Every Democratic candidate should realize one thing above all else.

[guillaumeb]

The leaders, and to a large extent many of the voters in the GOP are not interested in compromise in any fashion.

If the 8 years of the Obama Presidency did not make that abundantly clear, I cannot imagine what would. 400 plus filibusters, outright racist comments about President Obama not being a "real" American, the Merrick Garland affair, the constant refusal to confirm Judges, all of these things showed that the GOP refused to compromise, or even follow the Constitution.

So if any candidate talks about working with the other side, that candidate should understand that this bi-partisan cooperation is a thing of the past.

The GOP accepts no compromises. The GOP successfully frames the terms of the debate, and what is considered possible. It is aided in this by a complicit, corporate dominated mass media.

My opinion.

[trev]

1. I've been saying this on here all along.

It just won't work. Period.

[guillaumeb]

3. It could work, but as I have said, the GOP does not believe in 2 party government.

The GOP refuses to compromise on anything of substance.

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. Could not agree more.

Rump, Putin and MAGA etal want us gone and if we wont leave quietly, they would do what Hitler did.

I have no confusion about that. GOP will ultimately go along with that if not already.

[guillaumeb]

4. And every candidate must realize that fact.

Talk of compromise with the Party of Trump and McConnell fails to recognize the reality of the GOP.

[TryLogic]

22. I have to agree.

I wonder if they would compromise somewhat with a white male. If so, they are unacceptable beyond words.

[trev]

27. The political parties of 1930s Germany,

originally opposed to the Nazis in the 1920s, came around and--following Hindenburg--gave Hitler absolute power.

Trump is hoping he can acquire the same.

[Girard442]

5. True. We are in a Cold Civil War with Republican-controlled entities.

At least it's cold for now.

[guillaumeb]

6. With all of the Trump inspired violence,

and the concentration camps at the border, the war is heating up.

[Maven]

26. +1

[Hortensis]

7. Are the midterms already so forgotten? We were a majority

in 2016 and a wonderfully larger majority just last November. Those voters, including conservatives, made it very clear they want good, functional government with bipartisan cooperation.

Bipartisan cooperation is not a thing of the present, but it can be of the future. A shift of power to the party that believes in democracy and representative government, and the critical need to reestablish stability, would be a huge game changer. If we get control of congress, we will allow the Republicans to compromise and cooperate with us, which they will do a lot more than you're imagining in order to accomplish anything at all.

As for what our candidates know, even the lower-performing ones have spent small fortunes on data and analysts who've been studying every demographic in the nation as they relate to them. They all know enormously more than one thing on this topic.

[guillaumeb]

10. Very well said.

But I am speaking based on my observation of the GOP as it has existed since the Hastert Rule was adopted. The idea that only GOP supported ideas will be considered any time that the GOP is in control.

Bipartisan cooperation requires, of course, that both sides be willing to compromise. And I do not see that.

What I see, from the President on down, is a GOP that treats the Democrats as less than equal partners.

A GOP that promoters the meme of fake news.

A GOP that must rely on racism and repression and outright cheating to have any chance to win.

[Hortensis]

15. No, cooperation just requires the GOP to become the minority party.

That's all. That's a lot, of course, but we should all by now have undergone a big learning experience about the power of the party that holds the majorities. The Republicans can refuse to cooperate as long as they control the senate. Out of power, if they chose not to cooperate it'd be mostly irrelevant.

Further, vast, unmet national emergencies coming to a head of global warming crisis and the "end of work" crisis for millions mean the patterns that lead us here cannot continue. As happened in the 1930s, 200,000,000 REGISTERED VOTERS will be forced to put a stop to the traitorous control of the GOP by only some of the 70,000 (edited from 70 million) wealthiest families in the nation.

The biggest emergency of all, of course, is that the people bankrolling the GOP's fascistic tactics do intend to win this and cement their power permanently. We have to smash them as our grandparents did.

"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." Nancy Pelosi in her speech to the nation at the opening of the 116th congress.

How strange that the MSM buried that explosive call to arms...

[guillaumeb]

17. Yes, very "strange" indeed.

But the current corporate media meme is the familiar one of "Democrats in disarray".

[Hortensis]

20. Yes. We're actually quite broadly united. Most

discussion is about the best means to achieve the same or very similar goals, candidates working hard to differentiate themselves from each other. Even a genuine dissident like Sanders finds trying to sell socialism a losing cause and styles himself as more genuinely mainstream than the mainstream.

I'm re-reading Tip O'Neill's autobiography. Campaign tactics were very different and often very rough in a Depression era where rallies were held on street corners, crowds moving with candidates from one corner to another, because campaign literature was unknown, radio too expensive, and TV not invented. But those people saw and heard from the candidates directly with all their warts, not filtered through agents who often lack understanding and sympathy and all too frequently are advancing toxic, even seditious agendas.

[guillaumeb]

21. Thank you for the historical over view.

The media prefer to categorize by simple memes. Even supposedly liberal outlets like MSNBC.

[trev]

18. So why do they keep electing obstructionists?

And please don't tell me about McConnell's war chest. If people don't see--or care about--what their senators are, then I can't put my trust in them to elect a functioning Congress.

[question everything]

24. Hear hear!

[guillaumeb]

11. Welcome to DU.

Thank you.

Guill

[mtnsnake]

9. I think all of them realize it, but few or none of them will admit it publicly

for the simple reason that they need to make voters think they're going to be able to get the repukes to work with us by some small miracle that will take place when they're elected President.

[guillaumeb]

12. An excellent observation.

A larger question is, how can the GOP retreat from their current position?

Or can they?

[Thekaspervote]

28. Good point.. maybe some will retreat when they see how inconsequential they are post 2020

[msongs]

13. repubs have the power. there is no need for them to share so they won't nt

[guillaumeb]

14. And given that, there can be no compromise.

It is that simple.

[yaesu]

16. its war and we should not be working with the enemy on anything, shut them down! nt

[guillaumeb]

19. We must vote them out.

And if we do so, the US corporate media will insist that the Democrats must move to the right to meet the GOP.

[Demsrule86]

32. We can't vote them out in red states...who will keep electing them so then what?

[guillaumeb]

35. We must also reach out to the non-voters in those red states. eom

[Demsrule86]

36. I have experience with non-voters...most don't give two shits

Better to reach the voters in the Obama coalition.

[guillaumeb]

39. Better to grow the coalition. eom

[Demsrule86]

43. It is probably not possible...you have to reach voters we already had very recently...Obama

Coaltion...more likely to convince them.

[Uncle Joe]

23. I agree with your opinion.

Thanks for the thread guillaumeb.

[demosincebirth]

25. Good example would be the turtle himself, Mitch Mcturtle

[guillaumeb]

30. He obviously believes in one man rule. And that man is himself. eom

[gtar100]

29. Precisely. There is no compromising with them while they hold such contempt for at least half the

people in this country. They act like such privileged, entitled darlings as if they deserve to be in power simply because they say they are conservative (other than compassion, kindness and intelligence, I'm not exactly sure what they think they're conserving). They have divided this country, reinvigorated racism in this country, and created the greatest income inequality gap we've seen in a long time. They bring absolutely no ideas to the table to address the long-term survivability of our country but are instead opportunists who take advantage of human frailties simply to enrich themselves. They have destroyed the reputation of the United States around the world through their bullying and self-righteous tactics. That is their legacy. Any talk of working with them should be strictly utilitarian, we already know we cannot take them at their word in any agreement. Arrogance has an eventual price to be paid. I hope to see the day when that bill comes due on them. (rant off)

[guillaumeb]

33. Very well said gtar.

The "R" in their name obviously stands for racism and riches.

[gtar100]

45. Thanks Gil. I appreciate that. :) n/t

[Demsrule86]

31. Which means nothing gets done...ever.

Tell me how you accomplish anything without some sort of compromise?

[guillaumeb]

34. Over 400 GOP filibusters during the Obama Presidency.

And Trump is doing his best, with the complicity of the GOP, to erase everything that Obama did.

For the GOP, compromise is code for doing what the GOP wants done.

[Uncle Joe]

37. and only four Republicans in the House had the guts

to condemn Trump for his racism.

[guillaumeb]

40. Exactly.

The rest are either racists, or enablers and supporters of racists.

[Demsrule86]

38. So you didn't answer my question...how do we get things done?

The problem really was the filibuster of the house...and with the court ruling that will continue...so now what?

[guillaumeb]

41. Compromise requires two sides that are willing to deal with each other.

And the GOP leadership shows no such willingness. Any belief that this will change with the current leadership is refuted by actual history from 2009 through 2019.

[Demsrule86]

42. I don't disagree with you... I see little chance of compromise...but let's say we take the Senate...

unlikely but let's hope...we will still have to compromise with the moderates in the house and Senate and we have no majority without them...so you see nothing gets done without working to together even in our own party...I don't think anything gets done if we don't win the Senate but even if we don't win the senate and win the presidency, we stop Trump. And that has to be enough for now. And maybe we make it so miserable for the GOP they cave and come to the table maybe not...but Trump doesn't get a fucking judge ever again. And we go from there...we desperately need a new election strategy to shore up the blue wall, take some of the south and the west back.

[guillaumeb]

44. Very true.

And like you, I feel that w can take the Senate.