The 8 Most Disappointing Democrats Of 2014

2014 was a bleak year for Team Blue. The November elections went poorly in most places. Our current elected officials, who call themselves Democrats, didn’t always have our backs either. Sure, Elizabeth Warren rocks. So do a few others. But as 2014 draws to a close, its time to recognize the most disappointing Democrats of the past year.

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Mary Landrieu: The Louisiana Senator lost a December runoff putting a final exclamation point on the GOP’s retaking of the U.S. Senate in 2014. One of the most conservative Democrats in the Senate, Landrieu is probably best known for backing the Keystone XL Pipeline and for sticking up for big oil over the environment. She frequently made the League of Conservation Voters’ dubious “dirty dozen” list, for siding with companies that pollute. Yet, as hard as she pandered to big money interests, she went down in flames anyway.

Martha Coakley: Last seen losing the Massachusetts Senate race to Scott Brown in 2010, Coakley returned to run for Governor in 2014. She lost again, this time to Charlie Baker. A Democrat who loses back to back elections in Massachusetts? She could be the worst Democratic campaigner since Michael Dukakis. Oh wait. That isn’t fair to Dukakis. Even he actually won in Massachusetts, after all.

Bruce Braley: Speaking of bad campaigners, Bruce Braley managed to lose Tom Harkin’s Senate seat to Joni Ernst. Ernst is like Michelle Bachmann, except that she has the added talent of being able to castrate a pig. Yet, rather than painting Ernst as an extremist (something even a kid with finger paints could probably handle), Braley spent most of his campaign on the defensive, after making remarks belittling farmers. Doh!

Alison Lundergan Grimes: Nothing would have been more satisfying in 2014 than to end Mitch McConnell’s Senate career. Alison Lundergan Grimes seemed like the type of promising candidate who could do it. However, Grimes’ campaign had a terrible messaging problem. She shied away from defending Obamacare despite its tremendous success in Kentucky. Then she refused to say whether or not she voted for Obama, for fear that admitting the obvious would cost her politically. How did that work out for her? Well, she got 584,000 votes. That, by the way, is almost 100,000 fewer votes than Obama won in Kentucky in 2012. Congratulations. Can we have a do-over and run Ashley Judd instead?

Ed Fitzgerald: Ed who? Exactly. No, his real name isn’t Edmund. Its Edward. But with a little artistic license, his campaign could be the title of a Gordon Lightfoot song

Wendy Davis: Who can forget that wonderful pink sneaker filibuster? What happened to that Wendy Davis? Some of us knew that turning Texas blue in a midterm was probably a little too much to ask. But we didn’t expect to lose by twenty points. Sure we are impressed by the millions of phone calls and door knocks “Team Wendy” made. But if they don’t actually turn into real votes, it doesn’t count. Sorry.

Andrew Cuomo: Maybe we could reluctantly tolerate a union-busting Democratic Governor in blood red Oklahoma or Alabama, just because, well what is the alternative? However, Cuomo is supposed to represent New York, a solidly blue state. Sure, he may have his eyes on a future White House bid, but its hard to imagine the old Joe Lieberman wing of the party will be big enough to carry him to victory. Zephyr Teachout would have made a better governor. Seriously.

Rahm Emanuel: Rahm Emanuel is supposed to represent the city of Chicago. See Andrew Cuomo. Same basic objection, different jurisdiction.

Finally, as we recognize the Democratic Hall of Shame for 2014, let us also not forget to recognize all of the Democratic voters who stayed home because it was a Midterm election. Thanks to all of you, we now have more Republicans in office than we had at the beginning of the year. Yes, we recognize that the Democrats aren’t liberal enough. Really, we get it. But don’t fool yourselves into thinking non-participation is some kind of revolutionary act that punishes both parties, or that your inaction will usher in a new age of progressive politics. Sitting at home simply helped Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, and the wing nuts in the Tea Party gain more power. For your part in helping Republicans score sweeping victories across the country, thanks for nothing.

Keith Brekhus


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Keith Brekhus is a longtime political activist who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He has a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He was a Green Party candidate for Congress in 2002. His most recent political job was working as a Field Organizer in Arizona’s White Mountains, in support of Democratic Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful 2014 re-election campaign.

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Keith Brekhus is a progressive sociologist who resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. Keith is a former Green Party candidate for US Congress (2002 in Missouri's 9th District). He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus.