Why Did Rhode Island Democratic Party Endorse Alt-Right Supporter Over a Progressive Incumbent?

[RandySF]

Moira Jayne Walsh, a 27-year-old former waitress and labor organizer, captured a bit of national attention after she won a seat in the Rhode Island House in 2016. “I decided that I wasn’t just going to work on legislation, because there has been so much neglect in my neighborhood for so many years that I wanted to make sure that people felt that they had a sense of community,” she told The Atlantic that November.

Walsh has since been a progressive voice in the legislature and supports increasing the minimum wage and marijuana legalization. She also caused a stir in March when she said in a radio interview that there was an “insane amount of drinking” among legislators at the statehouse. All this might go some way towards explaining why the state Democratic Party has endorsed her opponent in the upcoming primaries—a man who appears to have once been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump and alt-right figures.

On June 28, the Rhode Island Democratic Party endorsed challenger Michael Earnheart in a handwritten addition to a printed endorsement sheet. On his Facebook page, Earnheart describes himself as a “moderate” and responded to queries about his political positions in late May with statements of support for the “Second Amendment” and a promise to “defend against legislation that attempts to stop or interfere with lawful gun ownership.”


https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/the-rhode-island-democratic-party-may-have-endorsed-a-trump-supporter.html

[Kentonio]

1. What the actual fuck?!

“An archived version of Earnheart’s Twitter page accessible on the Wayback Machine also features retweets of posts by Roseanne Barr, Donald Trump Jr., Pizzagate conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich, and alt-right journalist Laura Loomer. Earnheart also made Islamophobic comments over a retweet of a post by alt-right figure Gavin McInnes about “Muslim pedophiles.” “We are normalizing grooming gangs and creating and lending legitimacy to rape culture by allowing these garbage human beings to live in civilized society,” he wrote. “Is the UK government actually stupid?”

Does anyone know more about this? On the surface it’s outrageous!

[Wwcd]

2. There are a few States that endorse Dems & Indys even tho they support 2nd Amendment

I wouldn't but its not my State.

[RandySF]

5. He also hates immigrants

[Wwcd]

6. Again, i wouldn't personally endorse him.

There are others also who won't walk the talk when it comes to immigrants.
I have no explaination as to why there even is such a bias.
I don't know.

[RandySF]

8. I don't normally get involced my primaries

But I am sending a donation to his opponent.

[elleng]

3. 'an "insane amount of drinking" among legislators at the statehouse.'

That'll do it, I guess.

[JNelson6563]

4. In my county there are some Bros on the board.

Local Dems, they are so in love with non-Dems. When Painter announced he was challenging Smith they actually promoted that shit. I opened up a can on that shit. They realize that the money they will need doesn't come from the Bros so they tread somewhat carefully.

[BlueTsunami2018]

7. Republicans are afraid of their base, Democrats hate theirs.

It’s not a trite saying, it proves itself out time and time again.

Republicans run open Nazis and we can’t even back a standard progressive? This isn’t an extremist, this isn’t a tax everyone communist, they don’t even exist in our politics. There is no left wing counterpart to the teabaggers. But we’d rather have a gun nut Тяцмр guy? What other conclusion can one come to other than they just don’t want what we want? They aren’t interested in it.

[NewJeffCT]

10. this is also not a red state

Rhode Island is very solidly a blue state

[gratuitous]

9. The primary is Sept. 12

Looks like the statewide party will have plenty of time to explain itself to their own voters. Sounds like Moira Walsh has her head on straight, and will not roll over just because the party pooh-bahs (if that's really who wrote in Earnheart's name on the endorsement sheet, and not just some schmuck) don't like her.

[ck4829]

11. That's crazy