We'll see how many blue dog Democrats deposed in the 2010 elections get replaced by progressives.

[LoZoccolo]

[Original_Redstone]

1. Wisconsin

I'm waiting for Wisconsin.

[Pholus]

2. The appropriate response is to quote Truman

“If a voter has a choice between a Republican and a Democrat who acts like a Republican, he’ll vote for the Republican every time.”
--Harry S. Truman, former U.S. President

http://www.utne.com/pub/2003_115/features/

[LoZoccolo]

3. Except that there were no Democrats who act like Republicans all the time.

[Pholus]

5. Yup, just the ones who think "conservative, moderate Democrats" are the future of the party.

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_64/-202212-1.html

Ross said: “If our leadership had listened to us a little bit more, perhaps we’d be in the majority today. I hope our leadership understands more clearly now that the pathway to a Democratic majority is by electing conservative, moderate Democrats.”

Of course you know which Mr. Ross we're discussing today. His last power play worked out SO well...

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=8174279&page=1

[LoZoccolo]

13. That's completely up to the membership of the party.

[Pholus]

33. They held us hostage once.

So what happened to them during the election is kind of on them.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[William769]

4. I'm still hoping for the White House also.

[doc03]

6. My Blue Dog Rep got voted out and there is no way a

progressive could be elected in this district. So I would say about zero. That's why they are Blue Dogs to start with, they come from a conservative district.

[Selatius]

9. What if somebody who was socially conservative but an economic populist ran there?

Would that person get traction in such a district?

[doc03]

11. Pat Buchanan did fairly well with unions here a few years back n/t

[Ikonoklast]

34. Unions in Connecticut put Lieberman over Lamont.

Wonder how that's been working out for them.

[NaturalHigh]

24. I've suggested that before, but it never seems to get any traction.

I live in a district made up of working people with a blue dog who is leaving after this term. Someone who speaks up for the working class and the poor would likely do very well here, but the first time he pushes for gay marriage and abortion, his political career is toast.

[bluestate10]

42. Purist would never welcome the type of person that you envision. If the purists

get their way the democratic party will be as F as the republican party is now. Work locally with other democrats to identify the type of democrat the you think can hold your district for democrats.

[bluestate10]

41. That would work if the person had well crafted arguments for the

economic populism. The key is to split off independents and non religious right conservatives in those type of districts and get them lined up behind the democrat. Your idea may well work in former blue-dog districts.

[PassingFair]

30. What's the problem with your neighbors?

Are they idiots?

[Bluebear]

7. See "you'll never amount to anything" thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1561716&mesg_id=1561716

[LoZoccolo]

14. I have no idea what that has to do with this.

[libmom74]

8. So your answer to the party's issues

is for the Democrats to move even further to the right? Why not just have two Republican parties in that case, Republican Lite and Tea Party Republicans?

[Bluebear]

10. That is exactly his philosophy.

[LoZoccolo]

16. No, it's not.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[white_wolf]

12. I love how the OP never posts anything in the body of his posts.

Secondly. The Blue Dogs lost because they offered no real alternatives to the Republicans. if you are going to get a conservative anyway, you might as well go all the way. Look how much better the progressive caucus did compared to the Blue Dog caucus.

[LoZoccolo]

15. Every blue dog that was deposed had a significant partisan voting record.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[madinmaryland]

17. "blue dog Democrats deposed"?? They were ordered to speak under oath. Not sure

what you are talking about.

TIA!

[LoZoccolo]

18. I meant "depose" in the sense of taking away their office (by electing someone else).

[madinmaryland]

19. Wouldn't "ousted" have been a better word to describe what happened to them.

:shrug:

[girl gone mad]

26. deposed past participle, past tense of de·pose (Verb) 1. Remove from office suddenly and forcefully.

Yeah, doesn't really apply since they were voted out in standard elections.

[TheKentuckian]

23. They are rejected by the Independents and disgust liberals. Republicans vote for Republicans

They aren't always sustainable, even if all the Democrats forever hold their noses at the stinkiest of turds.

Crooked Turd Way types don't inspire loyalty or any passion save that of tossing one cookies as one's body rejects a toxin from those seeing through the bullshit. They are always in danger of losing to a fresh face or an old comfortable one from a lucky good stretch.

[LoZoccolo]

25. They had all won at least one election as well as the 2010 primary.

[TheKentuckian]

37. There is the error, bait should have been cut.

[AlanCranston]

27. look at Texas 17th district

it was represented by a blue dog dem but it was the best the democrats could get in a 67% McCain district. Now it is represented by an oil hack. The reason why so few progressive caucus candidates lost is because most of them are in hyperpartisan districts. Do you honestly think Pete Stark could win Chet Edwards' old district?

[TheKentuckian]

38. No, probably not but plausibly a fire breathing populist running on strong Democratic

fiscal policy could.

In any event, you keep hammering at your message and always give the voters a choice and most of them will eventually sour on their Puke and will give some one else a chance.

The Republicans were essentially in the political wilderness for forty years and if they changed it was only to become more regressive and vitriolic. Did they move to "center" after getting wiped out in two straight cycles? No, they upped the ante and are now calling the shots and have moved the political spectrum so far that Democrats are now talking cutting Social Security and Medicaid.

There seems to be more payoff in a clear and fervent message than seeking a mystical and never defined "center" and poll watching. If what is being preached as a strategy was what worked then that is exactly what the TeaPubliKlans would have had to do rather than what worked after Watergate or in the wake of Bush II.

[bluestate10]

44. The recent win by a democrat in an ultra conservative district bears

out your argument to an extent. Winning is about understanding what is important to voters in his or her district and then tailoring his or her campaign in those directions and legislate as he or she campaigned.

[Marr]

28. It's really time for you to put those losses behind you and move on.

I know you'd like to make Blue Dog failures into liberal ones, but it's just old news. It's time to just suck it up, admit you were wrong, and look forward.

[LoZoccolo]

29. I did not get on the Internet and cheer the defeat of Alan Grayson.

[Marr]

31. That's super awesome. n/t

[bluestate10]

45. The nations would not be in it's present state had those losses not happened.

The argue otherwise ignores both fact and logic.

[JDPriestly]

32. I will only help progressives. Blue Dogs can take care of themselves.

(I'm sure they will.)

[SidDithers]

35. All of them, I'm sure...nt

Sid

[liskddksil]

36. Kathy Hochul won on a rather progressive platform. nt

[bluestate10]

46. Hochul won on an economic populist platform, She touched on the

issues that were important to the majority of people in her district. Hochul's argument was not progressive. Hochul was heavily supported by Senator Gillibrand, who many progressive purists on DU despise.

[elocs]

39. A blue dog is unlikely to be replaced by a progressive,

much more likely to be replaced by a Republican. They are not blue dogs just for the hell of it, they are because they could not otherwise get elected in their district and they know it. What most like to overlook is that blue dogs mostly vote with Democrats.

[bluestate10]

47. Bluedogs could easily become republicans and insure years of being

re-elected. But they CHOOSE to be democrats. I simply do not understand the searing hate purists have for bluedogs.

[elocs]

49. If blue dogs were really Republicans, the GOP faithful would call them RINOs

because they voted more with Democrats than Republicans. People need to actually check out their voting records.

[Horse with no Name]

40. Well considering the Democratic brand is SOILED by these traitors

I wouldn't bet anything.

[Number23]

43. This web site actually discussed this issue

Some of the language is gratuitously insulting, but the message is interesting all the same:

Lesson #3: Until there are at least 218 progressive districts in this country, ousting “Blue Dogs” is not a source of pride; it’s just plain stupid.

Many on the far left seem to be enormously immature, in that they want their political change to happen immediately. they’re like the rich kids who “only” got a Mercedes for graduation, when they wanted the Jaguar. Real people have to earn their reward, folks; no one gets anything without tons of blood and sweat.

After more than 30 years of neocon-driven politics, why would anyone be surprised that there are a large number of conservative-leaning districts out there? Yet, a large number of far-left “progressives” were actually crowing at the “silver lining” in the 2010 election results; that about half of all “Blue Dog” Democrats lost. Yes, that’s right; they were HAPPY. Nancy Pelosi was replaced by an orange Boner, the committee chairs all went from being progressive Democrats to being right wing Republicans. We went from having a House of Representatives that passed hundreds of relatively progressive bills to one that has repeatedly tried to kill Medicare and damage Social Security.

And do you know WHY this happened? In part, it’s because about 25 “Blue Dogs,” almost all of whom voted with Democrats at least 80% of the time, were replaced by right wing Republicans and teabaggers.

Does that sound like “progress” to you? Really? If you do, then you must be one of those geniuses who thinks both major parties are the same. http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2011/06/politics-101-for-the-far-leftlessons-1-thru-9.html

[bluestate10]

48. The type of progressivism embodied by many on DU is disconnected

from reason. That brand of progressive stunningly assumes that cutting one's wrist and bleeding out removes demons. It is a practically insane point of view and pushes real progressives farther and farther from the day where implementing progressive policies with be second nature in the nation and states.

[City Lights]

50. It is decidely so. eom