Rick HasenVerified account

It's not Manchin or Heitcamp who hold decisive votes that could actually stop Gorsuch. Same with McCaskill and Donnelly /2

I can see pressuring and punishing them if their votes were decisive. But they are not. Dems should hold pressure for vote that matter /3

and pressuring them otherwise, or threatening to primary them from the left in these red states is self defeating /4

With Dem Senators standing to lose more seats in 2018 unless there's a big wave, Dems NEED those red state Senators to survive /5

and if Dems do worse in 2018, there's a chance Rs could get 60 votes, and then no LEGISLATION can be filibustered /6

So be outraged at our political situation and pressure where it matters. But be smart, and not just running on outrage 7/7

i think that’s setting the bar pretty low. sanders’ message can work in red states. people respond. not the time to be timid.

Sanders's message can attract attention in red states, but neither he nor his message can win elections there.

Agree re need to be smart about red state Dems. Disagree re only far left oppose Gorsuch. It's a stolen seat AND he is extreme right.

If Dems lose Senate seats in this climate then perhaps we SHOULD be questioning the legitimacy of elections.