After today's PATHETIC display, has the democratic party EARNED your vote?

[leftyandproud]

I am seriously asking myself this question right now...whether to support this party (financially and otherwise) in 2005, 2006 and beyond.


Don't get me wrong...The speeches from the house and senate floor were fine...No, they were GREAT, AMAZING speeches. But that is all they were...words. When it came time to ACT, our leaders failed us miserably.

Aside from the courage shown by Boxer and the black caucus members, the vast majority of our party did NOT do right by us today...They did NOT stand up and lodge a protest. The symbolism alone of a united democratic front voting against the certification would have sent a powerful message to the White House and to the American people. Even if the outcome were the same, more votes in the Senate and house would have made America sit up and take notice...finally informing themselves of these irregularities. Instead, we look like a laughing stock. The way this will be portrayed is a single "librul" senator from wacky California siding with conspiracy theorists. With no support from her party, it becomes a joke.

What gets me is that WE KNOW more members of the house belived Ohio should be thrown out...WE KNOW THIS from their speeches today! But when it came time to show their cards, they folded and got their asses handed to them again by the repukes.

WHY...Someone please explain to me why I should continue supporting a party without a backbone? It seems the greens, socialists, and activists from other minor parties are the only ones voicing our concerns without fear...and it also seems they are the only ones who can threaten these "moderate" dems in the primary races of 06'...forcing them to listen to and respond to these issues, or be booted from power.

Sadly, I think this is what it is going to take...a left-wing 3rd party must gain momentum and threaten to take power from these DINOS. They must be forced to listen to us, the BASE...or risk losing their seat. This may cost us in the short run, but what do we have to lose? (seriously??!) I think a major purge of the right wing DLC democrats will be a very healthy thing. And it is ONLY thing that can bring our party back to it's roots...to inspire new generations of voters, and to maul the Republicans at the ballot box in 2008.

[wtmusic]

1. An indy Boxer bid in 2008?

that thought keeps crossing my mind...

[yinkaafrica]

3. Please stop

that is a sure path to failure.
We need to fix this sinking ship.
I am not plaese about today's lackluster vote.

[wtmusic]

7. Screw this ship, I'd jump in a heartbeat

Al From & Co. can go to hell

[rwheeler31]

6. I am so tired of these depressing threads,

what happened today was important, it takes time.

[benburch]

2. Nope...

They lost me.

ONLY putting Howard Dean in charge might change my mind.

We need a new Party.

[yinkaafrica]

4. No, we need to fix this party.

Damn, what is wrong with this picture?

[benburch]

12. What is wrong is...

that we have exactly zero influence with the part power structure.

[leftyandproud]

18. and this means...it really ISN'T our party after all. *NT*

[Pachamama]

15. 01/06/05-The Day the Democratic Party & Democracy Died in America

Someday, when my two young children are old enough to understand, I'll tell them that January 6th, 2005 was the day the Democratic Party and Democracy died in America.

I will teach them about a great American patriot named Barbara Boxer and her Brave Stand with the Black Congressional Caucus to take a stand. I'll explain to them that it was the failure of the Democrats to stand united and support the US Constitution and the rights of voters by either not showing to vote or to vote against the measure to reject the Ohio Electoral Vote is why their Mom & Dad switched from the Democratic Party to the Green Party and never gave a penny again to the DNC. I will tell them I continued to support the 33 Brave Democrats in the House and the one brave Senator that voted in favor to reject an unclean election and support instead the rights of the voters and the US Constitution.

Today is a day of shame and in my opinion, the death of democracy in America....all we will see moving forward is the "one party system" controlled by a party that is not the "GOP" of my parents and grandparents and that every single thing this country has stood for, from civil rights, civil liberties, rights of privacy, and all the hard fought rights and societal protections of its citizens from education, minimum wage, environmental protections and social security will be eliminated or so dismantled that they will hardly matter.

Then, when I show my children the pictures of John Kerry, holding the pictures of them when he and I talked about this election being about "our children's future" and the pictures of me with my children in several swing states campaigning for Kerry, and of the night before the election in Cleveland where I was within 15 feet from the stage and heard him saying that he was "fighting for us" and then I will tell them about how on January 6th, 2005, Kerry did not show up to speak or vote or fight for those voter rights and after their Mommy had worked hard at raising over $30,000.00 for the "GELAC" Fund that was supposed to pay for challenges and investigations into voter fraud and legal challenges, and how instead, Kerry "conceded" in less then 24 hours of the polls closing and that all votes were not counted and that for two months, he basically did....NEXT TO NOTHING....

Then I will point to a picture of my 4 year old in the arms of Howard Dean, and tell her about her comment that she said to me "I thought he was going to be President, Mommy?"

He should have been dear, he should have been....

:cry:

[Nite Owl]

5. I'm waiting to see what happens to the

CNC chair, who gets picked. If they would go with someone like Dean I could see some hope. Right now things aren't looking good for that at all. I will work to get Elliot Spitzer elected in NY. I may support on an individual basis but that seems about it.

[FloridaPat]

8. Two choices - jump ship or take over the Democratic party.

It's a horrible situation. If we jump ship, we now have a third party system. The repubs will just take over everything until there is mass rioting in the streets.

We should be able to take over the Democratic party. We fight them during the primaries. If we can get rid of the electorial college, a third party might have a chance. No way the two ruling parties are going to let a thrid party win anything.

And then there is the voting machines. We have to have paper trails or it really doesn't matter who you go with. The whole system is corrupt. Switching parties won't do a thing.

[Just Me]

9. I believe,...I believe,...this is about more than just a party.

This is about a "movement",...and IT HAPPENED WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE that exists.

I'll take that "movement" over ANYTHING, any,...day.

I ONLY know small miracles,...

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Here are some things you can do

----------------------------------------------------------------
Election reform can help save this country!
Same day primaries with ranked voting ballots for the Dems, and
THESE reforms for your town, county, and state.
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[autorank]

11. The demonstration today was uplifting. It was the start.

Ask anyone who was in Lafayette Park. It was completely reality-based both in terms of analysis of the fraud and hope for the future.

Stop, please, with the negative stuff. Let this rock in the pond produce some ripples and then get ready for the onslaught of a real social justice movement.

I am nothing but encouraged and proud of everyone involved.

[leftyandproud]

13. what demonstration?

I'm sure it was great, but it didn't make the news.

20 or 30 senators, side by side with Boxer.

THAT would have been news.

[autorank]

16. Events actually occur even if the news doesn't cover them.

This event was real, it was documented, it had a profound impact on the people there and the people who have busted their asses (Arenbeck, Cobb, Lytel, Moss, etc. etc.) in our behalf. If you want a perfect world, we're not there. Do not diminish all the extraordinary work the voting rights movement has done and the time and efforts of the peons of the movement like me who show up by saying, it was nothing because (a) the CM (Corporate Media) didn't cover it and (b) we didn't overturn the election. The guy that should have stood up left the country.

When I think of What Rev. Moss, Arenbeck, David Cobb and hundreds of others have done in Ohio, my only response to you is, if you want a bigger crowd that will make the news show up. I mean that in a positive way. There should have been 100,000 people there today. The DC area could support that. We just needed to get started.

[Pachamama]

14. No - They lost me & my checkbook today...

Here is my posting on the topic and my feelings...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2915381&mesg_id=2915381

[leftyandproud]

17. that is...

an awesome post!