Heads up: If they can disgust us enough, they win.

[EFerrari]

Consider this: The Republican Party is a big steaming pile right now. They can't find even one person that can remotely unite the fragments Bush has left them with.

So, what else can they do except try to suppress our turnout and try to steal our election?

Forget about election stealing for now. (Yes, I said that!) (Or, don't forget, come to the ER forum and help us.)

If they can promote and keep playing up an ugly fight between Clinton and Obama, they know some of us will get disgusted and go away.

If they can cut Dennis out of the debates and insult him at every turn, they know some of us will get disgusted and go away.

If they can ignore or tar John Edwards early and often, they know some of us will get disgusted and go away.

Let's disappoint them. This is our year.

[The Magistrate]

1. Well Said, Ma'am

You will make a good leftist after all....

[EFerrari]

20. "Good leftist" may be an oxymoran, Sir.

lol

The more overtly the Noise Machine tries to manipulate us, the less success they will have. Disaster politics don't work very well on leftists. :)

[The Magistrate]

24. Merely A Reference, Ma'am

To our conversation the other night. Advice to ignore the atmospherics and stick to doing the best thing seems in line with the older style....

[EFerrari]

27. Your comment really does go to the heart of the Republican strategy

which postulates a five second memory span across the board.

Maybe that's another reason they dislike us so much. We remember.

Doing "the best thing" entails understanding the bigger frame, entails remembering that context.

Let's do that and spoil their picnic.

[kentuck]

2. You are on target...

The Democrats need to stay focused on the enemy - the Republicans Party of George W Bush. Tie them to George W Bush and his disastrous war in Iraq and his huge taxcuts for the wealthy and the resulting trillions of debt.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Hear hear

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2694528

[Whisp]

4. I'm in a piss poor mood tonight

but thoughts of 'passing the baton' on to the 'good cop' is swirling around my headache about now.

same chief of police.

[EFerrari]

10. I know. Hang in there.

This isn't an accident. It's the Republican strategy for 2008.

[Kingofalldems]

5. There must be a couple of them right here

right under our noses.

[EFerrari]

6. "Are you looking at me"?

Stay close. Help each other. :)

[Kingofalldems]

7. Do I think you're a repub?

Absolutely not!! Like your posts.

[Solon]

8. Who is the "they"? Dem leadership or Republican leadership?

We have a far-right and a center-right party, neither of which really give a shit about the average voter, as far as I can tell. Candidates may vary on this, but the parties themselves? Not by much.

[EFerrari]

9. I'm talking about the opposition, without and within.

And for that matter, WE are the party. There are people with titles and badges and all kinds of geegaws. Maybe they need them to get through the day.

They'd look pretty silly leading an invisible crowd. :)

[Solon]

12. I'm not a member of any Party...

I'm officially unaffiliated, the advantage of living in an open primary state is that I don't have to join either party. To be honest, I detest both parties, I just detest the Republicans more, and the Democrats don't have a left to speak of.

[EFerrari]

15. Fair enough. Please don't let me interrupt your detesting the Republicans more.

lol

That's how I feel most days of the week.

[countryjake]

11. Question is "who is they?". They disgust us but we do not go away!

I'm only concentrating on my local elections from here on out...that is all that matters, in the long run, anyway. I've watched this happen since way back with McCarthy...we have no control, whatsoever, on who is elected to represent us in the whitehouse, never have, never will.

As a registered non-voter, I concede my choice for president of this nation to Corporate America. They never asked me, in the first place, so they've got it. It's the same as it ever was!

[EFerrari]

14. Whatever small difference we can make, let's do that.

I've gone mostly local as well. It's satisfying. You get to see results. People interact with you as if you were a person. :)

And, no matter how disgusted I become with national politics, I WILL NOT give the Republican Party the satisfaction of me opting out. They're messing with the wrong stubborn person. I WILL vote for the most progressive candidate I can. I WILL work election protection so they have to work to steal instead of just calling room service. I WILL check in with you all when this rope gets too short because our numbers MATTER.

Maybe they thought eight years of George Bush would take the stuffing out of us.

Maybe they're counting on that kind of exhaustion to even a playing field that is mostly now stacked against them.

[countryjake]

26. Oh, but you see, people are not too exhausted to take it to the streets.

That is where the playing field will be. Desperation works that way.

The neocons now have everything in place...the right wing doesn't necessarily want or need any Republican sitting in the Whitehouse while good upstanding folk demonstrate their anger and express outrage in the streets and burn with desperation in their own hometowns. Better have the Dems reign over that, so we'll look like extremists, crazy radicals, or the "suspected insurgents" that we really are, in relation to this government.

Change in this nation will not come from any presidential election. The electoral process is set up to ensure that. The leadership of both parties guarantees that they will have the "nominees" of their choice and whichever way the tide seems to be turning is how they'll decide who to "place" in the whitehouse.

[EFerrari]

30. I don't believe change will come from a presidential election.

And, I am unwilling to concede one more inch to the opposition quietly.

I will not allow them, any "them", to alienate me enough to walk away from this fight. It ain't gonna happen.

What you say about national politics, agreed. And, I will not allow THAT to take me off task.

[countryjake]

33. Only thing that could get me back into this election...

is if Dobbs announces and I'd go door to door exposing that bastard for the devil that he is. He didn't have all that face-work done for nothing.

We're gonna have to fight for our governor here this year, she almost didn't make it last time, and all of the crap that happened during several recounts makes it doubly important that all wa eyes are wide open this time around. The "official" re-thugs up here can be real down and dirty.

No, I've never been quiet or discouraged much, either, but I wouldn't vote for another Clinton if my ass was on fire. We tried to watch that debate last night, expecting Dennis to be there, and instead we tuned into Ms. Hillary, sitting there framed perfectly in the middle of the screen. To steal a phrase that I learned from a Marine here at DU this week, like the angel of death.

Sorry that I've been a drag on your good thread, didn't mean it that way at all. I don't think most of us have the luxury of walking away from the fight, it's in our face, now more than ever. I did my best to get the word out for Cong. Kucinich and I know there are lots of aggravated Washingtonians around here today, pissed with how he's been treated, but too poor to help him anymore. It's just a damn shame, but as I said earlier, same as it ever was.

[EFerrari]

36. I couldn't vote for them again either. And that "debate" was more a

show case like I used to book here in town. They didn't even bother to stand up.

No worries about the thread. If we can't be real with each other, then we're in trouble.

[countryjake]

38. I figured that it would be another Mickey Mouse show...

with polite little digs rather than any actual debate. A friend told us that they all three referred to the American Embassy in Iraq and how it would always need "protection", in their discussion of the Occupation. No mention of the cost to build and upkeep the damned humongous thing, tho.

I'm beginning to think that the anti-war wing should seriously consider holding another "Festival of Life" come August...there are far too many deja vus happening in this campaign, after seven years of killing.

[RuleOfNah]

13. Won't work on me, I am way beyond disgust.

It's down to seeking redress so often the futility itself becomes comical.

[EFerrari]

16. Become a comedy writer! I did.

Put your nausea to work! Put that inside a matchbook cover!

:)

Sure, there are daily outrages. The bigger picture is the oncoming power shift. It will go our way unless we allow ourselves to be driven off the field.

[RuleOfNah]

19. How does one become a comedy writer?

I could use the work. :)

Personally I don't think it will be a shift, more like a governmental tsunami or earthquake, due to the entreched weight of the criminals.

[EFerrari]

22. Now you want me to give away industry secrets?!

Solidarity is one thing but, hey!

lol

[RuleOfNah]

28. I supported the writers strike...

and all I got was this Top Ten list. :P

[EFerrari]

29. One of my friends is a producer and a writer.

He basically has to picket himself.

:)

[RuleOfNah]

32. Hiding the gross/net skims from himself must be awkward!

On the upside, it must be easier to anticipate script suggestions.

Meanwhile, back at the disgust...

[Usrename]

17. I'm trying to figure out which of them might have the longest coat tails.

There's no doubt that none of the Republican candidates is worth a damn. People just won't fall for the ol' "who would you like to have a beer with" routine this time. So that leaves me wondering who would get the most voters to the polls to achieve the best possible results in the down-ballot races.

My gut says that it's got to be Obama. Edwards might get a larger crossover vote for himself in the general, but I don't think that necessarily equates to much of a boost in those down-ballot races. And I don't think there is any net gain at all with Clinton as a candidate.

How can anyone tell about a question like this, other than by watching and observing what happened in Iowa and New Hampshire? It does seem like Obama could be the one who brings in the most new voters to the party. I have to admit it's kind of stunning to watch the effect he's been having everywhere. Any ideas about this?

[EFerrari]

18. I don't think I'm neutral enough to give you an even semi objective opinion.

What I do know is any one of our three frontrunners can wipe the floor with ANY of their candidates.

Unless we go away.

I've heard all kinds of different people express admiration for Obama. He is a remarkable person.

[Usrename]

31. Yeah, I think I know what you mean.

We need to keep everything focused on what a complete disaster the entire Republican party has been. All of them, in every race! :grr:

[Justitia]

21. I read that as "digest us" LOL. -eom

[EFerrari]

23. LOL!

"The progress of a political foodstuff"

:rofl:

[Justitia]

25. I actually re-read it the same way more than once, I confess! I must be hungry. -eom

[OneGrassRoot]

34. Excellent. Thanks! n/t

[KharmaTrain]

35. Silly Seasonitis...Keep Your Eye On The Ball

Amen to what you've written!

The problem with the Silly Season is the promise of it. For the past two years, many here have built up dreams and expectations of various candidates...building them up or knocking others down to fit some ideal. While noble to think and believe and here's hopes that we can build a stronger Progressive coalition that will turn these ideals from words into reality. That should be the ultimate goal here...one that will take many years and elections. We're not there yet...we're still rebuilding a party that stood on the abyss of irrelevancy only two years ago...a party that still suffers from battered GOOP syndrome and corporate and right wing media that is constantly on the attack. Every so often, it's worth looking back at where we were two, four and six years ago...and where we are now...then think of where this progress can lead, but it can't happen overnight. Better half a loaf than not even crumbs.

Many of us should remember the '04 elections and I think the SN was DemActivist...who gave some great advice that year...and his words should ring true again this year...our enemies are within if we let the corporate media and their GOOP spinners allow it to be. They're desperate to find wedge issues and means to suppress voters...it's the only way they have a chance of holding on to their slipping power. Divide and conquer have always been their game plan and if that doesn't work, just numb 'em.

I expect we'll have a lot different DU in a couple months from now once all the dust settles and the real races and prizes come into focus. It's not that we don't have the right ideals or issues...or that no one gives a shit...right now we have too much shit to clean up. It's not what to do, it's where to start.

Cheers...

:hi:

[EFerrari]

37. Kick with no product placement.

lol

[calimary]

39. Kick! They ARE a steaming pile, aren't they?

Did you see what Chris Rock said the other night (I believe it was on CNN)? It was a joke, sort of.

He was joking about how bush has done such a piss-poor job that no white guy wants to run, which, he continued, was why you see the woman and the black guy out in front, instead.

[HughMoran]

40. Thanks for posting this

I really appreciate your post. All of the issues you mention are super-critical, but nothing is more important than taking back the WH this fall IMHO.