Anyone know anything about "Brand New Congress"?

[imagep]

All I know it is the concept that this group will find 435 like minded candidates who will run as a team (sharing costs by bulk purchasing media) in 2018 using what is basically the Democratic Socialist platform.

They have a one page website and not a lot of details. Is this just some hairbrained idea of disgrunteled Bernie supporters, or is this something that could actually find traction?

 

[FieldTheorist]

All I know it is the concept that this group will find 435 like minded candidates who will run as a team (sharing costs by bulk purchasing media) in 2018 using what is basically the Democratic Socialist platform.

They have a one page website and not a lot of details. Is this just some hairbrained idea of disgrunteled Bernie supporters, or is this something that could actually find traction?

It sounds pretty awesome to me.

 

[azgreg]

Interesting. It has a snowball's chance in hell, but interesting.

 

[jimbo]

Never heard of this group. The left wing Tea Party Concept?

The Republicans over the past year have not done all that badly, and the concept is similar. Vote the bums out.

75 of the 535 have gone bye bye over the past year, including a couple of biggies, Cantor and Boehnor. It's more likely a change will occur incrementally, if at all.

 

[Mithrae]

Surely they'd be better off - in particular for having some remote chance in R areas - by making electoral reform their main platform, rather than Sanders/progressive policies?

 

[Southern Dad]

This will fail quick.

 

[imagep]

Surely they'd be better off - in particular for having some remote chance in R areas - by making electoral reform their main platform, rather than Sanders/progressive policies?

I was thinking something similar to that.

 

[imagep]

This will fail quick.

Explanation? Why?

 

[poweRob]

It sounds pretty awesome to me.

I like that there is an actual effort to focus on the midterms where everyone tends to fall asleep come voting day.

 

[Winchester]

It sounds pretty awesome to me.

Interesting, I kinda like the concept.

 

[Southern Dad]

Explanation? Why?

A couple reasons. First, a large part of this country is NOT liberal. In my district GA-10, many elections the Democrats don't even bother to run a candidate. There is a reason for that. It's a waste of time and money. Next, this country isn't likely to hand the House back to the left after they rammed a 2700+ page healthcare bill up our tailpipes resulting in a shellacking at the polls. I understand that this is playing on a "throw all the bums out" type mentality but actually, it wouldn't be. It would be trying to throw part of the representatives out. The conservative ones. You don't really think Nancy Pelosi and other long time Democrats are going to step aside for this, do you? There are currently 188 Democrats in the House (counting only voting members). It would be very hard to primary all of them. 39 in California alone. Who's going to bankroll this? Democrats and Socialists do NOT like to spend their own money. They love to spend OPM. Where are they going to get it? You can't tax the rich for this one. You are going to need deep pockets to mount this kind of campaign.

Further, look at the website. It's a joke. My 13-year-old daughter can and has set up better websites. The person who registered the website doesn't even have the stones to list his or her name. They are trying to hide who they are in the registration. This hair brained idea was just cooked up in February, or at least that is when they took action to get a domain. It's hosted on CloudFlair on a plan that runs less than $20 a month. This is a joke. It's going nowhere. Notice that of the 535 position they need to fill, how many have signed up for it?

 

[imagep]

A couple reasons. First, a large part of this country is NOT liberal. In my district GA-10, many elections the Democrats don't even bother to run a candidate. There is a reason for that. It's a waste of time and money.

They intend to run moderate republicans in red areas.

Next, this country isn't likely to hand the House back to the left after they rammed a 2700+ page healthcare bill up our tailpipes resulting in a shellacking at the polls.

I doubt that would have anything to do with future election results, but a "brand new congress" would serve to get rid of all those people who DID vote for Obummercare.

I understand that this is playing on a "throw all the bums out" type mentality but actually, it wouldn't be. It would be trying to throw part of the representatives out. The conservative ones.

Nope, not if they ran republicans. They might accomplish getting rid of most of the tea party republicans though.

You don't really think Nancy Pelosi and other long time Democrats are going to step aside for this, do you?

They wouldn't have to step aside. If they wanted to keep their jobs, they would have to win primaries, if they win the primaries then they would have to win the general election.

 

[azgreg]

They intend to run moderate republicans in red areas.



I doubt that would have anything to do with future election results, but a "brand new congress" would serve to get rid of all those people who DID vote for Obummercare.



Nope, not if they ran republicans. They might accomplish getting rid of most of the tea party republicans though.
They wouldn't have to step aside. If they wanted to keep their jobs, they would have to win primaries, if they win the primaries then they would have to win the general election.

I wonder if their plan is to form a new party or just support candidates who agree with them.

 

[imagep]

I wonder if their plan is to form a new party or just support candidates who agree with them.

I dunno. I first assumed it was just going to be a democrat thing, but when I read more it almost sounds like a brand new party that is left leaning but puts emphasis on more centrists policies like whether or not one believes in global warming, or whether or not man has anything to do with it, we should still all be able to agree that we need a clean environment. And we should all still desire plentiful and cheap energy, which means researching all types of energy, fossil fuels, alternative energies, renewables, etc.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

All I know it is the concept that this group will find 435 like minded candidates who will run as a team (sharing costs by bulk purchasing media) in 2018 using what is basically the Democratic Socialist platform.

They have a one page website and not a lot of details. Is this just some hairbrained idea of disgrunteled Bernie supporters, or is this something that could actually find traction?

It has to or else we face four more years of record obstructionism, Blue Dog sabotage, Third Way/DLC Diet-GOP thinking and kow-towing to corporate lobbyists and pressures.

Presidents aren't magicians, and contrary to the right's accusations, they aren't dictators either.
The Executive Branch is forced to expand its powers in a necessary bid to counter the kind of obstructionism not seen since The Civil War, and the tragedy of it is, it's not the kind of obstructionism that serves some sort of mandate from the people, or else Congress wouldn't be wallowing in single digit approval ratings.

You know something's really wrong when polls say that people prefer cockroaches to Congress critters.
Anyway, the fledgling nature of the stripped down website is duly noted but I believe that the idea dovetails with Sanders' assertion that "this election is about much more than just the presidency."

Bernie or no Bernie, we cannot continue with the current crop of toadies and bootlickers, it's part and parcel of the present day climate that has rendered the nation ungovernable. Democrats aren't helping fix the problem, they're compounding it.
Liberals make up more than half the party, so it's time to reshape the party structure to more accurately reflect that fact.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

I like that there is an actual effort to focus on the midterms where everyone tends to fall asleep come voting day.

There's a special place in Hell for people who flake out on the midterms.

 

[Southern Dad]

It's a half baked plan with little to no financial support behind it. It is going no where. The site is poorly put together, and not professionally hosted. This grand stunt they want to pull off, would take a lot of money that they don't have and national support. Again, something they are completely lacking.

 

[imagep]

It's a half baked plan with little to no financial support behind it. It is going no where. The site is poorly put together, and not professionally hosted. This grand stunt they want to pull off, would take a lot of money that they don't have and national support. Again, something they are completely lacking.

At point, I totally agree with you. Of course the republican party was itself, "a half baked plan with little or no financial support behind it".

Everything grows from a seed. We will have to wait and see if this seed even germinates. I'm not making any bets one way or another, I have no crystal ball.

 

[Southern Dad]

At point, I totally agree with you. Of course the republican party was itself, "a half baked plan with little or no financial support behind it".

Everything grows from a seed. We will have to wait and see if this seed even germinates. I'm not making any bets one way or another, I have no crystal ball.

The TEA Party went into the fray with candidates. They weren't afraid to announce who they would be putting on the ballot and primaried some Republican candidates. This movement has no leadership, no financial backing, and more importantly no credibility. The 2016 elections aren't even over and they are planning their attempt to unseat 535 members of the House in one shot in 2018? Never. Not a prayer. This is as doomed as OWS.

 

[Deuce]

Explanation? Why?

Powerful people have a vested interest in making sure that happens.

 

[imagep]

The TEA Party went into the fray with candidates. They weren't afraid to announce who they would be putting on the ballot and primaried some Republican candidates. This movement has no leadership, no financial backing, and more importantly no credibility. The 2016 elections aren't even over and they are planning their attempt to unseat 535 members of the House in one shot in 2018? Never. Not a prayer. This is as doomed as OWS.

They are planning two years early, so they have lots of time to get candidates and figure out strategy.

I am guessing that they are going to market their candidates as a single brand: the Brand New Congress brand. By doing this, they can advertise for us to vote for our local "brand new congress" candidates without having to have 535 individual advertisments, and significantly bring down the cost per advertisement. This can either mean much more advertising for the same amount of money, or the same amount of advertising on a shoe string budget.

 

[Southern Dad]

They are planning two years early, so they have lots of time to get candidates and figure out strategy.

I am guessing that they are going to market their candidates as a single brand: the Brand New Congress brand. By doing this, they can advertise for us to vote for our local "brand new congress" candidates without having to have 535 individual advertisments, and significantly bring down the cost per advertisement. This can either mean much more advertising for the same amount of money, or the same amount of advertising on a shoe string budget.

It's a pipe dream that is going nowhere. They'd have better off trying to form a viable third party.

 

[Velvet Elvis]

Just a bunch of disgruntled Bernie supporters. If this were a bunch of disgruntled Ted Cruz supporters, y'all would be treating them like antichrists.

 

[imagep]

Just a bunch of disgruntled Bernie supporters. If this were a bunch of disgruntled Ted Cruz supporters, y'all would be treating them like antichrists.

Are they Bernie supporters? How do you know this and how can I verify this?

 

[azgreg]

Are they Bernie supporters? How do you know this and how can I verify this?

I don't know about all of them but this is on the front of their web page.

America needs an honest, accountable Congress to enact Bernie's program. But trying to win each Congressional seat one-by-one is impossible. So let's run one campaign to replace Congress all at once (except those already on board) that whips up the same enthusiasm, volunteerism and money as Bernie's presidential campaign.

We're building on the tools, tactics and networks that we developed together on Bernie's campaign. But to pull this off, the volunteer movement will have to wield more power and resources than on any campaign before. This means volunteers on the ground will run their own offices and voter contact operations, and will have access to all necessary tools and materials from the start. Get ready for the most beautiful campaign ever.

Brand New Congress