I know this is a lot to ask, but can we just FOCUS on getting Dems Elected?

[bitterross]

When I see threads like this one:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210026290

All I can think of is - Is the story this is based on a Russian plant or a GOP plant?

First, let me say I am not trying to call out or shame the OP for starting the thread. I don't fault you one bit for seeing that story, being disgusted and posting about it on DU. You are absolutely right to be disgusted and so is everyone else.

The thing I want us to think about very critically though is this. "Is it worth our distraction away from GOTV efforts and grass roots campaigning to take time and spend it on this thing right now?" I want us to ask that question of every provocative article that gets posted on the web and in every other media. I want us to ask the question "Is this a Russian or GOP planted item to distract us from the real goal - electing Democrats?" We have seen that even left-leaning publications have had stories planted to cause distraction and discord.

I see a lot of back and forth in that sort thread where we fight among ourselves on an issue we can't even do anything about right now. Can we do anything about a real impeachment vote right now? NO. We can't. So why are we squabbling about it and bringing up how Bill Clinton was treated? That does ZERO good and just gets people upset over something we cannot control right now.

I would just ask that we FOCUS on the real goal right now. Get Democrats elected. From local and state to national office. Until we accomplish that everything else is just so much mishmash.

[FreepFryer]

1. Hear, hear. Think before you repeat divisive anti-Democratic propaganda, even if to oppose. (n/t)

[Iggo]

2. No way! It's more fun to wonder if Melania's a tree-hating Rooskie spy!

[cbreezen]

3. Me thinks that the real DU ceased to exist on November 8, 2016...

Sadly, that was the 12th anniversary of my husband, Wayne Albert Allridge, Jr.'s death.

Old DU people would know that. The new folks don't care.

[Beartracks]

4. Agreed. Here's what we need: More (D)s in seats. That's it. And...

... it doesn't matter if you have to choose between some Republican schmuck and a Blue Dog Dem -- you vote for the Dem.

Why? Because even a Blue Dog Dem will be another (D) in another Congressional seat.

And why is that important?

Because unless and until we get a majority of seats with (D) butts in them on Capitol Hill, the Democrats can't set the legislative agenda, and the progressive folks like Warren and Sanders can't get committee chairs.

Sure, many Democratic voters would PREFER not to have a centrist Democrat or a "corporate" Democrat or a Blue Dog Dem representing them in Washington -- but it's a far sight better than having a Republican up there NOT representing you at ALL. And I think we'd all PREFER not to having Republicans running this country into the ground.

An (R) ass in a seat isn't going to do any good for anyone, anywhere, except other (R) asses.

So, your election duties boil down to one thing: (D)s in seats.

That's where it counts.

And it's easy!

1) Go to voting booth (optional: take other Dems with you!)
2) Vote for the best (D)s available on your ballot, straight down the ticket: local, state, national.


===============

[calimary]

13. Yep. Applause for this post!!!

Thank you, Beartracks! Just look for the “D” on the ballot. “D” - for “DO IT, DAMMIT!”

NO “I’s” either because they can’t always be fully trusted. It’s just by luck that the two “I’s” in there now do caucus with us, but that’s not always gonna be guaranteed. It’s one or the other. A binary choice. And I’m sorry but that’s how it IS and that’s what it is and that’s all we’ve got. Yeah, I always like choices but in THIS particular situation, this is what there is, this is what we HAVE, and that’s the reality.

It’s “D” or Die.

Frankly, at this point, I don’t care if it’s from Mars. If it’s got a “D” after its name, I’m voting for it. The lamest “D” is FAR better than an “R” for all the reasons you’ve laid out here, Beartracks.

[pnwmom]

5. No. Not as long as the Russians are interfering with our political process.

And there is every indication that they are.

[bitterross]

7. Yes, my hope was that we could stop allowing their manipulation.

You are correct that they are still a major threat. Let's try to make them less effective.

[Hoyt]

6. +1. Primaries start in 5 months. In 11 months we could take the House, sending

Trump and GOPers a bigger message than even Mueller’s findings, assuming they even nail Trump.

[Crunchy Frog]

8. This is a discussion board. People discuss things.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. Considering how many threads there are about

Trump being impeached or resigning and what to do with the supposed huge Democratic majority we'll have in both houses come next November, it is a lot to ask. Too much to ask. People here would rather focus on imaginary things, like Trump being indicted by Mueller, than the reality of the current Republican control of Congress and the Presidency, and the ongoing rollback of regulations that have made life decent for the last 70 years or so.

And it's not just the Congress we need to focus on. It's Dems in the state houses and state senates that are crucial. Most people here seem to have little real experience in grass-roots democracy. They pontificate grandiose plans here, but never think about supporting the man or woman running for city council or county commissioner. Let alone running themselves.

There's a lack of real-world understanding or experience that is disheartening.

[BigmanPigman]

11. The local "meet-up" groups and "huddles" in cities throughout the country

are focused on precisely what you described and they are determined and smart. They are pacing themselves and are taking the Indivisible Handbook as a guide for grass roots activism and they are succeeding. I am so proud of their unending hard work, time, energy, structure and strategic planning and their commitment to winning local elections as a start. They are resisting every day.

[certainot]

10. sure, but all the GOTV and grass roots is half assed until dems stop ignoring talk radio

it's coordinated at the local level, we let more than 88 universities endorse the GOP messaging from at least 257 limbaugh stations with sports broadcasting and don't complain, and here' some simple math:

at a cheap $1000/hr x 15hrs/day x 5 = $75,000/wk x 1200 stations http//:www.republiconradio.org is worth $18MIL/day or 390MIL$ /month or 4.68 BIL$/ year FREE for coordinated global warming denial, pro republican free market deregulation and wall st think tank propaganda, swiftboating of good citizens, attacks on public education and teachers, passing voter suppression legislation, trying to repeal obamacare, and the hate and fear used to get people to vote republican.

[hay rick]

12. Worrying about talk radio is a substitute for GOTV.

The conservative media bubble is beyond our control. If we do effective GOTV we don't need a single vote from those folks.

[certainot]

14. that strategy is the primary reason we're in this disaster

talk radio is much more than their GOTV and ignoring it continues to be the biggest mistake in history.

they're blowing over your GOTV with about 300 ignorant liars on 1500 radio stations. that's it.

30 years ago they put screaming assholes on every corner and stump in the country, screaming liberals are liars thieves and traitors and the left has just walked by, often believing the RW propaganda that their 95% monopoly was a manifestation of the market demand for ignorant racist assholes vs wit and truth on talk radio.

the left is so lazy and ignorant about talk radio kicking our ass we even let 88 major universities support 257 limbaugh stations.

here are a few things people can do:

to start, dems and media and political scientists need to be encouraged to poll trump support for talk radio. too much analysis ignores the fact that this is actually the talk radio president and most of putin’s trolling piggybacked it. i’ll bet it shows the closest association outside of ‘white’, and that will help establish it as a major factor.

monitor it —  should be easier now to automate recording and transcribing the main rw talkers so people can search and study the patterns and repetition. if all of a sudden there’s a spike in, say the word ‘iran’ or ‘mueller’ or ‘deep state’, etc, it probably means something. knowing about it before  it becomes reality means not always having to play catch up

credit it —  trump needs a RUSH tattoo on his forehead, as do all republican pols and media hacks. they all ride the talk radio bandwagon and feed from the daily smorgasbord of talking points and excuses. dems in media could accurately preface answers to republican media hacks and politicians with “that’s what limbaugh says but...”

investigate it —  how long has putin been using it? did they find a way to feed limbaugh and coordinate with him and others? are any of them being paid  freelance money? exposing the talk radio gods as tools, especially russian tools, would help. Trump guy Sam Nunberg analyzed 1000s of hrs of RW radio & reported to Trump in 2014. to coordinate with Russian ops?

‘thank’ all local businesses that advertise on RW radio stations —  thank them for trump, trumpcare, global warming, privatization of public education, voter suppression, deregulation, tax breaks for billionaires, etc. it’s easy and fun to listen to a few minutes here and there and get a few  email addresses for thank-you notes that can get to the boss/owners.

protest it —   include the radio stations in any progressive protests —  they may  be better places to protest than capitols —  politicians and media will notice.

and to combine a few of those, push the 88 universities that endorse 257 limbaugh stations to stop crapping on their mission statements and start  looking for apolitical alternatives to broadcast sports on —  maybe their political science faculties and students can start studying the most dominant political factor in the US the last 30 years. people need to wonder why the unis should drop rw radio. it will start a discussion, gop will freak out, media will notice, and advertisers will flee.