Why the Dems Can't Match Bush: Woo-Wooism vs. Metorites

[Karmadillo]

Makes a good case the Democrats have a lot more room to fight Republicans head on than CNN would suggest.

http://www.counterpunch.org/borowski06042004.html

Americans hold dear to their image of rough and tough individualists, ready to meet any challenge at a pin's drop: unless you are Democratic strategists and their ilk. Don't be angry, stay above the fray and don't act like Republicans they wail. They pack together like lemmings ready to pitch them off the Republican fabricated cliff.

Republicans can be an ugly bunch indeed. Brandishing a walrus penis bone, Congressman Don Young embarrassed the late Mollie Beatty (Fish &Wildlife Service Director) during a committee meeting on environmental concerns. Tom Delay, Congressman from Texas fond of D.D.T. and biocides, repeatedly has called the Environmental Protection Agency, "Jack-booted thugs." When questioned about environmental protection, Former Secretary of the Interior James Watt replied, "If the trouble from environmentalists cannot be solved in the jury box or the ballot box, perhaps the cartridge box should be used." Attorney General Ashcroft routinely reminds us good Americans, "you are either with us or against us." Radio pundits like Rush Limbaugh have compared the torture at American run prison camps in Iraq to college guys letting off some steam. Disgusting? Yes. Immoral and vile you ask? Again, yes. But a quick check on the present will indicate that they hold the presidency, hold both houses of Congress and are undermining the democracy we so cherish.

Do we emulate Republicans to retake America? Not for a moment. But, if Democratic apologists, who routinely clamor for holding themselves to a higher ivory tower don't get into the mix, we all stand to lose more than the 2004 election.

President Bill Clinton was and is a brilliant man. Yet as a president, he vacillated as often as the wind blew, relying on "trial balloons" and polls to define and sadly, redefine his positions. President George Bush is an inarticulate and sputtering buffoon yet many Americans see him as consistent about his positions, see him as tough and willing to go down to the wire on his positions. That inspires, that hides his horrible policies, because the average American is not a policy wonk, they let the media frame their beliefs. How else could a president who has engaged in an illegal war, drained our surplus to coddle the super rich and has tarnished American ideals worldwide still be in office? Image often betrays reality. Americans want to be led, even by an imperfect leader. Introduce fear into this equation and sheep-like Democrats who refuse to challenge the president nose to nose: and Americans will choose the perceived lesser of two evils.

more...

[I thought so.]

1. Counterpunch is BUNK.

Its the "lets never win" crowd. Its so easy that way.

[NMDemDist2]

2. re: reading polls

i just wonder if that's in and of itself a bad thing. If we are a representative democracy, wouldn't you want your reps to check how the "people" think about an issue?

I'll have to think about this, but on it's face I am thinking it may not be an all bad thing

<don flameproof suit>

What do you guys think?

[BeFree]

4. Polling the Public

Attempting to read the mind of the People is a good thing. Falsely using the words of God to guide decisions ain't.

The whole meme of the pukes - that Clinton only did what polls told him to do - is a pile of dog crap, and it amazes me that it continues to be repeated.

Besides, this bunch of squatters seems to really follow the polls. As long as they feel they can fool the public, they will do so: witness the WMD lies, etc, etc. When the polls tell them the People don't believe them anymore, they blame others for the failure. "It was bad intelligence"

Now, if Bev Harris, et al, can get America on the left track concerning BBV, we may get to a point where real Democracy is founded upon computer polling of the People. But that state is a long way off. Much work needs to be done before computerized polling is reliable and totally corruption free.

[Cocoa]

3. dems are "avoiding confrontation?"

Will Democrats lead them out of this minefield or sustain this propaganda by avoiding confrontation?

Where has this guy been?

There are absolutely no specifics in this article, it's as formless as a rant by Q here at DU, so it's impossible to argue with, we have no idea what he has a problem with.

He seems to be concerned about the environment, so how does he feel about the ANWR vote? As I recall, the dems won that vote only because a handful of republicans voted with them, which tells me that the dems can't win with party line votes.

[Karmadillo]

5. Not sure the article is as formless as you appear to believe, but

the author seems fairly clear in pointing out the Democrats should stake a more confrontational position that clearly opposes the corporate assault on the environment, the gradual embrace of fascism, the perpetual lying and distorting of the corporate media, and the looting of the public purse by the rich. You note the Democrats can't win on party line votes since they're in the minority, but it's possible they're in the minority because they (as a party, not in individual cases) fail to take the kind of stands the author proposes.