The First Rule of of Running for US Senate--You do not side with the 1%.

I noted the other day that the mechanism for electing competent leaders is broken in America.  I was reminded of it when, once again, I saw US Senate candidate Michelle Nunn shilling talking points straight from the 1%.

Nunn $raising email on shutdown: "neither side of the debate is facing the very real imperative to address our growing national debt" #gapol
— Daniel Malloy (@ajconwashington) September 27, 2013

The question to ponder is first and foremost, what idiot within the Nunn campaign thought that in the middle of a massive Primal Scream from the children of the DixieCrats that affirming their nonsensical view on the debt would be a good idea for any of us?   I mean Nunn kicked off her campaign on day one shilling Pete Peterson Fix the Debt talking points in interviews but right now in the middle of the GOP Shutdown to affirm the Tea Party talking points?  It speaks to poor judgement--we need leaders leading people to the correct solutions to complex problems.  Not reaffirming the most banal of Macroeconomic fictions.

As Krugman recently noted in his post CEO's are out at Sea

First, CEOs still talk as if debt and deficits were the central issue of economic policy. They never deserved that place; they certainly don’t deserve it now that the deficit has clearly been falling too fast and the debt outlook is stable for the next decade. Yet they can’t let go of the notion that a grand bargain on the budget — as opposed to an end to destructive austerity — is what we need. 

Second, many CEOs are, I believe, genuinely naive about the people they deal with. They believe, for example, that Paul Ryan actually cares about deficits. They haven’t grasped, or refuse to grasp, the reality that the whole thing about deficits was really about using economic crisis as an excuse to tear down the social safety net. 

Finally, they’re still trying to position themselves as the middle ground between extremists on both sides, when the reality is that we have a basically moderate Democratic party confronting a radical Republican party that doesn’t play by any of the normal rules. If you insist on thinking of Ted Cruz and Elizabeth Warren as somehow symmetrical figures, you’re already so out of touch with political reality that there’s no way you’re going to have useful influence. 

I do sometimes wonder how these guys can be that naive, and some of them probably aren’t — they’re playing class warfare on the sly. But some of them really do seem clueless, probably because thinking about the reality of American politics today would make them uncomfortable — and who’s going to tell the guy in the big office things that make him uncomfortable? 

It’s not just Fox News watchers who live in a bubble; sometimes, wealth and power can have the same effect.

Watching Nunn on the campaign trail continue to shill 1% talking points in interviews and fundraising emails affirms she's in a bubble and would be quite dangerous if put in the current environment in Washington.  Krugman noted there is no way the likes of Nunn could have a useful influence in the status quo in DC and I hope Georgia voters take heed.

The Neoliberal DLC model of electoral politics is still top dog within inner Democratic Party circles in Georgia.  The tactic is simple.  Say all the right things on cultural issues and then affirm your allegiance with Wall Street when it matters. Basically, be right on the Gays and Guns and the Democrats will be happy to support you in your quest for "Grand Bargains" to cut Social Security and erode other economic supports that protect and empower the 99%.

There are some of us in Georgia trying to end, once and for all, the DLC logic that helped get the "moderates" in place needed to poorly tax  and regulate the 1%--thereby crashing the economy.

The 1% clearly has their candidate in the Georgia race.  For the 1% Nunn is the best of both worlds since she doesn't come with the pesky political dilemmas of the Tea Party fringe. The massive Primal Scream coming from the children of the DixieCrats that currently has Government shutdown is a great example of the down side for the 1% when funding GOP candidates.  The 1% realize if they can concede on the Guns and the Gays they can just buy themselves a seat in Georgia.

Hopefully with some pressure we can force her to stand down and take some strong positions for the 99% such as expanding Social Security, a Financial Transaction Tax, a large and loud NO to trade deals such as the TPP that lack strong commitments to protect the environment, labor standards, and the autonomy of local Governments around the globe. Ending the BS politically correct charm offensive to Republicans and making her take economic populist positions with her megaphone would be a huge win for Democrats up and down the ballot. Or even better---pull together the community of activists needed to beat her and send a message loud and clear to Neoliberals in the sectors of power in DC.

 I don't know about the rest of Georgia.  But I can guarantee Nunn and company that a small cadre of Occupy activists have one message for her.--It would be pretty Rad to beat the 1% on election day.