Democrats are losing BECAUSE OF COMPROMISE

[LibInternationalist]

so quit suggesting that we compromise some more, because it won't help

[Goldmund]

1. I agree.

[Maddy McCall]

2. No, Democrats are suffering because of the divisiveness within the party

[Southsideirish]

4. We have different opinions - what are we supposed to do just

shut up? If we go any further to the right we'll BE republicans, too. That was part of Kerry's problem - not enough distinction between him and bush. Also he didn't cultivate his base the way bush did.

[Maddy McCall]

9. There is a difference in discussing differences and hurling...

insults and labels. That's what is going on at DU lately.

Funny that when I sit around with gays, Christians, AFrican Americans, Muslims, whites, etc. at my local and state Democratic meetings, we can discuss issues and accomodate differences without ever demeaning each other.

Lots of the people who are the rudest at DU wouldn't have the balls to treat people in real life the way they do here.

The anonymity of the internet can be a negative, indeed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Ok we have been compromiosing for a long time

nad we keep loosing, do you get it, this is a loosing strategy?

As waht you said about the anomimity of the web, you are right, it helps, but we must stop compromising

Hell we must take more active actions now, such as boycotts... and I am serious about that

And we must GO BACK to the people, that IS our base

[Maddy McCall]

19. I am not talking about candidates compromising...

I am talking about simple courtesy towards others WITHIN the party.

I would fully support boycotts. And I support accommodating the base. No argument there.

But the discord on DU lately is so sad. Long-time DUers who have always gotten along are insulting each other. So sad to see this division.

The Democratic part of me sees some value in every argument. There is indeed gray between the two extremes.

[smirkymonkey]

18. That's it exactly, and I am tired of all these calls for pushing our

platform even more to the right to appease the idiot block.

I think there are a lot of eligible voters who would be motivated to come out of hiding if they had a party that actually represented a change from the status quo.

[mstrsplinter326]

10. we're divided because some of us compromise...

when we shouldn't

time to cut our losses and stop compromising.

we are the party of the people, and time will prove it, if we are willing to stick to the policies that benefit the people.

[miss_kitty]

3. "Democrats are losing BECAUSE OF COMPROMISE"

well duh...too bad so many have to have it spelled out for them.

:shrug:

[maxsolomon]

5. also because of honor

how quaint. paul weyrich & newt gingrich hold no such notions. imagine if kerry had just openly ridiculed bush during the debates. broke with the rules & let him have it with all the sarcasm a liberal elitist can muster. i'd rather have seen him go down in flames telling the cold hard truth: bush is an incompetent tool, rather than meekly play defense for 6 months.

we must battle without honor or pity.

[LoZoccolo]

6. Name one state we could have won blah blah blah blah.

Yours is a tired notion that no one has been able to elucidate.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. i agree

we compromise everyhthing and thereby our positions sound weak...no body like weakness in a leader

[Paxdora]

14. That's it exactly -

bushmaniacs love the chimp because he's so "strong" in his repetitive platitudes...never mind that he's really not saying anything of worth.

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. I agree.

n/t

[Cocoa]

11. not that simple

Tom Dashcle, for example, didn't lose in SD because of compromise.

[LibInternationalist]

16. I would argue that he did

he compromised, and people decided to vote for Republican instead of Republican-lite

[Cocoa]

20. no

taking a strong stand carries risk of losing elections, that's why it's sometimes called "courage."

[LibInternationalist]

23. and you think Daschle exhibited courage?

I'm confused

[Cocoa]

24. I'm saying that sticking to principle doesn't guarantee WINNING

that would be too easy.

Sticking to principle has a cost for the person doing it, otherwise politics would be trivial. No one would ever compromise, and everyone would always win.

There are cases, of course, where leaders must take risks, but by defninition of "risk", this means they might lose.


edit: and yes, I thought the dems were courageous when they filibustered Bush's judges. They surprised me and a lot of people here at DU. Most of us here loudly predicted they'd cave.

[CTLawGuy]

22. Tom Daschle is the poster child for "weak".

he caved into Bush on the war and the tax cuts, and the medicare bill and everything else. Why would any democrats want to turn out and vote for him?

[saracat]

12. I agree. We need to be clear and more liberal.

No compromise. No Republican lite. No bipartisanship. Take no prisoners. It DOESN"T WORK. they never compromise. They win by whatever means.And if nobody has noticed, those that compromise ,aren't reelected. Bye Bye Dashle. The repugs will not "have your back"!

[JohnnyRingo]

13. Try telling a Buxh supporter that their man lost votes because of

Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter Michael Savage, and their inability to "compromise"

[Q]

17. It's funny that RWingers laugh at us and call us suckers....

...every time WE compromise. (Bipartisanship = date rape) Yet...they take the position that compromise is a sign of weakness. You won't see them compromising on ANY issue.

[Hubert Flottz]

21. YES!

But it's not us it's the ones at the top who sell us out and represent the corporations instead of the taxpayers! You can blame anything under the sun, but as long as the lobbyists and the corporations pay for political campaigns and perks, we are gonna' get the SHAFT! REAL campaign finance reform is the only thing that will turn the country back over to the people! What are the chances of REAL campaign finance reform now? ZERO! GAME OVER!

What is our fault, is that we haven't stood up to these people!

[noiretextatique]

25. YES...it sends the message that they have no principles

and it pisses off the loyal base.

[Abelman]

26. I agree

Abortion is not to be decided. Gay Marriage is a state issue. These are not up to the Federal Government anyway. Why do we keep making the mistake of fighting this battle?

[Vincardog]

27. We are losing because of crooked vote counting nothing else