Republicans fired up their base. Democrats, um, less so.

[Tom Rinaldo]

That makes a critical difference in an off year election with traditionally lighter turn out. Most of us here agree that the "conservatives" who are all fired up this year are also a bit, say, extreme. But they are passionate and they vote in disproportionate numbers. What gets them all so fired up are dramatic concepts like "Saving America" and "fighting Socialism". To get folks to organize and to vote in numbers, it don't matter much if truth is a motivation, just if they are motivated.

The Democratic base was all fired up the last few major election cycles. We were all about "Saving America" and "making sweeping changes". We were motivated and we voted. Now Democrats are in power in Washington. Congress and the President can change America's course and make dramatic changes. Rhetoric won't suffice to rally the Democratic base when actions speak louder than words.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. shows the GOP has nothing at the top only some residual grassroots

the GOP grassroots are effective in rallying but there is nothing at the top of the GOP

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. Yes. I saw ex New York Republican Governor George Pataki talking on TV this morning

He did well in New York politics by positioning himself as a moderate in a blue state. Now he is running to catch up to the tea baggers. He is going where they are leading as fast as his crooked little feet can take him.

[Cha]

12. He's a freaking idiot..the teabagger con

hoffman LOST in NY District 23 last night..in a very heavy repub district.

[FrenchieCat]

2. It is hard to get people "Fired up" when all one hears on the news and everywhere else

is negativity in reference to what and how this President is doing. Many who still support Obama did not show up at the polls, i.e., minorities and Young People....cause they are being turned off on politics, as there is nowhere to go to hear about the good things Obama is doing; just places to go to hear this President getting bashed Left and Right.

I'm even not enthused anymore; not because of Pres. Obama, but because of the loud mouths all around who seem to treat the Bashing of this President, no matter what he does or doesn't do, as the new national pastime. The Democratic Base voted....it is the New Voters who stayed home. Words are keeping action from happening, and we are cutting our own throats in the attempt to justify otherwise.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. The Democratic base shrank for thirty years

That base used to be called the FDR coalition and included strong numbers of working people in and out of organized labo,r and minority voters. There was also always a strong lefty element of the Democratic base, that year in and year out did much of the tedious grunt work to win elections. A devoted base doesn't need much reenforcement by media. Organized labor sure as hell never had it during the decades when it grew. A strong base is nurtured by a powerful vision constantly reenforced by the words and actions of those who it rallies around.

[FrenchieCat]

14. The "Base" came out and voted like they always do.......

but when we look at their numbers, there isn't enough of them to win elections. The new voters, the ones who gave the win to Obama last election stayed home. They are being turned off of politics by the 24/7 whiners. A strong base is nurtured when they are provided with balanced assessment of what is being accomplished, not when everywhere they turn, they hear about how Obama isn't leading, etc., etc., etc.....

You want to deflate a base instead of nurturing it? Just keep telling them that what they worked hard for wasn't worth it. That message is the exact one that the liberal blogs and the conservative news have been screaming at them for the last 10 months. It is a discouraging message, but has little to do with what this Pres. actually has accomplished....but it is all that they hear.

[Tom Rinaldo]

18. Many of the tea baggers and/or their parents once were in the Democratic base

RFK had them with him. The working class was once solidly Democratic. Democrats won on economics and affordable health care is an example of the type of economic issue that Democrats won on.

Frenchie, I am not just talking about Obama, and I am not just talking about young voters getting easily discouraged.

[Peacetrain]

20. Well you might have hit on something there

You keep telling someone that everything they do is crap.. they start to believe that everything they are doing is crap.

Like listening to depressing music. So much of what we do and accomplish starts out as a "belief" that we can do that and accomplish it.

If everyone around you says you are not doing it, and you are worse than the stuff stuck to the bottom of your shoe..people start losing the "belief" that it can be accomplished.

I get more than a little tired of being called a cheerleader.. but when you are pulling a 1000 lb stone through mud, someone needs to cheer you on and not just throw eggs.. or spit on you every step..

EDIT to add here.. we need to push our accomplishments more.. all some are hearing is fox and limbaugh and company. I am not so much worried about those governorships.. we did well in the house where national agenda counts.. But we do have 2010 coming, and we need to get it out there how far we have traveled from the hole we were in.

[Clio the Leo]

5. The voters of NY-23 were MIGHTY fired up......

..... I saw and heard them.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8732007&mesg_id=8732067

[Cha]

7. YES THEY DID!

The Congressional Seat has been Repub since 1852 and all it took for a Dem to win was the Perfect Storm!

[Clio the Leo]

10. The Democratic chairwoman was so cute last night...

..... (at least I think she was the chairwoman) .... she kept yelling at the crowd "Are you fired up! Are you ready to go!!!?" almost as if she was doing it in response to the MSM spin that the elections were reflective of the President.

The crowd, of course, responded with a rousing, "YES WE DID! YES WE DID!!!"

[Cha]

15. I'm so happy for them

and us..I didn't expect to win it but there were some very good local ads pointing out that hoffman was such a Loser.

[Tom Rinaldo]

16. Our victory there was more a factor of the Right tripping themselves up

And I'm glad about it, and the brewing Republican civil war can help Democrats elsewhere also. There was a lot of local fire generated inside that district because of the heavy handed attempt of a national right wing movement to steamroll local people and disregard local issues. But we won with a centrist Democrat with moderate Republican backing. All good stuff in the context of a district that has been Republican for over a century, but it was more a blueprint for a blue dog Democratic pick up than an Obama like victory.

[geek tragedy]

6. Creigh Deeds and Jon Corzine depressed their own base moreso

than Obama did.

Creigh Deeds ran against universal health care and climate change legislation. I wouldn't have shown up for him.

[Cha]

9. Deeds ran against Climate

Change Legislation!

[amandabeech]

21. He also didn't focus on heavily Dem and I areas in Northern Virginia

near D.C. Those areas are growing and are extremely important in any state-wide win by a Dem now.

Deeds seemed to be looking for votes in the coal mining areas that will be hit hard by any climate change legislation, or so people think. Personally, I think that all the coal will eventually be dug up whether it is burned here or elsewhere, no matter what happens with climate change legislation or international treaties. It is just a matter of time.

[Tom Rinaldo]

11. A lot of truth to that

And I believe that Obama still inspire the vast majority of Democrats. But there is less of a strong general sense of what Democrats believe in and are fighting for.

[geek tragedy]

13. The reality of governing is often enervating.

When we're in charge, people like Ben Nelson and Olympia Snowe become really important and get a lot of attention. Who the hell feels inspired by them?

[WI_DEM]

8. And that will be the problem in 2010 as well if dems don't deliver.

[amandabeech]

22. If Dems don't deliver in 2010, there may be problems for 10 years.

Legislatures selected in 2010 will be charged with redistricting after the 2010 census.

That will set congressional and state legislative districts for 10 years.

It is of supreme importance.

[ClarkUSA]

17. Then how did Democrats pick up two House seats, one highly contested by the Palinistas?

Historic trends favor the losing party in the GE when it comes to NJ/VA governorships. Recent examples include1994, when
Democrats lost a ton of Congressional and Senate seats and lost governorships in NJ, VA and NY. In 2000, Bush won and in
2001, Govs. Warner and McGreevey were elected in VA and NJ, respectively.

Read more: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8732501

In other news that seems to be overlooked, besides Democrats picking up two House seats (one of whom was very hard-fought
against the Palin/Beck axis of evil), Charlotte, NC elected its first Democratic mayor in 22 years and Salt Lake City elects its
first openly gay council member.

This isn't even the midterm elections. It's unreasonable to think that GE voters, much less the ones who were new to the scene
last year, would flock to these contests. No one expects the base to be as fired up as they were under Bush and Tom DeLay.
These off-year elections are dominated by the pissed-off, not the inspired.

That said, it's a wake-up call for Democrats that we need to be better organized next year. Volunteering for your local Democratic
HQ is a good start for everyone who's worried about turnout now. They all need more helping hands now rather than at the last
minute.

[Tom Rinaldo]

19. We held onto a Democratic seat in California

That wasn't a pick up, it was simply vacent because the incumbant Democratic Congresswoman took a position in the Obama Administration. Holding onto a Democratic seat in California is good, but not exactly shocking. I commented on the NY district above.

You are correct that there was no sweeping voter rejection of Democrats in this year's election. But Republicans did better than their national approval ratings would suggest because of low overall turn out, with their base mostly being among those who showed up.

[ClarkUSA]

23. Technically, it's a pick up because Speaker Pelosi has two more seats in the House.

As for holding on to a vacant Democratic seat in CA, it's not to be taken for granted as just "good" given the current MSM/DU meme
of a GOP activist resurgence versus Democratic base low turnout doldrums. After all, the GOP lost NY-23 in a solidly conservative
district.

<<You are correct that there was no sweeping voter rejection of Democrats in this year's election. But Republicans did better than
their national approval ratings would suggest because of low overall turn out, with their base mostly being among those who showed
up.>>

Of course, off-year elections attract the pissed-off not the inspired, which explains what happened in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

[Tom Rinaldo]

24. Functionally it was very important to win and fill that CA seat

I don't disagree with you on that at all. It added another Democrat to our caucus in the House at a critical time. I was just noting that usually the term "pickup" refers to adding a seat to your column from their column, and that this is a district that voted Democratic in 2008.

[jacksonian]

25. it went from centrist to liberal Dem

that's a pickup of sorts.

[Cha]

27. That's good to know..I hadn't

picked up on that. I knew the winner, John Garamendi, is Liberal but I didn't know the history.

[Cha]

26. I can't find the post now but a poster last

night said that PA picked up a lot of Democratic State Seats.

[ClarkUSA]

32. Good to hear.

One poster from PA has been insisting there was a "bloodbath" in his PA district and blaming Pres. Obama but she/he conveniently
left out this fact. Hmmm... wonder why?

[Cha]

37. Here it is.. bc some around here have nothing better to do.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Democrats ruled Tuesday in Pennsylvania's major municipal election races.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, a Democrat who took the helm of city government at age 26 following the death of his predecessor, was elected to his first full term.

Philadelphia voters elected Democrat Seth Williams to become the city's first black district attorney and re-elected Democrat Alan Butkovitz as controller.

The cities of Harrisburg, and York, which is still feeling the effects of race riots that occurred four decades ago, both picked Democrats to become their first black women mayors.

In Allentown, voters re-elected Democratic Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who won 6,201 votes or 73 percent with 91 percent of precincts reporting, to defeat Republican challenger and city councilman Tony Phillips ...

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20091103_ap_democratsscorebiginlocalracesacrosspa.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8732139

[ClarkUSA]

38. The same bitter sore losers who attacked Obama last year are still at it this year.

It's always the same ol' folks griping and posting bullshit OPs trying to stir up shit against Pres. Obama.

[Cha]

39. Their bitterness

will drive them mad after 8 years.

[ClarkUSA]

40. Too late...

All of them are already at the tipping point of ill-disguised hatred while most have gone over the edge into Rush Limbaugh "Fail" club.

[Cha]

41. And, it's only

2009!:bounce::bounce:

[Tom Rinaldo]

28. Kick to acknowledge another anonymous Unrec

I think I will start doing this from time to time as the spirit moves me. My position is simple. This is a discussion board. If someone posts to one of my threads saying they don't like it and why, more power to them. If that let it sink in silence, it probably deserves it. But I'm gonna start treating silent unrecs as an excuse to simply kick my thread. Especially on one like this, which isn't exactly in anyone's face.

[Tom Rinaldo]

29. Another n/t

[Dr Robert]

30. Teabaggers lost their very first National Election. They are the Repuke base.

Do you really think they are satisfied with 2 Moderate Governors??

[Tom Rinaldo]

31. Of course not (though I'm not so sure about that "moderate" lable)

Tea baggers don't think they lost in NY 23rd, and from their perspective they are right. They defeated a Republican moderate and drove her out of the race, and that was goal number One. Actually winning that Congressional seat was of secondary concern to them. They saw little difference between a pro-choice, pro-stimulus package Republican winning or a moderate Democrat. If electing that Democrat was the price they had to pay to intimidate Republicans nationally from in any way opposing them, it was a price they were more than willing to pay.

If they had intimidated the local Republican Party sufficiently enough earlier, they would not have needed to run a conservative as a third party candidate against that race had their candidate not had to run against both a Republican and a Democrat, and instead started out with both the Republican and Conservative Party lines. I bet they are right about that. Their goal is to scare Republicans to turn to the Right, and to leave no moderate Republican looking at any clear path to possible victory without opposition from them.

[Dr Robert]

33. oh, so they didn't care about winning the seat?? riiiiight

you sound like you are reading Palin's talking points with this.

[Tom Rinaldo]

34. Concentrate next time

I never said they didn't care about winning the seat. I said that it was a secondary goal, and people always care about achieving their goals, so yeah they cared about whether they won or lost the seat. However they achieved their primary goal, which means they got what was most important to them. The tea bag purists are already on record saying that they are going to challange moderate Republicans nationwide and they are willing to lose a few seats if need be in order to mold the National Republican Party to their liking.

The tail (tea baggers) is increasingly wagging the dog (Republican Party), and that damn well pleases the tail. Republicans seeking any National or state wide office are more and more tailoring their positions to please that hard core activist base. They do so because they fear that they, like the official Republican candidate in the 23rd district, simply can not get elected or reelected if they displease that base.

It is more than worth it to the tea baggers to sacrifice one Congressional Seat to send that message loud and clear, especially since Republicans in the House are basically powerless anyway given their current minority status there.

[Dr Robert]

35. no, It was the Primary goal. It always is with Repukes.

They don't think strategically.

All the Head Morans flocking to endorse the Conservative Party candidate was a Tactic, and it failed.

[Tom Rinaldo]

36. I'll agree with you about the Head Morans

Those hacks want to win, and they want to appeal to the teabaggers because they think they need to in order to win. That is the Republican politico class mentality. The teabagger movement, however, is not identical with the traditional/official Republican Party. They want to take over or replace that Party, so their grassroots interests do not always line up with that of recognized Republican "leaders".

[bvar22]

42. The Democratic Party needs to do something like THIS....

..to "fire up" their base:

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

America’s own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens.

[krawhitham]

43. It is easy to fire up people when all they want to do is HATE

and Dems were fired up in 2008 because they hated Bush

[malletgirl02]

44. Low Turn out

I don't think either party's base was particular fired up. I got to my polling place at about 6:30pm, and there was only two people in front of us.