Could it be OUR fault that the Far Right has gotten so powerful over the last 6 years?

[ck4829]

I fear that it may be.

"The formula they've (The Far Right) concocted has been called the "15 per cent solution" by the Christian Coalition. Even in a well attended presidential election, only 15 per cent of eligible voters determine the outcome. Here's the simple math: about 60 per cent of the qualified electorate is registered, and only half of them vote. Half again of that 30 per cent determines the outcome, hence the all powerful 15 percent.

"We don't have to worry about convincing a majority of Americans to agree with us," Guy Rodgers, the Christian Coalition's national field director declared at the 1991 Road to Victory conference. Most of them are staying home and watching Falcon Crest."

In 1992, according to People for the American Way, the liberal constitutional watchdog, extremist Christian candidates racked up a 40 per cent win record in state and local races. And, to the horror of Republicans across the nation, they're dominating a number of state wide Republican Party committees. "What the Christian right spends a lot of time doing," says Marc Wolin, a moderate Republican who ran unsuccessfully for Congress from San Francisco last year, "is going after obscure party posts. They try to control the party apparatus in each county. We have a lot to fear from these people. They want to set up a theocracy in America." "

http://www.theocracywatch.org/taking_over_fifteen_percent.htm

[Skidmore]

1. The left stood by and took for granted that FDRs legacy could

carry it into the next century. They forgot to stand up for the people. They forgot to work for the people and started playing footsie with the corporate bosses. They nibbled at the edges trying not to upset the big monied interests. A big gamble and they lost.

[Gman]

2. I will not blame us

rather I give credit where credit is due. The GOP ran some textbook campaigns, did everything almost perfectly. From defining the issues to defining our candidates to GOTV, they did it all and beat us at it. The GOP was better than we were. Give credit were credit is due. This year, we did it right. We turned the "weakness" of being against the war to a strength. We defined the issues and their candidates and we won.

[ck4829]

5. Agreed

We did did do it right this year, and it needed to be turned around for the sake of our country.

But, we've got to make sure we can pull it off again in two years.

[Skidmore]

16. They beat us because we neglected to be

vigilant and took much for granted. We sat on our duffs waiting for the world to come to us.

[Gman]

21. I know we felt that way in '02

we found it impossible to believe the American people would vote GOP after the short time of the Bush administration. Election night '02 found much wailing and nashing of teeth at DU. we just could not understand.

[natrat]

3. i blame the scumbag enablers clinton lieberman et al that have not stood up to lead

[Gman]

13. Clinton was the first 2 term president since Roosevelt

and you call him a "scumbag enabler" that didn't lead. Gimme a friggin' break. Of course the extreme left wing of this party shouts him down and calls him a DLC shill. Can't have it both ways.

Jeez.. some people's kids.

[AndreaCG]

4. They have been smart in going after lower offices

However, a lot of the fault lies with the corporate media misinforming the public about the "extremist" progressive movement, which IMO is actually quite mainstream if explained properly. The majority of people want clean air and water and the very rich and large corporations to pay into the tax system fairly.

ALso, I wouldn't say Clinton and Lieberman in the same breath. No one's worried that Clinton'll change parties.

[madrchsod]

6. not really

we underestimated the right-wing until the 2000 election and by then they took complete control of the media in this country. through the use of fear and patriotism they manipulated the ordinary citizen to accept any thing they said. yet they could not control the internet which has played the crucial role in destroying the myths that around this president and his administration. the war turned bad,new orleans,and the economy could no longer be ignored by the major news media and the ordinary citizen in this country. we did the best we could with what we had and in some measure we effected this change we are seeing today. i think history will be the real judge on how we did

[tblue37]

23. Complete control of the media AND the election machinery. (eom)

[madrchsod]

25. forgot about the election machinery- thanks!

[blm]

26. Exactly - they bought control of both in the 80s and 90s and used it to its full extent

starting with the 2000 election ancd ramping it up shamelessly after 9-11, 2001.

[Philosoraptor]

7. Mmmmm, could be...

That's what history's verdict will be, as in 'good Germans'.

[nealmhughes]

8. The taking over of the airwaves has a lot to do with it.

Since most people don't have the inclination or time to pour over a plethora of blogs and the Guardian and Independent every day, the easy way out is "tertiary sources," i.e., commentary on a wire story that is then spun. With the wire/big papers issuing "articles" that are already written by the White House and Pentagon, it barely passes for secondary sources. Add in CNN, talk radio, etc. and one has what now passes for news.

It was brilliance upon the part of the financers of the "institutes" fudned by Sciafe, Koch, etc.

Wrap oneself in the flag while waving the Cross and/or the Mogen David, and one has visuals/audio that is hard for many to resist...even though in their hearts they know it is just hot air. Noone wants to be seen as an "enabler" of terror and Marx, and that is how any progressive is portrayed: Trotsky with a Crescent Moon and suicide bomb belt.

Nor should we underestimate the power of the legacy of the has-been B movie actor with the hair dye, so good at reading his scripts while slipping into dementia... Evidently putting someone in a pickup truck or on a horse and then branishing an ax or chain saw is "comforting" for many. I find it maudlin.

In short, never underestimate the power of public image, of the deep pockets, and of the intellectual laziness of the American public.

[ClassWarrior]

9. Help me understand what you mean... How is that...

...our fault? Because we're not working our own 15% plan? It's good to understand how the Radical RW is doing what they're doing, but I'm just not getting the part about it purportedly being "our fault."

NGU.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. They've overstepped. The people are wising up.

Their shrill faux "patriotism" and "Christianity" that condemns everything from women to tele-tubbies is being recognized for what it is. Fascism with a beatific smile.

Even flag-waving and piety wear thin when the effects hit home to the electorate.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. Yes. but you only have part of the picture.

Unfortunately our economic interaction with foreign countries is controlling our public policy. Not only is our government looking the other way when diplomats or special friends of the US abuse us on our soil, but the CIA has been tinkering with foreign governments for too long. And the Republican businessman walks around thinking that free market is grand, not ever taking into account all the dirty machinations that are taking place behind the curtain.

"We" add to the problem only when we elect Democrats who think boosting the economy is the way to go, without realizing who we're really dealing with and what we're really compromising.

[femrap]

12. After reading John Dean's new book,

"Conservatives w/o Conscience," I realized that those Authoritarian types are always going to be 20 to 22% of the population. Rove's strategy of using these religious wingnuts as his foot soldiers emboldened these theocrats. I believe they are less emboldened now.

I guess it is the job of the other roughly 75% of us to always be on guard and to counter these Authoritarians.

Not having a decent Media has hurt our efforts, but after this Mid-term Election, I am optomistic. I see that many Americans have awoken and realize how dire our situation is.

And as Sherrod Brown said the night of the election: "As Ohio goes in '06, the nation goes in '08." We, the People just need to keep up our good work of being diligent Citizens.

[stillcool]

14. There is no single entity I can blame...

Our government has been corrupted for a very long time. The uber-rich family dynasties have always had their say in legislation, benefiting them at the expense of the masses. That this manner of governing would evolve into the reality we see now, was predicted long ago. If anywhere, the blame should be placed at the US Congress, which has repeatedly failed to uphold the constitution. That they do so, cloaked in secrecy, enabled by the owners of the media, does not translate to the fault of the people. Religion is just a tool. While fanatics may think a bone thrown to them now and again gives them power, they are wrong. Those who hold the purse strings to the foundations, think-tanks, and organizations spewing this crap have motives that eclipse piety. They are being conned just like the rest of us.

[Scriptor Ignotus]

15. Falcon Crest?

that show hasn't been on in, like, oh damn I've gotten old.

[StrictlyRockers]

17. The Big Chill? n/t

[warrens]

18. Actually, many of these clowns have been voted out once their agenda was exposed

But, we could use some of the GOP attitude: vote even if you've got two broken legs. The non-voters out there are overwhelmingly Dems and Independents.

[kentuck]

19. I do believe it would have been much worse...

if not for people like you. We have gone thru a right-wing coup...acutally not thru it yet. But the media and the political opposition were toothless in the front of this powerful coup. If not for people like you, they would have had little opposition at all. Who knows where we would be today??

[AngryAmish]

20. This is why we need to change

We need to cleanse our nation from all the kkkristians.

[BeFree]

22. Fault?

It was the elections being stolen. So yeah, it was our fault for getting over it, just like they told us too.

[malaise]

24. How many progressive leaders were assassinated

in the 60s. It has taken decades to regroup.

[Morgana LaFey]

27. your own data dates it back to 1991 -- what is this "6 years" shit? nt