Oppose now, because we won't take back either chamber in '06.

[rockymountaindem]

To all those people on DU who think the '06 elections are some kind of panacea, that we'll take back Congress and thwart the Bush agenda, I say think again.

We are too far behind to reverse our position in just one election. Add into that the fact that the House districts heavily favor incumbents and we'd need to hold all our Senate seats and win 6 from the Republicans, it's not in the cards. Gains, probably. Takeover, I highly doubt it.

Therefore, the Democrats might as well go all out and oppose Alito and whatever else they want to oppose. We're not going to get a chance to reverse anything in '07 and '08. Go for broke...

[stillcool]

1. i have to agree with you....

..the consequences for empowering these people is our own demise. Lives lost don't come back.

[WI_DEM]

2. We are not as far behind as the GOP was in '94

when they gained 52 seats in the House and won the Senate. In 1974, the Dems gained over 30 seats. In 1966, the Republicans didn't gain the Congress but they made great strides--gaining more than 40 seats in the House.

It is quite possible '06 will be a watershed year in American politics with war, corruption, high gas prices and a possible Recession--hurting the GOP.

It can be done. Of course we should go all out in opposing Alito, but it is also very possible that Dems can win back congress.

[enfield collector]

6. According to Big Dog 94 was the price we paid for gun control, lets not

make that mistake again

[WI_DEM]

8. that might have been one issue, but many people felt that

the GOP capitalized on Hillary Clinton's Health care plan.

[TayTay]

19. And Filegate, Travelgate....

the strange way the Gays in the Military issue was handled and all the other strangeness of the first two years of the Clinton Administration.

The Repubs took this stuff and spun it into both an impetus for Dems and Independents to stay home in the mid-terms in '94 and for the furious right to go to the polls in huge numbers.

IT could happen again in reverse in '06.

[stevebreeze]

27. I would like to point out that many of the 94 republican "gains" were in

office as Democrats before the election. Does anyone think they just changed sides on party and issues at the same time? Or did they already lean heavily GOP and switch only because they would then be in the majority. To call the 92 congress Democratic is not really true.

[Burning Water]

3. Right!!

WE NEED this fight. The RW may, probably will, win it. In the short term. Alito may well get on the Court. That would be bad. BUT. Unless we fight, he will get on anyway. And, unless we can get our ideas in front of the public, we will continue to lose, have stolen, whatever, the elections. Only by showing the American public the difference between us and the Republicans can we hope to make a difference.

As the MSM is conspiring to cover us negatively and cover the Bush administration positively, this is likely to be the best opportunity we will have for some time to highlight the corruption of the BFEE.

[bigscott]

4. amen

this is true - I wish i was more hopeful but it probably is not going to happen - what do we have to lose? Nothing - but those that are up for re-election are out to cover their own asses.:thumbsdown:

[bowens43]

5. We are not that far behind.

And we are way ahead in every poll on every issue other then terrorism. Although winning back the house or senate is not a sure thing, it is very likely.

[rockymountaindem]

7. What from the past 3 election cycles makes you think that

being ahead on the issues translates into Democratic victories?

Well, I'll cede '02, because that was so shortly after 9/11 and everybody was gaga for Bush.

[bowens43]

11. Have you looked at the polls?

[rockymountaindem]

14. Of course

But I'm sure the Republicans will come up with yet more stupid reasons why people should vote for them, and lo and behold, it'll work on 51% of people.

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. They won't have to. Just fixing the elections is so much easier, and they

have it down to an art now. x(

[WI_DEM]

12. If we go back to tradition

The sixth year of a President's term see's great gains for the opposition party.

1958--Ike's sixth year, Dems gain over 40 seats.
1966--sixth year of Kennedy-Johnson term, Rep's gain over 40 seats
1974--sixth year of Nixon-Ford, Dems gain 40 plus seats
1986--sixth year of Reagan, Dems gain seats in House and take back Senate.
1998--This is the only year (in recent history) to buck the trend, Dems gained seats in Clinton's sixth year, probably due to his impeachment, but of course, we also lost the congress in 1994.

So, it is very possible with all of Bush's problems that Dems could make major gains in '06.

[rockymountaindem]

13. But were the Congressional districts so gerrymandered back then?

That's the key, in my opinion.

[lutefisk]

18. That is the key, along with the corporate media effect.

The only thing in the Democrats' control is the ability to stand up for truth, justice, and the Democratic ideals most Americans share (I hope).

That means fighting even though almost everything is stacked against us. Don't Americans cheer on the underdog? The "play it safe" strategy has been a disaster- it's time to stand up and do what's right and stop being intimidated by what the corporate spokesmodels on CNN, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, an right wing radio say about you.

[rockymountaindem]

20. Yeah, I wasn't even talking about the media.

Oh boy...

[mestup]

9. RemoveRepublicans.com - Great resource for 2006 vulnerability

http://www.removerepublicans.com/

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. They sure as hell won't take them back if they don't filibuster.

This, "play it safe", "not as bad as", "I'm not a liberal", routine has landed the Democrats in the hole they are in now.

It's long past time for the party to start standing for something instead of throwing spitwads and playing "gotcha" politics.

[Vincardog]

15. WE have to win BIG to have any chance of reversing the damage inflicted

on us by the FASCIST thugs. The radical right is exposed and the real Americans are disgusted. The way to win is to have real Progressives stand up and fight for the people. NOW

[beyurslf]

16. The GOP took the House in 94 when they were further behind than we are now

[INdemo]

17. I disagree

Do you think for one minute the electorate believe there isn't more to the CIA scandal than just one person lying?...
Do you think they are happy with the high gas prices and record profits by the oil companies. Do you think they agree with the continued casualties in Iraq with no end in sight..Oh the list goes on and on..Yes we will take back both houses in '06..The Republican Spin just wont fly come election season.Its just that the Democrats must spread their message but that's difficult to do with the right wing media bolstering their failed President,but that will change when the electorate see the truth behind all the rhetoric.The one question we could ask is, Do you want legislators working for Corporate America or Do you want legeslators that will work for Americans?

[OneBlueSky]

21. bottom line: they STILL own the voting machines, and . . .

Republican corporations will STILL be tabulating the vote counts in 2006 . . . any questions? . . .

[BlueWolf]

28. Right on

I think that people often forget how significant the stolen votes were in the last election. Really, nothing has been done to fix the problem, so what reason can anyone have that it won't happen again in the next election?

[rockymountaindem]

22. Kick for the nite crowd

[Independent_Liberal]

24. That's right! Sit back and do nothing!

Let them turn our country into a fascist theocracy! It's always the same, "They own the machines. They can rig it to give them the results they want."

It's no fucking wonder nothing ever gets done!

People around here would rather sit around and piss and moan and not get up off their asses work to fix things!

Nobody said it would be easy. But we have to do it. If you really care about your country and would like to save it, you have to say to yourself, "I'm going to be brave and fight on. No matter how long it takes, I will fight to change things."

Go scream your head off at your state legislators. We can outlaw e-voting at the state level. Maybe it would get done a lot sooner if people didn't sit around bitching and being defeatists!

Jeezus-friggin-Christ!

Sorry, but I had to rant.

[rockymountaindem]

25. Thanks for the rant.

I think e-voting will have much less of an impact on midterm elections than on national ones, but we still have to work to outlaw it.

[Walt Starr]

26. If we don't oppose now, I guarantee we will LOSE SEATS in '06

Nobody likes a loser and everybody is content with allowing losers to lose.