How much can Spear bench?

I dunno, she maybe should mention Boeing more.

Trivial shit like this is why the Democrats have thus far failed to win back the state Senate, and is hampering their chances of doing so this year.



Last year there was a special election for a Senate seat that the democrats lost - largely because Seattle democrats (and liberal media) were too distracted trying to decide which of two liberal Democrats would be our next mayor.



This year the side-show is a socialist running against a Democrat, while the serious contests are between Democrats and Republicans for Senate seats in swing districts (some not all that far from Seattle).



And if Seattle liberals don't think elections elsewhere matter, they'd better think again: Republicans holding or picking up Senate seats in places like Redmond, Federal Way and Lakewood are going to impact things like whether or not we have reproductive parity in our state, the viability of raising the state-wide minimum wage, and coal/oil trains running through our city.



Wanna make a difference? Contribute to a campaign that matters, or spend a day in the 'burbs canvassing for a candidate that's fighting to win in a race that matters.

Jess Spears- "Nobody should ever have to take responsibility for their own actions. Ever. That's why we have governments!"

Chopp- "You're right! But we don't have enough tax revenue to pay for a personal rear end wiper for every citizen too lazy to do it for themselves, darn it."

Glad I don't live in the Peoples Republic of Seattle. Neither candidate has the foggiest understanding of basic human nature, let alone economics or governance.

But I love the comic book aficionado who talked to Kid Herz. Dastardly? Really? Will superhero Spears use her impenetrable stupidity to put a stop to those dastardly Republicans?

Sure, blame the "dastardly Republicans" now, but the Democrats controlled the Senate, House and Governor's mansion from 2005 to 2012, while Chopp was Speaker. And what did we get from that? Regressive taxation policies and a giant drill stuck under the city.

Thanks, Frank (and Ed and Christine)!

@5: "Neither candidate has the foggiest understanding of basic human nature, let alone economics or governance."

This from the guy who thinks he, as a single private citizen, has more judicial authority than the SCOTUS. Splinters, planks, and sequoias.

When you lose a primary election by 60 points, it takes some of the zip out of the run-up to the final.

@7

Again with this, kiddo?

You, presumably, disagreed with many policy initiatives President Bush and Congress at the time put into law. Do you then think yourself a greater executive or legislative authority than they?

And do you think the Supreme Court infallible? Well, boring back Dredd Scott and Plessy posthaste, Junior! With regard to Wickard, Roe, Citizens United (though on jurisdictional rather than interpretation in that last) and the illegal command to engage in commerce against my interests that is Obamacare the court just got it wrong.

That isn't heresy. It isn't un American. On the contrary as citizens we have a duty to inform our government when they're wrong and if necessary make a principled (look it up, it's an interesting word liberals wouldn't understand) refusal to help violate our own rights.

Oh, and Kid Herz? Nobody takes Spears seriously because there isn't any reason to do so. The media aren't ignoring a popular threat to the status quo, they're ignoring a silly inconsequential woman of no merit politically.

@ 10 & 4, candidates like Spear emerge as a protest due to what is not being seriously addressed by the mainstream. The democrats are hamstrung in many districts by a fear of losing to the republicans, and it has shown in their policy.
Chopp is a mixed bag. He's done some good stuff, but he also cowed with nary a word of protest to Boeing and other corporate interests, which is precisely why we need Spears candidacy.

This election is exactly why, when discussing campaign reform, we need to not only discuss financial contributions, but the whole structure of our elections. We need competition opened up to at least 2 more parties, we need a second election available for run-offs, and we need to shorten the campaign season (this applies more to federal elections. Tired of hearing about who is running for prez in 2016 while the "lesser" elections get ignored?).

We don't need another debate because there's not much to say.
Spears: We need a much further left agenda.
Chopp: I can barely wrest some funds for basic health care and homeless services from the Republicans. But I do.

So, vote for a glorious dream and lose a speaker who actually does prioritize services for the poor and goes to the proverbial mat to save them, or sigh over the compromises and vote to keep the perhaps uninspiring but effective speaker. (And who would take over as speaker if Chopp goes? The legislature would be more of a mess--and yes, that is possible.)

I would truly like more socialists in office, but there are better positions to run for.

Fruit, I'm casting my vote for Spear knowing she won't win. I'm voting for her knowing that if elected she would be ineffective. This is a protest to light a fire under the democrats. This is a protest to demand more equitable taxation, and to raise the standards for tax breaks given to the wealthy.
Corporate tax breaks need to show some benefit to the community as well as the state.
Tax breaks for employees should be tied to those jobs paying adequately for the cost of living in the communities near the job.
As for the rent issue that Spear is running on, I think it is time for the "adults" in the room to develop regional growth plan that increases the housing supply. This is far more likely than overturning the states constitutional ban against rent control.

Frank Chopp continues to tell people that he's a progressive and that he is a friend of working people. Yet what is his record? Where is the evidence? Try to find news or reports about him campaigning for working people. He lives in the shadows and is proud of that, he says this makes him the most effective power broker.

Yet for 20 years, EVERY SINGLE budget has included cuts to social services. When the Democratic Party, led in the House by Frank Chopp, had majorities in the House and Senate plus the governor was a Dem, we saw $10 billion of cuts and the passage of MORE regressive taxation.

We need public debates to expose this. To put the hard question to Chopp: you say you're for these things, how do you propose to win them? Convince us. Until he can, it seems that anyone principled person would be better at exposing and fighting the right and the corporate agenda than Chopp.

We still have a general election when one of the candidates took 80% of the vote in the open primary??!?!? Seriously?

@5, your obsession with the "undeserving poor" sucking the state dry with the help of the libburuls is funny, considering that Kind County, where most of those liberals live, gets back 62 cents on every dollar that they pay into the state coffers. The real welfare addicts in this state are the rock-ribbed conservative counties, which receive anywhere from a buck and a half to $2.50 back for every dollar they pay in tax.

And yet you helpless, dependent wingnuts constantly bleat about "human nature". You have NO FRIGGING IDEA what economic development looks like. The engine of this state is the City of Seattle, and its dependent suburbs, run by mostly smart liberals who know how to turn the will of the people into jobs and growth while remembering the people who are left behind. Liberals like Frank Chopp.

You're a hypocrite and a fool, blooz. You're came up on a foundation of wealth amassed by your parents, and making a living providing a service made possible by a liberal establishment. You're an ungrateful turd is what you are. Sing us another country song about your daddy's truck if you like, but you're a parasite like all the rest of the fake "conservatives".

She has integrity, therefore merit.

Spear running against Chopp deserves about as much attention as Goodspaceguy running against Chopp would. Although I would definitely watch the debate to see Chopp take a position on colonizing space.

I feel like anyone who criticizes her and calls her "Spears" immediately invalidates their intelligence

@20, your feeling makes no sense.

Spear was an integral part of winning 93,000 votes for Kshama Sawant's campaign last year and then was the Organizing Director of 15 Now. I've been going door-to-door for the campaign and the cynical complacency of the establishment and their lulled internet trolls doesn't match reality. People are angry and I win 75% of the discussions at the doors.



If you are sick and tired of business as usual; if you want to help build on the success of the Kshama Sawant victory and the minimum wage victory; if you want to create a much bigger space for the idea that we can have a kind of politics that represents the needs of working people and is not limited to what is acceptable to the corporations that have funded Frank Chopp's illustrious career, then join the hundreds of people who are organizing to take Jess Spear's message to thousands of doors in Seattle.

@22, the fastest way to get rid of some SA activist on your front door is to agree with them and chuckle once you close the door.

@24 Incorrect. The fastest way is to say "I don't want to talk to you." If you just falsely agree with me, it will take you more time. Promise.

@20
"You leave Brittany alone!"

Can anyone tell me who Spear is going to caucus with? Does Spear even know what the word "caucus" means?

I remember when Kshama and Chopp debated at the Common Cafe, and he bailed during intermission. Coward. Vote Spear!

Questions for Chopp next debate: were your contributions from Boeing any factor in your decision/urgency around giving them a tax break? Why do you take that money? Does it influence your perspective and priorities? Are you willing to promise to stop taking corporate money (or contributions above a stated amount) for the remainder of this election and afterwards?

Hi Amanda Varona,



For sure, the Republican leaders are "dastardly".

But so's the dastardly bankster-bailer, drone-bomber, child-killer in the White House.

And the dastardly Frank Chopp, whose cowardly excuse for avoiding public debate with Socialist Alternative challenger JESS SPEAR is that he's "busy".

Busy bailing out Boeing -- to the tune of $10Billion!

Busy bringing in the big bucks from BNSF -- Bombtrains 'N' Soaring Flames!

Chopp's so busy serving his corporate paymasters that he has no time to bring even his own tepid $12 per hour minimum wage bill to the WA house floor! -- Hey, there are only so many hours in the day, okay?

:)



Hopefully Jess Spear will make Chopp less "busy", by dethroning him -- with your help!



It was the workers' movement -- your grandmothers and grandfathers, and mine -- who fought and won the women's right to vote.



In Russia in 1917.



In the US in 1920.



So as a worker, one of the 99 Per Cent, you owe it to them, and to yourself, to always vote for your class's representative -- Jess Spear of Socialist Alternative / $15Now, in this case.



In addition to voting for Jess Spear, make Socialist Alternative and $15Now your very own party -- join it, fund it, build it, influence it.



"Bloody feet, sisters, have worn smooth the path by which you have come hither."

-- Abby Kelley Foster, ardent fighter against the Slavery-Horror and for Women's Liberation.



A 19th-century prototype of Jess Spear and Kshama Sawant!

:)



Here's Kshama Sawant touching on the same subject -- in inimitable Kshama style!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S70pNg5Q…



http://www.socialistalternative.org/



All the best!



Dump the Elephant, Dump the Ass! Build a party of the working-class!

@30

Hahahaha.

I remember when I was 12 like you. Though I spoke English rather than Cliche and Slogan....

Good luck growing up there, little buddy.

@9: I say that I think the Citizens United is based in a flawed interpretation of the First Amendment, harmful to the country, and sets a dangerous precedent. You say that the ACA is "illegal" and "unconstitutional".
I am expressing my opinions as opinions. You are expressing your opinions as if they were facts. Do you understand the difference?

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the United States; there is none above it. Why is Plessy v. Ferguson no longer standing precedent? Because the Supreme Court overturned it 60 years later in Brown v. Board of Education.

Since our system of government is based on the principle of popular sovereignty, we do have a way for the public will to be expressed even over the decision of any branch of government. It's called amending the Constitution. There's no magic wand to wave of "I think this is wrong, therefore I unilaterally will make it go away". If you had any appreciation for democracy you might understand why that is the case.
Now if you're not insisting that the law not apply to you, but rather engaging in civil disobedience, that's a different thing. In which case you need to take your lumps for violating the law, because that is the whole point of civil disobedience; you accept your punishment and appeal to citizens and lawmakers to carefully consider whether your actions really deserve such consequences.

Hey #31, answer the points raised -- if you don't, you're proving that you have no answer.

Dump the Elephant, Dump the Ass! Build a Party of the Working Class!