Who still thinks that the Democrats are a viable opposition party?

[mdmc]

Poll question: Who still thinks that the Democrats are a viable opposition party?

Who wants to stay the course? Who wants a revolution?

[mdmc]

1. kick for my dumb poll

:hi:

[Deja Q]

2. We need a new party with grassroots honor and strength.

No Greens.

No DLC.

Just, WE THE PEOPLE.

We shall overcome.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

14. Not the party but the lack of aggressive and effective leadership.

New aggressive leadership that has the perceptiveness to develop a message that will resonate with our working class base and the expertise needed to access the media to disseminate that message. The Internet may be the vehicle that drives the need to have a grassroots movement that is devoid of the entrenched corporate controlled party insiders leadership. There appears on the surface to be too much passive complicity by the Democratic Party elitist a.k.a. Washington insiders in allowing the Republican coup d’etat of our democratic election process. New populist leadership is needed immediately and all associated with the party’s recent failure need not apply (Kerry, Edwards, Bilden, Hillary, etc.). The “idiot” should have been easily defeated but our candidate had too much baggage that was exploited without an astute campaign response (repeated failures to respond to attacks) to overcome the expected (by everyone) vicious repuke smear. Voting fraud and media access (TV bias) are two of the most critical areas of concern for future success.

[charlyvi]

3. The party of Thomas Jefferson is not dead.

Democrats held power, in Congress at least, almost exclusively from Roosevelt through Clinton's first term. We are now the minority party in Congress, but that doesn't mean we are dead. It just means we are out of power. I have faith that the Repubs will screw up sufficiently to put us in power again. Liberalism wins in the long run--maybe not quickly, but in the long run the party of worker's rights--people's rights--will prevail. Do not take the short view; this is yet another bump on the road.

[Chipper Chat]

8. I tend to agree with you.

The majority in this country is blue NOT RED. Circumstances just lost the presidential election for us (the "scare" of the gays taking over, Bush's war, the rabid crusade of the fundies, the genius of "dirty-pool" Karl Rove, and of course THE RIGGED ELECTION)!
I predict a major rift in the PugParty. It's already started - the fundies pushing for a total rightwing theocracy. And if they dont get what they want there will be hell to pay - the GOP moderates will be the lice of the party. Bush waffles - nominates scalia-clones for the courts and pushes for all that faithbased funding crap. But at the same time supports civil unions and moderates like Specter! Wait until far-right wingers like Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint link up with Tom DeLay and his ilk. GOP moderates like Susan Collins & Richard Lugar will be disabled and rendered moot. Let the swords be drawn. Unfortunately this war for ideology will tear the country furthur apart. I hate to be such a pessimist, but I dont see any light at the end of the tunnel unless Democrats stop this self-loathing blame game. Go forth with reorgization - UNITE and WIN the 2008 presidency and KICK these america-destroying bastards out of government. Amen.

[puddycat]

10. it may not be dead but it needs life support measures

Democratic leadership has not done a good job in impressing upon our entire society, especially young people, how much liberalism has done to make their life a good one. If we let corporate fascism take even more control of our society, then everything that makes our society viable will continue to deteriorate. We will be even more at the mercy of whatever big business wants. Two classes are emerging: the poor who service the rich and the rich. That's it.

[cruadin]

13. Well stated; I agree. The Democratic leaders have NOT...

been effective leaders, to the extent that they have allowed the Repugs to frame the debate and define the terms.
The quality of life in this country is high BECAUSE of liberal political and social values, not in spite of them, as the Repugs claim.
We need leaders and spokespeople who understand this simple reality and can communicate it effectively in the context of a political campaign.

[Goldeneye]

4. I think we just need to take our party back

Its a good party and I agree with the party platform as do most democrats, its the leadership that needs work.

[msgadget]

5. Both parties favor business over the individual.

[AP]

6. Margins of Victory: Republican Presidents Reelected During Last 100 Years

1904 Theodore Roosevelt:             17% Popular Vote; 196 Electoral Vote
1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower: 16% Popular Vote; 384 Electoral Vote
1972 Richard M. Nixon:                 23% Popular Vote; 503 Electoral Vote
1984 Ronald Reagan:           18% Popular Vote; 512 Electoral Vote
2004 George W. Bush:                  2% Popular Vote; 34 Electoral Vote


 

[Mike Niendorff]

7. we'll see.

I sincerely hope so, both for our sake and for the sake of those who will come after us.


MDN

[MasonJar]

9. There is not one doubt in my mind that Kerry won the election.

[Joe Chi Minh]

11. Precisely!

Troll deloodle dee troll de loddle la.

[Cobalt Violet]

12. No doubt in my mind either.

So the viability of the party all depends on how the party in Washington decides what to do about it or not do about it. I think the move is theirs. Should they go along to get along, I don't think they will be viable.

Our party unity cannot depend on the repulsiveness of the republican candidate.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. "Viable oppiosition party"? The don't seem opposed to anything.

They put up "leaders" (Reid, Roemer) who represent republicans, they roll over for everything that Bush demands with barely a whimper. At best they offer a watered down version of more of the same to soothe the "moderates".

Demcrats? Opposition? Don't make me laugh.

[mdmc]

16. kicking the sarcasm

:hi:

[IwinULose]

17. It's the socialists on the left vs. the socialists on the right

So, I don't think that the Democrats are a viable opposition party.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. Socialists? Don't we wish!

Calling the Dems "socialist" is like calling the Boob-in-Chief "compassionate".

[mdmc]

19. yeah, I 'd kill for a wee nip of socialism

:kick:

[robbedvoter]

20. Your thread title is better than the poll. Dems not viable. Others - even

more of a laugh. Obsession with DLC betrays lack of thoughtlessness.