On 07Nov2021, Conor Lamb — candidate for the Pennsylvania Senate primary, tweeted:
And it made me irate. I had to take a minute to step back and figure out why I was having such a visceral reaction to this somewhat “normal” outrage tweet that one frequently sees on twitter. What was about this tweet that struck such a nerve?
It’s clear that Conor’s tweet is a “rebuttal” against the progressive wing of the Democratic party, and more specifically against the Squad who voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIB). Forget the fact that the Squad didn’t vote for BIB, none of the Squad is from Pennsylvania. Using them and their brand of politics as a bogeyman is actually playing straight into the GOP’s hands. This strategy is completely nearsighted and it feeds into GOP attack ads.
Conor wants to portray himself as being above the fray or a part of the “good ole boy” crowd. He does what he’s told. He won’t embarrass Democrats and provide campaign fodder to his Republican opponents. But by demonizing progressives, and blatantly misrepresenting the Squad’s protest votes, he is doing the GOP’s dirty work for them. He is purposefully using another Democratic colleague as a bogeyman. Lamb is giving a foundation to the irrational fears against Progressive Democrats. Confirming GOP voters’ bias about democratic values. He is not only hurting his colleagues and his party; he is essentially upholding and endorsing GOP prejudices.
Outside of hurting his colleagues and future democrats, he is clearly and intentionally misrepresenting these protest votes. In general, protest votes are cast when the individuals know their vote will not change the outcome. It is the very definition of a protest vote. Conor is not dull. He knows this. More than that, he is portraying himself out to be the fighter for President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan. But outside of this recent tweet, I haven’t seen his leadership on this issue.
Democratic leadership gave their word that the BIF and Build Back Better (BBB) agenda would be passed together. When this promise was broken, where was Conor to ensure these bills passed? Did Conor fight for his district? Or was he waiting on the sidelines like the “good ole boy” he is, listening for his next orders handed down from party leadership? On the contrary, I saw progressives front and center fighting for President Biden’s BBB agenda. Fighting for paid leave. For Medicare expansion. For lower prescription prices. For childcare. For universal Pre-K. I certainly didn’t see “normal” democrat Conor Lamb.
And so I ask, what is a “normal” democrat?
It’s anti-Sqaud, that I concluded. But there are so many connotations here, and unfortunately none of them good. Is fighting for BBB not normal for Democrats? Are working class representatives from cities, which make up The Squad, not normal Democrats? Are people of color, who make up The Squad, not normal Democrats? Why do their district’s values not count as “normal” America?
At a time when most Americans are tired of corporate and establishment candidates, calling yourself a “normal Democrat” is not only short-sighted but it is counter intuitive to where people are. Pennsylvanians are tired of entrenched politicians. Even if you’re trying to woo Trump voters, many voted for him en masse because he was an “outsider”. Pennsylvanians want a candidate who will fight for them, not someone who thinks being ingrained in the DC political machine is a good thing.
No one wants a “normal” candidate.
Which leads me to wonder why Conor Lamb is running to be the senator of Pennsylvania, when two progressive cities would be needed as the foundation to his success. Thus far, Conor Lamb has shown me he doesn’t want to be linked to any form of progressive policy. And yet, he is trying to be a senator for two cities that have only gotten more progressive in the past 10 years. Pittsburgh just voted in several working class progressive democrats, including Mayor Gainey. And Philadelphia just re-elected DA Krasner. Our cities are Progressive. Our cities’ values are more aligned to The Squad.
And yet, it seems like more and more Conor Lamb would rather spend his time deriding The Squad than work on uplifting President Biden’s agenda. This is upsetting on so many levels. The Squad is representative of working class poc. As our cities are. As my family is. Moreover, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are used to being ignored by Senator Toomey. We don’t need another senator who will take for granted our blue cities and chase republican voters. Ensuring we don’t leave behind our red voters is fine, but not at the cost and derision of our blue collar city voters.
I am tired of our cities being taken for granted.
I am tired of constantly uplifting and supporting our democratic nominees, only for them to chase after red and rural voters.
I am tired of being characterized as communists, or socialists, or not “normal” simply because we want paid leave, lower prescription prices, and a minimum wage.
What’s worrisome, is that this tweet shows Lamb’s lack of understanding of the state itself. He is no longer fighting for his seat in a red district, but for a state with two incredibly progressive grassroot cities. How does Lamb plan to win the general when he actively derides the people of two cities? If you can’t run for ALL Pennsylvanians, don’t run for Senator at all.
