Go, Kari Eastman! In a state that tilted heavily toward Sanders for the nomination, anything can happen, especially in her district, where in 2014 Brad Ashford flipped it to D.
NEVER underestimate the power of an energized electorate. Voter turnout in November is key. When Democrats turn out in numbers, Democrats win.
Go, Eastman!
1
Careful now men, here come the women! Step aside......
The fact that they are democratic women is fine with me.
C'mon November!!
2
Local Democratic Machine in Philadelphia handed out sample ballots in Philadelphia saying to vote for Stack for Lt. Governor, even though incidents of abuse of his security staff by he and his wife was under way and he tried to get state laws changed allowing his transport to use sirens on freeways clear the way.
I feel very alienated from my democratic party, I don't understand why they feel they need to be king-makers. Just let us vote, and leave it at that.
2
So interesting that there’s no mention of the fact that every Republican that backed Trump won.
2
Those obsessed with irrelevancies, like identity, WILL obsess about irrelevancies, like identity.
WHO CARES if the candidate prevailing is male or female?
We know you don’t really care; last year, with a golden opportunity to elect a well-qualified woman to be Governor of NJ, you endorsed the socialist, white man, without one single minute's worth of experience.
And you’re entitled to support all the socialist white men you like, PROVIDED that you stop whining about “diversity” and pretending that it’s important.
The only time you, or any leftist, actually cares about identity, is when it can be used against a Republican. You’d love a Congress composed of a gorgeous mosaic: male socialists and female socialists; Black socialists and white socialists; straight socialists and gay socialists.
As the last election proved, many, if not most women don’t vote on the basis of their “lady parts”; they’re smart enough to know that socialism is a rotten idea. A woman socialist is still a socialist. And most Americans – certainly those is PA – are smart enough to detest socialism.
1
Well, men (like me, old and white) have messed up things for over 200 years. time to give women a chance to mess up things. Can't be any worse.
Seriously, women do bring a different perspective to life. We should have a 50-50 division in our government.
3
Doesn’t matter what happened last night. Trump and his Russian overlords will steal these elections.
Trump won by out-attacking (just about everyone and everything). The sense of "America" he evoked is what the next election will be about. A win-at-all-costs & to-the-victor-go-spoils America, a backward-looking America, a fearful America, OR an America that talks pretty but can't muster the courage of its so-called convictions, OR an America that actually stands for equality and freedom and the idea that freedom, without equality, is a delusion. My sense is that male politicians are so steeped in and acculturated to extreme partisanship that there are grounds for thinking they should be barred from running for office for 10 years. A lengthy walk in the political wilderness would do them, and the country, a world of good.
2
Either the NYT didn't do their homework or they purposely chose to avoid mentioning that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) backed 4 of the winning (female) candidates. It was a HUGE boon for the group, especially considering how deeply uncomfortable our corporate media and Beltway politicos are with the word "socialist" -- unlike a growing percentage of the American people.
So I ask the NYT: Why did you leave this key detail out?
Unfortunately, I think it was for ideological reasons.
And please stop acting like simply electing a woman or African-American or LGBT or some other member of a subjugated group is good enough! It says nothing, actually. I'd hoped you;d learned that lesson when you kept touting that Hillary was a woman, without focusing nearly enough on her stances on the major issues -- and how well did that work out?
Please, please, please start laying out politicians' stances on the issues when you cover them -- a simple table would suffice!
5
All the best to these candidates!
Two things that the world desperately needs more of in Congress: women and Democrats! Male Republicans have failed dismally.
3
Chrissy Houlihan leads her campaign pitch with the fact that her dad was a Holocaust survivor. She is a veteran and a Stanford graduate. For about 15 years she was a stay at home Mom who dabbled in her husband’s businesses. She says little about her husband but assures us her daughters are strong-minded. She speaks out against Trump in general terms. There’s no policy specifics. She is basically running on a platform of Moms, Chevys, and apple pie.
If this is what the new wave of women is all about, it’s pretty pathetic. Ms. Houlihan might be a good dog catcher. That’s about it.
All that talent is becoming available to the voters if they let it. This development is long overdue.
1
What’s truly scary about what we see happening in Pennsylvania is the fact of how important it is to draw fair congressional and State districts. The fact that by merely drawing the lines for districts in a certain way that one political party can gain tremendous power is a major problem. A problem that must be resolved somehow in an equitable and fair way. Otherwise it undermines the very foundation of democracy.
10
While points about lack of policy substance in this piece are well taken, wins by women are noteworthy because there is no female representation in Congress from Pennsylvania. At all.
Not a single Pennsylvania woman with a voice in congress to advocate for families, healthcare, sensible gun legislation or any other policy matter.
There will be time for policy discussions and debate and I welcome them.
Gender is not superficial. This is significant victory.
It's time.
19
Now the challenge for women is to prove we can support each other and present a united front to bring about a more fair and caring society. Women have to see other women as a source of connectivity to unite and move forward. Unfortunately we engage in petty backstabbing when ither women succeed. nGuys celebrate other guys’ success! Women need to do the same!
6
" we engage in petty backstabbing when ither women succeed."
Some women do; most women I know don't do this. Not all women are petty. I dislike that stereotype. Many women fully support other women.
2
I’m sure women can do just as good a job at messing things up as the men.
7
I'm trying to avoid this type of cynicism. Not sure it helps.
1
Why no mention that FOUR of the candidates that won Democratic primaries are backed by or affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)? The only mention of a leftist candidate is a Bernie-supported candidate that lost. Your bias is showing.
10
Now for the hard part. Every democratic candidate who lost needs to urge his/ her base to throw support behind the winner - to the point of pounding the pavement and knocking on doors.
15
It is peculiar indeed that the NYT's focused on women's victories and not the sound thrashing that centrist Democrats took last night, paricularly in Pennsylvania. The party is changing and heading left for real this time and it would be good for a newspaper of record to nothe the change.
7
A very positive trend and one that will benefit the country.
Most major western governments have had a female president or prime minister – twice in some cases – and this has even occurred in places like Pakistan and India.
WE are slow to come around.
The next and perhaps truly the greatest battle is gerrymandering – a totally corrupt practice.
10
What up with the passive voice, NYT? How about "Democratic Women Dominate PA Primaries?" How does a primary "deliver" anything? Did you put your Hillary Clinton "never credit a woman" filter on your headline?
14
It's about time women took over.Men have more than had a chance and look where we are.Women know how to compromise,a vital tool in getting anything done.The trump adm.is trying to put women back 100 years…next they'll be taking the vote away..we are 50% of the voting public.Let's show the world how strong,smart and honest American women are.Women understand that when we,as a country do well,we ALL do well.We know from experience that "trickle down economies"don't work and only serve rich,white,republican men…deplorable.
15
Never forget that 53% of white women voted for Trump despite everything we knew about him. While I am optimistic now, never again will I be fooled by the so-called 'white' women's movement that votes status quo all the time
14
Having spent several decades of my life in Harrisburg, I can say this with certitude: the good ole boys of Pennsyltucky won't suffer womyn to emerge like termites from the political woodwork making up the state government's framework. Nope. And the two-party paradigm is beyond the description of "played-out" but in a state as backward-looking as Pennsylvania, this is to be expected. It's like being elected as mayor of Mobtown, Illinois: some goons will show up shortly thereafter, put a weapon to the new mayor's head and explain what they want and how quickly...
4
Goons are Putin and his puppet trump. Putin will rig this “election” so that only rich, white, Republican men win.
We don't need more entitled white men~You've been in charge for 100,000 years & look where we are.2018 the year women take over & get the job done.Yes, we multi task,keep the kids healthy, make decisions based on common sense & understand consequences. NOW It's our turn.
40
Well said.
1
There are no white me, nor black woman. Unless you are prejudiced. These categories are racist and sexist. A non-prejudiced person resents the use of these branding prejudices.
The times is supposed to monitor these posts for civility-you post is prejudiced-uses prejudiced terms hand descriptions. We need-you need -to become color and sexist BLIND.
2
Sorry Iogodos, but Coco is spot on in that comment. What's wrong for calling it what it is? Sometimes the truth hurts but just look at who is the predominant race and gender in the Capitol Dome.
And so it begins and continues to expand. This country is getting back to normalcy and hopefully in 2020 the Dems will take over with hopefully a new breed of mavericks, take out the old and bring in the new. I wish Pelosi and her ilk would leave and make room for new faces and some much needed energy.
Now if only Schumer would quietly retire.
14
Margo--Hear, hear! Pelosi, and Feinstein, should go, too.
3
The only solution is Warren Revolution!!
I do admire Feinstein but Pelosi looks and has looked like a deer in headlights going on 20+ years now. Feinstein has done some good work, but yes if truth be told it's time for a new group of leaders in DC. The one's who have not become too insulated in the stench that is Washington.
Every primary election is secondary to any general election.
2
Yet still important.
5
Foolish. "Ya gotta be in it to win it."
2
There are two parts to this story. Part 1 is about the women who ran and won their primaries. At least two of those are in safe Democrat districts and will be taking seats in the House next January.
The second part of the story is the strong turnout by Democrats at the polls. In PA-7, 45,000 Dems voted compared to 31,000 Republicans. PA-4 and PA-5? 59,000 votes (The GOP candidate ran unopposed in both districts). PA-4 and PA-5 are considered to be safe for Democrats in the fall, but there was a strong turnout voter anyway.
A quote from one of the local papers likely explains why:
********************************************
A Newtown Township Democrat who declined to give his name said protesting Trump and all Republicans aligned with him was the main reason he came out to vote in the midterm primary.
“I am so opposed to Trump, I just want to do anything I can that might help get him out of office,” said the man after he cast his vote at the township’s municipal building. “I don’t think the Republican party as we used to know it exists anymore. ... It’s the Trump party.”
Keep in mind that In 2016, Trump won Pennsylvania by just 44,292 votes over Clinton. Of all PA registered voters, 34% voted for Trump. 70% of registered PA voters turned out in 2016, giving Trump 48% of their votes.
If just .5% more had showed up and voted, it would have made the difference. Increasing turnout in 2018 will be the key for Democrats to win back House seats.
24
hdtvPete--All voters should come out for primaries, because it's the civic, responsible, correct thing to do. VOTE in EVERY election! That's how the people maintain control, (NOT corporations and rich people) and get the representation they deserve.
12
Americans should be voting for the candidate that will be best for our country whether it is a woman or a man. We should not consider the gender of the person running but which candidate will serve the needs of the people. If it a woman, wonderful, but let's look at the qualifications and the sincerity of the candidates to make the voters lives better. The sex of the person running should be secondary.
37
If you're not at the table, you're on the menu. Women have been too often on the menu, because even well-meaning men who think they are representing women, still get it wrong sometimes. That said, there are women who are also not capable of representing anything that helps women.
19
What if the shoe was on the other foot? What if men were represented by a government that was 80 % women, and in which nearly all the top positions of real power were filled by women, don't you think men would be clamoring for fair representation?
25
Still, I would not have wanted to tell my grand daughter that we elected the first woman POTUS: One of the worst examples of pay-to-play politicians, in the pocket of the Wall Street CEO investment crowd. I'm glad she lost because what did she stand for? Clinton's platform seemed to be "I'm a woman" and not Trump. No Thank You. I hope my Democratic Party has learned it's lesson pushing such a flawed candidate, but I doubt it. I've heard that Nancy Pelosi thinks everything's fine. No need to change anything. Makes me super glad to see two Democratic Socialists (the most progressive Democrats) win two Pennsylvania statehouse seats (no GOP candidate ran.)
Frankly, it does bother me to characterize Republicans as the war party. Trump says he opposed the Vietnam war and wants to bring the troops home. Maybe he's lying; maybe not.
But we KNOW Hillary Clinton favors war. She voted to support George W. Bush when he invaded Iraq. She pressed Obama to intervene more forcefully in Libya (how's that working out?), and she vowed to establish a no-fly zone over all of Syria, effectively vowing to shoot down Russian planes.
Maybe those are good policies; maybe not. One thing for sure, though: They are NOT the policies of a "peace" candidate, which is what Clinton is typically said to be (compared to Trump). Clinton may have opposed the Vietnam War when she was in college, but that was 50 years ago. Since she's been an adult, Clinton has pressed for war at every opportunity, not for peace.
6
Sure 45 was against the Vietnam War, he got several deferments for those pesky bone spurs which apparently didn't effect his golf game one iota.
11
If i remember correctly there were very few in the senate who voted against the war in 2001 after the attack. Barbara Hill, D-Cal was the lone one according to my internet search.
I remember thinking this is going to be another war like Viet Nam that we can't win. Did we not learn anything? Apparently not as it's still going on to the tune of billions of dollars and many thousands of lives.
Yes, trump opposed the war- HE wasn't going to fight. But, even though I dislike him I can't really blame him on this.
Where is the infrastructure trump promised? The Wall- security in place now says that isn't the best option. Don't think the majority of the population wants to pay for that. Saying Mexico will pay is equivalent to my saying my neighbors will pay for an exorbitant Visa bill I run up!
These women in congress always seem to do a good job. Not the same can be said of those appointed to Cabinet positions by trump!
5
Hooray for the courts. Pennsylvania had long been perhaps the worst example of gerrymandering. As a mathematician it just sickens me that our methods are used to thwart democracy.
22
Several commenters criticize the NYT for focusing on these candidates' status as "women," and wonder why the NYT doesn't mention what their policies are on any issue.
I wonder that too. Should voters have voted for these candidates because they're women, regardless of their views on any issue? If not, why doesn't the Times mention any of these candidates' positions on any issue?
I also wonder how these candidates did compared to pre-election polling. If polls showed, for example, that a candidate (male or female) was supported by, say, 40% of voters, it would be a great accomplishment if that candidate got 60% of the votes, but a big disappointment if that candidate got only 20%.
In short, it would be preferable for the NYT to have mentioned:
1. Where these women candidates -- or any of them -- stood on the issues -- or on any issue.
2. How these candidates did -- better than expected, worse than expected, or about as expected?
32
"Should voters have voted for these candidates because they're women, regardless of their views on any issue?"
I voted for several women in Oregon. Not just because they're women, but because I thought they were the best candidates.
9
No Republican even filed to run, in either district? Was the real choice between centrist Democrats (who lost) and more left-leaning Democrats (who won)?
"I think much bigger news than "women" winning ... is [that] two ... Democratic Socialists ... have defeated ... both incumbent state representatives ... No Republican candidate has filed to run in either district."
3
It is so nice to read some news these days and have my main reaction be, quite simply, "Good".
14
it's all about having "skin in the game".
The political realities & personal experiences of gender- or any status like race, immigrant etc- ARE, in themselves, relevant, within our cultural moment, which recognizes women as in a secondary or 'at-risk' status.
Gender status (female) connotes, in and of itself, risks to economic status and physical well-being- especially sexual harassment or violence. Did the voters in Pennsylvania vote for them simply because they're women? No. But I'm sure that they gave them a good long look, because many voters, women and men fed up with women's status, want to be sure representatives have skin in the game.
It is essential that women now gain political power, because "necessity is the mother of invention": women are ready for and NEED real change. For themselves and for their children. The trumpian assaults (and #Me-Too) make the need for change very clear!
"We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them."
Albert Einstein
36
Voters under age 50 (and many of us older women) think gender is a mute issue. Much more important to have "skin in the game" on the basis of conservative vs progressive, pro-gun vs anti-gun... or as one survivor of the most recent mass shooting at a school put it: Anti-gun is the new pro-life movement! There were plenty of "women" in Congress voting on both sides of the aisle to increase "military defense" spending from $600 billion to $700 billion. I want some real progressives in Congress willing to say that is insane!
3
Mary Pezxi, thank you and well said. We do need very committed progressives, but the shaping of our daily experience by gender is a real thing and, as the saying goes, 'There's no substitute for experience". I believe if 2 candidates are equally progressive, female candidates are going to get a "good long look". Gender, race or biography can not be the sole factor, but will, naturally, play a role. And that role is enhanced, now, for women.
2
All voting districts in the United States should be configured by non-partisan state committees, who have to make the districts as geometrical (as squarish or thickly rectangular in shape) as possible. This back and forth between the parties by drawing voting lines based on undemocratic 'packing' and 'cracking' via gerrymandering is sickening and is huge source of our nation's dysfunction. One of our U.S. Congressman in Austin lives all the way in Houston (3 hours away) via the cracking process done by GOP party leaders.
And like most people whoever studied the issue, we should also discard the electoral college too.
44
And black box voting machines need to be replaced by old fashioned paper ballots that can be counted and verified. Sometimes the older way is better.
19
They're making a big deal about the possibility of women winning seats to Congress, but does anyone really think Congress will stop being dysfunctional simply because more women are sitting in it?
3
It couldn't hurt.
18
yes.women know how to compromise and listen
7
Let's try it and find out.
10
ABSENT THE STRANGULATION Of gerrymandered election districts, the people of PA are not reempowered. Democracy has returned. So have the Democrats, primarily in female candidates for Congress. As other states' district boundaries are de-gerrymandered, more women and Democrats will be on ballots. And they will win. The stranglehold of the GOPpers will be broken, thanks in no small part to the evil empire of Trumpzilla.
15
Good for the Democratic women & their prospects to win.
In reviewing the match up for Governor, the Republican challenger, Wagner, is trying to tar the incumbent, Tom Wolf, by claiming that he, Wagner, founded & built his own business, whereas Wolf merely inherited his family business. Turns out, Wagner's garbage biz was funded by his uncle. Pulling yourself up by a relative's bootstraps, eh?
Turns out Wolf supports labor unions (unlike his opponent) & decreasing property taxes. How much more populist & liberal can you get than that? Good luck to you, Wolf.
14
Aren't we forgetting something?
In Nebraska 2- Progressive Kara Eastman defeated DCCC endorsed Brad Ashford.
This district narrowly went for Trump in 2016, but went for Obama in 2008, so we could see a Democrat representing the Omaha Nebraska area. This is not the candidate the DC Democrats wanted, but apparently the voters did.
22
This is great news. We need more women in office to stop the onslaught of attacks on womens rights, especially our reproductive rights.
29
Now that Trump is more popular than ever, I find it unlikely the Democrats will make ANY progress.
Especially after we've had to put up with their childish, sore loser, cry-baby, whining for a year.
1
Perhaps we learned that from the past 8 years of a "do-nothing" congress whose main objective was to stop any progress by that darn black president. All we heard was whining, cursing, blaming, name calling, so you get what you give.
9
I find it very repugnant that the New York Times is singling out their victories as votes for "women" which could not be farther from the truth. The headline should have said "Voters Rejec Establishment Democrats" electing two progressive members of the Democratic Socialist Party.
21
so glad to see that I am not the only one who finds this paper's coverage lacking in a complete picture of what has begun to happen across this nation. Absolutely agree with Mary that you left out a big piece of the story, rejection of main stream democratic candidates in favor of progressives and dare I use the word "socialist" who ran on platforms like MEDICARE FOR ALL, affordable housing, etc. It's actually like reading about different elections. It's what you all did to Bernie's campaign in 2016, ignore what is happening in front of your eyes. We ain't gonna let that happen again.
13
But what you say does not reflect what happened in Pennsylvania. On the contrary, voters rejected the candidates endorsed by Bernie Sanders. Mary Gay Scanlon, who won in my district (yay!), was endorsed by Ed Rendell, and you don't get more establishment than that.
9
I find it repugnant that someone mischaracterizes what is written by the New York Times as victories *by* women.
But like the other comment it seems to be forgotten by those who attack it that "the main stream media" prints their point of view, even when they try to re-write what was stated be it.
1
So........ the main stream media wants to talk only about how many "women" won in Pennsylvania.... LIKE PEOPLE VOTED FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE WOMEN... vs MEN. DUH! Can you please tell us, who the voters voted for? Progressives? Democratic Socialists? More of the same pay-to-play Wall Street CEO investment puppets?
31
Apparently the candidates' views on the issues doesn't matter to the NYT. The article doesn't mention the view of any candidate on any issue. It does mention, of course, that the candidates were women.
4
Indeed. Sexism is truly alive and well. Dear Lord! Shocking! Women have brains, policy positions, ideas, are less likely to grop others and can lead.
7
"Women Score Major Victories in House Primary Races in Pennsylvania"
Go GIRLS!
34
Gina Haspel is female, so is Betsy DeVoss and Sarah Palin. Being female is no guarantee of anything positive.
It should always be about what someone stands for and qualifications- not their gender, race, faith
11
The Blue Tsunami is coming.
25
I hope the blue wave is coming, but I'm getting very worried about how people are treating this as an inevitability. There is still a lot of time between now and November, and I seem to remember when a second Clinton administration seemed inevitable.
6
Oh, please let it happen!!!
2
Something positive in today's news.
26
Let us hope that the GOP gerrymandering doesn’t make these wins moot.
9
It begins. Congratulations.
66
OK. OK. Let's get that blue wave going. Finally a ray of light in the darkness.
25
Are Democrats voting for them because they are women (and angry) or because they are the better candidate for policy and lawmaking?
13
Did Republicans vote for Donald Trump because he is a man (and angry as are they) or because he was the better candidate for policy and lawmaking?
15
Most likely all of the above, sir.
6
All of the above!
6
This is wonderful news. May all of these women win seats in November. Time to have more of a balance in this state. Brava, ladies!
57
Meanwhile, Fox News has on their front page: TRUMP SUPPORTER TRIUMPHS! "Barletta wins Pennsylvania GOP Senate race as House battles roil state."
They have decided to run a misleading headline (he only won the Republican nomination to run and you can't tell from the headline that the Democrat won the actual House race) to create a narrative that fits with how they want their viewers to think things are going
78
It is reprehensible that Congresspersons do not vociferously condemn the danger of Mr. Trump constantly labeling traditional vetted press as ‘fake news.’ Congress worries about slippery slopes and setting precedents in nearly everything else.
19
This is consistent with a study that revealed regular FOX viewers know less about current events than those who consume mainstream media.
19
congress as it stands now is appalling. Soulless,devoid of morals,corrupt and silent.How they have put party over country for the last 20 years is deplorable.There is a special place in history for this sorry group..especially mitch mcconnell
Having more women participate in our government is just what we need to negate the perpetual "bro" culture that pervades higher offices to the detriment of society.
77
Higher offices, business, education etc.... Get it women!!! We are still 2nd class citizens and it's 2018....
9
It's long overdue. Our country has become an embarrassment and as a white male I accept most of the fault lies with white males ruling. By electing women and people of color maybe the ship can be righted.
98
I think much bigger news than "women" winning in the primary elections is the two members of the Democratic Socialist Party, who won primary elections in districts where not Republican is running.. ie they now have Pennsylvania statehouse seats... as reported by Politico "Sara Innamorato and Summer Lee, both members of Pittsburgh’s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, have defeated Dom and Paul Costa, both incumbent state representatives, in Pennsylvania’s Democratic primary. No Republican candidate has filed to run in either district."
44
Winning a primary is fine, but still meaningless unless you can win the general election.
And it cannot be repeated too often: the GOP has a track record of winning elections by any means necessary. That's what you're up against, so be ready for anything.
105
RE: "the GOP has a track record of winning elections by any means necessary."
Case in point: Mary pezzi's characterizations and fear mongering
2
I guess the reason that Russian interference in our election process is not high on the Republican's list of priorities is that the courts are taking away their own version of unfair election interference in the form of gerrymandering. Without this insidious tool Stephan Colbert's famous line can be interpreted as "Pennsylvania's reality has a liberal bias.".
9
It is time to turn the controls of spaceship Earth over to women now that the centuries of dominance by men have it heading directly into the sun. Women may or may not do a better job of creating a safe and secure planet for future generations but we as men have failed miserably so let's give it a try.
17
How long do we have to wait for Trump impeachment and imprisonment? When will this American-dream-turned-nightmare end? How long do environment, climate, humanity, law, Constitution, and American interest and reputation have to suffer?
18
Looks like Dean Malik's debate statement about "telling constituents how to vote" backfired on him. Bucks is a purple-to-blue county and Trump doesn't play well here. You can't win the 1st District running as a far right Republican. What was he thinking?
Or maybe he just wasn't thinking. Losing the primary by a 2-1 margin should be a nice wake-up call.
12
The huge turnout by Dems, even though both big-ticket marquee races (governor and senator) were uncontested, shows the energized Democrat grass roots are ready to come out and vote. That is trump's doing.
19
I’ve always wondered what Congress would look like in a non-partisan-manipulated world. If you look back at world history, the worst times have usually been followed by the best times because the memories of bigotry and aggression are fresh in everyone’s minds. Think what the world of men and women could accomplish if history were taught in a meaningful way so that we are not allowed to forget our mistakes nearly so easily.
7
Great. I was pleased to hear the Democratic victories are back to make America Great Again the Democratic way. Not by war and corruption like the GOP thinks is the way to go. And don’t forget they allow pollution with coal. Our Democratic values save the environment for our future generations , better wages, affordable health care and no nuclear wars. Talk at all costs like the Pope tried to hammer in to Mr Trumps shrinking brain not long ago to no luck. We had eight years of world peace with President Obama and our allies and I will be looking for that scenario again.
15
Don't worry - the Republicans will find another way to skew votes for the upcoming election! I have no doubt they're working on Voter Suppression as we speak!
8
Yea! Yea! Yea! Yea! Yea!
We need some good news today! Women need a seat at the table and thankfully these women stepped up to make it happen.
Showing strength. I fills me with hope. Pennsylvania will be glad to have them. Thank you all that voted!
14
What does one have to do with the other? Women will automatically flip the districts?
1
Why does PA have an all-male congressional delegation when women make up 50% of the electorate?
9
All fantastic candidates running against reactionary extremists. PA will be a big part of flipping congress blue in November, and working to undo the damage done and move the country forward instead of back to the 1890s as the Republicans desire.
18
Unless I missed it (which I doubt), the article doesn't mention whether any of the races turned out differently from what the polls had been saying. I think that's the question on most people's minds.
3
Still, the American electoral process remains in great peril vis-a-vis the coupling of Russia and the Republicans.
11
"Poised" is not the same as 'achieved'. All strength to their cause, let us hope they succeed.
13
Delighted. Let's get sanity and stability into our government... Enough of the weak,immoral, egocentric men. More women... Better government...
50
I am delighted too, but let us not forget Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann. Jan Brewer, et al. Just saying.
36
We are not inherently superior to men, but we deserve the chance to show we can be as good as the best of them and as bad as the worst. Those of us women who've been here a long time have seen both. Power does not discriminate in whom it corrupts.
8
Pennsylvania is a good example of why we need a nonpartisan commission to draw districts. In 2012, Democrats won the statewide vote share in House races, yet ended up with 5 of the 18 House seats because of gerrymandering. In this beacon of democracy, our elections are also manipulated through voter suppression.
Our vote-counting system is outsourced to a handful of private rightwing companies that tabulate our votes in secret on proprietary software. A vast amount of exit poll data indicates that some election results are "statistically impossible," and pattern evidence such as large discrepancies between exit polls and the official vote appear in competitive elections, but not in noncompetitive races.
At one time, there was concern about the vulnerabilities with computerized voting, but then it became taboo to talk about it.
- NY Times: Computer Voting Is Open to Easy Fraud, Experts Say
- Washington Post: [Maryland Governor] Ehrlich Wants Paper Ballots for Nov. Vote
- Wall Street Journal: Reversing Course on Electronic Voting
- NPR: The Approaching 2006 E-Voting 'Train Wreck'
Computer experts, including researchers from Princeton, Rice, Johns Hopkins, Ohio and Stanford Universities, the Brennan Center and the GAO, have proven over and over that electronic voting machines are easily hackable and it can be done with self-deleting code.
Hacking Democracy - The Hack https://tinyurl.com/y7c9oopu
The full-length Emmy nominated HBO documentary https://tinyurl.com/y7mydv7z
94
"The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything." — Joseph Stalin
Two must-reads on computerized voting:
Victoria Collier: How to Rig an Election https://tinyurl.com/y9xx63f6
"As the twentieth century came to a close, a brave new world of election rigging emerged, on a scale that might have prompted Huey Long’s stunned admiration. We see that two major events have paved the way for this lethal form of election manipulation: the mass adoption of computerized voting technology, and the outsourcing of our elections to a handful of corporations that operate in the shadows with little oversight or accountability.
"This privatization of our elections has occurred without public knowledge or consent, leading to one of the most dangerous and least understood crises in the history of American democracy. We have actually lost the ability to verify election results."
Josh Mitteldorf: Intro to Election Theft in America (part 1 of 4)
https://tinyurl.com/yanc473c
“There is stiff resistance to looking at the ballots with human eyes. So we are left looking at statistics and anecdotes, trying to determine whether vote counts are honest and reliable. The evidence does not inspire confidence. But whatever you think of the evidence, there is no justification for a system without the possibility of public verification.”
Other democracies count their ballots by hand. It’s the international gold standard.
#SayNoToFaithBasedVoting
47
Welcome back to democracy, Pennsylvania.
So long, Russian-Republicans, and thanks for the tyranny of the minority and organized sedition.
Nice GOPeople.
139
They're not there yet. Let's not forget 2016's painful lesson in chicken-counting.
37
Yes. And Hillary is going to win.
1
I guess I'm confused. These were primary elections not general elections. I remember how women were going to line up to vote for Hilary. How did that work out?
25
That was then, this is now.
61
Bill....the Republican Party had 25 years to conduct very effective their national Salem Witch Trial of Hillary Clinton.
This year, the GOP will only have 6 months to conduct witch trials all over the country in dozens of different races against female candidates.
It's different this time...but we appreciate your confusion.
128
It's a fair point and one that Democratic candidates ignore at their peril.
8
The plethora of recent Democratic victories throughout the country are promising, encouraging and exciting. The fact that these wins were accomplished by women makes the results all the more sweet, inspiring and meaningful.
Congrats ladies! Keep the momentum going forward.
191
Pennsylvania has been a blue state for a long time. So, not surprising to see Dems voted in. However, the fact that they are women and the NYTimes praises this to the degree they did in this article, is disappointing. I say this as a woman. Somehow the readers and the NYTimes seem to believe that men, especially white men, should be pushed aside. I say - vote for the person, what they stand for, and how they intend to get things done. Ignore the race, gender, ethnicity, and religious affiliations (unless extreme) and vote for the person! Still don't know what these women stand for; apparently unimportant as long as the are Dems and women. ?!?
1