative circles that higher education has become a liberal's paradise -- so not having a college degree may well help Walker with that crowd."He'll lay to rest the absurd belief that you're a nobody if youdon't have a college degree," wrote conservative Glenn Reynolds of Walker in a USA Today op-ed. "And he might even cut into the surprisingly recent takeover of our institutions by an educated mandarin class, something that just might save the country."

How to talk (or if to talk) about Walker's lack of a college degree is going to be a hot topic in the coming weeks as the Wisconsin governor's just-launched attempt to pare back funding for the University of Wisconsin system is sure to be a massive political fight in the state with big 2016 ramifications. Conflating Walker's lack of a college degree with his effort to reduce funding to the state's university system seems to me like a political loser. Yes, it is true that Walker didn't graduate from college. And, yes, it is also true that he is pushing to cut some funding for the University of Wisconsin system. But simply because both statements are true doesn't mean they grow out of one another.

Democrats would be on far safer ground framing Walker's latest move on higher ed as an example of his putting his own presidential aspirations ahead of what's good for Wisconsin. (To their credit, many in-state Democrats are doing just that.) That's an argument that can be made without even mentioning Walker's level of academic achievement and one, it seems to me, that is more likely to succeed as well.

Viewed broadly, the fact that Walker didn't finish college does make him unique among modern presidents and those who want to be president. (Truman was the last president who didn't finish college.) But it's hard to imagine a lack of a degree as a disqualifying trait in the eyes of most Americans -- even if Howard Dean doesn't agree.

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The Fix: Scott Walker never graduated from college. So what?

Democrats for Social Credit Deputy Leader Chris Leitch – Video


Democrats for Social Credit Deputy Leader Chris Leitch
Democrats for Social Credit Deputy Leader Chris Leitch at a public meeting in Warkworth, detailing how banks create money out of thin air when they make loans. While the meeting was convened...

By: Amanda Vickers

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Democrats for Social Credit Deputy Leader Chris Leitch - Video

Why Civil Asset Forfeiture Is Uniting Democrats and Republicans – Video


Why Civil Asset Forfeiture Is Uniting Democrats and Republicans
Civil asset forfeiture gives law enforcement agencies the power to seize property and money if it #39;s suspected of being used in a crime. But police departments have been abusing the practice,...

By: The Daily Signal

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Why Civil Asset Forfeiture Is Uniting Democrats and Republicans - Video

Are there any democrats on Mt. Rushmore? – Video


Are there any democrats on Mt. Rushmore?
At Speaker #39;s Corner we encourage debate and communication, especially when opinions differ. We don #39;t ask you to think like us....we just ask that you think. Send your topics and questions to...

By: Ella Cushion

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Are there any democrats on Mt. Rushmore? - Video

Democrats seek star recruits to try to win back control of the Senate

The war hero. The star fundraiser. The popular governor. The toughened ex-senators.

These are the blue-chip recruits many Democrats believe are essential to winning back control of the U.S. Senate in 2016 after a midterm drubbing cost them their majority.

Less than four months after the painful losses, Democratic officials have begun charting a path back to Senate control that runs through more than half a dozen blue and purple states where the presidential campaign is expected to boost Democratic turnout. But even in that favorable terrain, the party faithful fear they could fall short if marquee challengers dont step forward, since their talent pool is shallow and they are trying to unseat a well-prepared group of Republican senators.

The bench is short, but the aces are strong, said Democratic donor John Morgan. He summed up the all-or-nothing outlook with another baseball analogy: All you need is a right-hander that throws 99 mph, and you dont need a bench.

Needing to gain four seats five if a Republican wins the White House to reclaim the majority, Democrats are under intense pressure to enlist top contenders. Since House Republicans hold their widest majority in decades and are early favorites to stay in power, the fight for the Senate stands to determine whether the next president will face a split Congress or one controlled completely by the GOP.

Candidates matter, said former Pennsylvania governor Edward G. Rendell (D). The lesson of 2010 is that even in the wave election, where Republicans nominated candidates with flaws, they lost. So we cant just nominate anybody. Weve got to find really good candidates.

Interviews with more than a dozen state-based and national Democrats revealed an early wish list headlined by well-known former Ohio governor Ted Strickland; Rep. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), a decorated Iraq war veteran who lost her legs during a combat mission; popular New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan; former senator Russell Feingold (Wis.), a liberal favorite; Rep. Patrick Murphy (Fla.), a talented fundraiser from a swing district; and former senator Kay Hagan (N.C.), who lost a close reelection race.

None have ruled themselves in or out. They will be closely watched in the coming months, with some Democrats already fretting about recruiting at a time when recent down-ballot losses have thinned the ranks of promising prospects.

Im worried, of course, said Peter Buttenwieser, a longtime Democratic donor. But on the other hand, I have confidence that when the time for the ballgame rolls around, we will have those kinds of people.

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee officials declined to discuss which possible challengers the committee is looking at and dismissed suggestions that they cant win back the Senate without landing recruits who have run statewide before. Their message: Its early.

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Democrats seek star recruits to try to win back control of the Senate