Let's Be The Party Of Optimism Again...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. "

-Franklin D. Roosevelt


"Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. "

-John F. Kennedy


"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation."

-Robert Kennedy


I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

-Martin Luther King, Jr.



Our party has a great and glorious history.... We won two world wars..... We eliminated poverty for the elderly... We gave folks a safety net... We created the security that allowed people the luxury of voting Republican.... Some of the rhetoric here saddens me..... We will overcome this administration.....


Peace

[Zynx]

1. When people are looking for leadership, the Dems have it.

FDR in particular I am becoming increasingly convinced was the greatest president of all time. World War II was won as rapidly and as cleanly as was truly possible given the nature of the enemy we were facing. He would spend 20 hours a day managing the war and we should compare that sort of thing to Bush. Bush likes to compare the War on Terra to WWII, well he should put forth FDR's physical commitment.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. And FDR Had Polio And Was In Failing Health Toward The End

Surely the greatest president of the twentieth century....



I ain't willing to "go gently into the good night" yet...

[Zynx]

9. The only one I would put above FDR is Washington.

Washington because he acted in ways that preserved what was a relatively fragile union and basically showed how the job was done. However, in terms of a president who was a good manager of affairs, there was none better than FDR.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. As Great As The Pressure On FDR Imagine The Pressure On Lincoln....

Your enemy is your brother and he's eighty miles away*


If my memory serves me correct that's the distance from DC to Richmond

[Zynx]

24. Yeah, but Lincoln was not a particularly effective manager of the war.

It was intense pressure, but I would only give Lincoln a B- in his conduct of the war. FDR conducted WWII nearly flawlessly and helped to bring it to an end as rapidly as can be imagined. The same cannot be said of the Civil War. With proper management, the war could have been ended a lot sooner.

[bookman]

3. Yes!

It's just the right thing to do. Let's make America the most respected country in the world again, Let's make America the place where all individuals matter.

I could go on, but I'm waitin' on a hurricane. :)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. Good Luck...

I weathered three last year...


Where in Texas are you?

[bookman]

20. Whew!

We manged to stay west of the storm's worst. Pretty much like a severe thunder storm. Never lost power.

I'm in The Woodlands, north of Houston.

We took in some family from Clear Lake including a dog and a macaw.

[blondeatlast]

5. That should be the Democrats theme--Make US Proud Again.

Imagine an FDR in the White House now...

(sigh)

Hope all goes well for you, check in with us ASAP.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. What I Like About FDR Was He Wasn't An Ideologue...

I don't mean he didn't want to help people but he was willing to experiment...



"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit
it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."

-Franklin D. Roosevelt


Unlike the current occupant of the White House facts informed his policies and not the other way around...

[kweerwolf]

6. Eh ... I'd be an optimist ...

... but it probably wouldn't work out. :shrug:

[Zynx]

11. LOL. That's a good one.

[longship]

8. Yes, let's be the party of opposition again.

And along the way let's be optimistic. Instead of whining about how we've got to get along with Repugs, let's nail the fuckers and bring out our optimistic plan. But let's nail the fuckers!!

[Sterling]

16. Thx.

This coolaid shit is tired. real Dems have very little to get excited about when it comes to our party. The last thing I want to hear is some cool aid drinker talking about putting smiles on our faces. If our pols were worth a shit we would be happy as clams.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. You Think FDR Campaigned With A Frown

The country was prostate but FDR knew he could put it back on his feet...

[NorthernSpy]

10. No, Let's Be The Party Of Kicking Ass!

Vision, ideals, and optimism are all very nice.

But you won't be getting any of that from me. I'm angry.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. Anger Is Good... Righteous Anger Is Better....

But a calm head and a plan is best...

[emulatorloo]

13. Kick and Nominating --

:kick:

[Arkham House]

14. Optimism, yes...

...we could all sure use it right about now...LOL...but let's also be determined to be an *opposition* party again. That's why I admire Dean--his actual policies are by no means "far left"--but his politics are uncompromising, and he wants the Democrats to be more politically militant. As for anger--well, there's a lot to be angry about...orwell had a good phrase--"generous anger". Maybe that should be the Dem's official slogan...

[H2O Man]

18. The Gift of Hope.

In late 1970, when he was himself a fugitive being hunted by the FBI, the Reverend Daniel Berrigan, S.J., sent a letter to the Weathermen, who were also "underground." The letter was on a tape, so that they would know it was actually him. The NYT printed the letter in March, 1973.

"...I'm trying to say that when people look about them for lives to run with and when hopeless people look for hope, the gift we can offer to others is so simple a thing as hope. ....If I'm learning anything it is that nearly everyone is in need of this and therefore in need of us, whether or not they realize it. ... My hope is that affection and compassion and nonviolence are now common resources once more and that we can proceed on that assumption, the assumption that the quality of life within our communities is exactly what we have to offer."

[kentuck]

19. That might be a good start.

People want to be hopeful. They do not want to be depressed or negative.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

23. Chris Matthews Is Often Wrong

and his theories are usually banal...


But his theory that the candidate who is optimistic or has the "sun in his face" usually does well makes sense ...

I am not advocating we become Pollyannas but a little optimism won't kill us...

[NewJeffCT]

26. Bill Clinton was certainly optimistic

and, while I despise his policies and politics, Reagan was optimistic as well.

[Roland99]

25. EXACTLY! A friend of mine (and I agree w/him) keeps say the Dems won't win

by being negative, anti-Bush, etc.

They MUST come up with actual SOLUTIONS and be POSITIVE about them.

[Akoto]

21. Man. We used to have leaders who could, like, talk!

[Mr_Spock]

22. I'm a liberal because I'm an optimist

and I live by the principals that the Righty creeps only TALK about.

We live by the good principals, they only TALK about them.

I'm an optimist.