to all the Capitol Hill staffers who read DU so your boss can have his/her ear to the ground

[Ex Lurker]

on what the base is thinking. I hope you're getting this loud and clear. You can put lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig. You never had the Right. You've lost the Left and the Center is on a fast train out of town. Nice going, guys.

[ixion]

1. Indeed... as soon as the "center" starts feeling the financial burden of these mandates

it will go to hell quite quickly.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Vinnie From Indy]

9. You insult many, many people here on DU with this silly statement

In fact, there is quite a bit of quality writing and insightful commentary. If anything, I would offer your post as an example of the chaff among the wheat.

Cheers!

[Richardo]

10. Be that as it may, I see a lot more nonsense and impotent whining than real-world solutions

Any policy wonk or staffer who has the time to cull through the vast piles of crap to get to the occasional nugget is not spending his or her time wisely.

[roguevalley]

29. ah, so we can make real world solutions. we did that with the 2008

election, or so we thought. as for the aides, they can tell their bosses to eat shit and die.

[Jamastiene]

26. That is quite a broad brush there.

If you hate the rest of the people of DU so much, why are you still here?

[Laelth]

3. Let us hope this message is heard loudly and clearly.

By all means, tell your bosses to blame the Republicans for rank obstruction, but please, please ...

Kill the bill.

Forcing people to buy insurance is no more the answer to a failed health care system than forcing people to buy houses is the solution to homelessness.

:dem:

-Laelth

[KharmaTrain]

4. And You're Going Where?

Just curious. If the Democratic party has lost "us", then are we going somewhere warm? I need to know what to pack.

[Jimdish25]

5. I don't know where the rest of you are going....

because I'm not on this board much, but as a volunteer for Democratic candidates in my state I can tell you I won't be voting for Obama again, period. And I'm sick of the apologists who think he's playing chess while we're all playing checkers. He's playing the same game they've been playing for years. It's called run to the middle I'm too afraid to lead and too dependent on corporate money to object. That's just a sellout.

Money and support for progressives, undervotes for the rest.

[Laelth]

7. Well said. n/t

Kill the bill.

Forcing people to buy insurance is no more the answer to a failed health care system than forcing people to buy houses is the solution to homelessness.

:dem:

-Laelth

[KharmaTrain]

8. I Always Donate Direct To The Candidate...

Each election I pick 10 candidates to support...be it with money or phone banking (or if close enough some leg work as well). I'm already compiling a list of primary challengers and incumbent Progressives that will get my support this year. As far as this administration, I'll see where we are as a country at this point in 2011 before I determine what I'll be doing in 2012.

This debate shows that Progressives and Liberals still have a lot of work to do. But it's not overwhelming. Replacing 5 or so Senators with more Progressive Democrats will have a far greater affect on change, then followed by changes in the leadership. Walk away and be prepared to be left further on the outside.

[FredStembottom]

21. I've been doing that for years, too...... but......

Out of a sense of desperation / nowhere left to go. You make me realize what a strong strategy this could be!

No. More. Party. Contributions.

Instead, we all take whatever money we can muster and send to genuine progressives, wherever they may be. We change the math. We starve the corrupt Party organization.

Excellent!

[KharmaTrain]

24. A Couple Of Strategic Wins Go A Long Way...

Electing Progressive Democrats in New Hampshire and Florida negate Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman...supporting a progressive challenger to Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu would do some good as well. The key here is not just words, but action...using the netroots to support challengers with money and legwork to enable them to overcome the big money from outside. This is epecially the caes in primaries where low turnout has been a problem...energize the vote and prove the pundits wrong.

Cheers...

[FredStembottom]

30. I'm in!

No more Party donations.

[Jamastiene]

28. "Replacing 5 or so Senators with more Progressive Democrats will have a far greater affect on change

THIS should be an OP. You are right.

Like I said earlier though, yes, pack for hot temperatures. Rahm has pretty much told progressives where he wants us to go. So, I suppose we are going there for sure now. We'll pay attention to who is really fighting for US and support those candidates. And yen for the day Rahm finally gets his come uppance for hating on us that way. ;)

[intheozone]

11. I've got to agree with you. Obama appears to be just a corporatist politician! nt

[donco6]

13. +1

[Jamastiene]

27. Actually, there is no reason nor need to go anywhere.

We work to elect more progressive nominees in the future. ALL of the Democratic Party are not the problem. There are still progressive Democrats. We should support those.

As far as going somewhere warm, I think Rahm Emmanuel pretty much told progressives where he would like us to go and it is a very hot place, the hottest place of all. So, yes, pack for hot temperatures.

[AndyA]

6. Literally everyone I know who was so thrilled with Obama's win last year

are now very unhappy with him.

EVERYONE.

These are people who donated money, held parties in their homes, traveled to neighboring states to be poll watchers, made phone calls, went door to door, etc. These are the kinds of supporters candidates need. None of them would be willing to do this for Obama today. He has lost them in the last year.

They are:

Gay - where is the equality? The hate crimes bill was a great start, very much needed, but what about the rest? No benefits for their long-term relationships (tax breaks, inheritance, etc.) and Don't Ask, Don't Tell is still responsible for gays in the military being discharged (at a time of war).

Without health care - Either employed and can't afford it, under employed and can't afford it, pre-existing conditions, or no job and no money to pay premiums now.

Transparency - the continued cover up of Bushco crimes. Why? Protecting torturers. Why?

Bailing out Wall Street but ignoring Main Street - The wealthy got their fix early on, the rest of America is still waiting for something.

And it just goes on and on. Once passionate people are now very despondent over what they're seeing.

As the OP said, Obama never had the right and there's nothing he could do to ever get them unless he went full out to endorse their policies. He's losing the left for the reasons listed above and many others. And the independent, middle ground voters have changed their minds as well.

:wtf: Barack?

[goldcanyonaz]

12. Just the oppositve for me, many couldn't stand Obama and now not only like him but support him.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[goldcanyonaz]

15. Wow, I guess you told me.

:rofl:

[donco6]

17. Yeah! I laughed really hard, too!

Then I had another swig of coffee and forgot about it.

[AndyA]

22. Strange that your friends all seem to go against the tide.

An anomaly, perhaps? I would still venture the losses for Obama at this point far outnumber the gains.

[goldcanyonaz]

23. The tide? Here?

The majority of voters have no idea what they are voting for or against.

Some people I know (online) thought that they were reading the bill aloud in the Senate so that other senators would know what they are voting for or against.

People, in general are idiots.

[AndyA]

25. Yes, many people are idiots.

But there are also a great many tuned in to what's going on, and they aren't happy about it.

These are the voters who will likely stay home in 2010 and 2012 and allow Republicans back in. Something needs to be done to address the issues they have. And there isn't much time.

Ignoring them, disregarding them, or dispatching them as all being idiots isn't the answer.

[mmonk]

16. Pretty much sums up our winter of discontent.

[WeDidIt]

18. DU represents a minor sliver of the base of the Democratic Party.

So small it is insignificant.

[Ex Lurker]

19. the people who write letters and make phone calls are a minor sliver, too.

but they get heard out of proportion to their numbers. Hopefully this forum is a catalyst for that kind of action.

[WeDidIt]

20. Last DK/PPP Poll shows 87% of the Dem Party supports Obama on this bill.

The thirteen percenters on DU may be loud, but they are ineffectual.