General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDemocrats never learn.
They have to stop acting like Republicans. This is fucking war. We have always been at war. The "haves" have always wanted more and the "have nots" have had to fight for every inch of progress ever made in the history of humankind.
As Democrats learned during the Great Depression, those at the top will end up with everything and those at the bottom will not have a pot to piss in. A Democratic Party that does not understand this is not worth having, let alone supporting.
There is no compromise. You have to fight for a fair share of the wealth. They will not agree to a minimum wage, let alone an increase in the minimum wage. They will not agree to unemployment benefits for those without a job. They will no longer agree to give food stamps to hungry children. If this is not war, then what is it?
Giving voters a choice between the Republican Party and those that act like Republicans is a sure loser. To put your faith in the marketplace is putting the noose around all our necks. The marketplace will screw the people every time.
Either we hang together or surely we will all hang separately.
I could say more, but you get my drift.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)NoOneMan
(4,795 posts)russspeakeasy
(6,539 posts)that is willing to put the public interest ahead of their own self interest. Not One !
Representative Dina Titus voted for the ACA and lost the next election.
Senator Elizabeth Warren seems to be pretty good.
There may be others that I can't think of right now.
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)He always voted his conscience, and did not profit unduly from his years in DC. He also didn't become a lobbyist or otherwise hawk his Congressional connections.
Tammy Baldwin MAY turn out really good. She hasn't really had time to be tested yet.
Warren of course. Bernie Sanders.
NO Republicans. Not a single one.
bvar22
(39,909 posts)You can find GOOD Democrats worthy of your support in the Progressive Caucus.
Unfortunately, they have been completely marginalized by the Party Leadership.
Few DARE to oppose the President on anything in fear of the consequences.
It DOES take some political courage to OPPOSE the White House,
but you CAN find some good Democrats who know WHY they are Democrats.
Here is a place for you to start looking.
The names in BOLD are worthy of your support,
and worthy of the "D" behind their names.
More than 10 days ago, Congressmen Alan Grayson and Mark Takano initiated the forthright letter, circulating it among House colleagues. Addressed to President Obama, the letter has enabled members of Congress to take a historic stand: joining together in a public pledge not to vote for any cuts in Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.
The Progressive Caucus co-chairs, Raul Grijalva and Keith Ellison, signed the letter. So did Barbara Lee, the caucus whip. But no signer can be found among the five vice chairs of the Progressive Caucus: Judy Chu, David Cicilline, Michael Honda, Sheila Jackson-Lee and Jan Schakowsky. The letters current list of signers includes just 16 members of the Progressive Caucus (along with five other House signers who arent part of the caucus).
What about the other 54 members of the Progressive Caucus? Their absence from the letter is a clear message to the Obama White House, which has repeatedly declared its desire to cut the Social Security cost of living adjustment as well as Medicare. In effect, those 54 non-signers are signaling: Mr. President, we call ourselves progressive but we are unwilling to stick our necks out by challenging you in defense of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; we want some wiggle room that you can exploit.
In contrast, the House members on the short list of the letters signers deserve our praise for taking a clear stand: Brown, Cartwright, Conyers, DeFazio, Ellison, Faleomavaega, Grayson, G. Green, Grijalva, Gutierrez, A. Hastings, Kaptur, Lee, McGovern, Nadler, Napolitano, Nolan, Serrano, Takano, Velazquez and Waters.
Like I said above, the Democrats in BOLD have EARNED your support.
It is heart breaking (and disgusting) that there are only a handful remaining in what was once the Party of the Working Class that gave us the New Deal and Great Society.
russspeakeasy
(6,539 posts)abq e streeter
(7,658 posts)BUT...Maybe, just maybe,NEXT time, if we're REALLY REALLY super duper nice to them, they'll be nice to us.
Signed, formerly proud member of the Charlie Brown and the football party.
bvar22
(39,909 posts)Nothing happens in Washington by accident.
You are way more forgiving and optimistic than I am.
I think the Democrats have "learned",
and "learned well" since the Reagan Revolution.
They have learned WHO puts the most butter on their bread,
and it ain't the American Working Class.
[font color=firebrick][center]"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want a party that will STAND UP for Working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone [/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]
You will know them by their WORKS.
kentuck
(110,947 posts)Or will they continue to vote for the same crap??
Kurovski
(34,655 posts)Or is it "Hillary"?
OOP! Time for my meds...
Maedhros
(10,007 posts)over and over, and the rank-and-file will continue to give them votes. There is no down side to sucking up to Wall Street and Big Oil. They get paid off by the corporate lobbyists and vote against our interests. Then, when recalcitrant progressives demand accountability, the enforcers of partisan loyalty line up to ridicule and denigrate them. Look, there's probably one responding to this post right now! And, by and large, it works.
Until Democratic leaders learn that supporting pro-corporate policies and tearing down the New Deal gets them thrown out of office they will continue to support pro-corporate policies and tear down the New Deal. They will do this regardless of how many times we politely ask them not to while pledging to vote for them anyway.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)hfojvt
(37,573 posts)have we always been at war with Eurasia, or have we always been at war with Oceania?
Democrats are not gonna stop acting like Republicans until the voters make them.
How can the voters make them?
Step 1 - stop electing Republicans (this first step is pretty key)
Step 2 - stop electing conservadems and DINOs in primaries (also pretty key)
I mean, look at 2010. Democrats won the House in 2006 and then won the Senate and Presidency in 2008. They raised the minimum wage, they boosted food stamps, they extended unemployment, they saved the economy and bailed out General Motors. They created a national healthy care system.
And how did a majority of voters react?
Democrats got their a$$es handed to them in 2010.
From that point, Democrats HAD to compromise, because Republicans had leverage.
bvar22
(39,909 posts)Speaking of 2010:
The Arkansas Democratic Primary was a heart breaking eye opener for the Grass Roots and Organized LABOR. We were given a Look Behind the Curtain,
and it wasn't very pretty.
[font size=3]We did EVERYTHING right in Arkansas in 2010.
We did EXACTLY what the White House asked us to do to "give the President Progressives in Congress that would work with him."[/font]
We organized and supported Lt Governor Bill Halter, the Pro-LABOR/ Pro-Health Care challenger to DINO Obstructionist Blanche Lincoln.
Halter was:
* Polling BETTER against the Republicans in the General,
*was popular in Arkansas in his OWN right,
*had an Up & Running Political machine,
* had a track record of winning elections (Lt. Governor)
*Had the full backing of Organized LABOR and The Grass Roots activists
*was handing Blanche her Anti-LABOR ass in The Primary until the White House stepped in
*Blanche had NO chance of winning the General in Arkansas
Guess what happened.
Our BIGGEST enemy to bring "change" to The Senate was NOT The "Obstructionist" Republicans.
NO!
Our BIGGEST enemy to bring "change" to The Senate was The Obama White House!
The White House stepped in at the last minute to save Blanche's failing primary campaign with an Oval Office Endorsement of The Witch that Wrecked the Obama Agenda,
and Bill Clinton was dispatched on a Campaign Tour for Blanche around the state bashing Organized LABOR and "Liberals" at every opportunity.
White House steps in to rescue Lincolns Primary Campaign in Arkansas
* Bill Clinton traveled to Arkansas to urge loyal Democrats to vote for her, bashing liberal groups for good measure.
*Obama recorded an ad for Lincoln which, among other things, were used to tell African-American primary voters that they should vote for her because she works for their interests.
*The entire Party infrastructure lent its support and resources to Lincoln a Senator who supposedly prevents Democrats from doing all sorts of Wonderful, Progressive Things which they so wish they could do but just dont have the votes for.
<snip>
What happened in this race also gives the lie to the insufferable excuse weve been hearing for the last 18 months from countless Obama defenders: namely, if the Senate doesnt have 60 votes to pass good legislation, its not Obamas fault because he has no leverage over these conservative Senators. It was always obvious what an absurd joke that claim was; the very idea of The Impotent, Helpless President, presiding over a vast government and party apparatus, was laughable. But now, in light of Arkansas, nobody should ever be willing to utter that again with a straight face.
Back when Lincoln was threatening to filibuster health care if it included a public option, the White House could obviously have said to her: if you dont support a public option, not only will we not support your re-election bid, but well support a primary challenger against you. Obamas support for Lincoln did not merely help; it was arguably decisive, as The Washington Post documented today:"
<much more>
http://www.salon.com/2010/06/10/lincoln_6/
When the supporters of Pro-LABOR Lt Gov Bill Halter asked the White House WHY they threw their support behind Lincoln at the last minute, rescuing her failing campaign, the answer was ridicule and insults to Organized LABOR and the Grass Roots.
Ed Schultz sums up my feeling perfectly in the following clip.
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/ed-schultz-if-it-wasnt-labor-barack-obama-
After the Arkansas Democratic Primary, many Grass Roots Activists working for a better government concluded that the current Democratic Party Leadership preferred to give this Senate Seat to a Big Business Republican
than to let an actual Pro-LABOR Democrat have a chance to win it.
This was greatly reinforced by the Insults & Ridicule to LABOR from the White House after the Primary "victory" over Organized LABOR & the Grass Roots in the Arkansas Democratic Primary.
Of course, as predicted by EVERYBODY, Lincoln lost badly in the General Election, giving that Senate Seat to The Republicans.
So what did the White House gain by Stomping Down Labor and the Grass Roots?
We don't know. The White House has never responded to our questions with an explanation, only insults and ridicule.
Union Thugs take an ass whipping from time to time,
[font size=3]but we NEVER forget a Sucker Punch & WHO Threw it.[/font]
You will know them by their WORKS.
malthaussen
(17,065 posts)Every time the man makes a speech, half of DU falls into a swoon.
-- Mal
Maedhros
(10,007 posts)"Political machinery moves to His command
Oh, Barack Obama, magnificent and so grand!
Moved to worship, we bow and close our eyes,
Oh, Barack Obama, promise every prize!"
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)Ugly.
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)"I mean, look at 2010. Democrats won the House in 2006 and then won the Senate and Presidency in 2008. They raised the minimum wage, they boosted food stamps, they extended unemployment, they saved the economy and bailed out General Motors. They created a national healthy care system."
There is no national healthy care system. It's a bailout for
General Motors was bailed out - so? The government owned it, they could have switched to electric car and wind turbine production. They could have easily expanded these sectors with investment. Instead, they stuck with petrol cars and sold it back into the private sector.
That bailout was a small part of bailing out the banking establishment who created most of the problems in the first place.
Saved the economy? What a joke.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)Just because someone has a "D" after their name does not make one a Democrat. REAL Democrats need to step up to the plate iin their states and run for office like it's the Hunger Games to deny the DINOs a seat in Congress!
politichew
(230 posts)Only 12% of the electorate thinks President Obama is not liberal enough.
Just because they're vocal doesn't make their political analysis worth a damn.
Maedhros
(10,007 posts)Hell, he's not even MODERATE enough for me. He is also way too much of a warmonger for me.
So I guess I don't care what the polls say? I won't ever vote for a Democrat who behaves like Obama has.
Ineeda
(3,626 posts)the likes of McCain/Palin or Romney/Ryan, I'd vote for a "Democrat who behaves like Obama" every day of the week.
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)Both republicans and democrats make promises to the people. When people see their wages stagnate for decades, unions busted, and retirement benefits cut year after year after year they know better than to trust either party. There are plenty of people who think our entire government is not liberal enough.
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)is does it use the demonized word "liberal"? If so the results will be skewed.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)TeamPooka
(24,155 posts)Notafraidtoo
(402 posts)I agree with you 100%, Human nature through out history has been like this, those disconnected from common people who are powerful just never stop taking from others, someone always has to stop them in the end, it amazes me we repeat this endless cycle when it seems to always play out the same way over and over.
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)I can't see how good intentions can be ascribed to anyone involved in creating or abetting the Simpson Bowles commission, or otherwise calling for the social safety net to be cut when we need it most.
It's not sensible or necessary - it's just sick. These are not good people.
tjwash
(8,219 posts)Same old tired "my exact agenda wasn't implemented therefore we will vote for ((insert third party hack that has zero electability here))" and voila - 8 years of Bush.
President Ryan thanks you.