NC 11th Congressional District Race

[MountainMamma]

I just had the opportunity to meet and talk with Heath Shuler who is running against Charles Taylor in the 11th Congressional District House Race this fall. Taylor has been around for a long time (16 years) but HEATH SHULER who is the new kid on the block, has some great ideas, grew up here in the mountains, has a great smile and really seems to me like a breath of fresh air. When he gets to your area, go and meet him and see what you think. Maybe you already know or remember him, he played football for Tennessess and was quarterback for the Washington Redskins. Come on DU'rs it is time to start getting fired up for the fall elections. We have to start winning some seats back.

[struggle4progress]

1. I really want to wave goodbye to Chainsaw Charlie!

[Hudba]

2. check this website out!

www.taylorsucks.org

[Kukesa]

3. Kick from Ohio! nt

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

4. Read a report today that NC 11 is now

rated as a "toss-up" as opposed to "leaning GOP"

Yea!

Go Heath!

http://www.bluenc.com/node/2873

[MountainMamma]

5. Thanks for the report Scooter

I have spoken to some locals here(Franklin)and they feel it is time for a change. Shuler and Taylor have the same stand on many of the issues including the abortion issue. This is as expected as just about everyone here is very conservative in their thinking and voting. However, Shuler is very much a folk hero here from his football days. Go Heath!

[brainshrub]

6. There is a forum to talk about Shuler's conservative leanings:

Here is the link to The Unofficial Shuler Forum.

From the introduction:

The purpose for this forum is very simple:

Progressives in District 11 need to start talking about Heath Shuler. Let's face it: He's no Liberal.

Shuler is a pro-life, conservative Democrat who admits to voting for Republicans in the past.

On the other hand, there are lots of fine Democrats who do like him. For example, the North Carolina AFL-CIO and the Western North Carolina Central Labor Council have endorsed him.

Clearly, Shuler is a mixed bag. Should Progressives support him?

I'm not sure Shuler will advance Progressive values. In fact, he may end up blocking reform for years to come.

Don't get me wrong: Taylor is a crook and must be opposed. Its just that in our zeal to get rid of him, let's not jump into something worse.

Just sayin.

[moose65]

7. eyes on the prize, though....

If Shuler wins, that will replace an R with a D, and that's a big deal, folks. If the D's regain the majority, then they get to set the agenda. There will be a much better chance to get progressive legislation debated and passed. And honestly, even if there ARE some pro-life Dems, I honestly can't see them pushing anti-abortion legislation the way the Repubs do. Most pro-life Dems that I have seen hold the view personally but would not try to push it on everyone the way the Repubs do.

[wildeyed]

8. I'm with you.

We need control of the House, and to get that we need candidates with D's after their names to win elections. Besides, my understanding (I am not from this district, so my knowledge is a little hazy) the progressives ran a candidate in the primaries and he lost.

[brainshrub]

9. Not entirely true.

Morgan, the progressive candidate, ran a very weak campaign. Shuler, the conservative Dem, refused to even debate him.

There are a number of complex factors that prevented a more polished candidate from running. Short version of a long story: We are organizing on a local level first, and we are doing a great job at it. City Counsel is now solidly Progressive.

Shuler supporters trotted out the "wasted vote" mythology rather than actual reasons to support him.

IMHO, this is going to backfire big-time on him. He's spending all his time with the fundamentalists who aren't going to vote for him no matter what. In the meantime, we Progressives are told that if he so much as sneezes at us he will alienate voters.

He's following the tried-and-true strategy that have cost Dems so many elections: He's running as a Republican.

And that's why the local Progressives started the Unofficial Shuler Forum. To talk about our feelings about him and tell him how he can address our concerns.

To Shuler's credit that he's not that bad. I harbor no ill-will toward him, and if he wins he will be a boon to the community. At least he isn't a crook.

If he loses, I hope our Mayor, Terry Bellamy, will run for congress in 2008. She is smart, politically astute and has been a great leader for the community.

[wildeyed]

10. Isn't Morgan a convicted murder?

Someone told me this, but I couldn't believe it.

To me, the control of Congress and Conyers as head of Judiciary is good enough reason to support Shuler. That and the fact that the progressive candidate lost in the primary. My opinion, once your guy loses the primary, you suck it up and support the one who won. Don't have to work on the campaign, don't have to sport his bumper sticker, but you vote for him and refrain from tearing him down in public. (I was in Asheville and went to the signing for Kos's book and listened to people shouting after how STUPID Shuler is, yada, yada, whatever.)

I don't know that much about the 11th, but isn't the city of Asheville wildly progressive, but the area around it extremely conservative? If I recall, Bush won Asheville's county in 04. So can a really progressive candidate even win in the 11th, as things stand now? Maybe a conservative dem is the best you can do at this particular juncture in time. If dems deliver a better standard of living to the constituents, maybe they can be convinced to vote more progressively in the future. Just some thoughts......

I was in Asheville a few months ago for the DFA Activist Training and I sat in on a forum with a few of your City Council members. Very impressive job you guys are doing up there!

[brainshrub]

11. I believe so.

Also, the main tenant of his campaign was the legalization of pot.

:eyes:

While I'm all for marijuana legalization, it was a dumb move to make it the centerpiece.

I'm not sure what to think about Shuler's campaign. On one hand, he has name recognition and $$$. On the other hand, I'm not convinced that a conservative Dem can win in this district.

I'm also not convinced that he'll support Progressive values. He's pro-war, pro-life and against civil rights for gays. If there is a vote in the House for the impeachment of the President, my gut tells me that he would work against it.

As for his chances for victory: You have to remember that Taylor also has name recognition and $$$. When you consider the electronic voting machines, the fundamentalists and the power of the incumbency - Taylor is far more entrenched you might think.

Another negative on the Shuler side is that the DCCC is backing and advising him. If there is one organization that is adept at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, it's the DCCC.

[wildeyed]

12. Is he focusing at all on economic values?

Dems will never be anti-abortion or anti-gay enough for the wingnuts, but there are a lot of voters out there who don't want to focus on those issues and are being hurt economically by repub policies.

Maybe Shuler just says he is anti-abortion and anti-gay to get elected in a socially conservative area? Reid is anti-abortion, but it is not like he is leading the charge on that issue. With dems setting the agenda, I would hope that those divisive social issues won't be as central anymore and we can concentrate on more important things like jobs, healthcare and education.

I dunno, politics is confusing business.

[brainshrub]

14. They are very similar there as well.

Economically they both are against CAFTA, but that's a no-brainier in this district. The rural areas have been gutted, and are hurting bad. It looks like a 3rd world country in some places - it's horrible. (Asheville is okay because the tourism, real estate and hospitals are an economic buffer.

But even on other economic issues, both are very similar: Both want funded schools, roads, air quality, blah, blah, blah.

Shuler says he supports raising the minimum wage, but he hasn't said by how much. Unless he's talking about increasing it to about 10.00 an hour, it's not going to make a big difference most working folks life.

Shuler can be as conservative on social issues as he wants, and fundies won't vote for him. Unless he acts like a true progressive on economic issues he'll also lose on economic grounds.

Why?

Because Republicans don't see a connection between conservative ideology and their own financial problems. They believe that if they are poor, it's a moral failing on their own part. Poverty is God's way of leading you to the right path.

Only a candidate with the courage to stand up and say: "Gays, abortions and blacks are not why you struggle: You are being denied the resources you need to thrive because there is more profit to be made by selling bombs than building schools."

Only that kind of language can snap the rural areas from the brainwashing they've been been fed.

Shuler is being led against that kind of inflammatory language because he's been told that he can just get by on name recognition and running as a conservative.

[wildeyed]

15. Well even if they are identical, I would support Shuler

because he has a D after his name. If his campaigning is bad, or his postions too conservative, he will lose and you can run a better candidate next time. If he manages to win, then the dems have a shot at controlling the House.

I find the idea of dems intentionally derailing his candidacy so as not to risk a hard to beat conservative dem incumbent reprehensible (you didn't post this, but this seems to be the line of reasoning some are taking on the other Shuler discussion forum). There is something to be said for party loyalty and something to be said for winning, even if it is not completely on your terms. The progressive had a chance in the primaries and blew it, for whatever reason. Now it is time to support the party candidate, IMO.

[moose65]

13. It was close in 2004

You're right... Asheville is a progressive oasis in a desert of neo-cons. However, the presidential election in 2004 was very close. Bush carried the county 50% to 49.4%... doesn't get much closer than that! However, I don't know off the top of my head which other counties are in the district. I'll get back to you later on that one! :-)

[MountainMamma]

16. I consider myself a progressive

and as I said before when I started this discussion (which I think is great by the way)and while I don't share many of the very conservative views of Shuler, I feel that he has the ability to change folks minds and gather their support because they see him as one of theirs. I too do not know what all encompasses the 11th Congressional District but it is those of us way west in NC (Murphy, Hayesville, Franklin, Bryson City, Dillsboro, Sylva, Waynesville and I don't know how much farther east and north it goes, who he is speaking to and in my opinion that is good. Many folks in the Franklin area are registered Independents and they are watching Shuler and listening to him and he is speaking their language. It is the language of their upbringing, the language of their church which is what they under-stand. I agree that he is a Democrat who places himself very close to the middle of the political spectrum. I think that maybe that is how one wins elections because they appeal to the majority. The name of the game is control of the House and we need to win 15 seats back to regain control. Our task is to win one seat and I think Shuler with a D after his name can do it. Let's unite for once and get it done.

[libnnc]

25. From what I hear, he's got Waynesville in the bag...

It's Hendersonville he needs to worry about. That's a tough area. And I don't know if he could take Brevard since that's crooked Charlie's turf. I'm hoping for the best.

Go Heath!

[bear425]

24. I hear great things about Terry Bellamy.

You know, I'm the one who's moving to Asheville in December and keep threatening to call you when I'm up there. Right now, I'm very active in local races here in South Florida and hope to help elect Senator Ron Klein (D) to congress and unseat Clay Shaw (R). I hope to get involved in Asheville politics when I get settled. But, not before I join in a few Drinking Liberally evenings at the Asheville Brewing Co. See, I've been doing my homework. :)

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

26. I hope she does not run. we need her

in Asheville, doing what she is doing.

[moose65]

17. OK, here's some info I found:

From the Atlas of Presidential Elections:

http://www.uselectionatlas.org/

and the NC Board of Elections site:

http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/

The NC 11th District is made up of 14 counties: Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey. The largest county is Buncombe, of course, and the smallest is Graham. Bush carried all the counties in 2004, but it was extremely close in Buncombe: 50% - 49.4%. The closest of the other counties were Swain (51 - 48) Yancey (52- 47) and Jackson (52-48). In other races in 2004, Erskine Bowles beat Richard Burr in Buncombe, Jackson, Swain, and Yancey. Governor Easley beat Repub Ballentine in Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson, Madison, Polk, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey. Taylor lost only two counties in 2004: Buncombe and Jackson, and he won 55% to 45%. I see some bright spots, though: in looking at the most recent voter registration, the district has 20,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, and there are over 100,000 unaffiliated voters in the district. I think that Shuler really has a chance! But, he needs to make sure he energizes the base as well as reaching out to those independent voters.

[MountainMamma]

18. Great sites, Moose

and like I said we do have to pay attention to the independents. Let's keep watching this one as Taylor is a "Hail Mary" type politician. He will announce anything and take credit for it if he thinks it will get him votes. Folks are tired of him and we Dem's have to keep the positive light on something new and we hope better. One never knows how one will do once they get into office, but we have to keep the faith and use our best discernment when we throw our support and elect someone new.

[moose65]

19. If folks are tired of Taylor, that's great!

Good luck to you and to Shuler! I was in your neck of the woods a couple of weeks ago.. spent a week in Sapphire/Cashiers/Highlands, and passed through Franklin briefly. Lots of waterfalls!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

20. The 11th could mean a majority in US Congress

that is what I have been reading, is that the 11th congressional race
will determine which party gets the majority.

Shuler may be pro-life in his personal life, but he does accept
abortion in some circumstances. And frankly, if it is ok to abort
in cases of rape or incest, why not other cases as well?

Because the end result is the same.

So, my understanding is that he isn't out to change the current law,
Roe V Wade, but that Taylor is.

Taylor owns a Russian Bank, for Pete's sakes.
Even the conservatives are trying to back away from him.

[moose65]

21. Any updates on this?

How is Shuler doing in the polls these days?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

22. I am not sure, but from driving around the district,

he is winning the yard sign poll

[rodriguez94]

23. Hey lady...

Is this Matilda Phillips?


This is Tina Rodriguez...

check out my post and recommend it...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2757125


so far since posting early this morning, I have raised 35 bucks!


there is enough people on this forum that we coudl raise thousands!!!

Later,

T-Rod

[ultraist]

27. Edwards campaigned for Shuler and I vlogged the event

I was just up in Henderson County this past Tuesday to vlog the Edwards/Shuler event.

You can watch the videos from the event here:

http://blog.oneamericacommittee.com/story/2006/8/24/13570/5552