If Democrats Want to Lose... By Robert Parry

[kpete]

If Democrats Want to Lose...

By Robert Parry
August 22, 2007

Many national Democrats saw last year’s election as a political turning point. They cheered the voters’ repudiation of a Republican one-party state; they hailed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s ouster the next day; and they were sure that resurgent GOP “realists” would help wind down the Iraq War.

In this Democratic view, George W. Bush was going to be both the lamest of lame ducks and a deadly albatross draped around the neck of the Republican Party in Election 2008. The Democrats believed they could pretty much start measuring their curtains for a move into the White House on Jan. 20, 2009.

But a very different reality is now confronting the Democrats. News of the neoconservative demise proved premature; the meaning of Rumsfeld’s departure was misunderstood (he was booted when he privately called for an Iraq War de-escalation); and the Republican “realists” remained outside Bush's inner circle looking in.

Then, the Democratic leaders stumbled and crumbled in the face of a president determined to escalate the war in Iraq, expand his “war on terror” surveillance powers, and ratchet up pressure for a possible new war with Iran.

The hard fact that the national Democrats missed was that the political dynamics of Washington had not changed very much. Plus, their wishful thinking in November 2006 and their irresolute actions throughout 2007 alienated millions of Americans who had hoped a Democratic majority in Congress might make a difference.

..............

If national Democrats think that their feckless behavior on war in the Middle East and their timidity in defending the Constitution represent the pathway to victory in 2008, they may find themselves in for a very rude awakening.

more at:
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/082207.html

[jgraz]

1. He's right -- threats of the Republican boogeyman aren't enough to spur turnout anymore

People are just sick and tired of this shit. And THAT plays right into the Rethugs' hands. Why can't the Democrats see that???

[yourout]

2. "....their irresolute actions throughout 2007 alienated millions of Americans...."

A big Amen.

I really think the Dem leadership does not understand how pissed the minions are.

[HeraldSquare212]

3. If the Dems are just more of the same

why would Reps and Indys be jazzed to vote for them?

[puebloknot]

4. In the final analysis...

...thinking people of integrity want a choice they can live with in the deepest recesses of their conscience. That there is division in the Democratic ranks now may just be a good sign that we are being called to answer for blind party loyalty, as much as "the Others."

We are all facing that terrible chasm which says *anyone but a Republican*, and the fear that trying to strike out for what is right may take us over the edge. But...if not now, when? When do we demand truth and integrity from our leaders, and not let them hide behind the D after their names?

[peacetalksforall]

5. Yeah!

[spanone]

6. feckin' A

i have to agree

If national Democrats think that their feckless behavior on war in the Middle East and their timidity in defending the Constitution represent the pathway to victory in 2008, they may find themselves in for a very rude awakening.

[Raksha]

7. I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd say this,

but a third party may be the only possible option.

[tabasco]

21. I handed out pamphlets for Humphrey when I was 13 years old

and voted Democratic ever since, but the lack of courage by the current Democrats in Congress has me holding my head in shame.

There is a destructive criminal cabal destroying our Nation and the Dems want to play nice.

[Sapere aude]

8. I'll say this right now, I don't have much interest in the next presidential election.

The thought even enters my mind to not vote. I have never missed a presidential election in my life.

It seems to me that no candidate wants to change the status quo other than Kucinich and he can't get his message passed the MSM.

I wish the Dems would become the anti-Bush!

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. I feel the same way.

[TahitiNut]

12. We have a rare moment of agreement.

The chances I won't vote are between slim and none - I haven't missed a general election in over 40 years - but I'll almost undoubtedly cast an angry vote, probably a write-in.

I don't vote for outlaws OR cowards.

[Sapere aude]

13. Oh I think we have a lot we agree on. I sometimes think I've known you before.

suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune

[TahitiNut]

14. I'm guessing this has something to do with it ...

It's something else we apparently have in common.

[Sapere aude]

15. That's mostly it.

[flyarm]

16. I HATE TO SAY IT AS WELL ..BUT I FEEL THE SAME WAY...

the only hope i have for this country and my dem party ..is Gore...thats it folks..

that is the top and bottom line for me!

fly

[The Vinyl Ripper]

25. Gravel and Ron Paul

Would both like to change the status quo..

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. The Dems had better step up to the plate and soon

or they won't win the White House or hold onto Congress.

[KoKo]

11. Hey, kpete, ONLY YOU could get away

with a post describing the Democrats in Congress's Dreadful Behavior.........A BIG KICK FOR PARRY and FOR YOU for daring to post THIS!

It needs to be said.......

[kpete]

17. I take only one side

the side of the constitution,
so I will swipe at anything or anyone that gets in its way.
Just want the truth and my country back,
thanks KoKo01,
kpete

[KoKo]

19. Agree...those of us who want to preserve it must fight back against those

who trivialize and try to "spin it" or re-write it to the fools who don't get what it was all about in the first place!

Again...many thanks! :thumbsup:

[ThomWV]

18. I am hoping the Party doesn't think they can ram one of the mealymouthed Candidates down our throats

[leftchick]

22. isn't it obvious

that they are indeed doing it again? This one doesn't even say she regrets her IWR vote! Look how far we have sunk! Having to vote for the same war momgering corporate shit over and over.

:(

[lyonn]

27. Those that voted for the IWR have lots to explain, and

where was the outcry from our party leaders when bush had the inspectors removed from Iraq before they had finished their search? In fact the inspectors gave a report to congress stating they hadn't found any WMD's and had looked at the obvious and not so obvious places, including the palaces. bush couldn't have that nonsense being spread around and ruin his chances for his legacy war....sarcasm. Imagine, pulling the inspectors out before they had completed their mission??!!! and not a word from the Dems.....

The Dem candidates do a better job of hacking on each other rather than trying to put a stop to the trashing of America.

[mmonk]

20. Thanks for this post kpete. Great find.

You're a gem.

[WillyT]

23. What He Said !!!

If national Democrats think that their feckless behavior on war in the Middle East and their timidity in defending the Constitution represent the pathway to victory in 2008, they may find themselves in for a very rude awakening.

Yep!!!

:banghead:

[slipslidingaway]

24. K&R n/t

[bigtree]

26. who said they thought it would be easy to move this administration

with the numbers of Democrats voters managed to elect? :shrug:

I still maintain that the majority of Democrats have done the right things, and have responded to the voters who've elected them. That doesn't excuse the leadership for their accommodations of the moderate minority in our party, but their mistakes aren't a true measure of Democrats as a whole. Mr. Parry may be right that voters may penalize individual Democrats at the polls, but that hasn't yet materialized, NOR SHOULD IT.

[Senator]

29. Only Impeachment can "move" this regime

It's the DC Dems who claimed, and still claim, something less would do it. And while you can "maintain" anything you like -- right up until after the next stolen election -- you can't rationalize it away by claiming that Parry was talking about "individual Democrats." He certainly was not.

Moreover, the coming penalty from the voters certainly has already materialized.

If the DC Dems insist on "staying the course" of rationalized inaction, they will be inviting four more years (at least) of neofascist thuggery.

---

[Proud Liberal Dem]

28. I'm feeling a bit disenheartened too

I honestly doubted that the Democrats would be able to get much, if any, of their agenda passed into law if elected in 2006 and I agreed that Pelosi made the right choice, at least politically to de-emphasize the possibility of impeachment (to deprive the GOP of an issue to run on), at least during the election season, but I believed that AT THE VERY LEAST the Democrats in Congress would finally start acting more like a REAL opposition party and block/roll-back some of Bush's most egregious initiatives. I will give them some credit on getting the ball rolling on restoring more oversight and accountability. Certainly, nobody's gone to jail yet but at least the public is being made aware of a lot of shady things that would've remained buried had the Republicans remained in control of Congress and the avalanche of scandals do seem to be having a blistering effect on the Bush (mis-)administration and are putting them on the defensive more often. Also, despite their failure to get anything meaningful signed into law in regards to Iraq (which is really more the fault of some wayward Democrats and deliberately obstructionist Republicans), we did get a withdrawal measure passed and got the debate started. The only major misstep that the Democrats have made so far IMHO is endorsing (and possibly even "back-endorsing" past illegal wiretapping activity) Bush's FISA "reforms" out of what appeared to have been some kind of irrational fear of being blamed for another terrorist attack should it occur (or not, since it would FINALLY expose Bush et. al as totally incompetent at protecting us although why anybody ever believed that he could adequately protect us after 9/11 is beyond me!). :wtf: As for 2008, I can't say that I'm particularly enthusiastic about any of the current crop of Democratic candidates. Should Al Gore or even John Kerry enter the race, I would definitely vote for either one of them but since they're not, I guess we're stuck with who we have now. They're all bright and talented people but I'm not sure who would best represent us that has a good chance of actually winning the nomination/election. I'm leaning more towards John Edwards right now but maybe some "dark horse" candidate will enter the race at some later date who will "fire" us up and knows how to fight back effectively against the Right-Wing smear machine. Who knows? Although I'm not particularly enthusiastic about any of the candidates, my intention is to work for and vote for whomever the Democratic candidate ends up being and I have a good feeling that, in the absence of massive electoral fraud, we will win in 2008 if for no other reasons than the Republicans' slate of candidates are all jokes (well, I AM biased, I guess) and nearly all of them would enthusiastically continue Bush's policies, something which I highly doubt is going to be a strong selling point for the general public, most of whom have soured on nearly all aspects of Bush's agenda/policies, particularly the Iraq occupation, which all of the Republican candidates except for Ron Paul have more or less vowed to continue in perpetuity. :nuke: And no matter how "un-progressive" the eventual Democratic nominee might be, I will feel WAY more secure and have more hope for the future of our country if a Democrat wins than if the Republicans get another term in the White House and/or god forbid wrestle back control of Congress with their winning strategy of obstructionism (whatever happened to demanding an "up or down vote," eh?). :sarcasm:

[upi402]

30. May I scream in unison here?

:argh:
ARGH!!!!

ahhh, resuming breathing now and going to my special place!

[Truth2Tell]

31. K & R

Kickpete

[Raster]

32. We elected a Democratic majority to start bringing these criminals to justice,

NOT drive the getaway vehicle!
Cowards or Collaborators?

Wake up America!:kick:

[donkeyotay]

34. That's what it feels like - they're driving the getaway car

On the war, on the takeover of the court and the DoJ, on torture, on spying, on spending us into a big hole so they can finish off social security and all, the elections, the serial ripoffs, the privatization, 9-11 and the hijacking of our country into this insane WOT...We want justice, but it's like they're just holding hearings to pretend they're doing something. For instance, why won't Waxman let Sibel Edmonds speak? I never heard an explanation for that or why impeachment is off the table, or why Iran is on the table, or why the Dems are so excited to have corporate cash that they've already removed our seat from the table. Damn table.

[INdemo]

33. This is nothing but Republican propaganda bullshit.......

Republican are so damn good at their propaganda rhetoric because it just doesn't take much for for Democrats to believe this BS.....Democrats are in fine shape.....The problem is the small Majority doesn't give them as much power as people think they have Remember Repukes have fought them on every single issue..Yes they talk the talk but when it gets down to the vote they are still the rubber stamp Republicans..Now in mid September lets see how the Democrats handle the withdrawal issue....the corporate media's trying to convince the public that because the Repukes can use political manuvers to block any Democratic legislation it's all the Democrats fault and obviously they are getting their message across loud and clear because Democrats are believing this BS.