The Democrats have no idea

[fencesitter]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/15592447.htm

They have a chance at the polls in November. Too bad they have nothing to say on Iraq.
Dick Polman, Philadelphia Inquirer

Your average Democrat these days is teetering between fantasy and fatalism. There's the fantasy about helping Nancy Pelosi measure the drapes in the House speaker's inner sanctum and watching President Bush eat crow on the eighth of November. But inside every Democrat is the tortured soul of a Phillies fan, forever wondering, "How are we gonna screw it up this time?"

*******

Who knows? Maybe they can still win without one. Maybe independent swing voters are so fed up with Bush and the Iraq war that they'll gravitate by default to the dithering opposition. But with Bush and the Republicans enjoying upticks in the latest polls, the alarm bells are clanging. Bush has spent weeks pounding home his view of Iraq and the war on terrorism; the Democrats have not countered with a vision of their own. In politics, something usually beats nothing, even if that something is flawed. As Bill Clinton warned Democrats in a 2002 speech, "When we look weak in a time when people are insecure, we lose. When people feel uncertain, they'd rather have somebody who's strong and wrong than somebody who's weak and right."

Here's one definition of weak: Last June, the congressional Democrats unveiled their "New Direction for America" election agenda - and it omitted Iraq. All the familiar party staples were present and accounted for (minimum-wage hike, lower drug prices, stem cell research), yet the agenda was silent on how to clean up America's biggest mess. Nor did it expend a single word on how Democrats would fight a better, tougher, smarter global war on terrorism - aside from putting more money into homeland security and securing the ports.

*******
Because they lack their own meta-narrative about America's role in the post-9/11 world, Democrats are allowing Bush and the GOP to control the rhythm of this campaign season. The polls tell the story. Last month, the ABC-Washington Post survey reported that the Democrats were actually more trusted to fight terrorism, by a margin of 46 percent to 39 percent. Yet today - after a string of security speeches by Bush and his chief surrogates, with no effective Democratic response - the Republicans are suddenly more trusted, 48 percent to 41 percent. Why the 14-point swing in one month? An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll suggests an answer: More Americans are concerned about the Democrats' lack of new ideas than about the Republicans' adherence to the status quo.

********
Much more...

[C_U_L8R]

1. Here's the plan.... DICK

We're gonna clean up the big fat stinkin'
mess that Republicans have made... of Iraq,
of our economy, of our constitution, of our
standing in the world, etc etc etc..

And that's a much better plan for this
country than staying the course with
republican incompetence and corruption.
Geez, you clowns really know how to f*ck things up.

Frankly.. anything would be better than
what Republicans offer.. ANY THING.

Oh.. and stop being such a Dick... DICK

[Inquirer]

18. civility, as an ideal, or lipservice?

Hello. This is my first post. It may well be my last. I've been searching for a place to discuss the issues, and to find kindred spirits who are trying to work 'for the good'. I had hope, and have searched through most of the forums here, to find a way 'in', a place where rational evaluation and ways forward can be discussed, and acted upon -- in a civil manner. Perhaps that is where my hope is not well placed. I can accept that, and I have, as the RULES for this forum suggested, 'thick skin'.

Yet the RULES prefaced that section with this:
Content: Do not post messages that are inflammatory, extreme, divisive, incoherent, or otherwise inappropriate. Do not engage in anti-social, disruptive, or trolling behavior. Do not post broad-brush, bigoted statements.

Now, while all of 'us' (?) are supposedly of the Democratic Party persuasion, and therefore certainly there will be humor and attitudes that could be deemed divisive to Republicans (or others), I find the bulk of the attitude upon this forum to be, well, (since we're all happily thick skinned here) reprehensible. (I'm sorry if I missed the proper DU misspelling of this word to make fun of someone else, like you do with 'moran', etc.) I would ask forgiveness ahead of time, but, (what the hell) intent to civility may not matter on egroups or forums, does it? Even if the RULES say so.

My point is, I feel ill when reading the posts. Not because I disagree with all the underlying points -- if I can sort through the bigotry, anti-social, disruptive, incoherent, extreme, and inflammatory language that conveys it. (And, apologies to any who are offended by my ending a sentence with a preposition; I know it is breaking another rule.)

My question is, really, where IS the heart and the searching for solution unitedly. The DU seems no better (if not, indeed worse, because of the 'alternative' that one would hope it contains) to the right-wing blather. Is the goal to 'meet them on their own level'? If so, I find (by searching through 'the opposition' as well, at length, that DU has exceeded the 'right' in bigotry and inflammatory sound bytes.

Please, if anyone can point me to a forum which is 'of the people', and Democratic, and that does adhere to their own rules of civility, I would be most welcome of the advice. I don't believe it is here, regretfully.

Sincerely,
An inquirer.
(I feel like washing my hands and vomiting now, as I can imagine that this opinion will receive flaming hate mail. I do wish you ... us? ... well, but my god friends, if this is the best that the DU can offer, we ARE in trouble. All of us, worldwide.)

[ClassWarrior]

2. The RW must be desparate, if this is the only trick left in their bag.

:rofl:

NGU.

[savemefromdumbya]

3. Why can't Democrats be Democrats - it is nothing about weakness

that is the key to winning the election, Democrats being democrats not being chameleons and pretendng to be Republicans or Greens. Democrats aren't weak they are just they need to be themselves and follow democratic policy.

[ShortnFiery]

6. We need to keep reminding our beloved Democratic Representatives

that they work for Their Constituents first! Their Corporate Donors need to be considered a distant second priority to The People who they SERVE = US!

Keep them reminded that they are not ensured re-election should they forget the above. They WILL show some courage and strength of character. ;)

Unless there's an INSANE amount of election fraud, The Corporate M$M is about to find out that they have become irrelevant.

[Kierkegaard]

4. How is it there can be a dozen different ideas out there as proposed

by Democrats, but for some reason, ass wipes like this one are unable to find and site any of them? I'm sick to death of these F***ERS trying to bullshit people into believing that we haven't any ideas. And the Puke plan is what...stay the course? What does that involve, exactly? Continuing to NOT have a plan?

Oh, and F*** your bullshit poll numbers, too. :mad:

[ShortnFiery]

10. Our Minority Leader, Harry Reid, praising the three Republican

Senate Stooges as COMMENDABLE :wtf: and a true compromise :puke: is not behaving like a Democratic Leader, but instead, is complicit in promoting Dear Leader's TORTURE Agenda. :grr:

We need to hold Our Democratic Leaders' feet to the fire. We should have called for extracting our troops from Iraq within a year. The People WANT OUT of Iraq now! We need to have Democratic Leaders in both the Senate and House that reflect our will NOT that of The Corporate Profiteers. :grr:

[Kierkegaard]

13. I wasn't aware of Reid's commendation?!

:wtf: is right. That is an issue I would like to understand. Why is it, when they have no real power to change anything, would any Dem support legislation against their principles, or against those of his/her constituents? If their vote doesn't really count anyway, why the hell not go on record as supporting Democratic ideals??

As far as Iraq war proposals, there have been several. They have all been met with ridicule, scorn and foolish Puke whining and tom-foolery. Without at least one majority, we are dead in the water. That doesn't mean we are vacant of ideas, which was what I was obviously pissed off about.

[MindPilot]

5. And this is exactly why we are going to lose

Strategists want to roll out some feel-good shit about helping poor people and creating jobs when the reality is no-one can do anything to fix anything until we get the hell out of Iraq and quit squandering boatloads of cash bringing "peace and democracy" at gunpoint.

Oh and there is also that little thing about rigged elections...

I have to think that the focus on the economy will be how the campaigns cover up for the incumbents who thought giving * the okey-dokey to invade Iraq was a good idea.

[ClassWarrior]

7. Because of Corporate Media lies like this? Then let's get out there...

...and campaign, and counter the lies by showing we DO have a plan and we DO have ideas to voters.

NGU.

[Poppyseedman]

8. Been saying this for months

If the Democrats somehow blow their chance to capture a chamber in the '06 congressional elections, despite the most favorable political environment in years, they can spend the winter flagellating themselves over their persistent failure to craft an alternative national-security agenda.

Until we have a national-security plan that answers the post 9/11 political environment, it will very difficult to win.

I know many people here think we are being duped by a false WOT fueling a facist state, but until that is plainly open to the American people to see, we need to have a better answer than what we have presented so far.

[JHB]

9. Here's the winning line on how to "clean up" Iraq:

"Given the Administration's near-Soviet level of secrecy and track record of lies and 'misinformation', and the Republicans' complete failure to exercise even minimal oversight over the Administration, there's almost no point in our coming up with a plan for Iraq until we're in a position to exercise subpoena power to cut through Administration spin and establish what the real facts on the ground are over there."

[Greyhound]

11. I like this, just drop the word 'near' and it's a message.

How does "Paranoid governmental secrecy, lies, and propaganda, comparable to the level achieved by the former soviet union,..." :shrug:

[MindPilot]

12. Here's a plan for dealing with Iraq:

Troops, gather up your shit...we're buggin' out.

[thethinker]

14. Iraq was a mistake

Almost every citizen in this country knows it! The polls show that the public no longer supports Iraq.

Why can't our democratic congress people stand up and say so. They have been so busy this past week defending Bush's honor they don't have time to speak out against the war.

The money to rebuild Iraq has been stolen. It has cost too many lives - American and Iraqi. It has been a badly planned disaster. The public knows this. If the democrats expect the public to follow them and vote for them - they have to lead. They need to stand up and start speaking the truth. No one is going to vote for them if they don't have the courage to stand up. Talk about looking weak!

We have spineless democratic congress people that are getting very bad advice from the DLC. The DLC wants them to keep quiet about Bush's mistakes in Iraq. They aren't going to win if they don't give the American people a choice. The people are ready for something other than "republican lite". They are ready for change. They are ready to hear the truth.

[GreenEyedLefty]

15. Oh, for God's sake...

It appears this Dick Polman fella is naught but a shill for the Republican party.

[fencesitter]

16. No no no

Mr Polman is not a RW shill. He's usually very progressive. Gets truckloads of hate mail from the right.

[Psephos]

17. "14-point swing in one month"

That's probably the key sentence in the article. But there are plenty of others.

Follow the link, read the entire article. You don't have to agree with all of it, or any of it. But don't barbecue the messenger for saying something you don't want to hear. Polman is from the left, not the right, with a long history of writing from a progressive viewpoint. Post a response that avoids calling Polman names or uses that puking smilie, and instead offers thoughtful critique.

We are quick these days to toss anyone to the sharks who dares stray from the approved text. We seem to reserve the greatest acrimony for those who dissent from within our own ranks. That's called a circular firing squad.

Write down the advice of him who loves you, though you like
it not at present.
--English Proverb

Peace

[yurbud]

19. the bright side is that opening snippet is less true now than last year

but they have yet to become brave and coherent enough.

The emergency bill for paper ballots is a good start.