Dowdell is in

I do have a fear (0.00 / 0)

While a primary is usually a good thing (as long as it's not acrimonious), I do have a fear.  I'm sure we'll all unite behind which ever candidate comes out on top, but wouldn't it have been nice to go into a season completely sure of who our candidate is?  And let that candidate hammer Guinta from start to finish, rather than having to possibly beat up a fellow Democrat?

"We start working to beat these guys right now." -Jed Bartlet

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by: cblodg @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 15:13:23 PM UTC

We need to let go of the politics of personal destruction and (0.00 / 0)

its counterpart, the politics of personal adulation.  Issues and performance are what count.
Carol knows the issues cold.  
What I want to focus on is the almost obvious fact that Carol wasn't just shunned by the good old boys, but that it's likely her refusal to go with the PACs led them to perceive her as a threat and a convenient lamb to offer up to the wolves.
Whoever convinced Paul Hodes to go for the Senate seat didn't do us any favors either.

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by: hannah @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 17:53:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

This is all kind of my point (4.00 / 1)

Avoiding the primary shows a united front behind one candidate and my choice (I'm not in the district so I guess I really shouldn't say anything) would be CSP, as she is a tested and successful candidate.  

I agree with Jim that, in the end, it's a good thing to have two Democrats lambasting Guinta.

Maybe I'm totally off base with my thought process.

"We start working to beat these guys right now." -Jed Bartlet

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by: cblodg @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 18:04:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hannah (4.00 / 5)

While you are certainly entitled your own opinions please don't keep repeating your opinion as if it is fact.

Nobody offered CSP "up to the wolves" and her refusal to take business PAC dollars did not "lead anyone to percieve her as a threat", it is just plain silly of you to keep saying that.

And the last time you tried selling the story you made up that anyone "convinced Paul Hodes to go for the Senate seat" it was exposed as entirely untrue as well. Paul Hodes convinced Paul Hodes. Period.

We had nearly $20 million of Koch, anti-gay, GOP presidential candidates, US Chamber etc...dumped on us in 2010.

Wild conspiracy stories are not helpful to anyone. I think most folks are tired of the birther style of politics.

Let's focus on 2012 understanding that WE need to work harder, raise more and be more effective in spreading the truth about what the Tea Partiers are doing to our state and country. Thanks.

Have you told a stranger today about Bill O'Brien and his Tea Party agenda? The people of NH deserve to hear about O'Brien  and his majority committed to destroying New Hampshire and remaking it into a armed survivalist preserve.  

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by: Ray Buckley @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 20:07:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Fine. Then let the chairman of the NHDP present an hypothesis for (0.00 / 0)

why billionaires from Kansas and New York felt it necessary to target the Congresswoman from NH's first district for elimination.  It's not as if she made any waves in D.C.

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by: hannah @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 22:30:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Here's a possibility (4.00 / 4)

Your billionaires from Kansas and New York had their guys identify the 20, 30, 40 whatever districts with the best chance of flipping in the election. NH01 certainly would fit that description, given its long term GOP status and the party registration breakdown. Then your billionaires pour their money into the district to tilt it their way. "Nothing personal, Carol, it's just about controlling Congress".  

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by: Mike Emm @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 11:34:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That is certainly a major factor... (4.00 / 1)

But Hannah also ignores is that the first district race didn't occur in a vaccum. The millions spent attacking the governor, the millions spent attacking Hodes, Annie, the state senators and  representatives all had a snowball effect. Last election they married themselves to Ayotte and then married NH Dems to Pelosi.  Neither will occur in 2012.

Have you told a stranger today about Bill O'Brien and his Tea Party agenda? The people of NH deserve to hear about O'Brien  and his majority committed to destroying New Hampshire and remaking it into a armed survivalist preserve.  

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by: Ray Buckley @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 16:30:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Carol Shea-Porter... (4.00 / 5)

...has shown that she has what it takes to bring the fight to the Republicans.  I'm excited that she'll do it again, and I'll vote for her in September and November, 2012.

But I don't worry about a primary because that gives us TWO Democrats who will be on the campaign trail pointing out why the Republicans shouldn't be elected again.  

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 15:35:10 PM UTC

Exactly - (4.00 / 2)

lots of time and press to talk about the mess they continue to make.

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by: Lucy Edwards @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 18:06:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

LOL (4.00 / 6)

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has taken a lot of interest in this race. They barely hide the fact that they don't want Shea-Porter to be the Democratic nominee again, and to that end they have spent considerable time trying to recruit other candidates into the race. It's not Shea-Porter's politics they don't like, in fact Dowdell seems to be almost a match ideologically to Shea-Porter, it's that they don't think Shea-Porter can run a winning campaign.

Come back and talk to me, DCCC, when you've shown that you care about NH-01.

But more to the point: The D-Trip 'aint talking to reporters on preferences.  So this strikes me as more Dowdell trying to establish a meme that CSP can't campaign.

To be clear, I think it will be excellent to have a primary; but if someone is going to enter the race with the zero name rec and the same positions as a two-term congressperson, that is a mighty hill to climb.  And that mountain won't be surmounted by spreading a meme that CSP can't campaign.  

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 18:07:43 PM UTC

It's very easy (4.00 / 2)

to say that someone can't campaign, when the candidate is doing her job in DC for the rest of us.  If we had any sense to our electoral process, we would limit our campaigns to a couple of months, not have our congresspeople permanently campaigning.  How in hell are they going to do any work for US if they are just calling for dollars and schmoozing with the press?  What do we want, people?  You want a worker who's on your side and knows her stuff, or you want another empty suit like Frank?
Not to say that Ms. Dowdell is necessarily an empty suit but I haven't heard anything that makes me think she'd be the kind of congresswoman that Carol was (some of us were actually paying attention to all the things she did)!  Time to grow up and grow a few ovaries!

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by: Lucy Edwards @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 18:33:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What a crock. (4.00 / 7)

Let's see...Shea-Porter beats the DCCC HANDFRICKINPICKED Dem candidate in the '06 primary, then beats a sitting Congressman with loads of dough in his campaign chest.  Easily wins re-election against same well-known candidate in '08.  In a conservative-leaning district, no less.  And now, she can't run a winning campaign.

The DCCC keeps using that word campaign.  I don't think it means what they think it means, as they will soon find out.  

And the donkey they rode in on.


In the immediate aftermath of Since the start of the financial crisis, the Fed/Treasury lent, spent, or guaranteed $28 $29 trillion to save the banking system.

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by: StraffordDem @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 18:41:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

"Campaign" (4.00 / 6)

= how much money can you raise?  
We will never be represented well until we get Granny D's work done.

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by: Lucy Edwards @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 19:05:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Amen to that! n/t (4.00 / 1)

"We start working to beat these guys right now." -Jed Bartlet

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by: cblodg @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 19:11:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Political insiders aren't keen on populism. Middlemen are in it for the (0.00 / 0)

money and the grass roots are stingy.

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by: hannah @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 06:31:39 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

This grassroots person (4.00 / 3)

is trying to survive retirement.  If that is stingy, so be it.  

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by: Lucy Edwards @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 11:06:02 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Has Dowdell run for elective office ? n/t (4.00 / 1)

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 20:56:02 PM UTC

No (4.00 / 1)

She was an active Obama supporter but not visible locally until lately.

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by: Bill Duncan @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 16:42:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Various observations/questions. (4.00 / 1)

Note: I think it is better to have a primary than not to have one, for the same reasons Jim Splaine says. So I look forward to learning all about our latest candidate.

* Carol's announcement, Kuster's pre-announcement announcement, both involved releases, links to websites, etc...  This comes in the form of an exclusive to a paywalled site for political insiders.  Why is that?  Is it because Carol announced so early and Dowdell needed to act fast?

* Connecting the DCCC to a candidate is perhaps not the best strategy for support in NH-01 (vide 2006 where the D-trip infamously endorsed pre-primary, and 2010, where they let the NRCC make NH-01 the top target of the entire northeast while abandoning Carol for unwinnable blue dog races in the south). D-Trip leadership has changed numerous times since 2006, but I'm still waiting for them to show an understanding of NH in their strategy.

* Will Dowdell reject business PAC money as Shea-Porter does?  If in fact there is a beef with Shea-Porter at DCCC, is her unwillingness to be part of the customary dialing-for-dollars + benchmarks schedule the reason why?

* Dowdell gave over $2500 to CSP over the course of 2 cycles (08, 10).  That is a significant expression of support.

* Some have countered the lack of name recognition of Dowdell with "well, no one saw CSP coming in 2006!"  This is true, but that's about where it ends. CSP was part of a small but influential group of activists in 2006.  She earned loyalty and supporters by knowing Jeb Bradley better than Jeb Bradley knew Jeb Bradley.  In 2006 there was not a two-term congresswoman already running, one who bravely fought for health care reform and middle class issues, who served veterans better than anyone, who surprise endorsed the man who now sits in the White House, etc...  I guess the question Dowdell needs to answer to Democratic primary voters is: why wouldn't they automatically vote for someone who has served them so well in the past?  Unless her positions diverge significantly, what does she offer in the way of policy expertise in Congress that a someone who spent four years there uncorrupted by the special interests doesn't offer?  Failing that, you're left with the "electability" argument.

I should hasten to add that had Paul Hodes not run for senate, and was instead defeated in 2010 in the House, and decided to run again for 2012, that last point above would also apply in NH-02.  In fact, though the situation is a little different, it's the same reason it feels almost pointless to have someone in the primary mix with Annie Kuster this time around.

So while I welcome a primary for NH-01 for the purposes of bringing attention and excitement and press coverage to the race, I don't yet see the rationale for a Dowdell candidacy (though 90% of that is that I know nothing about her views).

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 23:15:50 PM UTC

On bullet point 1 (0.00 / 0)

Press release, website, landed overnight:

PORTSMOUTH BUSINESSWOMAN JOANNE DOWDELL FILES TO RUN FOR CONGRESS

-- Dowdell: "it's time to put New Hampshire first"

"I am running for Congress because Washington politicians are making life harder for families here in New Hampshire and throughout our country.  I will work hard to help strengthen our economy, create jobs, expand educational opportunity and get our priorities in line.

The paperwork to become a candidate for the First Congressional District of New Hampshire is filed.  Over the months ahead, I look forward to visiting with families throughout the district and listening to their concerns and ideas about our future. It's time to put New Hampshire first."

Joanne Dowdell has decades of experience learning how to create jobs and strong economies.   After graduating from Howard University, she gained a deep understanding of business fundamentals, corporate social responsibility, sustainability and environmental issues in the private sector.    She is also deeply committed to our nation's veterans, influenced by her father, a World War II Veteran and one of the original Tuskegee Airmen.    Joanne lives in Portsmouth.

Campaign website:    www.dowdellforcongress.com.

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 11:51:21 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

On the last bullet point: (0.00 / 0)

She characterized her political outlook as similar to that of Shea-Porter, saying it would be up to voters to discern the differences.

"I think you would find that ideologically we're both progressive Democrats," she said. "This is democracy, from my point of view. This is the process in action, and that will be for voters to decide."

Dowdell said she was not ready to commit to specific policy positions but intends to speak extensively with residents of the district to learn about their concerns.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/...

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 11:59:03 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The problem with a primary between two progressive Dems (4.00 / 2)

is that it leaves the door wide open for a third candidate to jump in from their right, and win the nomination with 38% of the vote.

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by: elwood @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 10:22:36 AM UTC

Perhaps we need to start identifying people as what they are -- (0.00 / 0)

servants or authoritarians or petty know-it-all dictators.
The directional designations tend to hide that some people haven't a clue about which way is up.

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by: hannah @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 10:45:41 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I would volunteer to be in charge of making the identifications except (4.00 / 9)

that would be channeling my petty know-it-all dictator tendencies.

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by: elwood @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 10:47:31 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

crisis of opportunity n/t (0.00 / 0)

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 15:30:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

A Good Point And (0.00 / 0)

I'd hope that a trailing "real progressive," in that circumstance, would have the courage to drop out and wholeheartedly endorse the leading progressive.

Sure, I voted for less government and less government spending...just NOT the parts that I benefit from!

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by: Ref @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 22:21:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

early (0.00 / 0)

It is still very, very early.  The filing deadline is over a year away.  At this point, we don't even know where the lines between the two CDs will be drawn.  There is plenty of time for candidates to enter--- or exit--- the race.

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by: TimothyHorrigan @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 13:56:58 PM UTC

But not too early (0.00 / 0)

to start the work, and we are.

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by: Lucy Edwards @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 15:52:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hassan in? (0.00 / 0)

Nice shiny picture of DCCC welcome to Maggie Hassan at Pindell.

Who will represent the 1st district of DCCC?


birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 18:41:43 PM UTC