Losses leave Dems pondering the future - USAToday

[TacticalPeek]

Losses leave Dems pondering the future

By Kathy Kiely and Mimi Hall, USA TODAY


For John Kerry, Wednesday was a day to concede defeat. The presidential contender's fellow Democrats faced an even less appealing task: contemplating their future in a long-term minority status.

Tuesday's election not only denied the Democrats the White House, it extended the Republican Party's decade-long majority in the House of Representatives and its two-year majority in the Senate. It has been 71 years since Democrats were so shut out of power for so long in Washington. Though the margin of defeat was narrow in the contest for the presidency and in many congressional races, the scope of the party's losses left many Democrats reeling.

"The entire South is gone," said Doug Schoen, Bill Clinton's pollster. He called the defeat of Kerry and Democratic Senate candidates in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana "an across-the-board rejection of the Democratic Party."

"It was not a good night," said Dick Gephardt, the veteran Missouri congressman and former presidential candidate. He said Democrats have to find a way to counter the Republicans' appeal to voters opposed to gay marriage, gun control and abortion. "I don't want us to leave our values on any of these issues," Gephardt said. "But we've got to find a message that's as impressive."


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("Retired general Wesley Clark, another 2004 presidential contender, clearly wants to stay active in politics and is viewed by some as having the military credentials and Southern roots that will help appeal to moderates.")

[lebkuchen]

1. There is no future. It's a one party system now

Welcome to Fascism, folks.

[FreedomFry]

5. Fascism by definition is ...

"... a political philosophy, movement or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized, autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition" (Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary)

Not sure about the first part, as we tend to view Republicans in the aggregate as generally self-absorbed and greedy. But the second part fits like a glove.

[itzamirakul]

9. And Racism by definition is...

...the entire middle of America. Every single state that shows up red. Why do we keep hiding from the fact that it is NOT abortion, or gay rights, or homeland security or the war in Iraq? This whole race is summed up in the racist rantings of Rush Limbaugh and his cronies who have fed the racist hunger of the center and south of America. Why don't we bring this fact out publicly and let them KNOW that we KNOW what their REAL AGENDA is. To totally dismantle ALL of the Civil Rights Laws that have been encacted since the 1960s.

Until the Democrats, posters like yourselves, can bring themselves to ACKNOWLEDGE this closeted glue that holds the Republican Party together we will never overcome them.

[FreedomFry]

15. I called a lot of black voters in Florida on Tuesday ...

... and none of the ones I talked to would admit to having voted (or intending to vote) for John Kerry. This really made me wonder how critical the issue of racism is to minorities' lives these days. It used to be hugely important.

I would love to know what the ethnic vote breakdown was in this election. It would do my heart good to know that those with the most to lose from racist policies were doing their best to vote them down. But until I see the numbers, I don't hold out a lot of hope. Other than Al Sharpton and a few eleventh-hour rumblings by Jesse Jackson and the NAACP, there was hardly a peep from African Americans throughout this election cycle -- a far, far cry from the 60s and 70s. Do we blame the corporatized media? A corpulent, complacent America? Our country needs new leadership, and it needs to come in all colors -- not just Condi & Colin gray.

[lebkuchen]

13. my dictionary mentions "national aggression"

I live on a military base, and can relate to that part of the dictionary's definition.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Bullshit. We've got to infiltrate their churches and divide them

If evangelicals are throwing our country away, then it is our duty to join those churches in large groups and start sewing seeds of discontent.

This is war, folks. The only way out is through.

[eleonora]

4. I couldn't waste my time at church

I'd want to puke before mass is over

[itzamirakul]

11. Unless THEY change YOU

They might change YOUR way of thinking if only by the force of their sheer numbers in those sweet-talking, Jesus-invoking racist temples of hate.

[saracat]

3. We couldn't reach the dumb shits.

[truthisfreedom]

6. there's only one way out of this. we need to gather up all of the most

offensive, upsetting, heart-rendering pictures from the 100,000 killed Iraqis and present them to the general public in such a way that the media can't stop it, the corporations can't stop it, and the government can't stop it.

we need to make them smell the smell of the death they monger. we need to bring them to the point of putting themselves in the Iraqi's shoes.

[calico1]

7. We need a news media

with balls. Without the media doing its job this can't happen. If people saw pictures and news reports and stories about what is really going on, instead of the watered down, censored, or feel good fluff we get then they would have been as disgusted and shocked as we are. But they are not seeing that. Only what the all too cooperative, shit for media that we have shown us. They are not doing their job.

[itzamirakul]

12. BOMBARD THEM!

In order to get what you suggest, there is only one way. That is to use the same tactics we used on Sinclair Broadcasting and bombard them with emails and phone calls and promises of sponsor boycotts until our voices are heard. Send a email letter to at least one news outlet everyday, pointing out their hypocrisy and your viewpoint. Demand that they cover BOTH sides of every issue. Demand that OUR VOICES are heard! They will cave eventually because they want viewers/listeners/readers. Otherwise, we will have to pick select sponsors to boycott.

[Mountainman]

8. Our voices are not heard over right wing talk radio

I have to drive to Bakersfield, CA everyday and there is no station I can turn on the radio during drive time where I can hear our message. There just isn't anyway to have a real debate on issues here because there is only one side heard.

I don't understand why we can support a radio station with our cunsumerism since we make up half the population.

[74dodgedart]

10. Turn out the vote in all elections

The ultimate goal is to win the issues:healthcare reform, a new direction in Iraq, fair taxation, etc...

There are enough of us to pull the country to the left.

We need to turn out the vote in all elections, not just the Presidential election. We can still increase democrats officeholders at the local and state level.

[depakid]

14. It'll take another depression to turn things around

and it certainly seems that the Republicans are intent on providing us with one.