U.S. Rep. Katie Porter became a social media celebrity by brandishing a white board at congressional hearings to dissect CEOs and break down complex figures into assaults on corporate greed, a signature image that propelled the Democrat’s U.S. Senate candidacy in California.

The progressive favorite known for spotlighting her soccer mom, minivan-driving home life was trounced in Tuesday’s primary election to fill the seat once held by the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, finishing far behind Republican Steve Garvey and fellow Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff.

Porter didn’t go down quietly. She immediately pointed a finger at “billionaires spending millions to rig this election.” That claim resulted in a brutal social media backlash from many who were happy to depict the congresswoman as a graceless loser.

Perhaps chastened by the criticism, Porter later clarified her initial statement to say she didn’t believe the California vote count or election process had been compromised, but she didn’t recant her earlier remarks. Rigged, she said in a follow-up, “means manipulated by dishonest means.”

  • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    She was done dirty. Her own party played nasty tricks to keep her from winning.

    • themadcodger@kbin.earth
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      4 months ago

      Nasty tricks to keep a populist candidate who isn’t a fan of the current capitalist system from winning? Well that certainly sounds familiar.

    • DancingBear@midwest.social
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      4 months ago

      DNC is gonna keep doing the same thing they always have. They don’t represent democrat voters nor do they have any accountability to anyone.

      • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
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        4 months ago

        This is true for both parties. They could come in to everyone’s home and shit on our kitchen tables and they’d still get elected because everyone is too afraid to vote for anything else but these two shitty parties.

        • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Those 2 parties are the only ones that can possibly win in a first past the post vote with 2 major parties. Third parties by definition tank the side they are most like when they start to get real traction long before they can actually win elections. If you don’t like it voting third party isn’t a fix you actually have to fix how the electoral system works.

          • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
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            4 months ago

            Sure, just keep voting for the guy shitting on your table and arguing about his opponent because his steaming log of shit stank a little bit more. You’re definitely making the right call and it should only take 50 or 60 more elections before things start turning around for us.

            • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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              4 months ago

              Trump doesn’t suck a bit more than Biden. He’s a monster whose plans for this country and the world will lead to millions of deaths and the damage he will do will last for generations. Understand what your actual options are. Nothing you can do will logically reform the electoral system in 6 months but we can stop our country from going entirely to crap.

              • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
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                4 months ago

                The only reason why Trump is even a contender is because of these two shitty parties and the Democratic leadership backing some of the worst candidates in existence. Every election is going to have people claiming the opponent “will lead to millions of deaths and destruction” because nothing is going to change which is why we had to vote against him in 2016, again in 2020, and now again in 2024. Even after he dies there will be another Trump popping out of the woodwork.

                By continuing to support these two parties, you’re just ensuring this will continue until the sun burns out. Neither party has any reason to improve things because they’ll get your vote regardless of how awful they become. Even aiding in genocide isn’t enough to alter your decision.

                • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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                  4 months ago

                  Trump is a threat because an overwhelming majority of Republicans are willing to vote for a monster. Assigning blame for a full 45% of the population for the Democrats not running someone more to your liking is completely crazy. You call Biden one of the worst candidates in existence but the American people voted for him for Vice President of the United States twice and for President once already.

                  The states had the ability to elect someone else for this round if they were really so against him. Spoiler alert they aren’t going to. In fact of the states and territories that have held a primary the only one which awarded votes to anyone other than Biden was American Samoa which… doesn’t actually get to vote in the presidential election. The truth is anyone on team blue would by now be hated by our divided country. Trump and co have done NOTHING but lie since they lost. A Democrat moderate enough to win by definition will be disliked by nearly 100% of the right leaning folks and at least 10–20% of the most progressive if he hews close enough to the middle to actually have a chance to win. 37% is the new normal.

                  • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
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                    4 months ago

                    You call Biden one of the worst candidates in existence but the American people voted for him for Vice President of the United States twice and for President once already.

                    If you recall, in 2016, this guy lost to Clinton in the primaries, who was then defeated by Trump. He won in 2020 because people wanted to oust Trump. Both him and Clinton are both completely unappealing candidates to the populace but darlings to the party, which is how they got the support and backing to win the primaries.

                    In fact of the states and territories that have held a primary the only one which awarded votes to anyone other than Biden was American Samoa

                    And why do you think that is? Is it because he’s the very best person to lead out of 330 million or is it because he has the party leaders in his pocket with the added bonus of the incumbent advantage? I haven’t even been able to vote in the primaries in my state but the race is already over since enough states had theirs already.

                    Are you more concerned with winning elections or putting a good leader in office? It sounds like the former.

      • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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        4 months ago

        Schiff spent money on ads on Fox News to boost the Republican in the race so he’d be #2 instead of Porter. He spent more money boosting him than the Republican himself did.