Time for Democrats to play hardball

[dave_p]

We've all heard it: "We must be pragmatic" ... "mustn't risk alienating the center ground" ... "mustn't stoop to the GOP's level".

Where's that gotten Democrats recently? 12 years of Republican Congressional control followed by a majority that can't stand its ground against the worst President in history.

And who's to blame? Democrats.

Others may have rosy memories of campaigns of recent failed Democrat Presidential runs: I haven't. In 2000 the leadership failed to sustain the fight against election theft that was needed; four years later the campaign barely got beyond the opening salvos before bogging down in risk avoidance.

When will Democrats learn? The GOP didn't get to power by being nice and yielding for the sake of unity, or by sticking to the safe ground. It won by firing its base and assembling a vast edifice of partisan belief. Opponents of the war were "traitors", now it's about "surrender".

Kerry had three purple hearts, Cheney had fiver deferments, Bush couldn't even perform safe duties in the US: but whose military record was dragged through the mud? Why wasn't every Democrat calling the opposing ticket the chickenhawk cowards they were?

Kerry's war vote was a disaster waiting to unfold. But why wasn't every Democrat pointing out the onvious, that the nation and Congress had been lied to? I wanted to hear Kerry say that one word. If he'd said it at the outset there'd have been the fight then that's being won now.

You can't have a civilized exchange with people like that. And instead of trying to, Democrats should fight back against the whole fabric of Republican lies, from US hegemony over supportive allies through paranoid hatred of countries misidentified with imagined threats, to "trickle-down" elite tax-cutting and intolerance of minorities who're more American than the likes of Halliburton.

It's time Democrats started calling called the GOP's leaders the traitors they are, for perverting the Constitution, trampling American rights, jeopardizing US security by alienating allies and undermining international legality, and betraying American troops for the benefit of grasping oil monopolies.

If Democrat leaders want an easy life, we'll just end up with more compromises and defeats. The myths have to be destroyed. That means taking a leaf out of the Republican campaign book and taking the gloves off as should have happened in 2004. And that means backing candidates ready to do it.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. What is this "hardball" of which you speak?

We Democrats know only of the "nerf" and "whiffle" varieties.

[politicasista]

2. This is Bush's illegal, immoral war

He would have went to Iraq without a vote anyway.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Even some of the freshmen we backed...

Have crumbled. Generally speaking, they are a worthless lot. All of them. No courage of their convictions.

[liberal renegade]

4. We're beating a dead horse

face it, we've been had.....

[dave_p]

5. If there's crumbling, it's hardly surprising

My point is that Democrats run on crumbly platforms with crumbly candidates.

To hell with continuity, bipartisanship and moderation: there'll be plenty of time for that when you have to get legislation through Congress. But if you've conceded most of your opponent's position before the even fight's started, of course there'll be cave-ins. And the GOP still gets to pose as the "strong" party.

Heck, I even forgot 911. I wonder if we'll hear much from the Democrat nominee about preparedness for that? I suspect not: instead we're likely toget just another crumble recipe.