Sowing Dissent Among Liberals and Progressives--The Best Strategy That The Republicans Have Going

[Yavin4]

What's the best way to bring down President Obama and the Democratic majorities in the congress? Easy. Just sow dissent among Liberals and Progressives. Keep harping on the things that Obama has not done without ever giving him credit for what he has done. Show impatience on undoing the 8 miserable years of Bush, and then finally, prop up a challenge candidate who would have no chance of winning but may tip the election in close states to the Republicans.

Let's flash back in time, shall we. Let's go back to 2000. The country was at peace. The economy was slowing down, but it had one of the greatest record of growth. Poverty was trended downward. African Americans, for the first time, showed real economic progress, but that record of accomplishment just was not good enough. Nope. Some progressives wanted a challenge candidate, and they got one. So, what happened? A very close election was tipped towards Bush, and 8 years of complete misery followed. Instead of building on the Clinton track record, we got two wars, the Katrina disaster, tax cuts for the rich, huge deficits, and a financial meltdown.

Today, President Obama is trying his hardest to correct the 8 years of misery, and once again, some liberals and progressives are being completely impatient and unforgiving. Never mind that Obama has taken a huge political risk to try KSM and the 9/11 plotters in NY, a risk for which there's zero reward. Let's not give him credit for that. No, let's whine and complain that he hasn't closed Gitmo yet. Let's not give him credit for taking the risk of pushing through HCR. No, let's whine and complain about there not being single payer yet.

The best hope that the Republicans have is to divide progressives and liberals. It's their best hope to regain power in this country. I recall back in 2001, just before I joined DU. I got into a heated argument with a Nader progressive at my job. He was convinced that there was no difference between Gore and Bush. He told me that all Bush was going to do was cut taxes a little. He beat up Clinton left and right. In fact, he was almost glad that Bush won. Eight years later and some progressives have still not changed at all.

[NYC_SKP]

1. I have to agree with your point of view.

K&R

[opihimoimoi]

2. Odds indicate...... the GOP is LATE

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. I agree.

Here's how I see our president. I feel that amongst ourselves we should be allowed to discuss what we'd prefer he were doing. HOWEVER, anyone liberal or democrat who oversteps that and begins to discuss that he should not have been voted in, or that he should be voted out, or that he's a failure, is a Republican pretending to be a lib. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

[Yavin4]

5. He Never Gets Credit For The Things That He's Done Or Is Doing

Again, I point to the decision to try the 9/11 plotters in NYC. There's no political upside to this. He and the Dems won't win a single vote because of this, and he could have easily let the prisoners stay in GITMO, but do his critics give him ANY credit for that? No.

It reminds me of 2000. Were the Clinton/Gore years so bad that we needed a Nader protest vote?

[Sarah Ibarruri]

6. We need to get tough with other Democrats and libs -

The fact is that some who claim to be Democrats or libs, are not that at all. They're Repugnicans in disguise, here to sow dissent, chaos and hatred.

[Greyhound]

15. America, Fuck Yeah! That's the spirit get tough, tough love, man up and show those

Commie fake Democrat bastards how tough and manly we are! Slap 'em around and send 'em packin'.
:rofl:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

24. That's not what I mean. (But you know that already)

We do need, however, to stop causing chaos and stupidity.

The last thing we need is another Repuke, but some Dems don't give a F about that. They want what they want, and they want it now or they'll f it all up. These are people who simply like to hear themselves talk and like to call attention to themselves. Instead of fixing things, they're just trying to get their personal problems out by destroying things.

And that, is what I mean.

[Winterblues]

34. You must keep in mind "The Squeaky Wheel"

It is certainly no sin to express discontent with your leaders. That is how anything that is worthwhile is ever accomplished. They must be reminded and reminded again of their promises and our wishes..Obama pledged to get us out of Iraq within sixteen months. He said "Beginning on Day One"..."One Brigade a Month" We are edging up to 11 months and not one brigade yet to leave. We still have well over a hundred thousand troops there. I am not happy with the huge handouts to the extremely wealthy (bankers, brokers etc) with the expectation it will trickle down... Especially when Obama was very specific in his disdain for such a theory. It was him that began the meme "Main Street not Wall Street" and yet??????It is easier to hear complaints if they come from your allies instead of your enemies.

[Greyhound]

50. OK, but why would you want to do the same thing that has failed time and again?

The corprocrats (NewBlue3rdwayDLCDogs) keep pushing to the right, where there is no support, and pissing off the base, who in turn just stay home and put the republiks back in power, again.

The party has to stand up for the core principles that built it. Until they do, we will continue this cycle until it's too late (if it isn't already). Isn't 30 years enough?

[TheBigotBasher]

48. Agreed

but it is not the ones here that can do damage. Frauds like Amy Siskind, who portray themselves on the media, need to be called out. DU did a great job exposing PUMAs in the run up to the General. They will re-invent themselves.

These fronts will be used to sell the idea that Palin is a moderate to the swing voters.

[NYC_SKP]

4. I'd like to see some of the unreccers step up with a valid argument against the OP.

gutless wonders....

[LWolf]

37. #36

I am no gutless wonder. Can you express yourself without personal attacks?

[mmonk]

55. I haven't unrecommended a post except one since it was instituted.

But I'll add my 2 cents. The problem with the hypothesis is that we're that stupid. If we disagree, it is over policy substance.

[Ozymanithrax]

7. I don't need Republicans to tell me what Obama has and has not done...

I keep my own list of his achievements, as well as lists of polices that I agree with and those that I think are simlpy wrong headed.

[Gman2]

8. wah wah wah. The problem is, they are saying all pols are bad.

And it rings true. they are allowing all the individualistic dittoheads go third party, until they do their dog whistle, and they all come running hime.

[Gman2]

9. wah wah wah. The problem is, they are saying all pols are bad.

And it rings true. they are allowing all the individualistic dittoheads go third party, until they do their dog whistle, and they all come running hime.

[cliffordu]

10. K&R. I think some of the more strident purity trolls are operatives.

Plain and simple.

[Bobbie Jo]

56. Agree....and a few of these.

[cliffordu]

68. Yep, yep.....

[orwell]

11. There are some...

...on the D side that still haven't gotten over the primary.

You are right Yavin, he gets little credit for taking on issues that many have avoided. This administration inherited the greatest clusterfuck of the last 50+ years, without a lot of the policy options to combat it because of the debt situation.

He is also trying to govern more from the center because he doesn't want to replicate the "my way or the highway" mentality of the Cons. He is truly committed to building consensus. He also believes in the Constitutional model of letting the Legislature legislate. I guess some have forgotten how angry we were about Bush's arrogant unilateralism.

Another case of selective amnesia...

[Sarah Ibarruri]

25. You think? You mean the Hillary voters?

I'm not so sure. I think there are some who are Republicans and reside here pretending they're Dems. I also think there are some highly immature a-holes who lead very lonely lives, need attention desperately, probably need a shrink, and unwilling or unable to get one, choose to destroy Obama instead.

[Old and In the Way]

12. Couldn't agree more!

We're a nation that demands instant gratification. We want what we want...NOW. Sadly, our political system can't deliver that quickly and especially now. The question is why it can't react and the answer is that Republicans legislatively sabotaged our economy to make sure that Democrats could not implement a progressive agenda. We get it, but too many voters don't...and even more won't get it in 4 years. We can hardly remember what happened last week, who'll remember how relatively well off we were in 2000? Irrational taxcuts and illegal wars are why we are in such a mess today. It's that simple.

[Fumesucker]

17. TARP: Proposed on Sept 19, 2008, enacted Oct 3, 2008

Our political system can deliver very quickly indeed when it is in the interests of those who own them.

When it's just in the interests of common Americans then the political system is mired in frigid molasses.

[AllentownJake]

21. Wouldn't have gone anywhere without 2 democrats either

Senator Obama and Congressman Rahm Emmanuel. Amazing what they can do when they put their minds to something.

[Fumesucker]

22. Exactamundo, my friend..

I'm weary unto death of hearing how we do not have the money for suffering average Americans when the political system can come up with vast sums on a moment's notice for those who already have fortunes that would turn Croesus green with envy.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. When did Obama become a liberal or progressive?

He ran as a moderate and is governing as a moderate. If he want's liberal/progressive/left support he'll have to earn it and not count on the "not as bad" BS of the apologists.

[notesdev]

14. Wall Street bailouts are not correcting misery

If there was a sense of at least heading in the right direction, there would be plenty of patience.

If the only way to rally the troops is to make witches, well then Houston we have a problem.

Your Naderite friend sees more clearly than you do, possibly because he's got the temerity to think for himself.

[Hannah Bell]

16. If the policies were more in line with what the majority voted for, it wouldn't be so easy to divide

people.

Maybe the President & his administrators should reexamine their policies.

You're basically saying "My President, right or wrong," & if you disagree, you're a traitor.

If his policies = GOP lite, why should I be loyal?

End the war, prosecute the banksters, get rid of the Patriot act & No child left behind. Oh, & stop privatizing schools. and JOBS.

I didn't vote for kinder, gentler neo-liberalism.

How many times do Dems get fooled by variations on the same scam?

[jonnyblitz]

18. what a steaming pile of HORSESHIT. we didn't vote for Obama

to CONTINUE the policies and wars of BUSH without skipping a fucking beat. SIMPLE AS THAT. you can't blame everything on the media, GOP and PROGRESSIVES but it's typical of partyBOTS in denial. stupid, stupid fucking idiot LOSERS :puke:

[democracy1st]

19. look at the WH aka the Goldman Sachs admin,no reason to blame progressives

[AllentownJake]

20. Nonsense

If you are honestly worried about a third party challenge that will repeat what happened in Florida in 200 you are silly.

Even going back to 2000, more responsibility for that incident fall on two individuals. Warren Christopher for being an idiot during the recount and being out matched by James Baker strategically and Al Gore himself for running a bad campaign. For God's sake he chose Lieberman as his running mate.

If the economy is good in 2012, Barack Obama will be re-elected, if it sucks you will have Mike Huckabee or some other repuke.

Liberals have little to say about that matter.

To add, the GOP doesn't have to sow anger in the progressive ranks when you renew Patriot act provisions, send more troops to Afghanistan, bailout Wall Street and than propose shitty regulations to deal with the problem, offer a Health Care bill that no one thinks is good etc.

[Yavin4]

28. People Like Yourself Set Up Unrealistic Expectations

And then cry that Obama is not Liberal enough. You know that every criticism of Obama on your list comes with huge political risks with very little reward. You forgot to mention that he is trying the 9/11 plotters in NYC with little or no political credit from people like you. You also forgot to mention that the HCR had to be crafted as a result of numerous compromises, and if you can figure out a way to pass single-payer healthcare without congressional approval, please let Obama know.

As for the bailouts, you do know that it has indeed steadied the economy and the markets, but you probably wanted a complete economic meltdown which you think would have spawned a liberal utopia. Think again. If the markets and the economy had completely melted down, this country would become a right wing dictatorship over night.


Just like the progressives of 2000 who had to protest the Clinton/Gore years by voting for Nader, NOTHING can ever please you. You are never satisfied with ANYTHING.

[fascisthunter]

30. conservatives are no longer even relevent to the issue of harmony

the problem in our party is ideology and what that ideology entails, and it has very little to do with the voters, and more to do with Democrats serving their campaign contributors. The Democratic leadership has sewn dissatisfaction into the Party, by ignoring, and using the left to get elected, but not keeping their end of the deal which was to represent all of us, and not just the corporate interests and conservative cultural issues.

If this party loses the next election, it will be their own doing and no one else will be to blame but the politicians who have managed to sew dissatisfaction into its own base and other independents.

Already people I know personally will not vote for Obama again, and they claim he is nothing but a smooth talker, but a dishonest one undeserving of another term in office.

This isn't the voters fault, it's Obama's fault for shifting his policies to the right while bullshitting the left, and those that agree with the left, those who do not consider themselves to be liberals.

So not only will he lose votes from the left, but votes from all ends of the spectrum, except for the brain dead right wing.

He made a gamble and he lost. He should have stood with the people who carried him to an election win, but he hasn't so there is no one to blame but himself.

[PVnRT]

42. You're right. Everyone should just give up and do what they're told.

Pushing for the things you want is absolutely wrong.

[Yavin4]

46. Way To Construct Your Own Straw Man Argument

I never said don't push for what you want. What I said was to start talking about challenge candidates for 2012 or NOT giving Obama some credit is both wrong and serves the interests of the Republicans whose best hope to return to power is to divide the left.

[AllentownJake]

51. Bullshit apologist nonsense

Oh he's taking 3 guys and trying them in New York...let me celebrate, how many more are going to be put up before military tribunals?

The economy is still melting down. The only difference is that you don't see the damage in your 401(k) statement which is all right wing democrats care about is how they are doing. GDP growth was a lie on so many levels, but explaining that to one of you results in you crying like little girls who just had their dolly taking away.

I fucking voted for the guy and volunteered what the hell do you want from me.

Oh and on Single Payer, I'd have settled for a strong public option, but this party can't seem to find their own head to do anything constructive...I'll give you a hint where it is, up their corporate donor's asses.

Oh and the reason why we have to deal with this shit, is idiots like you buy it as the best they can do. So fuck your apologist nonsense. I want better from my elected officials who are supposed to be serving the public.

[Yavin4]

58. "I want better from my elected officials who are supposed to be serving the public."

And if you ask Marry Landrieu or Joe Lieberman or Blanche Lincoln or any other Blue Dog Democrat, they'd say the same thing that you just said, "I want better from my elected officials who are supposed to be serving the public." They think that they're serving their constiuents, polls or no polls. They believe that, and in order to get a public option, or close Gitmo, or do ANYTHING about the economy, Obama has to get their vote in order to do it.

You know this and understand this, yet you deliberately blame Obama for this and not the fact that he only controls one branch of the government. You are purposely using DU to sow discontent among progressives, something that Republican operatives would love to do.

You've learned NOTHING from 2000. Tell me, what was the big reason for the protest vote against Gore in 2000?

[AllentownJake]

62. Actually my protest vote was in 2004

and that was in Indiana...I'm pretty sure it didn't count and it was for my Dad, my typical protest vote.

That being said, I highly doubt that the Blue Dog Democrats really believe they are serving anyone. Have you ever read what these assholes do behind the scenes.

Make them famous Mr. President.

[Yavin4]

69. "I highly doubt that the Blue Dog Democrats really believe they are serving anyone."

Again, you know this how? I'm not saying that there aren't some corrupt ones among them, but some of them do feel that they are indeed serving their constituents' interests. You know this to be true, yet you want to blame Obama for everything under the sun.

Once again, you are doing the work of Republican operatives by unreasonably slamming Obama.

[Echo In Light]

31. Hey, with 'friends' like those...

[Go2Peace]

23. The trains already left the station

The division is already here and it had NOTHING to do with the Republicans. Obama promised "change" and he thought of the word as a "marketing tool", but many who voted for him took his "branding" seriously. I think it is going to bite him in the behind, because people didn't want a bunch of nice sounding propaganda, they wanted true change.

The time to deal with the division is NOW, and shutting your eyes and holding your hands over your ears is not the response that will bring the party back together. This is not limited to DU, it is all over the blogoshere and liberal radio and Television. There is a HUGE and growing dissatisfaction. He cannot ignore half of his party.

So what are you going to do? Sit and complain how everyone will not play the game that was setup? Or start listening to the people that elected him and changing his stances. The ball is in Obama's court.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

26. We need to usher the divided into the GOP camp fully and completely.

Since they aren't happy with Obama, maybe they will be totally happy on the other side with the Paliners and their 4th grade level educations. :-)

[madokie]

27. I'm seeing the same thing

And I think it sucks that so many who call themselves progressives really are just using that as a tool, not as their conviction.
I voted twice to get this man in the oval office and I plan to give him as much time as needed to correct the many problems we have as a country. My ignore list, btw, that at first I swore I'd never have is growing almost by the day. I don't have the patience for it anymore

[kctim]

29. ALL of this dissent

is due to liberals/progressives believing that their opinions on everything are shared by the majority, and that clearly is not the case. They are inpatient and expect everybody, including President Obama, to do as they say because it is they who know what is best for everybody else. They refuse to acknowledge that change takes time and they demand instant gratification on a personal level to the point that they are willing to throw it all away.

In a weird way, it is almost as if the liberals/progressives actually believe the right-wing claims of anything Democrat being socialism, but rather than fearing it as the far-right does, they embrace it and anything less they consider to be a failure.

[bigtree]

32. conversely

Loyalists and defenders of the president's policy in office believe that our opinions and critiques should have ended with our votes. They are content with whatever the president decides and expect everybody, even those who may advocate slightly different prescriptions for success to put those aside and just agree. Not admitting that actual policy decisions often bear faint resemblance to election promises, they refuse to acknowledge that those initiatives in office can be reasonably debated as to their prospect for achieving the goals outlined by the candidate.

In a weird way, it's almost like loyalists/defenders of the president believe that every dissent against policy (even from lifelong, liberal Democrats) is akin to the republican opposition.

[Echo In Light]

33. I criticize U.S. policies - doesn't have shit to do w/which puppet admin holds office

[kctim]

35. Please

We Democrats realize there are varying opinions amongst ourselves and encourage critique when it is warranted. We just realize that "change" does not happen overnight and that it does not ALWAYS go the way our personal beliefs on the matter wish it to go.

In a weird way it is akin to republican opposition? First, it is not "every dissent against policy" which gives people the impression that you wish to tear the party apart, it is the manner in which you express that dissent and the fact that that dissent is based on a personal desire rather than the reality of the issue.
President Obama is NOT owned by the evil corps you all fear so badly.
President Obama is NOT a right-wing shill.
President Obama is NOT a failure because he did not bring the troops home the day after he was sworn in. Despite what the armchair generals believe, such action cannot be done.
President Obama is NOT a failure because he did not give you single-payer in his first year in office and on his first attempt. Instead, he has taken the issue further than any other President has been able to.

Most importantly though, President Obama is NOT a failure for trying to represent ALL Americans instead of listening only to his so-called "base."

[bigtree]

38. you failed on 'you all'

Who called him a 'failure'?

Lots of straw folk in your response.

[kctim]

39. So then

ALL the posts calling him a corporate sell-out, centrist and Bushlite, doesn't mean people think he is a failure?
ALL the posts saying they will not be voting for him in 2012 because he is the status-quo, doesn't mean people think he is a failure?

The ONLY straw being used around here is being used to justify the marginalization of a President who hasn't even been in office for a full year. The hell with EVERYTHING else. Stop the wars that WE the minority believe are illegal. Arrest those that WE the minority believe should be arrested. Save the world in the way that WE the minority believe it should be saved. Give us the healthcare that WE the minority demand.
Because if you don't, WE the minority are going to whine and pout about those things and ignore EVERYTHING else you do.

The hell with that crap. President Obama is doing a fine job and so far, he can count on my support and my vote.

[bigtree]

40. he is doing a fine job. I agree.

I fail to see what's wrong with expecting him to give care and attention to what progressives and liberals demanded in the election. Their point of view certainly seemed to matter to him (and those urging folks to support him) when he was campaigning.

[kctim]

41. There is nothing wrong

with expecting him to give care and attention to liberal/progressive concerns and I guarantee that their point of view still matters to him. But liberals/progressives have got to understand that he must give the same care and attention to the rest of us, because our point of view also matters.

[PVnRT]

44. Yes, let's just have government by polling

Gay marriage? Not popular - kill it!
Privatizing education? Hey, that's popular, let's do it!
More military spending? Hey, people seem to like the military, so right on!
Public option? Single-payer? No, those seem to be unpopular, so let's not do it.

Unfortunately, the right thing to do isn't always popular, which is what people like you fail to see. If it upsets you so much to see people taking Obama to task over things, start using "Ignore." Then DU can turn into the echo chamber you so desperately want.

[kctim]

49. Upset? Na

It doesn't bother me to see so many of you unfairly taking President Obama to task for not addressing your pet issues in the exact same way you want him to in order to satisfy your own personal beliefs.

I am however, curious as to why liberals/progressives believe they are the ONLY ones who know what the "right thing to do" is and why they insist on others who dare hold a differing opinion, to leave "their" party?

And also, the liberal/progressive talking point is that the public option IS popular, so does that mean its not the "right thing to do?" Or are the standards different when it falls in line with what believe?

[treestar]

45. This is not true

DU has more negative posts than positive.

Imagine Free Republic having more negative posts than postiive about a Republican President or congress.

Go to GDP. You'd think the President was a Republican.

The loyalist/Defenders are just surprised to see so much bashing on a Democratic Board. It's the amount that is appalling. Some posters do five or six OPs all day, all negative. One wonders if even Free Republic has that many.

It starts to strain credulity that they are really liberals. The far left should be about as happy as the far right was during the Chimpadministration.

It is so constant and consistent that it isn't just some dissent here and there. There are many posters who have nothing positive at all to say. They just happen to dissent about everything.

[AllentownJake]

66. Your understanding of the Right and Left is what has got you mixxed up

and your understanding of the two political parties also.

Here is why we are a center right nation. When the GOP loses an election, the answer is almost always the candidate was too moderate and not conservative enough. After the election, they discuss how to purge the moderates and be more pure to their ideals, they always fail because republicans are also corrupt.

On the DNC side whenever they lose an election the answer is almost always the candidate was somehow to liberal. After the election they talk about ways to get those fucking liberals in line and move further to the right, besides, we'll be able to raise more money if we do that. Democrats are less corrupt than republicans but still fall into corruption traps none the less, because on some level most actually believe government can help people and is for the common good and not evil.

So you see, when one party loses it moves further to the right, and when the other party loses it moves to the right also.

The GOP got this idea in 1992 when Bush lost and the DNC got this idea in 1972 when McGovern lost.

It gets reinforced because on cycles when the GOP looks like they are going to lose they run a moderate as a hail marry and democrats nominate a liberal because they are generally so pissed off about the last moderate democrat they had.

[treestar]

71. I can't see that working for the Repukes this time

They are way too far to the right this time. If they think they lost because McDope was too liberal, they are delusional. They lost because Phalin is an idiot and people were scared to have her a 72 year old heartbeat away. The old white people are the conservatives (the bulk of Limpball and Beck audiences) and so their way is going to be passe.

The left does not get as fired up as the right either. Maybe when the retirees are baby boomers that can happen. These are the people that have time to march on D.C. - where's the left? Still at work, while the teabaggers are retired and semi-retired.

And of course the left won't have the M$M on their side (on other than social issues maybe) for a long, long time. I don't think we can afford to sneeze at any progress. The M$M is quick to point out someone being "too liberal" but covers Phalin like there is no tomorrow and never questions whether she is "too conservative."

[Yavin4]

47. It's History Repeating Itself

The same people on DU and elsewhere slamming Obama relentlessly are the same ones who had to have a protest vote against the Clinton/Gore years in 2000. They will never be satisfied at all, and they will NEVER GIVE CREDIT TO OBAMA FOR ANYTHING AT ALL.

They love to bring up Obama's failure to close Gitmo, but if you've noticed, I AM THE ONLY ONE IN THIS THREAD TO GIVE CREDIT TO OBAMA FOR TRYING THE 9/11 PLOTTERS IN NYC!!!

[AllentownJake]

67. The truth is more democrats voted for George W. Bush in 2000

Than voted for Nader, if you look at voter registration numbers.

Al Gore didn't even carry Tennessee. Give it a fucking rest on the anti-Nader shit. I have no love for the man and can honestly say I've never voted for him, but here is the truth. Al Gore carries the state he was a Senator in, in 1992 Florida means shit.

Nader is a pesky little disruption that hasn't done anything useful in 20 years. He didn't cost Gore the Presidency. Exit polls have half the Nader voters possibly voting for Bush in 2000 if they were going to vote at all.

You want to get pissy about the Gore election, blame Warren Christopher. There are always going to be third parties on the ballot and a certain segment of people will vote for them.

If I'm in a swing state, I'll always vote democratic in a Presidential Election, you happy?

[Yavin4]

70. Then Answer This Question

What was so horrible during the Clinton/Gore years that required a protest candidacy from Nader?

[LWolf]

36. Who, exactly, is sowing that dissent?

I would say it is Obama himself. He began with his first major appointment, a few mere days after the election was over.

And it has continued on from there.

[Individualist]

43. DLC

Their goal is to destroy the Party.

[LWolf]

54. Them, too. nt

[Number23]

52. If only I could rec this more than once. Happy to put you at +1

For however long you're there.

[redqueen]

53. I've seen a lot of posts here recently stating we should all vote third party.

:think:

[bridgit]

57. ^

:kick:

[EmeraldCityGrl]

59. There seems to be a lot of new posters...

But, i can't keep track of who's saying what.

[scarletwoman]

60. Unrec'd for the utter nonsensical assertions in your OP.

Discontent on the left has absolutely nothing to do Republican "strategy".

We don't need any Republican help to come to the conclusion that both parties are just two heads of the same oligarchy -- it merely takes the fecklessness of our own elected Dems.

I'm 60 years old. I grew up in a politically active, lifelong Democratic voting union family. My first political memory is having the difference between Democrats and Republicans explained to me by my mom and dad when I was in grade school: Republicans were the party for rich people, Democrats were the party for the workers.

My folks were kids during the Depression, they never forgot what FDR accomplished for families like theirs. My maternal grandfather was put to work through the WPA, which saved his family from near starvation. My paternal grandparents were able to save their modest farm because of FDR policies.

In my extended family -- grandparents, aunts and uncles, great aunts and great uncles, second cousins, etc. -- anyone not voting for Democrats would have been shunned and disowned. I grew up fully invested in the family faith: the Democratic party was on our side, Republicans were the enemy.

So, from the time I was old enough to vote, I faithfully voted for Democrats every single election, local and national -- and I never missed an election. I never once entertained a single thought of ever doing otherwise. I proudly proclaimed myself a liberal decade after decade, without hesitation or equivocation, no matter how much liberalism was being maligned. Throughout my 20s and 30s, when I moved around a lot and lived in a number of different states, I always made sure I was registered to vote wherever I was living at the time, and faithfully showed up on every election day to vote for Democrats.

I find it extremely insulting to see people blaming my current disaffection, and the disaffection of others like me, on some sort of stealth Republicanism. My disaffection arose during the Clinton administration, watching atrocities like NAFTA and banking deregulation and Plan Columbia being pushed and championed.

I've watched the Democratic party -- the party that was supposed to be for the workers -- give us over to the tender mercies of the corporatocracy and Wall Street, time and again. It was the Clinton Third Way, New Democrats, DLC that sent me over the edge.

I didn't want to give up my lifelong faith in the Democratic party, THEY broke faith with me and mine. My 83 year old dad feels the same way, my mother, bless her heart, passed away last year. The Democratic party of today (excepting a very few individual pols) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Owner Class, a species of aristocrat that maintains a veneer of "noblesse oblige", but which can be relied upon to champion the interest of the Owner Class when push comes to shove.

As for Obama, well, he acts just like I now expect Democrats to act. For a brief moment in time, I came close to getting caught up in the whole "hope and change" thing, but I sobered up right quick -- his choices for his economic team did the trick. It's not worth it to care very much, so I don't bother posting rants about being disappointed, I figure it's to be expected, nothing more.

I think electoral politics is a sham. I don't think I'll bother voting anymore, or I'll vote third party. The oligarchs have control, no elected politician is going to do a damn thing about it, their butts are covered no matter which party is in power. We already saw that during the Bush years -- the Dems just blithely went along, not making waves, collecting their campaign contributions.

I'm done with the whole fucking charade -- but don't you dare accuse me of being a handmaiden for the GOP. It was the Democrats that put me here, the Democrats that have betrayed the faith of generations of my family. No one else.

sw

[Mari333]

61. baloney. Obama admin is sucking on the balls of the right wing

and as long as they do that, they arent any better then the republicans.

they hang themselves by their own petard by their actions. like WARmongering.

if he continues to behave like Bush, he loses dem votes. that simple.

he loses his base.

has nothing to do with what the GOP is doing.

he is doing it to himself.

[Cha]

63. Nice try Yavin..Rec'd~

[HughMoran]

64. And thusly your point is proven

No finger pointing necessary.

Good job.

[AllentownJake]

65. I guess Howard Dean is in with the GOP after Rachel tonight

:rofl: