Easiest. Prediction. Ever.
By on Mar 7th, 2006 at 10:08 am
Easiest. Prediction. Ever.
Today’s Washington Post, E.J. Dionne, A17:
It is now an ingrained journalistic habit: After a period of bad news for President Bush, media outlets invariably devote time and space to “balancing” stories that all say more or less: “Yes, the Republicans are in trouble, but the Democrats have no alternatives, no plans,” etc.
Today’s Washington Post, A1:
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E.J. Dionne needs a cockpunch.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:10 amI read the article and I think it’s right on the money. There IS no consensus in this party. Take a look at the “unity” on the Samuel Alito nomination. We couldn’t decide shit! Are we for or against him? Oh god, if we vote against him, we’re obstructionist. If we vote for him, we’re traitors. What the fuck is wrong with this party?
I can’t stand the high-horse nonsense about a landslide in November. We can’t win elections without a coherent message. Has anyone been paying attention during the last 12 years?
March 7th, 2006 at 10:15 amHey, why are you attacking E.J.! He was right.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:19 amWhat the hell does “unified” mean? That we fall in lock step behind some idiot so called “leader” like leiberman who coudn’t find his ass with two hands and a flashlight? The party of democracy is all about the freedom to believe what you believe.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:20 amPride goes before fall.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:20 amAnd the freedom to consistently lose elections.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:22 am#6 – your party has lost all bragging rights to the so called security issue when your moron for a president decided after years of scaring Americans about Arabs that selling our ports to a firm that is not just an Arab owned firm, but an Arab COUNTRY owned firm.
You have nothing!
Good Night and Good Luck buddy!!!
March 7th, 2006 at 10:25 amYeah, blame some need for “balance” in the press if you want, but that’s just putting your head in the sand.
Who exactly ARE we rallying behind? Pelosi? Dean? Hillary? Kerry? Please.
What’s our Grand Unifying Message? What’s our Contract With America?
We’ve got a golden opportunity here, and no one’s stepping up to the plate. We need consensus, leadership, and drive within our party, and so far no one’s stepping up to the plate.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:27 amDemocrat “unity” is a joke. It’s time for progressives to remove the dead-weight from the party. They don’t support us anymore- most of them are too busy chewing at the corporate trough… since a 3rd party is a pipe-dream, the only way to solve the problem is in the primaries.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:28 amUnified message? WTF?
How are we supposed to unify around such wildly incredible shenanigans like NSA, Plame, Dubai Ports, and Iraq?
Unless it’s this message, and we’ve been saying it for years: “Our Admin is crushing this country. Wake the F#CK up”
March 7th, 2006 at 10:29 amYou people are acting like a democrat has never been elected before. Hello? Bill Clinton, anyone? That’s your winning formula.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:30 amPersonally, I like Russ Feingold for Prez.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:31 amFine Wisco product!
It’s not that Democrats don’t have ideas, just too many of them. Republicans seem to have won with media savvy, not facts. The facts show that the neocons are protecting eachother, at the expense of the globe.
Democrats seem afraid to dumb it down on the surface, which would help unify the progressive party. It’s not enough to be right, you have to be convincing.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:31 amI really don’t see a lack of ideas and plans coming from the Dems. They just haven’t been allowed to be implemented in anyway since they are the minority party and the GOP has all of their ranks in lock step. I am an Indep but I would rather be associated with a party that has different ideas and solutions and that can change those plans if the origional isn’t working out. There is an inherent problem with having a party of yes-men and lemmings and we are witnessing the outcome of that today. If there is any party that is to blame for the state that we are in it si the voter and their lack of vision to see and call bullsh#t on bad politicians.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:35 am#11 – Thank you for bringing some sanity back to this arguement.
The Contract ON America was brought about just prior to the elections. We do not need to rush into this. The repugs are continuing to hang themselves why give them any arguing points this early?
March 7th, 2006 at 10:35 amMcCain – Boxer ‘07
March 7th, 2006 at 10:37 amSave the Republicans, save the Democrats, save America.
“We can’t wait for 2008″
Wow, still holding on to that old saw? Clinton won because of a very serious Nader effect: Ross Perot split the republican vote right down the middle.
Clinton did a good job as president and earned his re-election, but it was the Nader effect that got him there in the first place.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:38 amDemocrats in the Senate do NOT have any plans except to whine or to kiss Bush’s butt! They have caved on every issue from allowing Alito into the Supreme Court to voting for the Bankruptcy Bill that harms average Americans! They are worthless, so I hope Representatives in the House wake up and NOT follow them!
March 7th, 2006 at 10:38 amWiscoDuk – I wish I were living in Wisconsin. I am currently living in Texas and this is just a bad place to be!!
However, I did get to meet Cindy last summer. One bight spot of sunshine in an otherwise dismal state!
March 7th, 2006 at 10:39 amDemocrats need to stop being spooked by 2002.
People talk like Democrats lose every election cycle, but the fact is 2000 was a good election cycle for the Democrats. They cut the House and Senate to near-parity and won the popular vote in the Presidential election. The Presidential election was disappointing, but the Democrats were a strong party that year.
2004? Disappointing again, but the country remained more or less where it had been in 2000 (except for Texas, which was gerrymandered by DeLay). Not hard to recover from that.
The problem was 2002, when Bush/Rove/DeLay figured out how to exploit 9/11 to crush the Democrats and turn the whole election into a referendum on the idea of going to war with Iraq. (If the Democrats could do the same thing now, of course, they’d win big.) Great job by the Repubs, miserable year for the Democrats, but it’s not 2002 any more. The country now is more or less where it was in 2000 — a 50/50 country. The Democrats got popular-vote victories out of that 50/50 country in 1992, 1996 and 2000, and picked up Congressional seats every cycle from 1996 through 2000. How about they stop acting like it’s still 2002 and Bush is still Kommander Kodpiece?
March 7th, 2006 at 10:43 amIs it that nobody is stepping up, or is it that everybody is trying to and muddling any message? I may be a libertarian-leaning Republican, but I’ve always felt that two strong parties are better than one dominant party. The country seems to run better when power is split. Not SMOOTHER, mind you, but more moderated.
I look forward to the day when the Democrats are strong again, but I just don’t believe the current whining of the party leadership is going to get you there. It looks like the Republicans have ideas (good or bad) and Democrats are just trying to block all ideas, or bitch about bad ones while not suggesting any good one of their own.
In a way, the Democratic party looks closer to a schism than to unity. The strong progressives (such as yourselves) and the moderates seem to be pulling in somewhat different directions. With enough internal tension, the Republican party could also schism between the libertarian and the religious conservatives, but very little such pressure exists right now. I’m not putting any bets on the November elections; both parties have their problems.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:46 amI think the article has a few valid points, but I am not ready to trade differing opinions for a Karl-Rove-like fax machine to get “The Message” out.
As for Dems not providing a plan to fix Iraq, , Murtha has a pretty good one. Its just that the MSM isn’t quite ready for it
The thing that offends me most is the insuation that it is the Dem’s fault for not providing a plan for bailing out Bush. What in the world could any Dem say that Bush would listen to and not do the opposite?
March 7th, 2006 at 10:47 amThe problem is structural.
The party alignment is based upon loose affiliation of individuals with consultants providing weak glue. So we are left with egos continuously at odds with each other, and consultants enabling the same egos to go it alone to “position” their candidates. We are a party of wannabe officers with no troops (or very few). Until we the base exert our power in the primary selection process, the party will drift aimlessly.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:48 amThe problem, as Judd illustrates, is that the Republicans have such a strangle-hold on the media. So, even when the facts are disasterous for the administration and the Republican-controlled congress, the media can push a negative message about the Democrats as hapless and disorganized. Our problem is not as much a lack of ideas or the lack of a unified message, but the lack of any media outlet that will treat the facts fairly. The Republicans control such a swath of the bandwidth, they can, and have, effectively marginalize all opposition alternatives. Only the internet remains open; this is why they regard the blogosphere as such a threat. This is why their talking heads whine so petulantly about attacks from Bush-hating wacko liberal Blogs” They have not yet figured out how to control our speech. Their best effort so far has been the sort of infantile trolling seen here by “Mighty Aphrodite” and the like.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:48 am#20 – Great post. You are so right. The republicans have lost the only message they have – that is the WRONG impression Americans have that they will protect them. This is not 2002 and we are going to win!
March 7th, 2006 at 10:49 amLook if my Parents were criminals I’d turn their asses in faster than a varmit round. Money insulates the truth and reinforces family , loyalty, The Family Value. I’m surprised we haven’t been reminded lately that we are a Republic, not a Democracy.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:53 amPeter
Of course the neo-media bias is part of the problem! However, if you (and others) think that Kerry lost mainly due to fictional narrative, then the main underlying problem will slide by unnoticed. Face it, we are a minority party right now, not an opposition party.
March 7th, 2006 at 10:58 amWhy not be the party of dis-administrate. Isn’t there physicaly enough time left to correct the levels and direction of spending? CO-Op any good portion of the Federal government from an efficiency level and blast anything under regulated as cryonism. If the Democrats realize that all they need is the White House and subsequently the Justice Dept. Seth II is right, divided government rules.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:15 amThe Democrats are more into problem solving than winning. Silly me, but that is the role that I see for government also. I was led to beleave that our form of government encouraged lots of ideas to be dicussed and then integrated into constructive solutions. The fact that the Democrats are looking at many issues with a variety of solutions will soon become an asset, not a liability. The Bush administration knows how to get elected but has not a clue on how to govern. THE COWS ARE COMING HOME!
March 7th, 2006 at 11:17 amI tried to read the op-ed this am but chucked it about half way through. My disgust wasn’t that he pointed out that Democrats ARE different from republithugs. They are. Democrats are ALLOWED to have thoughts of THEIR OWN, thoughts that REPRESENT their constituents, as opposed to the top down repub model.
My disgust was that he was beating up on the Democratic party like it was a pinata. His main point seemed to be – they aren’t like the republican 1 idea and 1 idea only model.
Yea, well, that is a hinderance when you are trying to get out a national message, but it IS what is good for local constituents. Now does that piss me off occasionally. You bet your ass it does. But at least we have honor and dignity. Can’t say that about bushco or his prostitute minions.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:20 amIt’s the media’s fault. EJ Dionne is a partisan dip shit. He hasn’t been right about anything post Bush v. Gore.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:23 amCitizen,
March 7th, 2006 at 11:24 amI attribute the 2004 results to the fact that, through Diebold, ESS, and Sequoia, we’ve allowed Karl Rove to count the vote, and guess what – Bush won. Unfortunately, Blackwell and the neo-media bias was able to add, “end of story”.
I don’t understand your distinction between “minority” and “opposition” parties. Please clarify.
To go with Judd’s notion…
What makes anyone think that the MSM would bother to pick up on some kind of unified (D) message, whether actual or perceived?
And what’s with this meme, anyhow?… who the hell says that “unified message” is ~the~ solution to winning elections? Why not court the 40-50% of eligible non-voters? Talk about an untapped resource…
March 7th, 2006 at 11:25 amSo the media decides which party frames the issues, decides which issues belong to which party (ie. security is a right-wing value) and then tries to disarm any Republican problems by instilling a false impression of balance. Amidst all this spinng to defend and/or prop-up the REpublicans party adn BUsh they constanly misrepresent the Democratis/Liberal points and constantly present lies and misinformation when talking about Democratic members and what they say or stand for.
Then they have the unmitigated gall to talk about how they left has no message? What do they expects when they couldn’t care less about the Dems message and will do everything they can no distance themselves from it out of fear of being called liberal?
March 7th, 2006 at 11:26 amWhat the Democrats need is a hero. Someone the so-called liberal media will take notice of who is willing to stand up and make a lot of noise and never back down; we need someone who is not so in love with his/her job that they will do whatever it takes to take back this country.
Does the person exist who will stand up and sacrifice themselves for our country and constitution?
March 7th, 2006 at 11:29 amOur problem is not that we do not have a message, it is that we do not have a strong leader that will rally the troops and carry this message to the public.
I am sick of watching Democrats cave on issues, where there is clearly a right and a wrong side, because they think that there may not be enough popular support for them to stick their necks out and do what is right. If we do not stand on our Democratic principles, we are no better than the Republicans that we seek to replace. I am sick and tired of us acting like watered down Republicans.
PLEASE, PLEASE, DEMOCRATS GROW A SPINE!!!
March 7th, 2006 at 11:30 amIf as Democrats we’re going to promote our ability to change the status quo, let’s get behind someone that truly promotes change. Feingold in ‘08.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:32 am#34
Russ Feingold
He has shown that he has a “set” and has proven the ability to work with the “other” side too. Not that that is necessarily good- but important none the less. A unifier?
March 7th, 2006 at 11:34 am#34 – My sentiments exactly. My post on 35 was an attempt to say essentially what you just said. If I would have seen it before I posted, I would have probably just said ditto that #34.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:35 amI agree – Feingold in 08!!!
March 7th, 2006 at 11:36 am#29 – I agree. Republicans believe in imposing an “answer” to problems without trying to find out if the “answer” they support is the best one available, or has the majority support of the citizens. Democrats believe in finding out what the best answer is by questioning the available “answers” and checking with their constituents to get direct feedback.
This makes it seem as if the Democrats don’t have a “single voice”, and that claim is true to the extent that there may be differing views available. Republicans, in my opinion, tend to say “You’re with us, or against us”. They might allow party members to disagree on one or two issues, but no more than that. You might be pro-choice as a Republican, but you’d better fall in line and vote with them on all other issues, or they’ll cut you lose from the party.
Democrats believe that everyone should be allowed to have their own opinion and beliefs that may differ from the party as a whole.
Republicans believe that if you don’t agree with them on almost every issue, then go away because they just dont want you.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:36 amIs it possible that the democratic party has been infiltrated, to the point of being always ‘un-unified’? If so, they will never surge forward no matter how bad the current state. And, if so, shouldn’t a little house cleaning be in order?
March 7th, 2006 at 11:37 amFirst, the neo-media is a reality, we must deal with that fact and work around it.
Second, Peter a minority party exerts no power. On just about every issue the last four years (SS exception) our party has been insignificant in opposition from lack of warriors and leadership. An opposition party furiously opposes the party in power by pointing out the incompetence and proposing alternatives that are unified and screamed aloud over and over.
Third, regardless of Diebold, ESS, and Sequoia there should have been a large enough margin that Ohio would not have mattered.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:39 amThe Kennedy/Clinton Cloture Club hung itself.
But so did the Republicans with Corruption, WMD, Fiscal Irresponsibility, Deficit, Debt, Backloaded Taxes, Lies and Wars.
Remember when people voted for the Lesser of the Two Evils?
March 7th, 2006 at 11:41 amNow its just a Coin Toss away.
Feingold reading the entire Constitution in his attempt to stop the Patriot Act renewal was a class act it there ever was one!
What he needs is backing.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:43 amWiscoDuk
Yes he does. Too bad our primary system won’t allow us to vote for him, it will be decided long before we go to the polls.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:46 amDemocrat Soldier – #40
What you’re describing is close to the difference between a pure democracy and a representative democracy. In our representative democracy, politicians are elected based on where they seem to stand at election time. They then represent their people for a term. If they represent their people poorly, they likely lose the next election. It’s smart to check with the constituency periodically to see where you stand, but not on every problem and potential solution. No party has enough power to say, “I don’t care what the people think” and get re-elected.
If we had a pure democracy, we wouldn’t even need elections. We the people would vote on every issue. I suspect voter turnout would be even lower if that were the case.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:50 amI am voting for the Fiengold/Kucinich ticket in 08 no matter what dip-shit wins our parties nomination. And if it does not exist, I will pencil it in an move to Canada.
March 7th, 2006 at 11:55 amCitizen,
I agree about our need to become an opposition party and not a minority party, but I’m afraid that the crutial difference between the two is the media. I’ve thought for a long while that what we should do is hold a mid-term convention to showcase Democratic alternatives. Still, I’m not sure even that would garner any media attention when a petition with half a million signatures creates no hubub.
I’m also not convinced that there exists a margin large enough as to not be neutralized by Diebold, ESS and Sequoia. All it takes is to have another “10-out-of-10 terrorist alert” while counting the vote, and voila, the dynasty continues.
March 7th, 2006 at 12:03 pmRight now the biggest f** up ever to lead America is in office and the Dems haven’t done crap to reign him in. No impeachment, no accountability for making America a laughingstock. The mastermind behind 9/11 is still on the loose. A trillion dollars later Iraq is still broken. 2300 people died for a Saddam trophy. Countless others crippled for life for a pointless war in Iraq. I just want someone who can articlate how much Bush has destroyed the US credibility without any apparent gain. I like someone who isn’t thinking about their political future but is just wise strong leader. I don’t care if they are liberal, or conservative. We need someone who can straighten out the mess. I know how the germans felt when the Nazi’s were starting wars and trying to exterminate the Jews. 30 percent thought it was a good idea. So you wonder why people are pissed off at the Democrats because they have been going along to get along. So they will always look weak no matter what they do now. So America has the choice between “Strong and stupid” or “Weak and stupid”. Its an interchangeable choice. Just spin it.
March 7th, 2006 at 12:06 pmwe need some leadership in this country,
a voice of patriotic opposition to rally the
66 percent that do not support Bush and Republikkkan foolishness.
unfortunately, the headline in today’s WaPo says it all
surprise, surprise!
March 7th, 2006 at 12:23 pmOn Lou Dobbs last night, John Fund, who I always thought was a Neo-creep was cornered, and finally, the truth came out of his mouth. It was amazing: “The Democrats are brain-dead, but the Republicans are the most corrupt ever ,…!
I agree wholeheartedly, with just a few exceptional Democrats. #1 RUSS FEINGOLD #2 JOHN CONNERS #3 BARBARA BOXER, #5 JOHN EDWARDS, #6 AL GORE and the few brave souls who actually voted against the Republican pressure machine recently.
Tonight Barbara Boxer will be on Lou’s show.
March 7th, 2006 at 12:28 pmMedia plays a role, but most of the comments point out that the article is right and the poll numbers back it up. Any chance of capitalizing on the golden opportunity presented this fall requires a modicum of discipline on at least a few issues. It would seem like the Democrats could unite on a strong plan to reduce corruption–for those memebers of the Democratic party to corrupt to go along–kick them out! You want to convince Americans that you will do better than the Republicans how about kicking a few of the most corrupt Democrats out of the party and make it clear to the media what you are doing? Think that won’t get covered by the SCLM? Second there should be a unified , serious plan to rebuild New Orleans including precisely what taxes will be levied to pay for it. While taxes will not go down well, if they are specifically earmarked to do a job which most everyone agrees needs to be done and the Democrats have a plan to get it done without adding to the deficit, it is a can’t lose proposition. Third , and the hardest, Democrats need to set a timetable and plan to get out of Iraq, sooner rather than later.It can have some waffle in it including leaving a small contingent of air support for Iraqi forces, but it must have a sensible and firm date for withdrawal. Corruption, Katrina and Iraq are the three issues on which the Democrats could pound Republicans, but Democrats need to speak with one voice on those issues or we are wasting our time talking about the 2006 elections. As to 2008, I might like Feingold, but it is just a waste of time to talk about him if Democrats can not make serious in roads on Republican control of Congress under present circumstances.
March 7th, 2006 at 12:48 pmBut the Democrats don’t appear to have the voices like Newt Gingrich.
http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=cb46d45dd5fc3d05
What good are ideas, if the voices aren’t being heard? The conservatives are winning the media battles, and truth be damned.
Would it be so bad for a politician if they told the truth? I think if they had vision and a voice people would follow. The problem with Bush is that he is a massive sneaky saleman; great at the sales, but a failure at the implementation because he’s not a leader or honest. He speaks about integrity in public, but in private he stabs us in the back. I’ve read that the Democrats and the Republicans have made a pack not to file ethic claims against one another (I think only in the House), so we end up with folks like Tom Dely, Duke Cunningham with no accountablity until their violations are so obscene (Duke got 8.5 years for the biggest violations to the citizens of this country in history).
If the Democrats have ideas, and I do believe they do, they have to figure out how to get the messages to the people (and that includes middle America), and combat the Republican lies and crooked tactics. There has to be a partnership between government, people, and corporations; right now the people are getting the short end, regardless of the party.
What if the people with all the power own the various media outlets?
Whose voice gets heard?
March 7th, 2006 at 12:51 pmof course, because they are all the same. some not as radical as others. it’s a political game to see who is dumb enough to fall for anything these pricks say. and the majority of us will just sit back and watch these peckerwoods fight worse than little kids over a piece of candy. follow the money!!! it’s about the “moneychangers”. and on top is the rothchilds. he is the octopus and controls the tentacles which are the media, big corps, banks etc….. 2008, voting strike. DO NOT VOTE ON THE MACHINES FOLKS. ABSENTEE, ABSENTEE, ABSENTEE: it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out why absentee is on the rise. wake up america and my fellow legal americans.
March 7th, 2006 at 12:53 pm2006: ABSENTEE, ABSENTEE, ABSENTEE——DO NOT VOTE ON THE MACHINES.
March 7th, 2006 at 12:59 pmActually, #8 had it right. There is no Democrat version of a contract with America. The Democrats seem like a bunch of splintered special interest groups.
March 7th, 2006 at 1:12 pmDid anyone ever hear of Mark Warner from Virginia. He Has
March 7th, 2006 at 1:22 pmseveral good ideas, but the Republicans are brainwashing everbody and saying we don’t have any decent Dems. We can’t
let them do it.
I don’t know, BUSH IS INCOMPETENT sounds like a unified message to me.
March 7th, 2006 at 1:32 pmWell, it’s true. The Democrats talk about how incompetent Bush is all the time, but then when they manage to squeeze his approval ratings down to the mid to upper 30s… nothing. The Democrats never manage to score the knock-out punch, and Bush just gets back up and keeps on going without the Democrats taking advantage.
The Democrats simply spend too much time bashing Bush instead of preaching alternatives to the American people.
March 7th, 2006 at 1:34 pmHere is the plan:
1. Regain Congress.
2. Impeach Bush.
3. Impeach Cheney.
4. Criminal Indictments for Bush/Cheney & Cabinet Members.
5. Imprisonment for convicted criminals.
6. Restore Constitutional rights.
7. Repeal billionaire tax breaks.
8. Balance the Budget
Hows that for a plan?
March 7th, 2006 at 1:41 pmAgreed #58. Howard Dean needs to understand that we are all aware of the problems. He’s got to understand that the Dems need to be in the solution business.
March 7th, 2006 at 1:46 pmWilliam: “I’m sure we can pull together, sir.”
Vetinari: “Oh, I do hope not, I really do hope not. Pulling together is the aim of despotism and tyranny. Free men pull in all kinds of directions. It’s the only way to make progress.”
–Terry Pratchett, The Truth
March 7th, 2006 at 2:02 pm#2 #6 #9 #35 #48 #49 #50 #51 #55 (and to a lesser extent #41; now watch the removal of a comment change all those numbers)
AT PRESENT, THE MINORITY PARTY IN THE CONGRESS, which stands as a People’s ‘last hope’ against the Corruption and Evil that makes for a Majority in that Congress, and holds the Administration of Government…
That Minority Party, I say, acts as though they are waiting for the ‘Great Compass Needle of Public Opinion’ to gradually come about, and point at them, and sweep them into office this fall, as the answer to all Prayers; as the response to the above-mentioned ‘last hope’.
Waiting I say, they seem to be, that Minority Party; as though there were nothing to do in the face of Corruption and Evil, but simply stand about, and become the ‘default selection’ of the People, once that Corruption and Evil has consumed it’s own reputation at making Law and Administering Government (in addition to consuming all else it can)…
Doing nothing I say, the Minority Party, and waiting to be the ‘default selection’ of the People this fall; as though doing nothing were a qualification to Leadership.
Guess what? If that’s what they think, then they may have another think coming.
Because unless they get out of this idiotic ‘we are the party of default selection’ way of thinking; unless they find at the least a voice (and at the most a body) to start opposing this Corruption and Evil that now inhabits the Congress and the Administration; unless they start doing something…
Then I say, that this doing nothing they seem to be so fond of, will fast become the reason that the People will not make them selection to anything; not by default or any other way; because doing nothing and standing around was never a qualification to leadership anywhere I know of.
Least of all in America, in the face of Corruption and Evil.
Least of all to the American People.
(And #41, the thing you allude to, but do not name, is otherwise called ‘money’; as in Lobbyist-provided, to stand around and be lame, in the face of the Corruption and Evil that takes so much money, from the very same Lobbyists.)
March 7th, 2006 at 2:09 pmCoreesa,
John Conners is the guy the terminator was after. John Conyers is the one pushing for Bush’s impaechemnt.
March 7th, 2006 at 2:17 pm#63 – “impaechemnt”
March 7th, 2006 at 2:58 pm*snort* I do that too — all the right letters, just not in the right order! Details…
I didn’t know TP had a thread on this — I have already sent Babington and Murray an Email.
March 7th, 2006 at 3:10 pm#17- The “Nader Effect”? I suppose that’s how GWB made it too?
#46- You said, if we had pure democracy, we wouldn’t need elections. Then you followed it by saying, we the people would vote… voter turnout would be even lower… So, if we wouldn’t need elections, we the people wouldn’t have any reason to vote, or anything to “turnout” for. Care to clairify?
March 7th, 2006 at 4:31 pmNo, it was the “butterfly ballot effect” that moved about 2800 votes fron the Gore column the the Buchanan column in Florida’s Palm Beach county. There have been inumerable papers on this phenominum. An example:
March 7th, 2006 at 4:43 pm.
I’ll try that again:
March 7th, 2006 at 4:48 pmNo, it was the “butterfly ballot effect†that moved about 2800 votes fron the Gore column the the Buchanan column in Florida’s Palm Beach county. There have been inumerable papers on this phenominum. An example:
http://macht.arts.cornell.edu/wrm1/butterfly.pdf
It’s time for a deep breath and a bit of anger management!
March 7th, 2006 at 4:57 pmNo, it was the “butterfly ballot effect†that moved about 2800 votes from the Gore column to the Buchanan column in Florida’s Palm Beach county. There have been innumerable papers on this phenomenon. An example:
http://macht.arts.cornell.edu/wrm1/butterfly.pdf
#59, “Hating Bush” is not an election theme…
March 7th, 2006 at 5:17 pm#17
March 7th, 2006 at 5:29 pmBush first gained office by a SCOTUS effect, and retained that office by a DIEBOLD effect. The only solution is to turn out all incumbents, Democrat AND Republicans. That will trash the lobbyists game, and maybe our Congress will be responsive to their constituents the way they should be.
Isn’t it curious — Bush&Co has the press in their back pocket, yet they claim that the press provides mostly bad news on Iraq. What would be in the news if the press wasn’t bought and paid for?
March 7th, 2006 at 5:35 pmWe have already seen that unless there is a huge story in Iraq, we don’t get daily news on Iraq – yet Rummy claims that ain’t so.
Oh, if only the press were populated by real journalists — what would we know.
I don’t care if the Democratic party doesn’t have a plan, a message, a slogan, a catchphrase, a secret handshake, a secret bunker, a theme song or anything else. But I do care that they have goals.This is all stuff we know about and have heard before: Health care for every citizen, a quality educational system where every child is valued, fair and affordable housing, fair and livable wages with benefits that won’t insult us, a government that works for ALL of us and not us bowing and scraping to them, and a president that is at least as articulate and diplomatic than I am when I am drunk. Say what you want about the Democrats but they say the same things over and over because they will put the needs of ordinary citizens on their agenda if we give them a chance.
March 7th, 2006 at 7:52 pmCyra – #66:
Elections are the citizens voting on politicians. In a pure democracy we the people would instead vote directly on issues. No politicians.
March 7th, 2006 at 8:18 pm#74- What state do you live in?!? In Washington State we vote on many things, not just politicians. But we have an initiative process in our state. If you can gather enough valid signatures, by the deadline, you can have virtually any issue placed on the ballot, and then let the voters decide. What do they have in your state? We even have an occasional “special election”. Works for us.
March 7th, 2006 at 9:21 pm“Elections are the citizens voting on politicians. In a pure democracy we the people would instead vote directly on issues. No politicians. Comment by Seth II”
That’s a half truth sweetie. Greece had a true democracy and politicians. The politicians were responsible for running the operations that were dictated by the democracy, they were also elected by the democracy. They also brought forth legislation for the democracy to vote on, in addition to executing the requested legislation.
A democracy doesn’t mean no politician, it simply means a direct vote on all critical matters of state or political and state decisions.
Unfortunately it’s not very scalable in a complex society, as the issues are as complex is the state is. That’s why our politicians are so swamped, and are so busy they never bother actually reading the legislation they vote on. It’s the like the worst case scenario of voter referendum. Our Democracy is so complex, and our politicians are so busy ‘raising money’, that they now face the same problem that democracy does. Not enough time for those who must vote to actually be informed enough to vote. Perhaps the republic isn’t scalable either, or just maybe we need a different campaign finance strategy since that’s where most of the problems seem to stem from currently.
I don’t really fault either party for this, although the republicans seem more resistent to a public finance scheme to offload the drain of campaign fundraising. Perhaps you can talk some sense into your fellow republicans SethII, or are you one of those who prefers to have our politicians beholding to special interests?
March 7th, 2006 at 9:26 pm#59 – Sounds very American but while we are at it, let’s burn the American media to the ground and if the fire reaches the corporations that own them, let corporate political power burn to the ground as well.
Specific elements of the unAmerican neo-fascist cult currently governing from the sewers of the American political, business, religious, and media communities should be arrested, tried, and if found guilty, lined up and shot for crimes committed against the American people.
March 8th, 2006 at 1:11 amSent this memo to Howard Dean:
Why should I send you money??? You don’t need me to send money till the Dems already in power start supporting each other. Howard Dean and the Dems couldn’t help a real Texan – Rodriquez beat a fake Dem Bush kisser Cuellar. How sorry is that? Did Pelosi or Hillary show up to help? NO!!! Also, Houston/Galveston had voting problems AGAIN, in the Republicans favor – AGAIN!!! Imagine that. You fake Dems are just Millionaires ripping off poor people for money. You couldn’t win a high school election against a tenth grader who isn’t eligle to vote. Oh yeah, why should I vote for Dems who sold us out on war, bankruptcy, health care, veterans benefits, wire tapping, Katrina, port security, outsourcing, insourcing, immigration, pensions, Supreme Court, and the un-patriot act? And you had the gaul to vote yourself a pay raise. Vote yourself fundraising while you’re at it, why don’t you?!? You sure you Dems aren’t closet Republicans? Karl Rove kicks your sorry asses every election. No amount of money is gonna stop that. Get a job like the rest of us.
Signed,
Disgusted in Texas
March 8th, 2006 at 4:42 pm