What the fuck is going on with this anti-choice shit? What bizarro world have I stepped in to?

[Amimnoch]

150. 24. Just 24.

That's how many seats in the House that we need to take back in the house to have the majority.

Personally, I'm working on 1.

Just last weekend in Bellaire in Houston, James Cargas, who will be running against John Culberson yet again in 2018 had a fund raising dinner. in 2016, Texas House district 7 had one of the closest races for a Democrat contender that it has had since George HW Bush took the seat from the last Democrat that sat it in 1967. The dinner this past Sunday had twice as many paying supporters as I've ever seen at a Cargas fundraiser. James was that candidate.

Cargas is not a perfect Democrat. On abortion, I've never seen or heard his position. On my own "pony" issue of GLBT rights.. never a peep. He describes himself as a "fiscal conservative, social liberal", something that I'm not at all in line with since I'm liberal minded on both fiscal and social issues.

however, I know my district pretty well..
ANY candidate who espouses a pro choice stance WILL NOT WIN.
ANY candidate who openly supports GLBT rights WILL NOT WIN.

So why the hell do I support a candidate that is not in line with my beliefs? Because he CAN win, and he WILL vote mostly in line with the Democratic Party, and he WILL add to the numbers necessary to put Pelosi, or whomever is selected back in the speakers chair, which gives our entire party, and our platform which DOES support pro choice, and GLBT rights the steering rights of legislative power.

By all means, wherever we are able to, let's put in full down-the-board liberals and progressives into office. But in places like Texas House district 7, let's get the best that we can achieve, and get over that 218 count threshold and get our majority back.

At the end of the day there are 4 versions of a possibility with US Congress:
1. Republican Majority that is cohesive, and passes their agenda- Civil rights of all types go backwards.
2. Republican Majority that is ineffective, can't agree, and can't pass bills - Civil rights stay mostly the same, possibly some backward slippage.
3. Democrat Majority that is ineffective, can't agree, and can't pass bills - Civil rights stay mostly the same, possibly some movement forward.
4. Democrat Majority that is cohesive, and passes our agenda - Civil rights progress forward.

That last option is the goal. A great goal it is, but when the numbers aren't there to make the last goal possible, we need to compromise.. sometimes in distasteful ways, or we will end up with options 1 or 2.