Why Can't We Hold Democrats to Pledges like Republicans do?

[jtown1123]

I've been watching a lot of bs Republican blather recently about their pledges i.e. (repeal health reform, no new taxes, no raising the deb't w/o spending cuts, etc.) Most of these ideas are pure nonsense, yet they cling to their asinine ideas to the death. Why can't Democrats do the same? Time and again I feel like we ask our Democratic Reps to promise not to cut Social Security or to keep pretty basic promises of the Democratic platform and they always trade away or make exceptions where Republicans don't. Are they afraid of looking weak? Of being uncompromising? I don't know I am just thinking aloud here. Poll after poll show that the majority of Americans oppose SS and Medicare cuts, want the rich to pay their fair share of taxes, want to reduce defense spending, yet this public support never seems to provide any leverage.

[Dappleganger]

1. Because if we do we are called the idealistic far-left...

and that we never loved the President!

:cry: :cry: :sarcasm: :rofl:

[emulatorloo]

3. Tell me which DU'ers are advocating for anything on the OP's list.

[jtown1123]

6. I wasn't saying anything about DUers I am just curious about Dems

as a whole. Republicans seem so "purist" and it always seems like the Dems in the House and Senate are the ones who have to compromise to the Republican demands. Is that what you were asking? I'm a little slow today.

[emulatorloo]

10. Oh, I know you weren't -

I was responding to Dappleganger, who seemed to suggest that DU'ers attack those who advocate for protecting social security and medicare. And I have never seen that.

As to your OP, what did you think of my idea about how the Republican "pledges" don't have anything to do with their teabagger base, but are pledges to their corporate donors?

Then they just propagandize to make their base think those are things that they should want.

[jtown1123]

13. I think that's an excellent point. Pretty spot on.

I think it's pretty baffling to see Republicans (little guys) fight for policies that clearly screw the middle class and ship jobs overseas to appease corporate overlords. I'm reading Matt Taibbi's latest book and he makes a good point that a lot of Americans believe that these huge corps are run similarly to the mom and pop shops in their hometown and see any gov't intrusions as disruptive and counterproductive. They can't really fathom the workings of Wall St. derivatives, and the crazy bubble economy. Therefore, they think any regulation is bad.

[emulatorloo]

15. i need to get that book. Been wanting it. Thanks for the reminder

He is very very good,

[jtown1123]

16. The first chapter covers how we got here and how the tea party and big corporations

manipulate the very people who should have their pitchforks pointed at them.

[emulatorloo]

2. Because their pledges are basically things their big corporate donors want

They've sold them to the "base" somehow.

As to Social Security, you are right about the polling, this is going to be a serious hard sell. Even 79% of teabaggers think cutting SS for deficit reduction is a very bad idea. We are talking Political Suicide.

[Aleric]

4. Isn't that what happened in November?

The Democrats broke too many promises. Capitulated too much and too quickly so they lost votes. People stayed home while the Republicans whipped their supporters into a frenzy.

That's how you hold politicians to their pledges - you withdraw your support and put it behind someone else.

[emulatorloo]

7. My mom would call that example "Cutting off your nose to spite your face"

I guess the good thing is that voters are going to get a nice refresher course in "REPUBLICAN CRAZY" and uselessness with this new Boehner lead congress. Michele Bachman is on the intelligence committee!

[jtown1123]

8. Yikes. Bachman is a total loon. I just worry that Dems will try to move further to the right

as a result of midterms. I guess if anything, a lot of blue dogs were purged. Hopefully that should send some kind of signal.

[emulatorloo]

12. I'm pleased to see they are planning to move ahead on filibuster reform

and I am thrilled to see McConnell squealing about it.

GOP Leadership Strikes Back At Filibuster Reform: It's A Democratic 'Power Grab'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/04/gop-leadership-strikes-back-filibuster-reform_n_804249.html

For me at least there was a lot of good stuff that came out of lame duck, that gives me some hope.

[Aleric]

11. Yes, it is but...

sometimes you have to take risks and make sacrifices.

If you are slave living in a cozy manor and you choose to run away, that might be described as cutting off your nose to spite your face, too. But we regard liberty as more important than comfort.

[Joanne98]

5. Because we're too weak.

[jtown1123]

9. I guess we are also a pretty fragmented group.

The big tent idea that there are environmentalists, labor people, civil rights people, lgbt rights people, etc. There are some that encompass all of these things yet I think we are more fragmented than say the Republicans.

[cali]

14. the wingnuts think that their elected reps sell them out too. they whine constantly

over in freeperville about this.

[thereismore]

17. Because we could not agree on what the pledge should be? nt

[jtown1123]

19. The Republicans have a few pledges going. Why can't we?

[Aleric]

20. And ruin a good thing?

The DLC has spent a lot of time and effort to beat us into submission. If we start demanding pledges now it will ruin all their hard work.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. We can. If we vote issues instead of party or politician.

If they want our votes, make them earn them.

[Erose999]

21. Because they need room to manoeuver in the multi-dimensional chess game.

They need to be able to sacrifice some of our rights, our personal freedoms, and our social safety net... to gain compromises and bipartisan solutions for the future. While it may look like they are selling us out, remember... CHANGE is coming, eventually. You know, not NOW, but in the FUTURE.



:sarcasm:

[NorthCarolina]

22. The DLC is more closely aligned to the GOP than to Democrats. If you're not in the top 3-4%

of Americans, then you don't exist. I think it really is just that simple.

[OHdem10]

23. Everyone knows including Congress and the Media, that we

whine a bit, then permit them to do what they do.

We are not feared.

Their base has set out elections show their anger publicly.