Zach Shrewsbury faces an improbable task to replace the conservative Democrat in the face of a Republican onslaught – but he won’t be put off
I doubt it, but I’m happy to see him try.
That would be amazing. Wishing this guy nothing but the best.
I think he’s trying to be WV’s John Fetterman. Good on him. I hope he can pull it off.
Let’s be honest. He’ll need to be a lot better than Fetterman. Pennsylvania is much bluer than west Virginia and Dr Oz was a pathetic candidate. I really hope Fetterman is laying a solid reelection foundation right now because his reelection run will probably be more difficult. Jim Justice is known statewide, he’s wealthy, and has won the governor’s mansion as a Democrat and as a Republican.
I doubt PA will be more red in 6 years. It’s always been a tight race, but besides Trump, it’s generally been tight in the dems favor. When the GOP held onto Toomey in '16, it was because the dems put up such a shitty candidate (oddly enough, that’s because Fetterman took the progressive vote and the most conservative dem won the primary that year)
As an incumbent Fetterman will have advantages and his reelection is a Long way off but he really should have clobbered Dr Oz and he got 51% of the vote? It’s enough but I feel like it should have been more. I’ll be pulling for him that’s for sure though.
Did you watch the debate? Winning by the margin he did was impressive
I think if Shrewsbury gets people out to vote, he has a chance. WV has low voter turnout, maybe its electorate could mobilize for a socialist.
I highly highly doubt it, but sure, he is precisely the type of candidate that should be running instead of Manchins.
Yeah don’t use the S-word, but lean hard into workers reform, pro-union, safety nets, etc.
Basically run on those ideals but don’t use that term.
Unions and safety nets are not socialism.
depending on the definition you’re using everything is socialism.
They are not socialism necessarily, but they are a step towards worker equality and worker’s rights.
Sure but you don’t need to be a socialist to support unions. There’s no reason to ever run a socialist in fucking WV lol
Well I think they have pretty low voter turnout, likely because there are no interesting candidates. When they democrats are running Manchin, it’s pretty disappointing. A socialist might actually get people out to vote.
That said, my family is from West Virginia. Despite the state being pretty much saved by unions, most of them are even anti-union without open socialism. I don’t know any younger people there though, so who knows…
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to test it out to find out in the primaries. Worst case, he fails and is forgotten about. Nothing lost. Best case, he motivates more progressive voters to actually participate because there’s something meaningful to vote on.
Nothing lost.
You mean except a Senate seat? Dems currently hold that seat and have a razor thin senate majority
Him running in the primaries will not cost them the senate seat. Either he’s successful in the primaries, and then I assume he’s got enough enthusiastic support to potentially win, or he loses the primary and someone else runs.
Yep people love socialism it’s the word that turns them off. It’s unfortunate because it the years of propaganda that as mad socialism a bad word when socialism in practice is great.
If you can, donate to his campaign. I’m kicking him a five spot every week from here on out.
Not if he actually describes himself as a socialist.
His page says that he has helped organize multiple campaigns from Seattle to WV, focusing on the community driven issues that are forgotten by both parties.
He’s an activist and successful rabble rouser, which is why they are painting him as a socialist.
Glad to see him running, but an incredible longshot with how corrupt our state politics are.
Are people you know talking about him right now?
Nope.
That tells me more than anything else. He needs to get his message out of he wants to have a chance.
*former Marine
They know exactly what they did with that title tbh
What is the distinction?
there’s a saying like “once a marine, always a marine”, so there’s no such thing as an ex-marine. Or something.
Yep, that’s it.
Huh. https://www.marines.com/life-as-a-marine/life-in-the-marine-corps/once-a-marine-always-a-marine.html
Apparently we’re Marine Veterans, not ex or former.
ADAPT. Looking forward to the hardliners that refuse to be relabelled.
Why would Patriotic Republicans vote for an Ex Marine who isn’t backed by Corporate Interests?
God I hope so.
Can’t use the s word in West Virginia. Best you’re gonna get is a corporate stooge democrat like Manchin.
Everyone hates it when I say it but if I had to choose between manchin and a generic Republican to be the west Virginian senator I’d pick manchin 100% of the time. I really hope Shrewsbury is successful. He’ll need to raise money and he’ll need to do well in the debates. There will be more Democrats coming into the race soon I imagine.
Can’t use the s word in West Virginia. Best you’re gonna get is a corporate stooge democrat like Manchin.
This is the complete misunderstanding of American politics that the DNC and DCCC have been trying to convince us of since 2008, in-spite of our lying eyes.
The party can’t find a candidate further to the right than Manchin, and Manchin isn’t seeking re-election because he knows he can no longer win.
Moving to the right has failed. Even if Shrewsbury loses, and I’m so fucking delighted to say this, he’s the best candidate you have. If he doesn’t win, it’s because centrist Democrats stayed home when they didn’t get their first choice and didn’t want to vote blue no matter who.
If he does win, centrists were lying about progressives not being able to win red states.
Centrists have always lied about progressives being able to win in red states. The key in WV (and most red states) is a heavy emphasis on worker power and advancing organized labor.
You forgot about gun rights. But nobody wants to talk about that… And I’ll get down voted for mentioning it.
They would need to take a Midwestern stance on firearms most likely. Tbh a socialist would likely fit the role nicely. As the saying goes, “you get your guns back when you move far enough left”
May I ask you to expand on that? What stance do Midwesterners take on gun rights?
Also, oddly I didn’t get downvoted.
Also, oddly I didn’t get downvoted.
its a legit question. I also want to see the the parent poster says, but I tend to agree
socialist rifle association is a thing and I personally know strongly left of center peeps that are protective of their gun rights for all the obvious reasons you might care to think of. makes sense in many ways.
I think I’m just used to the other site and getting down voted for any mention of gun rights support.
I’m aware of SRA and dig what I’ve seen them do near Tucson. Maybe I should join.
The Midwest has a weird stance on guns in general. Even the most staunch liberals in the Midwest oppose “assault-style weapon” bans. The emphasis has been on raising the bar to ownership without heavy restrictions after reaching that bar.
From my experience, there’s also a very healthy gun safety culture. I have some friends that are dumber than a box of rocks, and even they never touch their guns after any kind of drinking or drug use. The restrictions on using guns as a minor mixed with the very popular activity of hunting means anyone that has any genuine interest in guns has at least 5 years of training before they can even purchase a gun.
I agree with all of this.
To be clear though a minor has 5 years of training before they can purchase a firearm am I understanding that correctly?
It’s a bit of extrapolation, my bad. The Midwest (or at least my state) doesn’t allow anyone under the age of 12 to go hunting with a firearm. At the age of 12, the kid must graduate a 6 week state-ran hunting/firearm safety course. After that, they must be within a certain distance of a legal guardian at all times if the gun is loaded. Because of the instilled safety culture, safety is also enforced by the guardian. They can purchase a gun at age 18.
West Virginia has pretty equal numbers of registered Democrats and Republicans (36.5% & 36.8% respectively) so this will be a battle over turn out and convincing the remaining voters. We’ll see where his numbers are in six months.
.
Sure. He can definitely win.
The idea that we exist on a political spectrum complexly misrepresents the political reality we live in.
