According to John Tierney he was actually a Republican, but we know what the voters thought of Rep. Tierney’s challenges with telling the truth.
According to his newfound friends here at BMG, he’s actually a Progressive. It seems that Seth has embraced that banner as well.
However if you wind the clock back a couple years, Seth himself says he’s a “centrist’. You can see him say it right here:
So what is he? A Republican/Progressive/Centrist? Or maybe he’s another elitist rich guy doing this for himself whose campaign is funded by a lot of Wall Street types (paging Sen. Warren!) from all over the country.
Note this is what BMG thought of him only a year ago
http://bluemassgroup.com/2013/10/seth-moulton-for-congress/
You all can vote for whomever you want to, but what I see in discussions here about about this race is progressives are for him because he’s got a D after his name on the ballot. If that’s all MA is about that’s pretty sad.
It’s not a secret I think Richard Tisei is great. He has been part of this state’s government for 30 years and what he is about is well documented. He’s got solid legislative skills, social views I agree with 100%, a small business background, and he’s a excellent person as well. The only reason people don’t like him here at BMG is the R. Think about that while you’re asking yourself, “What is Seth Mouton, really?”
If this was New Zealand or Germany one could vote for the individual they want to represent their district and the party they want to control the legislative branch. In America, we have just the one vote. This means Republicans I’d be willing to vote for like Lincoln Chaffee, Gordan Smith, or Mark Kirk can’t be considered since they’d give the Senate control to leaders that are far more conservative than them.
In this up coming election I will be voting for a Republican for my state rep precisely because he is a moderate who will vote against Michael Madigan for speaker and it’s one of the ten seats the GOP could pick up. I am also voting against a Madigan stooge who is running for treasurer, Madigans daughter who is running for re-election as AG (even though she is actually a progressive unlike daddy), and voting for Quinn who actually is a check on Madigan even if Rauner pretends otherwise.
Also this forgets the fact that Tisei has moved far right on economic issues, particularly his endorsement of Ryancare which would voucherize and eviscerate what’s left of the social safety net. Unlike Tisei, Moulton can be challenged from the left if he fails to deliver this coming term.
I wish that didn’t matter as much as it does. But the fact is that, if Tisei wins, he is almost sure to support John Boehner for Speaker, and the rest of the GOP leadership team. That’s a team that has done, and will continue to do if given the chance, substantial damage to this country. Unless Tisei declares that he won’t back Boehner or anyone else in the current GOP leadership, he’s simply not a viable option.
Electing Moulton will do neither of those. Check the link.
http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_25539755/tsongas-tierney-tisei-speak-out-against-ryan-budget
If the Tea Party caucus could threaten Sandy relief in spite of the objections of a three decade senior member like Peter King, who is far more conservative than Tisei, why will they suddenly differ to a freshmen like Tisei? Particularly someone who holds social views and a ‘lifestyle’ in violation of their religious purity tests they apply to any policy question they discuss or vote on?
A moderate Republican like Ike was the byproduct of successive Democratic wins at the polls. A moderate Democrat like Bill Clinton was the product of successive Republican presidential wins. The GOP won’t moderate until the Democrats defeat it enough to move it back to the center.
The fact that Richard Tisei has an (R) after his name is helpful shorthand for the vast majority of voters who don’t have the time, interest and/or knowledge-base necessary to research Tisei’s policy agenda. But, for those of that do, here’s a list of policies that Tisei supports (publicly, on his own campaign website) that most progressive Democrats don’t and should not support:
Jobs and the Economy: Tisei’s listed priorities include *reducing* corporate taxation, *repealing* business regulations, and “undoing the damage” of Obamacare. (Moulton’s top priority, meanwhile, is “comprehensive tax reform” to address the fact that “the wealthiest Americans and corporations get away with paying next to nothing.”)
Federal Debt: Priority #1 is “admitting we have a spending problem.”
HealthCare: Will “fix” Obamacare, which he characterizes as “a failure” (his specific fixes are repealing the Medical Device Tax and ending the death panels.) Allow across-state lines purchase of health care and more tort reform (the GOP’s two favorite “reform” alternatives to, you know, actually subsidizing health insurance for poor people).
The idea that Tisei isn’t “really” a Republican (plus, he’s so nice!) doesn’t fly when you actually look at his policy stances and listen to him repeat tired, old GOP talking points time and time and time again.
If a party has a majority then it will elect a leadership team reflecting that. Frankly, there are LOTS worse candidates for speaker than Boehner who will run when the House again increases its GOP majority. The Dems may not hold the Senate, let alone pick up the House.
So wouldn’t Tisei actualy be a PLUS? He would vote for the more moderate candidate which could have big impact as the Obama term winds down. Moulton’s vote would have no impact at all.
n/t
Then he might get elected. As it is he, like Charlie Baker, is standing with the party that brought us the Iraq War and destroyed the economy in 2008.
nt
If the answer is no, for similar reasons, than I just don’t understand the double standard being applied here. We are progressives, most of us Democratic, who dislike the agenda of the House majority. Sadly, these races are nationalized now. And if Ike Skelton is unacceptable to voters in his conservative district for voting for Pelosi, we have to take out Chris Shays or Richard Tisei to block Boehner. That cycle won’t be broken if one side disarms unilaterally. It may be broken if the House Majority learns to cooperate with a Democratic President.
but I guess I’ll stop.
I used to care about things like character and background. Also apparently (as I’ve learned today) not useful information when voting in a partisan election.
How one feels about the veracity this statement (and not saying this is true/false- is it 80/20, 50/50) probably determines who you will vote for.