AOC says 'wokeness' is a term 'almost exclusively used by older people,' throwing shade at James Carville



Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) blasted the use of the term "wokeness" to describe progressivism, saying those like veteran Democratic strategist James Carville who argue the Democrats lost big in last Tuesday's elections because the party is too "woke" are using language "almost exclusively used by older people."

"How can news outlets even attribute words to me I didn't say," asked Ocasio-Cortez in a tweet linking to a WSET-TV report that claimed she said Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe lost the Virginia gubernatorial race because he wasn't "woke" enough.

"I said there are limits to trying to mobilize a campaign with a 100% moderate strategy without mobilizing the base. Said nothing [about] 'wokeness' which is a term almost exclusively used by older people these days [by the way]," she wrote.

How can news outlets even attribute words to me I didn\u2019t say?\n\nI said there are limits to trying to mobilize a campaign with a 100% moderate strategy without mobilizing the base. Said nothing abt \u201cwokeness\u201d which is a term almost exclusively used by older people these days btwhttps://twitter.com/abc13news/status/1456642083524071431\u00a0\u2026

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) 1636128175

Continuing, the democratic-socialist lawmaker said the only people using the word "woke" are Carville and "Fox News pundits," implying that term is targeted towards a right-wing audience and Democrats shouldn't be concerned about it.

"And before people disingenuously complain 'woke' is denigrating to older people, it's actually pundits like Carville using terms like 'woke' to insult voters under 45 that's denigrating," Ocasio-Cortez added, disparaging Carville, the lead strategist for the 1992 campaign that put then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton in the White House, as a mere "pundit."

"Don't wonder why youth turnout falls when Dems talk about them like this. We need everyone," she said.

And before people disingenuously complain \u201cwoke\u201d is denigrating to older people, it\u2019s actually pundits like Carville using terms like \u201cwoke\u201d to insult voters under 45 that\u2019s denigrating.\n\nDon\u2019t wonder why youth turnout falls when Dems talk about them like this. We need everyone.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) 1636129097

Days ago, Carville spoke to "PBS Newshour" about Tuesday's elections and blamed "stupid wokeness" for Democrats losing in Virginia and progressives severely underperforming elsewhere.

"I mean, this 'defund the police' lunacy, this take Abraham Lincoln's name off of schools. I mean that — people see that," Carville said. "And it really has a suppressive effect on all across the country on Democrats. Some of these people need to go to a woke detox center or something."

Republicans won competitive district attorney races in Long Island, New York and increased a GOP legislative majority in Niagara County. In New York City and in Minneapolis, Minnesota mayoral candidates that rejected the "defund the police" movement claimed victory.

In Seattle, a law-and-order Republican won a race for city attorney, defeating a radical left-wing former public defender who described herself as a police abolitionist.

Carville's point is that the Democratic Party is losing touch with voters by becoming preoccupied with niche racial and social justice politics.

Ocasio-Cortez, on the other hand, argued after the elections that the Democratic Party did not do enough to embrace its far-left element and failed to rally support for a progressive agenda.

"I know that Virginia was a huge bummer," Ocasio-Cortez said in an Instagram video. "And honestly, if anything, I think that the results show the limits of trying to run a fully 100% super moderated campaign that does not excite speak to or energize a progressive base and frankly, we weren't even really invited to contribute on that race."

She nailed it. Take her advice Democrats - McAuliff wasn\u2019t progressive or woke enough. So in the midterms only follow AOC\u2019s model. Run the MOST woke and progressive in the land. And make sure to tell parents they\u2019re racist and shouldn\u2019t be involved in their kids education again.https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1456262697973026825\u00a0\u2026

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) 1636036027

She accused moderate Democrats of enabling "race-baiting" by Republicans, saying the moderates' strategy "demoralizes the base you're supposed to protect and turn out while also ceding white swing voters to the right w/ inadequate responses or silence."

Law-and-order Republican defeats police abolitionist Democrat in race for Seattle city attorney



A law-and-order Republican on Tuesday defeated a Democratic candidate for Seattle city attorney who wanted to stop prosecuting misdemeanor crimes as a step toward abolishing the police.

Attorney Ann Davison (R) won 59% of the vote, defeating former public defender Nicole Thomas-Kennedy in the race to succeed incumbent City Attorney Pete Holmes (D). During her campaign, Davison said the City Attorney's Office is not a "place for a radical agenda," criticizing Holmes and Thomas-Kennedy for being too soft on crime.

At her campaign party on Election Night, Davison said the number of votes she received, more than 74,000, was "heartwarming and humbling."

She told a crowd of her supporters that there are too many people in Seattle who feel unsafe because of rising crime, including random attacks, drug use, car break-ins, and shoplifting, according to KOMO-TV.

"There is a way to have a balanced approach that we are providing a way to intervene with someone and to make sure we are centering victims of crime and collectively bringing together what is public safety in our city," Davison said.

During the campaign, she said misdemeanor crimes matter because they are being committed by serious offenders and can be "business ending, job ending and tax revenue ending" for Seattle residents.

The Democratic candidate, Thomas-Kennedy, trailed with 41% of the vote. A self-described abolitionist, Thomas-Kennedy campaigned on radically transforming the City Attorney's Office and ending prosecutions for misdemeanor crimes.

The Office of the Seattle City Attorney, also called the Law Department, operates with a $35 million budget and works with more than 100 attorneys across three divisions: criminal, civil, and administration.

Local news outlet KING-TV reported the criminal division is responsible for prosecuting misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and traffic infractions. Cases prosecuted include DUIs, misdemeanor assault and domestic violence, misdemeanor theft and trespassing.

The civil division represents the city of Seattle in lawsuits and advises city officials.

The administration division provides services for the office, including budgeting and human resources.

Thomas-Kennedy argued that prosecutions for misdemeanor crimes unfairly targeted poor and minority communities and wasted taxpayer dollars. She said that the city would be better served if defendants were referred to mental health, addiction, or restorative justice programs.

She also pledged to use the city's civil division to sue fossil fuel companies, defend progressive tax policies, and fight to overturn a state ban on affirmative action.

During the campaign, Thomas-Kennedy faced criticism for several provocative statements she made on social media, including about her "rabid hatred" for police and support for anti-police riots.

She claimed her statements were "deliberately inflammatory" and "absurdist satire."

Thomas-Kennedy was endorsed by Democratic Party organizations, labor unions, and dozens of criminal-defense and civil-rights attorneys.

Davison, who previously ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor, won the endorsements of three former governors, including Republican Dan Evans and Democrats Christine Gregoire and Gary Locke.

Stu Does Live Election Night Coverage 2021

Stu Does Live Election Night Coverage 2021

Caitlyn Jenner is running for governor of California in recall election



Former Olympic decathlete, reality TV star, and transgender activist Caitlyn Jenner is running for governor of California.

"I'm in! California is worth fighting for," Jenner announced Friday.

Jenner, a Republican, will seek to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in a special election to recall the governor. Republican activists in California have gathered more than 2 million voter signatures to trigger a special election to recall the governor, which, according to KCRA-TV, political insiders in the state believe will be enough to overcome expected challenges declaring some signatures redundant or invalid.

Axios reported a team of prominent GOP consultants is lining up behind Jenner to run the campaign, including top Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, RedRock Strategies founder Ryan Erwin, and Allegiance Strategies President Tyler Deaton. Steven Cheung, a former Trump communications aide who worked on former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's successful 2003 recall campaign, is also joining Jenner's team.

"Sacramento needs an honest leader with a clear vision," Jenner said in a statement to Axios. "For the past decade, we have seen the glimmer of the Golden State reduced by one-party rule that places politics over progress and special interests over people."

The statement blasted California's taxes as "too high" and criticized Newsom for an "over-restrictive lockdown" response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is Gavin Newsom's California, where he orders us to stay home but goes out to dinner with his lobbyist friends," Jenner said.

According to Axios, Jenner will run as a "very socially liberal" candidate who is also "fiscally conservative." The campaign believes the reality TV star's name recognition in California is even greater than Newsom's and that the earned media attention from being the first serious transgender Republican candidate for governor in the state's history will boost the odds of victory.

Jenner will not run as a Trump Republican. In 2018, when Trump rescinded federal guidelines instructing schools to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms associated with their self-proclaimed gender identity, not their biological sex, Jenner criticized the president, writing, "my hope in him ... was misplaced."

"Certainly she has not seen eye-to-eye with [Trump] on a lot of things," an aide with the campaign told Axios. "I think that Caitlyn will talk to anyone, Democrat or Republican. Donald Trump is not going to be the deciding factor for the state of California."

A recall election in California has a two-step process. First, voters must answer a question regarding whether Gov. Newsom should be recalled. Voters are then asked a second question about who should succeed the governor if a majority says he should be recalled.

If a majority votes to recall the governor, then his successor is the candidate with the most votes on the second question, regardless of whether that candidate has a majority or not.

A poll of California voters released earlier this month found that only 40% of respondents said the governor should be recalled, putting the liklihood of Jenner or any candidate actually beating Newsom in doubt.

Judge rules Virginia elections board violated law with late absentee mail-in ballot rule



Last August, the Virginia Board of Elections issued a rule that would've allowed elections officials to count late mail-in ballots that arrived without a postmark up to three days after the November election. On Monday, a state judge ruled that the board's decision was illegal.

Virginia Circuit Court Judge William Eldridge said that Virginia's mail-in ballot rule violated state elections law and issued an injunction preventing the state from adopting the rule for future elections, the Daily Caller reported. The judge's decision was announced by the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), a legal group representing Frederick County electoral board member Thomas Reed in his case against the state mail-in ballot law.

"This is a big win for the Rule of Law," PILF President and General Counsel J. Christian Adams said. "This consent decree gives Mr. Reed everything he requested – a permanent ban on accepting ballots without postmarks after Election Day and is a loss for the Virginia bureaucrats who said ballots could come in without these protections."

The Virginia Board of Elections issued its election guidance to county boards on Aug. 4, 2020, notifying them that any ballots "received by the general registrar's office by noon on the third day after the election ... but does not have a postmark, or the postmark is missing or illegible" were not to be rendered invalid. But a week later, the elections board decided that such ballots should be counted.

On Oct. 13, PILF filed a lawsuit against the state elections board on behalf of Reed, who argued that he would not enforce the directive because it violated state law.

The relevant Virginia statute states: "Any absentee ballot returned to the general registrar after the closing of the polls on election day but before noon on the third day after the election and postmarked on or before the date of the election shall be counted." Reed's lawyers argued that a plain reading of state law prevents ballots that lack a postmark from being counted.

Two weeks later on Oct. 28, 2020, the court sided with Reed in a preliminary injunction hearing, issuing an order that prevented the state of Virginia from accepting and counting late absentee ballots that were missing postmarks.

The result is that none of the contested ballots were counted in the November election and Judge Eldridge's final ruling siding with Reed over the Virginia elections board will not change the outcome.

The ruling, however, will apply to future elections in Virginia, including the November 2021 gubernatorial and state legislature elections.