So, how do you feel about the future of the Democratic Party now?

[coloradodem2005]

Three months ago, I was most certainly not optimistic. After having lost ground in the Senate and House and losing the Presidential race to a "Major League Asshole", I saw bleakness. With the recent shake-up in the party that resulted in the election of Howard Dean as DNC chair, I feel much more confident, but still concerned. THe media (even Jon Stewart) probably feels that this party is defunct. Not that we should listen to them. THe problem is that they control the dialogue to such a point that whatever they say has a way of coming true even if it is not true to begin with. I want to see the party gain seats in 2006. I want the Presidency back in 2008. The Bush family and/or the Republicans cannot be allowed to have the trifecta this time.

That aside, I think that we might be on the right track now. We have made it clear that we want change and a person who was on the outside of the system who wanted to change it (Dean) is now in charge of the system. I am hoping that this is the beginning of the renaissance of the Democratic party.

[autorank]

1. Reid/Durbin on track; Dean on track; blogs on track!

This is much better than the day after election day.

When we return to power and right many of the * wrongs, it will be remembered that the birth of the new Democratic Party took place on January 6, 2005...when Barbara Boxer showed that telling the TRUTH is not only necessary, it is possible!!!

[LittleClarkie]

5. In the clearing stands Fighter and a Boxer by his side

Boxer, Reid, 13 Senators against Condi, more against Gonzalez, Dean, a shadow Prez beating Bush to the punch overseas and being a pain in the ass at home, grassroots, an agenda.

Yeah, I'm feeling much better now. Still going off on the occasional crying jags. But I am overall a happier camper than I was on Nov. 3

[autorank]

7. LittleClarkie (I'm a big Clarkie), take a look at this...

when the crying jags start up. Even when things are seemingly at their worst, good things can happen:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=272275

[Downtown Hound]

2. It took the Republicans a long time to get where they are today

Change takes time. I want to see it happen soon as well, and it might, but be prepared, this could take awhile. The Republicans control the government and the media. That's going to be difficult to overcome, but not impossible. We will eventually prevail, because the Republicans are on a path to self destruction. But as much as I'd like to see it happen overnight, I think we're in this for the long haul.

[Pirate Smile]

3. Here is an interesting article with a broad look at the Democratic Party's

current state, things we need to fix, etc.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18482-2005Feb12.html

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. Much better.

Case in point, with a very local view:

I am webmaster for a county democratic party, in a very small and very repuke county in NJ. For a long time now, we have gotten treated like red-headed stepchildren by the state committee. "You will get nothing and like it" has been the standing orders.

That is changing, thanks to the wonderful woman who ran for congress here, in the last cycle, D. Anne Wolfe. She became and remains a strong advocate for this county and it is bearing fruit. She bent a lot of ears on our behalf.

Now, we are soon to have not one, but two visits, for two different functions, by Jon Corzine. Now, of course, the cynical will say that it is because he is running for governor, and they would have a point. That said, even before he announced, he contributed a very impressive sum to the county party, for the last election and has, in his quiet manner, gone to bat for us in other ways.

Something IS changing, philosophically. We are seeing it already and look forward to much more.

[Mend]

6. We listened to Bill Clinton on CSPAN tonight

He always lifts our hopes and spirits. His major message is that we have to stick together.

[housewolf]

8. I think there is cause for optomism...

I am cautiously optomistic, to be sure, but do find reasons to be optomistic. Howard Dean gives me optomism, as does Harry Reid and Barbara Boxer,, as so people like David Brock and others who have defected from the Repubs... and they are out there, to be sure.

I have an optomistic trust in our nation, and believe that errors of the past few years as well as those to come, can be corrected over time. I find history to be my friend these days, when I realize that our nation has been through dark times before and come through them.

I want everything you want, and more, and think that it is possible.

[wyldwolf]

9. the same as I did three months ago

... a year ago even.

On the local and state level, the party did quite well in the last election cycle.

Hell, we did well in the presidential election - Kerry got more votes than any Democrat in history - just not quite well enough.

I'm optimistic about the mid-terms, too.

I never lost faith in the party.

As for Dean - fundraising prowess, yes. Good. Organizational skills? Better than many.

The chair doesn't set policy, though, and the best you can hope for is that he is listened to regarding policy.

I don't think the election of Dean alone has put us on the right track. I'm not saying it has put us on the wrong track, though. I'm saying the experiences of the last 4 years have made us wiser.

I'm not sure who you are referring to when you say "WE" have made it clear that we want change in regards to Howard Dean. The Dean movement was just one aspect of many aspects that has made people rethink the way the party operates.

One could easily say that with the nomination of John Kerry - and the attention paid to Wesley Clark - "we" have made it clear we want change from the label of "weak on defense."

[lojasmo]

10. Much better, thank you. EOM

[dbt]

11. I want to be optimystic.

Every weapon in the Republican arsenal will be trained on Dr. Dean and the Mighty Wurlitzer will play the B Flat Of Doom in his direction 24/7. Goddess help him, but I don't think this will faze him a'tall. He could be Centerfield!

I direct your kind attention to my sig courtesy of The Doors.

:freak:
dbt

[Q]

12. Dean is in charge of what 'system'?

Think back to what kind of power to make changes the last DNC Chair had. As Dean was told recently by the party leadership...he WON'T have any kind of power to make policy changes or challenges. He will be used as a fundraiser and that's about it. He was told to 'shut up' even before he started his new job.

I have this sinking feeling that Dean was put in the Chair to silence him and the activists and to give the impression that real changes were taking place. But in fact...nothing has really changed. The Democratic Leadership calls the shots and they're still enabling Bush and supporting his fake war on terror and illegal wars.

On the positive side...perhaps Dean will find a way to break out of the box and motivate the grassroots to demand new leadership.

[in_cog_ni_to]

13. Well, since the repukes are going to do away with the filibuster rule,

I am not very optimistic about the Dem party. There goes SS and Roe V. Wade.

IF we get rid of evoting machines, I'll feel much better about the Dem party. They cannot win with the evoting machines being used.

[marcologico]

14. I'm pretty optimistic. Dems usually rise to meet a crisis.

Another way of putting it is, after the GOP gets through trashing the place in their orgy of self-polluting greed, they usually stumble off to their McMansions for a couple of years to let Dems clean up the mess.