Athena Goldberg gets big PAC endorsements

Endorsed Goldberg

Women.  Labor.  Environment.

Three big Democratic interest groups endorse Athena Goldberg.  They have an ideal client profile in mind.  Goldberg fits it.  So does Jessica Gomez.

The professional class of political operators have an ideal candidate--which is to say ideal client--in mind.  This past week Goldberg has received endorsement from NARAL, the AFL-CIO, and the League of Conservation Voters, which together represent three big sources of money and organizational support in the Democratic coalition. 

Endorsed Goldberg

Democrat Athena Goldberg and Republican Jessica Gomez appear to be the right kind of candidate at the right time, a woman who can win. 

It is not an ideological profile.  It is a gender, look,  biography, and manner.  Both Gomez and Goldberg are bright, attractive, and articulate newcomers.  

Goldberg got endorsements from the political pros.  All three Democratic opponents to Goldberg have exactly the same positions on NARAL's issues.  Jeff Golden, Julian Bell, and Kevin Stine all have spotless public track records supporting reproductive rights--and Golden's goes back 40 years--but it did not matter.  NARAL wants women in office.  All three groups, NARAL, AFL-CIO, and OLCV want to back a winner, and all seek the candidate who is right for the times, in their judgement: the electable woman.

Here is the profile:   

Female.  Surely this time, for real, finally, is the "year of the woman." In an environment of MeToo, and Trump porn star stories, and well known men being accused of harassment, there is an operating theory among political operatives that women are less likely to have a sexual accusation problem, and much less likely to have it damage them politically. In the current environment any male politician can go from frontrunner or incumbent into oblivion based on a complaint from the past. While details and credibility is sorted out, the news stories are about allegations. It can suck all the energy out of a campaign.  Safer to go female.

Endorsed Goldberg

There is a presumption, too, about the electorate. Female voters are thought to be energized and will turn out to vote, then  vote as women and for women. Women in 2016 turned out, but voted their race and party, not their gender.  This is year thought to be different. It is women's turn.  Trump's election created a backlash.  Women who did not turn out for Hillary did turn out for the women's march.  Now they they are woke and angry.  

This works better for Goldberg than for Gomez because the women most energized are presumed to be Democrats, but Gomez has positioned herself as a non-Trump Republican, which may help in the general election.  Jessica Gomez fits a profile of her own: the kind of woman Republicans can nominate to withstand the Female Wave.

New fresh face.  Trump was new, Hillary was old-hat.  Political operators draw a conclusion that voters don't demand experience, and moreover anyone with a track record has locked in opponents. At the national level Democrats know little about Kirsten Gellibrand and Kamala Harris, but people being polled mention their names as a potential president because they represent turning the page of history. Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren have big political brands and many supporters, and may well win the nomination based on that base of support.  Still, the interest shown to newcomers demonstrates that voters do not demand experience.  New and fresh-from-the-box has appeal. In local races political campaigns get to start with a nice, clean blank slate.

Non-ideological.  Goldberg and Gomez are the candidates with the least defined positions.  That is a positive.  They are thought to be electable because no one dislikes them yet.Their public campaigns are based on personality and tone, not what their positions appear to be. Jessica Gomez, at this point, is simply communicating an attractive biography in business and community work, that she wants safe and happy communities, and that she isn't Trump.  

Athena Goldberg may well be communicating more detail to lobby groups, but her website, Facebook page, and public presentation at house parties are very general. She communicates her policies by saying who she generally agrees with, not in particular what she believes.  She is communicating she is a team player, happy to be affiliated with others.  Political endorsers want that. Voters learn what they need to learn, that she is on their side.

Will endorsements translate into votes?   The Democratic male candidates don't think it will or should.  Each think their own biographies and track record on positions have appeal and deserve support from voters in those Democratic constituencies of women, labor, and environmentalists.

Young veteran family

Kevin Stine says he doesn't "disparage any of the groups that endorse candidates. . . .The groups all have agendas, and there's nothing wrong with that."  He said "There's some gamesmanship involved with organization endorsements."  He did not expect endorsements but seeks votes because he is, in fact, the genuine article, a representative of that very person Democrats claim to care about: a working person concerned with housing, medical affordability, veterans, income distribution, an opportunity for upward mobility.  He is a first generation college graduate, a veteran, and now is serving on the Medford City Council.  He isn't a millionaire saying he understands people like him.  He is it: a politically astute striving, working, young family man veterans.  He has views on issues substantially similar to Goldberg's, only spelled out in more detail, so the political professionals may like Athena Goldberg but he thinks voters will prefer him.  

Bell

Julian Bell sought the Conservation Voters endorsement and didn't get it, notwithstanding his full hearted unqualified commitment to their issues.  "I'm offering to be the tool that voters can use to fix climate change.  For instance, if hey need a hammer to fix climate change I'll be a hammer.  If they need to draw up sophisticated financial arrangements with legislation and networking. . .I'll be that, too.  Whatever is needed, I'll take that on."

There is no mystery and no qualification.  Bell is sure that actual environmentalist voters will choose an actual environmentalist candidate.  He says that is him.

Jeff Golden said there were "big problems with the endorsement process" and said that the lobby groups wanted commitment to them and their issues. "Commitment's a fine thing if it also involves thinking.  This endorsement process mostly rewards obedience."  

He said he recognized his "decision not to take special interest money for this campaign would lose me endorsements" and he thought it made endorsers nervous if a candidate wont take their money.  You haven't sealed the deal by taking their money. Golden did receive a co-endorsement from the OLCV.  His campaign thought he deserved it and they were too embarrassed to withhold it. Golden had been on their board for several years.

Golden

There is widespread thought among political professionals that 2018 will see a Democratic wave election, a supposed "blue wave." The pros also were confident Hillary Clinton would win.  They talk among themselves.  There is group-think. 

They think it is the year of the woman, so that is where they have placed their chips.