Are we Broken?
Friday, March 17, 2006
Time : 8:44 AM
Well? Are we broken or are we just maligned? Are we just outnumbered? Do we really not have a plan? I'm speaking as one that primarily identifies himself as a Democrat, and the problems of the Democratic Party. Is President Bush so strong with Republican representatives that we cannot pursue any of them to support progressive legislation? I think it is mainly a failure of will on our part. A failure of commitment and a lack of back bone. But we have said this over and over. We're accused of not having a plan. How can we even voice a plan if we did have one? Rumsfeld meets in private with Republican representatives to talk about selling the war. Republicans have policy meetings, and Democrats are literally locked out of the rooms. Are the Republicans afraid of Carl Rove and his threats? Do they really believe in what they are doing to our country? I remember when the Republicans took back Congress. Gingrich rallied the troops, he set the agenda. He pushed, and yelled, and eventually... he got what he wanted. Do we as Democrats have a void at the top of our ranks? Are Nancy Peloci, and Henry Reid just a couple of jerkloffs that are unable to accomplish the simplest of goals? I think before we can move foreword, we may have to take a step back. I think we may need to refresh our ranks with people that will fight for progressive ideals, and demand an equal voice in government. We need to find a leader that commands respect, and gets things done. Keeping ineffective Democratic representatives is in the long run unproductive. I would rather be weaker in the short run, and build, than continue on as we have been.
Tags:
Democrat progressive Pelosi
LOOK!
I did it, it works and if I wasn't already blissfully happily married and you weren't already blissfully happily married, I would marry you. :)
As to your post, maybe we heard a voice speaking for us. Maybe we heard someone brave enough to do what was right more than once. Maybe Russ Feingold is our voice.
I'm so glad you like it and got it to work. :) I hope Russ is allowed to be a voice.
Why are cool people always so blissfully married anyway? Does marriage make people cooler? Or are cooler people better able to commit? Damned if I know.
Anyway- this comes up alot, and there is the school of thought that the lack of "message" is the issue. I don;t fully buy that. There many different Republicans with a bunch of messages, an obvious example are the people who oppose reckless deficit spending. There are many Republicans who do not favor our trade policies, or our security strategies.
But they have drilled to no message idea into our heads for so long, that even we on the left bitch at one another about our lack of cohesion, lack of MESSAGE. In a country with diverse needs and views, the ability to distill GOVERNMENT into a sound byte is not a strength to me!
Now there is another criticism that I DO buy somehwat. Many on the right talk about the fact that the wingnut faction is actually a minority, but they are a committed, passionate, energetic, take to the streets minority. The far left, SAYS THEM, spend their time pontificating, feeling smug and smart and righteous, going to graduate school, writing poetry, and things they consider to be unrelated to direct grassroots action.
Some of these groups have oiled machines, they have schedules to protest at abortion clinics, DVDs on how to talk to liberal neighbors. They get out the vote, they are hands on people.
Is it possible that there's an element of laziness to the left? A belief that just being right or smarter will prevail? AS opposed to getting out there? Just something to chew on.
Have a good weekend.
Geez I cannot type, it looked ok at the time. So sorry. Typo's aplenty today. Guess I was ranting.
I agree with you Lily (and just let me say that I will never miss the message due to bad grammar and spelling) A chorus of idiocy captures the attention more effectively than the lone intellectual doing a self righteous poetry jam. As to bliss... I would say it's more work than bliss. But work isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Ouch! Bad grammar and syntax and spelling oh my!
Its called vanity keeping me from wearing my glasses (denial that I really need them) and the inability to get the contacts phobia worked out. I am old, and my eyes have seen too much ugliness. Behaviorally speaking, not aesthetically.
They cower.
Anyway, I neglected to mention that another person had their email read on CNN and now I must know: why do they shun me so? Is it because my real name is hard to pronounce? Do I lack wit, succinct genius? Dammit, I have a cousin that worked for CNN. Well, except that she would never admit to being related to somebody with my views...
there's that...bush lovers, all of em.
Hmm.... I'm blissfully married, too.... that must mean I'm cool.
I think what we Dems desperately need is our own American Hugo Chavez or Evo Morales...... without the coca leaves...... and without the connection to Castro..... but ya get my drift, no?
B/c let's face it: Cocaine and communism is a hard sell to the average middle class joe. But taking care of our working class that has a stranglehold on it and uplifting our sick and dying poor and elderly is hard to dispute..... unless you are a heartless, soul-less wingnut... but I guess that would explain the Republican Regime, eh?
Thanks for visiting Donviti. I can see them not marching in lock step if they actually had seperate and important agendas. But these fools don't. Having a funtioning Democratic party is good for non Democrats too. It keeps everyone honest, and focused. I like balance, yin and yang, a whole functioning governmnet entitiy. What we have here is lopsided madness.
"Are Nancy Peloci, and Henry Reid [1. just a couple of jerkoffs] that are [2. unable to accomplish the simplest of goals?]"
Yes 1., and No 2.
Democrats and Republicans have the same goals.
I recommend you stop by the
435 Real Americans blog.
It would be nice if we could find a good firebrand populist. Saw Feingold on Charlie Rose last night and he looks pretty good, if somewhat measured. Not from the same cloth as traditional Wisconsin populists like LaFollette. But hey, Joe McCarthy came from Wisconsin too, I guess. I still like Edwards. His 'Two Americas' speech is about as populist as we get these days. Otherwise the Dem leadership is a milquetoast lot. There are some good minor players, but the leadership is just plain soft. They whine a bit and then roll over and play dead.
i hope we are not broken.
i see the democrats as not only NOT having a plan, but NOT HAVING BALLS. i don't know what is worse.
With as many disasters as our country has right now it's difficult as hell to make a plan. Where to start? End the war? Work on the debt? Fix the hurricane destruction along the Gulf Coast? Close the torture prisons?
I mean that list goes on and on so where do you begin?
I don't envy the next pres. no mater who it is.
We begin with Pay as you go. If the money isnt there the program doesnt start. We begin ending the tax breaks to companies who export jobs over seas. We end giving money to oil companies for drilling in places they actually find oil. We take the health care burden off businesses by having ht egovernment cover the health care of our sickest workers. We start the measured with drawl from Iraq, just like a term paper dweadline the Iraqis will know they better get busy, cause we're out of there. lastly we make all national elections publicly financed, and insist that television networks supply time for debates and factually correct ads. All lobbyist perks are gone.
.
Democrats need to decide if they want to embark on the Kennedy/Johnson/Clinton/Biden/Lieberman path, or the McGovern/Mondale/Dukakis/Dean/Feingold path.
Choose wisely! And remember, as Kerry's campaign showed, you can't pick both. ;)
I pick neither. I pick an honest path that chooses to follow the law, work for the people, and not spend money we don't have. Following narrowly prescribed paths has led us to an unprecedented national deficit, a unprecedented trade deficit, and a war that was unnecessary, and immoral. Apparently Republicans have embarked on the Nixon, McCarthy, Mussolini path.
