A life long Dem here,... in for a penny, in for a pound!

[mdmc]

Hello DU! I am 34 years old, and have been a lifelong Dem (although I may have been registered as a liberal when I was a teenager). I never had a JFK. I supported Jerry Brown in 1992, and was happy that Clinton beat Bush. By 1996, I was sick of the DLC, the Drug War, and by the lack of liberal / progressive vision. I remained a Dem, but always voted "working family party" or green. I was done towing the conservative line.
Locally, almost all elected Dems are conservative. I have remained in the Democratic party, and I have remained a liberal. I take on the conservatives (both gop and democrats) every chance that I have.
I have decided to remain in the Democratic party. I am not going to jump on the Green ship. I am here for the long haul.

It sickens me that my party refused to fight for voting rights (or fight w. in 2000, or fight help america vote act... etc.), refused to fight against the drug war, gulf war II, or FOR impeachment (chIMPEACH!). There is no good reason not to filibuster Alito, but my good ol' Dems won't go there.

So my Dems are pretty beat, but they are my team. I always reward progressive, liberal republicans, and always attack conservatives. I want our party to be a big tent, where even progressives have a voice. That is my political mission. I want the Dems to be big, with big ideas, and big ideals. I want to be a liberal lion within our party.

But that is just me. How do all of you at DU remain active and not disenchanted with our party? Obama Barrack and Dennis Kucinich can only charge me up so far. How do keep your political energy charged, DU?

[FlemingsGhost]

1. No offense, but another phrase comes to mind:

"Going down with the ship."

Good Luck.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. .....

:eyes:

[mdmc]

4. no, no, I hear you.

I get that from my Green buddies all the time. It is very true. I am "going down with the ship" rather than jumping into a lifeboat. My thought is that a ship called GOP sank my ship. I bet that they sink the lifeboats next.

How do we stop them?

[adarling]

2. Barbara Boxer

the sad thing is the political climate has changed so much since JFK or anyone else from that era because of the media. it is very hard to find the right or "special" candidate for the democrats because everyone's skeletons get exposed before they can even begin a race. I keep charged knowing that this is the right way and having faith and becoming involved (through others around me that are connected with Washington and people around them) i also find Boxer to have the most vested interest in my beliefs and rights as a citizen that she will do fight or do anything to protect them, and i am not even a citizen of California. They are there my fellow DU'r but it will take alot more looking under stones to find them and being in the right place at the right time :).

[mdmc]

7. I hear that

Locally, I have USNYSCD 22 Rep. Maurice Hinchey, the Big Mo, to look up to. He is very refreshing and a big reason that I can continue undeterred as a Democrat.

Perhaps if Hillary Clinton gets the 2008 nomination, Boxer could veep. I think that would be an interesting ticket, and it would shut up loud mouth liberal progressives like myself.

[adarling]

8. lol

good idea, but i love Boxer being a crazy senator, she is the best one by far.

[mdmc]

10. Perhaps Clinton / Richards

As in former Texas Governor Ann Richards. Just thinking out loud here.

[adarling]

11. Loved her

she was governor for a year when i moved to texas, then Georgie Boy took over, little did i know that this man would be in my life for the next 16 years :(

[mdmc]

13. the horror! the HORROR!

Ugh, a Bush as Govenor...

I think that our 2008 team should accentuate our candidate's positive features. In 2004, I felt that Edwards didn't make Kerry seem more charismatic or youthful. I don't know if Edwards was the best choice for Kerry's veep.

[AndyTiedye]

20. How Do We Keep The Media From Destroying Her (Or Anyone Else We Run)?

it is very hard to find the right or "special" candidate for the democrats because everyone's skeletons get exposed before they can even begin a race.

So we get a candidate with absolutely no skeletons (John Kerry) and they INVENT some (Swift Boat Liars) and call it news.

[mdmc]

26. Kerry was an anti war hero in the 60's

He basically killed kids in Nam, then admitted it. We will never have anyone clean enough to run. We need America to wake up and realize that the USA has been overtaken by the military industrial complex.

[JeffR]

5. Reading posts by smart young people helps me.

Thanks for your post.

The disenchantment so widespread on these forums in recent days will diminish over time. There are more important, more difficult and more winnable battles ahead than Scalito, which was a fait accompli from the moment his name was put forward in nomination.

Big ideas and big ideals will strengthen the party from the ground up. When they reach critical mass, such things change entire party platforms. This is what the neocons accomplished with their takeover of the GOP, and what honest-to-God leftist idealists can do for the Democratic Party.

Plenty of reasons for pessimism these days, and I don't want to sneer at those who feel despondent, but no-one ever achieved political and social change by sitting around in despair. We fight, or we die. Or as Bob Dylan said, "He not busy being born is busy dying."

Keep your chin up!

[mdmc]

9. lol

1] welcome to DU
2] at first I thought that you were being sarcastic toward my post ("smart young people").
3] hate nothing at all cept hatred...

Thanks for your post. As far as Alito, a long term right wing Supreme Court helps make America more progressive. Trust me, overturning Griswald or Roe would lead to a Progressive landslide.
Most of my buddies don't vote, don't care about politics, really don't care. But they like to fuck. And they like to have options in regards to fucking. Men like to be able to suggest that their one night stand "get rid" of a "mistake". Women like to protect their health by legally acting on the advice of their medical doctors. Everyone appreciates the access to birth control.
The only thing that will get my buddies interested in politics is a activist right wing supreme court. BRING IT ON!

[JeffR]

14. Interesting take

And it adds a nuance to this situation I hadn't considered.

And naw, I reserve my sarcasm for people my age (49) who say some of the damndest things!

I've seen the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the struggle for civil rights, Vietnam, Watergate, years of illegal wars and CIA skullduggery in Central America, the trumped-up impeachment of a Democratic president, the theft of two presidential elections, the illegal invasion of Iraq, the largest surplus in American history turned into the largest deficit, and after all this I have people telling me that Scalito's elevation to the Supreme Court is the death of democracy.

[mdmc]

17. Alito is just a hiccup

As far as the progressive movement, an activist right wing supreme court would be our greatest asset. It is absurd, but very true.

[JeffR]

19. Think you're right

But that sort of opinion is guaranteed flame-bait to the Progressive End-Times crowd.

[mdmc]

21. I'm gonna put that op in a thread, just watch

:kick:

[AndyTiedye]

22. NO WAY!! We'd Be Stuck With Those Theocratic Assholes for 30 Years!

They would legalize every repressive action the regime decides to take.
They could use massive surveillance to outflank and even blackmail their political opponents.
They could rig all the elections so thoroughly as to ensure that we never get back into power again.

[mdmc]

25. How is that different than 1984

Not the book, the year. The shit you list is fact. The military industrial complex is doing it all already. The Democratic leadership (Not Dean, although Dean is a DLC'er) is complicit in the right wing take over of America.

How do we wake America up to this fact? Once the right wingers mess with sex, America will wake up.

[AndyTiedye]

23. A Right Wing Supreme Court Empowers the Right Wing!

and takes power AWAY from the rest of us. That is why Bush** appoints such people.

a long term right wing Supreme Court helps make America more progressive.

If we let them take away ALL of our freedom, I suppose it would empower the progressive movement even more.
It doesn't work that way, because this could cost us the very means of regaining power.

[mdmc]

24. you are wrong.

We have not yet hit rock bottom. An activist right wing supreme court would galvanize the progressive movement in a way that only sex can. People only give a fuck about FUCK! Let the right wingers start to mess with sex, the public will shut them down!

The only thing that will move the progressive movement forward is a strong enemy. A strong, unpopular enemy.

We will never overthrow the fascist until they are recognized by the masses as such. Mess with FUCK, get overthrown.

ps - The GOP knows that I am correct. Why do you think that GHWB nominated Souter? THe GOP wants abortion to unify their base. Overturning Roe UNIFIES our base.

That is shy you are wrong. I will support your effort to filibuster Alito. GIVE EM HELL, DEMOCRATS!

[mdmc]

31. do you get what I'm sayin...

[AndyTiedye]

34. I Know That Things Always Get Worse Before They Get...

...unimaginagbly bad.

Yes, banning birth control will upset a lot of people.
So will establishing a "unitary executive" and ruling by decree.
No doubt that would cause people to vote them out of office,
if there are still elections and votes are still counted.

We really need to filibuster Alito.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. Thank you mdmc.

I remain committed and focused by being reminded each day of this administration's attrocities. By hearing the venom out of the mouths of the likes of hannity, limbaugh, robertson etc.. By watching CSPAN and being so proud of our house dems as they stand up valiantly to fight for us, though they have such an uphill battle to climb. By seeing our great senators speak so eloquently while trying so hard to maintain integrity in such a poisonous environment. I know there is much more we can do, that they can do, but I am eternally grateful and proud for the efforts put forth so far DU, our Reps, and Our senators. We are fighting what could be the most powerful, corrupt and evil enemy ever, yet we are not turning and tails and running. No. We are fighting the best we can, and putting on the face of courage in such trying times.

[mdmc]

12. one question

why would you ever expose yourself to the rightwingers that you mentioned in your post? I almost never listen to any right wing (read: "mainstream") media as I get upset simply listening to moderates or regular conservatives.
When I do listen to the right wingers, I almost always feel: 1] more dedicated to the democratic party 2] more pissed off that shallow right wingers get their message out so effectively 3] pissed that my dems are so feeble.

COURAGE!

ps - thanks for the post...

[JeffR]

15. Know thine enemies

MSM, right-wing echo chamber, pigheaded friends and relatives. When I get frustrated with these forums, I wander over to Free Republic to remind myself what I should really be frustrated by.

[mdmc]

32. free republic...

I can't handle the truth!

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

16. Basically Cause Of Your #1

Every time I listen I get so angry at their spin that I end up more determined than ever. Usually it's hannity, which comes in a lot clearer on my radio than AAR 1190 AM on my 15 minute ride home from work. I flip back and forth. I love hearing hannity get frustrated and start to whine, and there has been far more of that this year with the many mini-vitories that dems have had. It is also good to be aware of what their newest talking point garbage is as being fully educated to both sides is the best weapon. Whenever I'm done listening, I feel so good about being a dem since we are not about such lies, hatred, deceit and corruption. It keeps me knowing I am right in my position. I also enjoy sayin "fuck you hannity. Fuck you seanny boy" to my radio.

[mdmc]

18. that sounds outright awful. I have three words for you

N.P.R.

please use it!

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

27. NPR is good too. But my current listening habits are working for me

I listen to Rhandi Rhodes on my way home but the reception goes in and out, and there is usually commercials the first half of my 15 minute commute. So during that time I listen to Hannity and laugh my ass off at him and enjoy hearing what garbage spin they are trying to sell now.

[mdmc]

29. I would never be able to do that (listen to Hannity)

courage!

[PhilipShore]

28. No such thing as a Repuke liberal

I don’t know how Repukes ever became equated with liberalism, such as in the case of Giuliani in NYC, which in the end--any and all support for a Repuke liberal (Giuliani) -- caused the actual end of the liberal party of New York.

Village voice
Sundown on the Patronage Party
by Tom Robbins
November 13 - 19, 2002

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0246,robbins,39825,5.html

By the time the Liberal Party finally bit the dust in last week's electoral drubbing, it had few friends and allies left to bemoan its demise.

Even the New York Post, proving that its favorite pastime remains kicking those who are down, chose the moment to run its first editorial denunciation of the party, calling it "little more than a patronage mill." Allowing that the liberals deserved credit for the election of Rudy Giuliani as mayor in 1993…

[mdmc]

30. I mean liberal in the following way

Liberal = big government = government actually benefits humanity. As opposed to conservative = smaller government = government is always bad for humanity and needs to be restricted as much as possible.

Any republican that thinks that government is inherently beneficial could be considered liberal. True conservatives believe that Bush is a liberal failure due to his increase in the federal government.

[Cascadian]

33. People like Barbara Boxer, Russ Feingold, Jim McDermott

There are still some true blue Democrats out there. I think Democrats just lost their vision and their fight once Reagan won in 1980 and again 1984. We just need to get that fighting spirit back and restore liberalism and progressivism into respectability and the only to do that is FIGHT, FIGHT, and....FIGHT!!


John