Where the fuck are the Democrats?

[kpete]

I'll Be So Glad When This Summer of Love Is Over
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/wolcott/2009/09/there-are-times-when-the.html
James Wolcott

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

Why is it that Republican consultants can coin something as cunningly diabolical as "death tax" (as a substitute for inheritance taxes) and sell the hell out of it, or contrive the "Contract with America," yet health reform is packaged in a plain brown wrapper with all the pizazz of a corporate restructuring plan. It should have been called something upbeat and flagwavey like "The American Health Freedom Act," guaranteeing health coverage and available, affordable insurance for all.

Same deal with the "public option." What kind of dead-dick policy term is that? "Option" is another term of pure anesthesia. Yes, Sarah Palin was fear-mongering with "death panels," but that was a phrase that hit a nerve chord, as it was intended to. Faced with such poison spitballing, you've either got to up your deflection skills or find your own power chords. A public option polls favorably when it's explained to people, but the problem is that it needs explaining because a) the phrase itself sounds like an empty casing shell and b) it's been hung out there to fend for itself without any real push to argue its benefits. Address the financial worry out there and accent the stress relief such an alternative would offer. If you treat it like a bargaining chip, instead of a vital necessity, you lose bargaining power at the get-go. (One of the shrewdest tactics President Bush used to get his way was stating that he wouldn't negotiate with himself, because that amounted to a premature concession.)

With all the pollsters and consultants raking in fees in Washington, why are the Democrats always fish-smacked by the scale and fervor of viral attacks such as the one being waged against Obama's school address? Any blogger with a working knowledge of how the rightwing pesticide spray tank (the Drudge-Rush-Michelle Malkin-Fox News-NY Post-etc consortium) functions could have war-gamed exactly how the backlash would work--though I think nobody could have reckoned on the sheer lunacy of a Glenn Beck, a volatile X factor in all of this--and yet it's as if the Democratic establishment has its head up stuck in Diver Dan's helmet, stunned and blinded by the churning froth. Obama may have his own Sun Tzu reasons for not involving himself in the heat of this latest thrash, but as Tristero so trenchantly asks at Digby's Hullabalo,

Where the fuck are the Democrats?

Democrats should be all over this. Republicans have just lobbed the most perfect softball their way - telling kids to study in school is a message Republicans don't want schoolchildren to hear??? Democrats should let them have it with both barrels. And the counter-attack should come at exactly the same level - state leadership, if not higher.

If you're serious about 21st Century American politics, you don't let the insane charge that the President of the United States is trying to corrupt the Youth of America go unanswered when it's being made at the highest levels of the Republican party. Why?

Because if you refuse to fight back, it creates the distinct impression that there's some truth to it. These aren't merely deranged talkshow hosts accusing the President of fomenting subversion; these are leaders of a major political party. They cannot be ignored. So again:

Where the fuck are the Democrats?

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/fighting-blitzkrieg-with-wet-noodle-by.html

[Horse with no Name]

1. Well first you would need the media on board to 24/7 promote

your agenda.
Even as the majority party, there are STILL more republicans on the teevee.

[OHdem10]

16. As long as we excuse them and let them blame it on the Media,

they will never stand up and be counted.

They are the party in power. If they want Media Time, ask
for it.

[FrenchieCat]

23. It is the media that is the problem.....

And this post tells just how much.....
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6483185

Too bad folks don't try to do something about that!

The FCC complaint forms are sitting there,
and not too many are using them. :shrug:

[Bluenorthwest]

31. What is 'The media'?

Sure, FoxNews is not going to put Democratic voices on their shows, but any elected Democrat can easily get piles of 'media' in their home districts and States. Simply by asking. To pretend otherwise is just a device of the political class and their apologists. If they were all addressing those they represent, it would add up to a strong national message. Or they could keep whining that Fox will not air them. In major markets, local news has viewer numbers that compare well with Fox's national totals, so the real problem is that they do not want to speak, they don't want to own a position.

[sandnsea]

2. He and Lakoff are dumber than Sarah Palin

That's what they're saying. There's nothing stopping them from coining some catchy phrase like Sarah Palin did.

Quit bitching and start coining. That's all.

Idiots.

[Hissyspit]

9. ?? Lakoff has suggested plenty of phrases. Anyway, it's not his job. He's an academic.

[sandnsea]

15. None of them have stuck

It's not Sarah Palin's job either, but she managed to come up with death panels.

If these two are so much fucking smarter than everybody else, it should be no problem for them to create a snappy phrase and tweet it and facebook it and change the debate in 24 hours. Sarah Palin did.

[Hissyspit]

18. It absolutely is Sarah Palin's job.

[NC_Nurse]

3. They're bending over backwards not to offend their corporate masters.

[bread_and_roses]

51. Exactly. n/t - none needed. You said it.

[soverywendy]

4. Typing on blogs and nothing else?

[Kaleko]

5. They're busy bickering and tearing each other apart based on idle speculations.

[Bluerthanblue]

8. sadly too true-

:hi:

[madrchsod]

6. running from glen beck....

[rhett o rick]

7. All of the above. rec 10 nt

[pleah]

10. K&R

[Captain Hilts]

11. Eleanor and Bobby are dead. nt

[WillyT]

13. Word...

Exactly

[troubledamerican]

21. +2

[RagAss]

36. Amen !

[spanone]

12. you mean there are still democrats in congress???

[HarveyDarkey]

14. They're firmly ensconced in the back pockets of their lobbyist puppetmasters

any more rhetorical questions?

[kentuck]

17. I remember when they made like $35,000 per year>

What do they make now? About $160,000? Ninety percent of them could not make that kind of money in the private sector. They cling to their positions, not only for the money, but also for the power and the perks. They are no longer representatives for the people. They are representatives for themselves. How long before they vote themselves another pay raise?

[cornermouse]

28. They don't have to vote themselves another pay raise.

If I remember correctly, either Reagan or Bush I set it up so that it was automatic. If they (Congress as a whole) wants to vote as a group to turn down a raise is the only way they don't get an annual raise.

[harkadog]

59. Congress set that up

The Executive branch had nothing to do with it.

[Old Studentka]

41. Before Year's End

That's where my money is!

[Golden Raisin]

52. And don't forget the gold-plated,

top-of-the-line health insurance they and their families enjoy.

[HughMoran]

19. The title of the article would have sufficed

Pulling that subtitle out is offensive, even if the point is well taken. I have to hide this as I don't want to see this title again.

[jmodden]

20. The solution

is a New Left Party. The Progressive Congressional Caucus is the obvious foundation.

To hell with so-called Democrats.

[bkozumplik]

22. you'll have to take a number

Our leadership is busy giving head to the lobbyists right now. They will be around to service your needs shortly though. Make sure you have your cash ready-- they are very busy people.

[RandomThoughts]

24. On the topics of the school speech.

The Democrats or you could say the administration, played its card by saying it was giving a speech and having that idea be a normal good idea. That was their move. It was reasonable, rational, and serves many good things. It is also good and a rational normal thing for a President to do.

When the far right goes nuts, you just let them go nuts. Why? Because most people know it is nuts. The far righters are destroying the Republican party with those actions. As long as the Republicans are doing crazy things, just stay rational and watch them.

When you opponent is doing a full frontal charge in the wrong direction at wrong targets, you let them do it and show how silly they are, you don't need to push them or hit them if they are running off a clip, just stay reasonable and watch. If anything try and be a little nice pointing out it is mean to make fun of crazy people, while pointing out how crazy it is. As far as I am concerned it is the most absurd series of things to watch, let them work the 12% maybe even get it to 15%, they are going to be their anyway, you might as well dangle shinny objects that are good ideas in front of them. Let them run back and forth showing they are not concerned with the ideas, nor how they help, they are only concerned with saying no to anything the President says or does.

If people get in a big fight over the ridiculous objections to the Presidents school speech, somehow arguing it, it makes it like it is a partisan issue. Instead you can just point out how ridiculous it is, showing other Presidents did the same thing, and most importantly don't waste valuable time and resources to stop groups making an argument about it, and watch them run off the cliff. Many think it is their country, but their older children understand it so things are changing.

In any local districts where school district operatives are making an issue above just reacting to coddling a group of people by giving people the options they always have, those school districts can be noted, and when their local school board elections come up people in those districts can point out to people that some agreed with partisan political issues above the education of children.

And where the media makes it seem like a balanced issue, and do not point out the contradictions and how the groups that are against it are strictly against it for political reasons, people can see that media as partisan without reason also.

Those groups are not the problem, for instance, I just watched an hour long infomercial on TV, it was on mercenaries, the commercial spent the whole time talking about things like how they helped save villagers from rebels, ignoring how it also secured resources for corporations. It was a complete advertisement, and it was on the so called History channel. Lobbyist regularly buy production of TV shows for propaganda. Don't do what the far right does and fight silly fake controversies, find the problems that really matter and work on those.

[Lorien]

25. They won't even help those who are trying to save lives and "God's creation"

from greedy coal robber barons who are hellbent on MURDER: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6483202

This Country is done.

[Hannah Bell]

26. They're the "good cops" in the little vaudeville routine.

[Echo In Light]

29. +1

[tomm2thumbs]

27. 'The Fox Channel's Medical Patriot Act in Memory of Reagan for God' is my name of choice

[scentopine]

30. Democrats are the new republicans... except more cowardly and dangerous

The right wing has been doing a brilliant job of control the public debate - they blaze trails with their extremism, they soften up America with their anger and hate and the rest of America begins to accept it as normal. Especially children - this strategy is most effective with kids.

The right-wing model of corporate citizen control with the public as employees fits well with neo-lib or neo-dem party which is very similar to early neo-cons. So how does this fit the dem leadership? They are hoping to get a slice of the corporate money pie.

Because new democrats have no moral center behind their "free" market ethics, they have become far more dangerous, driving their Prius right past torture, wiretapping, Wall Street salaries, shitty health care, immigration, bailouts, and on and on. Neo-dems believe all things can be solved by the free market. I'll trade a Prius for justice and truth.

Republicans on the other hand make their intentions crystal clear. There is no mixed message and they invest heavily in communicating their vision.

So - where is the president defending democratic values? He's no different than Reid and Pelosi, together the three are making America safe for a single party republican state.

They should be breathing fire, ready to march like Sherman through the slave states.

Instead our leadership offers appeasement. Fox News and right-wing radio set the agenda, meaning democrats can sit back and and coast in the slip stream. They simply stay a fraction to the left of the far right and call themselves "centrists" and "moderates".

In this way, Democrats are indeed more far dangerous than republicans.

[KoKo]

32. +1

[SteveM]

33. What are we supposed to fight for? Here is what the DNC stands for:

"Bringing the stake-holders together in a non-partisan fashion to build a consensus on a win-win so we can all MOVE FORWARD!"

How many times have we heard this meaningless gumming from "progressive" politicians from the local level to the national? Absolutely no substance, no beef, no ideas, no philosophy, no policy. Just stylistic methodology. The Democratic Party has for the last 3 decades rid itself of any meaningful policy stands so that it could curry favor with corporations and thereby no longer be seen as a Party which is "hostile" to corporate interests. That, my friends, is what's "left of the left."

The GOP knows this. And like any school yard bully, they lick their lips and start kicking with the expectation no one is going to fight back. They pound and pound with a smirk on their faces. And they have done it again and again over the years, knowing that the DNC -- state or national level -- ain't gonna do a thing. This is just as well for the DNC; since it will not fight the corporations and is hostile to those in the Party who do, then let the GOP pound on the few out there.

The legacy of the Democratic Party is one bereft of any philosophy, policy and, yes, ideology. If you don't have these things, you have nothing to fight for. In fact, the Democratic Party is NOT a party. Sure it can win an election (the last one by default due to GOP incompetence), but it cannot/will not establish meaningful policies and plans which can lead to action, it cannot recruit quality candidates to support those policies, will not discipline party members who are blatantly opposed to those policies, cannot establish viable local/state party structures, and will not reach out to its constituencies with anything more than sloganeering and reassurance that someone, somewhere is doing something. The Democrats do not meet the definition of a modern political party. The GOP does.

And remember this: should progressives, liberals and even moderates speak up and try to establish those policies and thereby take action, their biggest enemies will be those who point to them and scream: "the left of the left." Those enemies will be in what is now called the Democratic Party.

[bvar22]

35. Excellent Post, SteveM.

Recommending Post #33.

"And remember this: should progressives, liberals and even moderates speak up and try to establish those policies and thereby take action, their biggest enemies will be those who point to them and scream: "the left of the left."

Those people are here at DU.
I've always considered "The Centrists" a more dangerous enemy than The Republicans.
"The Centrists" have given away more than the Republicans have taken.
They gave away Single Payer BEFORE the battle started.



"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[scarletwoman]

43. "The legacy of the Democratic Party is one bereft of any philosophy, policy and, yes, ideology." +1

Exactly! The DLC, "Third Way", neo-liberal corporatists have destroyed the Democratic party from within, sucking the soul and lifeblood out of what was once the party that stood for the working class against the depredations of Big Business.

The Democratic party has become an empty husk that stands for nothing but raising money to win elections.

sw

[ChiciB1]

49. How Very Sad... Your Words & Statements... How Very Sad!!

However, I concur with all that you posted!! Democrats have been caving for quite some time, and NOW we see CLEARLY just how lame they can be!!

I want my Party back, and I want my Country back!!!

[azygous]

34. PR firms are all conservative

I've wondered myself how the White House can be so dense about wording and framing (look at the semantics flub in the wording of the study guide to Obama's school speech - "what students can do for the president").


The problem, it would appear, is that most public relations firms are right wing conservative. http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/pr-fuel-mailbag-public-relations-and-blogs-antagonizing-the-media-and-more/

Looks as if no professionals want the job. I don't know if this is actually the problem, but it explains a lot.

[laughingliberal]

37. Our problems with messaging are so entrenched

I just have to wonder if it is because we have no one skilled in marketing or if it is intentional incompetence designed to push through Republican lite agendas.

[Better Today]

38. Because Democrats speak as though they are speaking to adults. Quickie, short phrases

are not comprehensive enough to be "adult" speak. I noticed this with Obama's speaking as well. He talks to us as though we are all adults and actually discusses the complexities of the situation. I think unfortunately those that need to understand get lost or bored listening to so much information.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled as I really get tired of ridiculous, hyped one liners. Just something I've noticed. It's like we need two messages for two distinctly different interest (can't think of a better word) levels.

[sasquatch]

39. They're too busy falling all over themselves to apologize to republicans

[cyclezealot]

40. Asleep?

Obama may have fought a better fight. But, those who elected him need be his foot soldiers when the political wars start to march for reform against the Repukes... He certainly can't fight the fight all by his lonesome.
.
Here is one answer maybe..


.
Missing: Democrats’ Passion
by Eugene Robinson.



Here’s the least surprising news of the week: Americans are souring on the Democratic Party. The wonder is that it’s taken so long for public opinion to curdle. There’s nothing agreeable about watching a determined attempt to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

A poll released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center reports that just 49 percent of respondents have a favorable view of the Democrats, compared to 62 percent in January and 59 percent in April. This doesn’t mean, though, that Americans look any more kindly upon the Republican Party—favorability for the GOP has been steady at 40 percent throughout the year, according to Pew.

What it does mean, however, is that Republican efforts to obstruct, delay, confuse, stall, distort and otherwise impede the reform agenda that Americans voted for last November have had measurable success. And it means that Democrats, having been given a mandate—one as comprehensive as either party is likely to enjoy in this era of red-vs.-blue polarization—don’t really know how to use it.

That the Democratic Party is no paragon of organization and discipline is almost axiomatic. That’s not the problem. The Pew poll suggests that the Democrats’ weakness is neither strategic nor tactical, but emotional. To quote the poet William Butler Yeats: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

snip
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090821_missing_democrats_passion/

[Grinchie]

44. I disagree. Real Democrats have plenty of Passion, but they are Generals

Not Footsoldiers that are sent in to die like the Republican Base.

Real democrats believe in someones word, and that they should be held accountable for those words barring any other mitigating circumstances. For thos of us that have Boundaries, which actually appear to be a small minority, the lack of accountability, and the continuation of the current Administration to back the corruption of the previous Administration are enough to cause us to withdraw _ANY_support to this DLC Infested pile of Putrefaction that is called the Obama Administration.

The appointment of Michael Taylor to the USDA Food Safety division was the ultimate last straw in DLC Corporate giveaways, and if people don't see that as stepping over the line into Republicat homogenous Corporate toadlicking behavior, then people are actually deaf, dumb, blind and masochistic.

I signed off on Obama when Taylor was appointed, and I predicted back then that we would be treated to a back and forth circus a la Daytime Soap Opera while the administration attempted to manipulate the country regarding Health Care.

The OP is right.. "Public Option". It is meaningless until a certian criteria is met, and it doesn't mean that the principle will ever Act on the "Option", whatever it is supposed to mean in this case.

They haven't even been able to explain the current proposals in any coherent way, as their seems to be 3 to several versions out their that are competing with each other.

Well screw that noise. I'm done supporting an administration that within the first 100 days, supported the Criminality of the Bush Administrations misdeeds, and provided cover for them. Maintained and took ownership of the executive power created by Bush and Cheney. Ignored the rule of Law regarding Fisa. Decided to have an Orgy with the Fed and roll in piles of freshly minted Monopoly Money, while protecting the banks from divulging the extent of the toxic assets still lurking in the mud.

My boundaries are quite clear. If my tax money can pay for War, then I will not pay taxes. If that means not working for Corporate america, then so be it. I will not support the Corporations that have 10% growth per quarter, yet can magically present an unfunded Pension Fund when the time comes for making good on the Bargain. I will not captitalize Banks too big to Fail with my money, which is then used to create 90% more money for the charlatans and well connected to by politicians, destroy celean energy technologies, or buy air time on mass media.

Most of all, I will focus more on using the least amount of money/debt as possible, and utilize more sane, accountable, and beneficial means of commerce than the fraud we have going on today.

Bye Bye Obama. Take your DLC handlers with you on the way out.

[western mass]

42. cashing their paychecks from corporate lobbyists

[NewJeffCT]

45. Democrats can scream up & down until they're blue in the face, but

if nobody in the media covers them, will anybody hear it?

That's 90% of the problem. How often do Democrats actually get airtime to denounce Republicans over their bullshit? And, when Democrats do get on the air, how often is it a Blue Dog? Outside of Olbermann & Maddow, and sometimes Hardball, how often do real progressives actually make it on the air?

[treestar]

46. Amen and how could anyone on DU not be aware of that?

Attaching oneself to the M$M does all sorts of things to one's persepctive.

[Initech]

47. I think the better question is - where the fuck are all the rational, sane people in this country?

We're completely bonkers over everything right now - health care, the teabaggers (WTF are they protesting exactly?), and so on and so forth. Things were so bad that I finally had to leave the country this year. So I went to Amsterdam.

[NewJeffCT]

53. the teabaggers are oddly

protesting runaways deficits and the fact that Obama may raise taxes on the richest 1%... and, 33% of Tea Baggers think they're in that 1%, even though it might be 1% of teabaggers in that top 1%

[readmoreoften]

48. Absolutely correct. The idea that we're "above sound bites" is crazed and loopy.

Fish-smacked. I can now imagine everyone in the capital being smacked by fish. Loving it.

[progressoid]

50. We're keeping our powder dry.

[Quasimodem]

54. What would it take to equal the Republicans?

Well, first we would need special people sitting around in think tanks with absolutely no respect for the truth making up these catchy little phrases.

Then have media whores with absolutely no shame go on television programs with tame interviewers who won’t challenge them on their bullshit to repeat those cute phrases ad nauseam for a couple of days.

Then a bunch of political shock jocks hectoring their audience of brain dead yahoos to do something – disruptive or destructive, never constructive – waving prefabricated signs using those cute little phrases. (They have pretty well learned not to leave the sign-making to the marching morans.)

And finally, we would need bought reporters to cover those “demonstrations” while ignoring any competent repudiation.

We could do it. It would take a while, but it wouldn’t take a tremendous amount of brains. But before we got there, anybody worthwhile would have left the party.

Which is about what is happening to the Republicans.

[OwnedByFerrets]

55. Taking bribes from their corporate masters.

[KoKo]

56. "Back of the Bus." it's what it is.........n/t

[bridgit]

57. Dems? They running through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go. I do think...

that too many in power just settle back in and cash the checks

[democracy1st]

58. K & R