Why won't the Democratic Politicians go for the kill?

[UCmeNdc]

Republicans demonstrate time after time the will push an event or issue into the ground and win at all costs. Democratic politicians seem to fade and melt away at the first sign of GOP opposition. Democratic politicians also seem to willing to forgive and forget their GOP colleagues follies, but the GOP never will forget the Democratic slip ups.

[Half-Century Man]

1. non-pathological tendencies?

[Paladin]

2. Good question.

I honestly believe that the Republicans rely on our goody-two-shoes principles for a lot of their victories. The right wing threw away the rule book a long time ago---why are we still adhering to it? That "We don't want to sink to their level" response doesn't cut it with me anymore.

[RussBLib]

4. sometimes you have to fight fire with fire

So how do you get a bully off your back? By appealing to the student body? No. By asking the principal to intervene? No.

You bash the fuck out of him, and I wish we had some good Democratic fighters.

[Paladin]

5. Couldn't agree with you more. (nt)

[heaven05]

17. +10000

[Sunlei]

3. Media wars? They're working away in washingtondc and most of that work isn't even on "media-wars"

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. We need to get a better response team

Hit the enemy hard

[Avalux]

7. Here's what gets forgotten.

Overall, the Democratic party stands for progress; they get things done. Sure there are bad Ds and ineffectual Ds, but all significant legislation expanding the rights and welfare of the American people over the years have been the doing of Democrats.

Can't get anything done if time is spent going after the other party.

[CBHagman]

10. Exactly!

The focus must remain on accomplishing an objective, which more often than not includes years upon years of thankless and often disheartening (and dull, frankly) work.

This is about people and not about scoring points.

[CobaltBlue]

8. The answer

Why won't the Democratic Politicians go for the kill?

Kabuki game.

[karynnj]

9. Perspective

Look at:
Social Security
Medicare
ACA

Look at social issues:
Marriage equity is happening faster than anyone could have predicted
Racist comments are less acceptable than ever

We are winning the culture war.


All Democratic goals that Republicans fought.

Where the Republicans won the most was in voting for tax cuts - because it takes a very secure Democratic politician or one willing to lose his/her seat to vote against what people see as tax cuts for them. (I don't include the go to war votes here, as there was no need for Republicans to fight hard for them.)

Where they have gained recently is not through legislation, but through the Supreme Court - a function of having appointed the most justices.

[CBHagman]

11. A wonderful post.

I'd mention as well the power of language and how much effort has gone into skewing the debate and public perceptions via the media and the ad nauseam repetition of talking points. The GOP has a lot of firepower there, but I think with the generational shift and the use of social media things are going to change there as well.

As you observe, the culture itself is heading in the progressive direction, and quite a bit of that came only in the last couple of years.

[ZX86]

12. Democrats have two outstanding profiles in cowardice.

When not one senator would object to the 2000 Florida vote count as the Congressional Black Caucus begged them to do. And "Impeachment is off the table".

Not to mention all the shenanigans that the bankers, oil companies, and the MIC get away with.

[TheKentuckian]

13. They have no such ambition. In fact, one could argue we substantially blew

a generational majority in order to resuscitate them after they burned their brand to the ground circling the Wagon for Bush Co

Fucking "bipartisanship"! Who the hell partners with delusional, theocratic, warmongering, anti Bill of Rights, racist, sexist, corporate capture enabling austerity fiends that have been wrong about everything for generations who see the only plausible correction as doubling down and on their leftward tip, maybe better marketing?

[avebury]

14. Because all too often, Democrats are their own

worst enemies.

[Monk06]

15. As Napoleon said, "Never interrupt the enemy while they are in the midst of making a mistake." nt

[Kablooie]

16. If Dems went in for the kill ...

We'd have to deal with RW zombie apocalypse.
You can kill them but you can't stop them.