Since as far as I know there are no Bushes, Clintons, or Kennedys running for office at this moment, I feel I can say this without having to worry about making an exception for the candidate of the moment. Can we please oppose political dynasties on principle and say that spouses, siblings, and children of high officeholders simply should find another line of work? No, I’m not proposing any law. No, I’m not saying anything about the 2016 election. No, I’m not hating on the Kennedys. I just think dynastic politics are bad for the country. That is all.
JimCsays
I agree. I’d only add that politics does tend to run in families, so some names will carry more weight.
I’m sure Conyers’ kid is a great Dem, but as the officeholder, he shouldn’t be endorsing, period, Everyone knows he supports his son anyway.
Christophersays
I don’t know his son at all. What do you have against him?
JimCsays
I have nothing against him. I don’t think his Dad should endorse him.
As incumbent, Conyers should stay out of the battle to succeed him. I suppose it could be argued that the son has the edge anyway, but Conyers said “My legacy will live on through my children” or words to that effect.
Christophersays
I see nothing wrong with an incumbent making a preference for a successor known. It’s fine to say you want a challenge – competition is good – but when you said you want him to lose it sounded to me like gratuitously twisting the knife.
JimCsays
I assure you it wasn’t. If anything, the departure of such a long-serving member in a safe seat is a nice chance to unlock some political energy.
jconwaysays
I hope he gets a challenge and I hope he loses too. Ideally to a woman. This is the kind of shenanigans that turn people off of politics and from voting. This is also an unfortunate byproduct of the generally non-competitive nature of majority minority districts.
They have produced a subculture of corruption and entitlement from Rangel to Jefferson and now Conyers. They absolutely need to exist, but boy I wish there were a way to make them more electorally competitive.
IlI want a black female to succeed Conyers. Other than Donna Edwards primarying Al Wynn, it’s incredibly hard to win a primary in these kinds of districts against an incumbent. Will Clay and Harold Ford are just some of the sons who succeeded their fathers in similar primaries. Even a once in a generation talent like Obama lost to a hack like Bobby Rush in this kind of district. I hope the challenger wins. The party can do so much better.
Christophersays
What kind of shenanigans? The son is well within his rights to run and the voters well within theirs to vote for him or for a different candidate. Certainly we expect that a father will endorse his own son. If this turns anyone off it says a lot more about them.
jconwaysays
What’s with you and dynasties? In America, seats really shouldn’t be passed from father to son. Especially when the father has a troubling record on assaulting women that the son called a witch hunt.
Time to clean house. The people of Detroit can do so much better.
Christophersays
I’m not pro-“dynasty” (which a single handoff within the same family hardly qualifies as anyway). I’m just not kneejerk against politics being a family business either. I’m obviously not a Detroit voter, have no idea who else might run, and don’t have a dog in this fight. However, I also don’t believe that the sins of the father should reflect upon the son. I understand the district to be D+33 so whomever we nominate will likely win anyway.
We’ll see. I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt, because he’s admitted everything else.
doublemansays
Hassan, McCaskill, Hirono, and Gillibrand have all come out today calling for him to resign.
doublemansays
Murray now too.
JimCsays
I just saw that. It’s over.
I’ll miss him, but he can;’t go on like this.
doublemansays
Now Harris.
It better be over very soon.
JimCsays
Eight women (so far), plus Bob Casey and Sherrod Brown.
I wonder if Amy Klobuchar is abstaining by prior arrangement,
doublemansays
It’s like half the Dems now and Franken has announced a press event tomorrow. It’s over.
There are three statewide women officeholders in MN.
Christophersays
And our own Markey:(
JimCsays
And Amy Klobuchar.
Amy KlobucharVerified account @amyklobuchar
1h1 hour ago
Sexual harassment is unacceptable. This morning I spoke with Senator Franken and, as you know, he will be making an announcement about his future tomorrow morning. I am confident he will make the right decision.
jconwaysays
Great leadership from Kirsten Gillibrand on starting this drumroll. She has been an amazing leader on this issue well before it entered the prominence it has now. Schumer has also called on him to resign.
There should be no ambiguity that the party of women won’t tolerate this behavior anymore from anybody. It’s time to respect women’s voices and stop condoning unwanted creepy behavior from our own side of the aisle. This could be the shot in the arm Jones needed, and I am confident that Gov. Dayton will pick the right woman for the job.
Christophersays
Gillibrand also commented a few days ago that Bill Clinton should have resigned in 1998, bringing her down several pegs with me.
jconwaysays
That brought her up several pegs with me, and that she was the first to call for Franken to resign.
JimCsays
For the record I agree with you on Gillibrand. She decided action was needed, and she took action.
Christophersays
Just saw a news item saying the younger Conyers was arrested for, but not charged with, domestic assault – probably not the story you want when running for Congress, especially now.
jconwaysays
It would be nice if someone other than a blood relation could win this primary. This district is part of our democracy after all, not a fiefdom..
tedf says
Since as far as I know there are no Bushes, Clintons, or Kennedys running for office at this moment, I feel I can say this without having to worry about making an exception for the candidate of the moment. Can we please oppose political dynasties on principle and say that spouses, siblings, and children of high officeholders simply should find another line of work? No, I’m not proposing any law. No, I’m not saying anything about the 2016 election. No, I’m not hating on the Kennedys. I just think dynastic politics are bad for the country. That is all.
JimC says
I agree. I’d only add that politics does tend to run in families, so some names will carry more weight.
I’m sure Conyers’ kid is a great Dem, but as the officeholder, he shouldn’t be endorsing, period, Everyone knows he supports his son anyway.
Christopher says
I don’t know his son at all. What do you have against him?
JimC says
I have nothing against him. I don’t think his Dad should endorse him.
As incumbent, Conyers should stay out of the battle to succeed him. I suppose it could be argued that the son has the edge anyway, but Conyers said “My legacy will live on through my children” or words to that effect.
Christopher says
I see nothing wrong with an incumbent making a preference for a successor known. It’s fine to say you want a challenge – competition is good – but when you said you want him to lose it sounded to me like gratuitously twisting the knife.
JimC says
I assure you it wasn’t. If anything, the departure of such a long-serving member in a safe seat is a nice chance to unlock some political energy.
jconway says
I hope he gets a challenge and I hope he loses too. Ideally to a woman. This is the kind of shenanigans that turn people off of politics and from voting. This is also an unfortunate byproduct of the generally non-competitive nature of majority minority districts.
They have produced a subculture of corruption and entitlement from Rangel to Jefferson and now Conyers. They absolutely need to exist, but boy I wish there were a way to make them more electorally competitive.
IlI want a black female to succeed Conyers. Other than Donna Edwards primarying Al Wynn, it’s incredibly hard to win a primary in these kinds of districts against an incumbent. Will Clay and Harold Ford are just some of the sons who succeeded their fathers in similar primaries. Even a once in a generation talent like Obama lost to a hack like Bobby Rush in this kind of district. I hope the challenger wins. The party can do so much better.
Christopher says
What kind of shenanigans? The son is well within his rights to run and the voters well within theirs to vote for him or for a different candidate. Certainly we expect that a father will endorse his own son. If this turns anyone off it says a lot more about them.
jconway says
What’s with you and dynasties? In America, seats really shouldn’t be passed from father to son. Especially when the father has a troubling record on assaulting women that the son called a witch hunt.
Time to clean house. The people of Detroit can do so much better.
Christopher says
I’m not pro-“dynasty” (which a single handoff within the same family hardly qualifies as anyway). I’m just not kneejerk against politics being a family business either. I’m obviously not a Detroit voter, have no idea who else might run, and don’t have a dog in this fight. However, I also don’t believe that the sins of the father should reflect upon the son. I understand the district to be D+33 so whomever we nominate will likely win anyway.
doubleman says
Franken has another accuser today.
JimC says
And he vehemently denies it — https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/06/al-franken-accusation-sexual-harassment-2006-281049
We’ll see. I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt, because he’s admitted everything else.
doubleman says
Hassan, McCaskill, Hirono, and Gillibrand have all come out today calling for him to resign.
doubleman says
Murray now too.
JimC says
I just saw that. It’s over.
I’ll miss him, but he can;’t go on like this.
doubleman says
Now Harris.
It better be over very soon.
JimC says
Eight women (so far), plus Bob Casey and Sherrod Brown.
I wonder if Amy Klobuchar is abstaining by prior arrangement,
doubleman says
It’s like half the Dems now and Franken has announced a press event tomorrow. It’s over.
There are three statewide women officeholders in MN.
Christopher says
And our own Markey:(
JimC says
And Amy Klobuchar.
Amy KlobucharVerified account @amyklobuchar
1h1 hour ago
Sexual harassment is unacceptable. This morning I spoke with Senator Franken and, as you know, he will be making an announcement about his future tomorrow morning. I am confident he will make the right decision.
jconway says
Great leadership from Kirsten Gillibrand on starting this drumroll. She has been an amazing leader on this issue well before it entered the prominence it has now. Schumer has also called on him to resign.
There should be no ambiguity that the party of women won’t tolerate this behavior anymore from anybody. It’s time to respect women’s voices and stop condoning unwanted creepy behavior from our own side of the aisle. This could be the shot in the arm Jones needed, and I am confident that Gov. Dayton will pick the right woman for the job.
Christopher says
Gillibrand also commented a few days ago that Bill Clinton should have resigned in 1998, bringing her down several pegs with me.
jconway says
That brought her up several pegs with me, and that she was the first to call for Franken to resign.
JimC says
For the record I agree with you on Gillibrand. She decided action was needed, and she took action.
Christopher says
Just saw a news item saying the younger Conyers was arrested for, but not charged with, domestic assault – probably not the story you want when running for Congress, especially now.
jconway says
It would be nice if someone other than a blood relation could win this primary. This district is part of our democracy after all, not a fiefdom..
JimC says
Not to pile on, but this is interesting.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/06/john-conyers-legacy-resignation-scandal-2017-216017
One important note: Endorsing his son was a deviation from the original plan, which was supposed to be his nephew succeeding him.