Somebody talk me down . . .

[flamin lib]

I a precinct chair in Arlington, TX. Before I took the seat about five years ago there hadn’t been a chair for more than a decade. If I’m going to remain a chair I’ll have to apply to run by January 10.

Why should I bother?

The Democrats have 60 votes in the Senate, an overwhelming majority in the House and the presidency but we won’t get Health Care Reform because the Republicans don’t want us to.

Democrats own the legislative and executive branches of government but we won’t get Cap and Trade because the Republicans don’t want us to.

The Democrats could do damn near anything they want but we won’t get Banking Reform because the Republicans don’t want us to.

Hell, the Democrats won’t even take the Chairmanship of the Homeland Defense Committee away from an asshole who isn’t a Democrat, won’t vote with the caucus on Health Care and actually campaigned for the opposing party!

Why the fuck should I give a shit about the Democratic party? Just let the Republicans have the God Damn government, they run it anyway whether they’re in power or not.

[KittyWampus]

1. it's your choice- make the Democratic party function on your local level and ground up

Or let the boys in charge from Washington have total control.

Look at it likes a game.

Do what you can.

That said, if you do need a break then maybe you should. Take care of yourself.

[TexasObserver]

2. I wish you would write and publish an Op-Ed to that effect.

That's where I am right now. They haven't done diddly squat with the huge majorities we gave them. The president has squandered his standing by being too weak dealing with the GOP and the interests they represent.

What's the point of getting the troops out to vote for a bunch that won't deliver on something as fundamental as health care?

[AllentownJake]

3. Focus on your local issues

Get good people elected at the lower levels and pray they don't become corrupt when they move up a level.

[mdmc]

4. we need good people at the grassroots level

but as someone who know what it is like to need a break, sometimes it is best to take a break.
There will always be politics to return to..

peace and low stress

[leeroysphitz]

5. Democrats are just as beholden to lobbyists as the most crooked republican.

They do not want to pass meaningful HCR and they don't want to pass meaningful environmental reforms. They don't want to do these things because the people who sign their checks do not want these things done.

They blame republicans and bluedogs as obstructionists but it's smoke and mirrors. The reality is that they are perfectly able to get these things done they do not want to get these things done.

They take us completely for granted. Teach them a lesson. Primary the worthless ones and stay home on general election day.
It sucks to hand power back to republicans but our Dem legislators have to be taught a lesson. They have to be taught that their constituency can only be ignored for so long before there are consequences.

In the short term it is a painful course of action but the long term benefit just might be a more honest, transparent, responsive and liberal democratic party and if not then we haven't lost anything by letting democrats that vote like republicans be replaced by republicans, I mean, really, what is the difference at this point?

JMO

[HughMoran]

6. Because quitting based on disingenuous arguments (4 of those Senate Dems are not Dems) is worse

Think.

:think:

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Your anger is mis-placed.

"we won’t get Health Care Reform because the Republicans don’t want us to." is not correct.

"we won’t get Health Care Reform because the Health Industry don’t want us to." is correct.

The two parties have simply given up the pretense of any difference, with the exception of a few members of the Dems like Kucinich, Sanders, Grayson, and Franken.
The parties themselves have been bought and paid for by the Corpocracy, and take turns playing at
"good cop" "bad cop".
It took me a long time to accept this fact. The proof is in just what you said:
"The Democrats could do damn near anything they want but......."

As long as we continue to choose between the evil of 2 lessors, we will always lose.
It is time for more than 2 parties.
Supporting the Dems only encourages them that the game is working.

[optimator]

8. focus on state politics

the national party is corrupt to the core and is not democratic at all.
Lets get a Dem Governor in Texas.

[kctim]

9. I don't believe you should quit

because I think you are looking at this entirely wrong.

The problem you see is not with Republicans, but with Democrats who are not as liberal/progressive as you wish them to be. If you choose to quit, who is to say a moderate Democrat will not take your place?
I believe your goals would be better served if you were to work on filling the Democratic Party with more progressives. Giving up will not accomplish that.

[Fire1]

10. Yeah, it certainly looks that way. I don't get it and doubt I ever

will. Maybe, the President is trying to make friends across the aisle b/c of what he anticipates in 2010! Who knows?:shrug:

[Javaman]

11. Because if you give up your chair and some right wing leaning DINO takes it

You will be pissed. :)

Fight the good fight. It's always easy to give up. Just don't. It's that simple. Hold to your ideas.