Democratic Suicide CBSNEWS.COM

[icehenge]

"NRO: Dems Need To Start Living And Speaking Like Normal Folks"

We are in unsure times amid a controversial war. Yet the American people are not swayed by the universities, the major networks, the New York Times, Hollywood, the major foundations, and NPR. All these bastions of doctrinaire liberal thinking have done their best to convince America that George W. Bush, captive to right-wing nuts and Christian fanatics, is leading the country into an abyss. In fact, a close look at a map of red/blue counties nationwide suggests that the Democrats are in deepening trouble.

Why? In a word, Democratic ideology and rhetoric have not evolved from the 1960s, although the vast majority of Americans has -- and an astute Republican leadership knows it.

CLASS
The old class warfare was effective for two reasons: Americans did not have unemployment insurance, disability protection, minimum wages, social security, or health coverage. Much less were they awash in cheap material goods from China that offer the less well off the semblance of consumer parity with those far wealthier. Second, the advocates of such rights looked authentic, like they came off the docks, the union hall, the farm, or the shop, primed to battle those in pin-stripes and coiffed hair.

Today entitlement is far more complicated. Poverty is not so much absolute as relative: "I have a nice Kia, but he has a Mercedes," or "I have a student loan to go to Stanislaus State, but her parents sent her to Yale." Unfortunately for the Democrats, Kias and going to Stanislaus State aren't too bad, especially compared to the alternatives in the 1950s.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/06/opinion/main693480.shtml



Seems like there is some wisdom to these thoughts.

[Cary]

1. Sure there is "some wisdom". . .

if you're a freeper.

[icehenge]

14. what are you saying?

[Cary]

28. This is what the pukes have been throwing at us since the election.

It's just the old meme that we aren't relevant, warmed over.

Their message isn't better than ours.

[Cha]

2. republicans lie, cheat, steal, and

murder..who wants to be lumped in with them?

[kenny blankenship]

3. I have a Mercedes and health insurance

You have a Kia, work more every year to make the same salary, have no health insurance, but a map to the nearest ER taped to the driver's side visor instead.
Class is alive and well.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dr Fate]

4. Subject: Which network is Liberal????????

Subject: Which network is Liberal????????
Message:
I see ZERO wisdom in anyone who thinks the networks who borught us "WMDs" and "America's New War" "Saddam caused 9-11" "Swifboat Vets" 100s of FAKE Clinton scandals, etc,etc is "Liberal."

I agree that DEMs need to be more plainspoken- but therest of the article argues from a false premise.

[mcscajun]

20. Anybody who finds a liberal network gets a dollar.

:)

[Selteri]

23. Comedy Central count? NT

[mcscajun]

26. LOL

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[regnaD kciN]

5. I should point out that...

...although this appears on the CBS website, it actually come from "National Review Online"...which, if you recall, used to be the venue for Annthrax Coulter and also published an article calling for Chelsea Clinton to be killed because she bore the "genetic stain" of her parents.

[Avalux]

8. National Review is PNAC

they're sneaky fuckers.

[icehenge]

19. I wasn't aware thanks for the FYI

[seasat]

6. Sorry I don't believe anything from the National Review.

Especially as much as they supported Shrub Inc. Suicide would be taking advice from this hard right neocon publication that this oped is orginally from.

[benddem]

7. That was written by the National Review

there ain't no wisdom there.

[cornermouse]

9. Not really.

Poverty is not so much absolute as relative? Hello? Perhaps the writer should leave his suburbs and drive over to the poor part of town.

Poverty certainly is absolute for a rather large part of the population and the way this country is headed, more of us will be arriving soon.

You want to talk about unemployment insurance? They're doing away with it here. Health coverage for a lot of people consists of a trip to the emergency room and the hope that they can somehow find a way to pay the bill. That's a fact.

Based on what I'm seeing of the report, I don't think I'll bother to look into it further... Although I do wonder if John Roberts had anything to do with it, since he gives every appearance of being a neo.

Add: National Review. I guess that makes you wrong.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

10. Writes for NRO.

All you need to know. Another repuke telling dems how to be dems.

His comments about class warfare are especially amusing, when you look at the country. And then he makes the tired "Liberal Elites" argument from his synecure at The Hoover Institute at Stanford. Real salt of the earth, that Vic. Regular guy.

[democracyindanger]

27. Yep. We should really be taking advice from an NRO columnist.

Fox: "Chickens should really spread their wings and get out of those henhouses."

[pretzel4gore]

11. the major networks, the ny times, even much of hollywood, are bushevik

traitors...the management/editorial boards need to be tried and executed someday, for their crimes, and cbs news is among the worst.....

[sadiesworld]

13. What a load.

Yeah...jobs are disappearing, wages are deteriorating, food and energy prices are increasing, * has given our SS surplus to his fatcat cronies, the war drum beats on...BUT we're all just sitting around pleased as punch over cheap shit from China.

[cprise]

15. The Right has taken us back to an imperial economy

So yes our underclass is lacking minimum wage, welfare, decent car, etc... but they live in 3rd world "free market" zones.

Democrats' failure is in making this problem worse, and in fostering the disconnect between the American people and the rest of humanity.

Republican presidential campaigns assert what is 'good' for the planet among all the national stuff. Democratic campaigns strictly limit their message to 'us'.

Lots of parallels are drawn between our current path and Orwell's 1984. But corporatists saw that making the powerful local electorate feel sated (with cheap, fattening food for instance) was far more effective than disempowerment through scarcity.

At the same time, shift the means of production to those who have absolutely no political power over you. The wealthy western shareholder answers to no one.

[MissWaverly]

16. false reasurrance of prosperity is failing

masses of people are fired up, the fatique over high taxation of the middle class is setting in, MSM keeps broadcasting the mantra, be satisfied, things are well, if you unhappy, it's because you have an attitude problem that blinds you from America's greatness, reality is seeping in, George's #'s have tanked, CNN estimates that middle class are now paying 10% of their disposable income for gas. Hello!!!! Social security changes are estimated to cost the middle class as much as 40% of current benefits. In 12 months, the US Defense budget will equal the budget of all the other nations in the world put together. Hello! George's numbers are in the 40s, which means that 60% of the country opposes his policies, proven GWB's policy makers built Iraq recommendation to invade around GWB's existing policy SO there was no justification for 200 billion(approx.) Iraq invasion. Hello! There is a serious need for attitude adjustment in this country and it is not an image problem of the democrats.

[Sugarbleus]

17. I agree to a POINT. There are some elitist liberals that make

my stomach churn. They are so far from the regular workaday guy..they are in la la land. Their Karma has run over their dogma..

However..........the difference between a kia and a Mercedes is really a trite comparison. Come on! :spray:

Poverty is relative when you compare it not between universities but between countries. With the pittance of income I receive, I could live like a Queen in a third world country. Here, I'm just a "useless eater".

Does anyone honestly believe that poor folk or many folk are even GOING TO UNIVERSITY?!

Jobs gone or being outsources. Housing costs skyrocketing. Social Security being threatened. Lack of adequate or access to adequate health care for the most needy, hell even for the middle class.

Nope, we are going backwards to the Gilded age of robber barons. We have NOT progressed towards a more balanced and humane society.

There are, in my view, a few subjects that we could let dry up or tone down but the class war has just begun AGAIN (after several decades of being put down) and we as dems have to WIN IT........for the people.

No Guts, No Glory

[madrchsod]

18. 50% more or less of

the people in the united states are democrats-why doesn`t the republicans speak like normal folks.

[MissWaverly]

21. they fallen off the cliff and they don't know it yet

America is unplugging hate radio, the numbers are constantly declining, that means there's no electronic koolaid to keep them
in line, look out below.

[Kurovski]

22. What a sick little freak.

He reminds me of an abusive, controlling spouse. "Honey, you should lose weight."

Quit fricken' telling the Democrats what they "should do", ya elitist freak.

Here's just one bit of clueless elitist crap that leaks from the toxic waste dump of his twisted mind; ' Poverty is not so much absolute as relative: "I have a nice Kia, but he has a Mercedes," or "I have a student loan to go to Stanislaus State, but her parents sent her to Yale."'

People DIE because of poverty in this nation ya' creep!

[MissWaverly]

24. Totally agree

and people die because they cannot afford adequate health care or
a decent place to live.

[Selatius]

33. Poverty is not being able to afford health care

That's one REAL issue the article missed. No, instead he had to go comparing something superficial such as Kias and Mercedes.

[depakid]

25. The only wisdom in these thoughts

are to ignore anything coming out of CBS- especially when it's regurgitated from the NRO!

Some people never learn....

[icehenge]

30. go stand in the corner

[icehenge]

29. OK, I was wrong to use the word "wisdom"

It was wrong for me to use the word wisdom in saying that there was wisdom in this article. I only had a chance to read the first page while at work and thought the article looked interesting so I posted it without reading it entirely. Big oops!

I only meant to express that some parts of the Democratic party image could use some work/resurfacing. I just finished reading the book "Whats the matter with Kansas?" and have been doing some deep thinking.

After reading this whole article I found the father I read the stranger the message became. The last paragraph before the "defense" subsection really was strange... The "threatened group" that he says appealed to Bush makes a lot of sense.:sarcasm:

[cap]

31. conservative talking points from the conservative thinktank

not an objective criticism.

Much of lies: not a question of kias vs mercedes. How about hunger in America. Never touched on repoed cars and mobile homes. Read Bageant.

Race: still a problem...Havent reached the promised land where white males do not dominate the plum positions.

Social Security: Elderly poverty still a problem. He hasnt talked to the old folks living on "cat food cuisine" and juggling pills vs rent. Just wait till inflation kicks in. Of course, he doesnt mention all the efforts to cut what the elderly does have from Social Security, Medicare, pensions, etc.

[OzarkDem]

32. Kias vs Mercedes?

What alternate reality do these people live in anyway?


How about middle age people who have worked all their lives and can barely afford rent, let alone a car? How about people who have good skils and experience whose work no longer pays a living wage?

How about people who have to work 2 or 3 jobs just to meet basic expenses? How about middle age women with college degrees working two jobs just to make $30,000 a year (and with no health insurance, pension or 401 K)?

Mainstream news media is becoming more irrelevant every day.