Congressional Democrats' ratings are as bad as Republicans. Why?

[rockymountaindem]

According to Harris polls, the Republicans in Congress have a 32% approval rating, but Democrats only have a 31% approval rating.

http://www.pollingreport.com/congress.htm

Why do you think this is and what can we do about it? How can we turn this around before the '06 elections?

[salinen]

1. MSM is owned

by republicans.

[blue sky at night]

2. perhaps if the dems..........

actually stood up and proclaimed something....you know take a stand, give an up or down indication of what they are caring about; instead deathly silence. W T F !

[marmar]

5. Agreed. Few Democrats are actually distinguishing themselves...

Aside from John Conyers, Barney Frank, Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters and the other usual activists, you hear nothing from the Dems, even with the golden opportunity they have right now.

[CityDem]

41. Right on target

We are not the party of ideas -- we are the party that opposes what the repukes are promoting. At least this is how the MSM reports it. I wish some of our elected leader would stand up and speak for the progressive wing of the party. They should travel to Crawford and stand with Cindy; voice their support for higher taxes to support social programs; oppose any change to social security; support the increase in CAFE standards to 50 MPG to improve the environment; attack Roberts for being a right wing, anti woman, neo con kook.

Instead, they are on vacation and afraid of their shadows. Most of our elected leaders suck.

[jmatthan]

49. Cindy does not want turncoats and coattail hangers

She is independent and knows who the true lot are.

Cindy is one of the most sincere, loving and intelligent persons that my wife and I have had the privilege to correspond with.

She is the exact opposite of my "educated" American correspondent:

http://koti.netplaza.fi/~findians/AntiWar/USEducated/educated.html

CINDY IS EDUCATED!!

[TankLV]

47. Couldn't have said it better myself.

The silence is defening, and so far any remarks, thru spokespersons, not the actual politician is tepid at best.

Hardly a way to ignite the imagination and create change.

[yojon]

3. invertrbrate democrats

[bahrbearian]

4. DLC

[neuvocat]

12. Yep, a lot of pro-war dems too.

[DaveinMD]

6. there is a throw all the bums out

phenomenon brewing. A campaign that runs against establishment washington could be very successful.

[katsy]

8. You've given me some hope here.

[DaveinMD]

11. Good

Its the campaign I will have all my congressional clients run on. The slogan is a question. Had enough?

[MissWaverly]

14. How about clean slate in 08

People want candidates like Hackett, that are squeaky clean

[DaveinMD]

15. 06

comes before 08. That's my focus. I don't have Presidential level clients. Not yet anyhow.

[MissWaverly]

21. Another suggestion

Put the "Dem" back in "Democracy"

[DaveinMD]

26. nah

Its not about Dem v Republican. Its about new blood over the people that have causes the problem. We need to get independent and Republican votes in these districts.

[MissWaverly]

34. Another suggestion-Vote for x, Bring Back the American Dream

The American Dream is gone, people no longer believe in America, America
has never been just a place to live, it's been part of a dream of a better life, a chance to make things better for your family and
your neigborhood.

[DaveinMD]

35. that's ok

for a more positive election.

[karynnj]

50. Kerry actually was about as clean as politicians

can be, The service stuff was totally fake - the official records back him, the guys in his boat when he got the medals back him - his anti-war protesting was legal, open, intelligent and had at least one Senator expressing his opinion that Kerry could well be a future mamber of that body. He was followed by the FBI which recommended stopping the surveilance because he was doing nothing illegal, was non-violent, They made stuff up because there was no real dirt.

[MissWaverly]

58. I don't know how to explain what happened with Kerry

But it was like attacking all the things that GWB didn't like about himself, Kerry was a real war hero, GWB wasn't, Kerry was someone who
put a lot of effort into making himself a success in politics, it wasn't about his name, his family connections, GWB was all about connections,
so GWB did what any school bully would do, he dragged Kerry down into the mud with a sneak attack and kicked him around with lies and smears and propaganda and faked intelligence and suppression of news about Iraq, Plame, you name it, they suppressed it; 2004 was a non-election, I am still convinced that the whole thing was rigged from day one and that George Bush never had 51% of the votes, or 42% of the votes or 35% of the votes, I think he probably received what he's polling at now, and we were lied to, shouted at, pissed on but the truth will come out.

[katsy]

28. Had enough?

It's simple, direct and relevent.


War. Had enough?

Deficits. Had enough?

Outsourcing. Had enough?

Corruption. Had enough?

Price of gas. Had enough?

CAFTA. Had enough?

Corporate welfare. Had enough?


I like it. It works.

[rockymountaindem]

9. I was hesitant to post this...

because I feared it would draw the usual "piss on the moderates" crowd, who I've already heard from. Thanks for coming. Even though you're a Yankees fan, you're still one of my fave DUers.

[DaveinMD]

16. Thanks

I appreciate the compliment.

[Wizard777]

36. Yep! Time to clean all three Houses.

American are dying in a foreign land for lies. The White House Supressed 9/11 Investigations and exposed a covert CIA Agent. The Senate and the House are playing political games in a blatant attempt to ignore the the blatantly obvious. Gee Wiz. It's a T word.... Tirade, no. Timmid, no that's not it.
How about Times Up! The people getting elect will be the Canidates that can scream TREASON the loudest. If they can't say it. I'm not voting for them. I want to hear it come from their lips. Say It! Say It! I'll vote for a real republican before I vote for a dumbass democrat wanna be corrupt republican.

We've seen the dumbass wanna be Democrats. Haven't we Dave? I tried telling everyone "Cultire of Corruption" was a political promise. Racist for Ehrlich! LMAO

[DaveinMD]

38. culture of corruption

is an important theme. They ran on it last time and broke their promises. We need to remind people of this in 06.

[Wizard777]

39. We could have had a retired Admiral and former Commander of

the Pacific rim as our first head of Homeland Security. Instead we ended up with corrupt NY Republican and Maryland Independant that worked tirelessly on Ehrlichs campaign. The Republicans are so corrupt they can't even tell the truth about what party they are in. Someone should call Norris' Radio show and ask him if has rejoined the republican party or if he is still supporting Ehrlich as an independant. LMAO

[yurbud]

7. profound cowardice and lack of conviction

The exceptions stand out because they are so few.

We could all probably name a handful of Congressional dems who aren't an embarrassment or disappointment.

The Republicans are failing, but at least they are failing at ideas they have stood by for a couple of decades (apart from extreme hypocrisy on balanced budgets).

Bernie Sanders said something about this. He doesn't take the positions he does because they will help him win, he takes them because they are right.

If the dems don't consistently stand for things besides being the less offensive chamber of commerce party, they will implode.

[Pepperbelly]

10. because our guys suck as badly as theirs but differently.

Our guys are mealy-mouthed double-talkers, their's are batshit crazy demagogues.

[salin]

13. disgust that is generalized away from repubs to "all politicians"

[Nite Owl]

17. They aren't very different

they haven't stopped one thing that this administration has proposed. We got Conyers, Boxer and very few others but they aren't the ones that get the tv face time. They had lots of chances to distinguish themselves from the repukes but they chose not to.

[Hippo_Tron]

18. Because we can't do jack shit when we're in the minority

There's very little that people can approve of or disapprove of as far as congressional dems go. Plus being in the minority means that you have less of an opportunity to influence decissions that will benefit your district.

[bonzotex]

33. and we'll stay in the minority until...

...prominant Dems either grow a spine and stand up for liberal ideals or get the fuck out of the way. They are stink'n up the joint.

Most people don't know or care about the rules that make the minority party powerless. Most people don't know how the Repukes abuse the rules to make the Dems even more powerless. Most people don't have the slightest clue how bills are proposed or passed. They only know what they hear from their senators and reps and what is actually happening to them in daily life. When their daily life starts to suck, all politicians get the blame. The minority also gets the added, "why didn't you stop this before it got so bad?"

The repugs look bad because regular Americans don't like liars, con-men and thieves. The Dems look bad because regular Americans don't like whimpering cowards whose opinion change with every bully that casts a shadow on them.

The repukes can't stop being liars, con-men and thieves. It's relatively easy for the Dems to stop looking like prison bitches. All they have to do is stand up and fight back.

The only advantage to "we are in the minority arguement" is that all this crap can be squarely blamed on the Reugs. Our fearless leaders, with sadly few exceptions, won't even do that.

[AuntieM1957]

19. hear that sucking sound?

well, that's the sound of congressional dems puckering up and smooching repub hinie.


'nuff said?

they hate them because they're all the same.

[Renew Deal]

42. Because Congress sucks.

It's a cesspool. I think about 20 people from each party should be kept. The rest should be replaced.

[natrat]

20. is this a serious question?

did fucking harold ford vote for the bankruptcy bill?
do the scumball clintons hang out with the bush crime family?
did ted kenedy say 95% thugs and 75% dims are corrupt?

[rockymountaindem]

30. Is this a serious answer?

It doesn't look like one. Isn't "dims" a freeper phrase? Just a question...

[natrat]

54. ok i'll make it simple for you

MOST OF THEM ARE FUCKING CORRUPT--please dont call me a freeper

[lastknowngood]

22. because their going along with bushiter

n/t

[GoBlue]

23. Perhaps you should ask...

the Congressional Democrats. For the most part they don't speak for me nor I for them.

[Lexingtonian]

24. it's showing up in all kinds of ratings

The moderates and Indies are temporarily giving up on both parties.
The hardliners and diehards on each side are sticking by their guys.

Indies have leaned Republican for so long, and moderate Democrats are been such Republican fifth columnists that this doesn't seem so bad to me. I think they're getting a lot of the conservative propaganda crap they believed out of their heads- all the semimythical stuff they've believed or 'known'- about Democrats and Republicans. Republicans being about lower taxes, better at war, etc.

When a mythology dies it means a crisis of faith for those who believed in it.

[longship]

25. Uhhhh. Let's see.

Because they are spineless jellyfish?

Did I get it right?

[Cocoa]

27. because in their opposition role they come off as negative

it's a bitch, but it can't be avoided, their 2006 campaign has to be largely negative, asking people to hold the GOP accountable for what the consequences of their governing.

[rockymountaindem]

29. Thanks for a real answer.

n/t

[elperromagico]

31. Where are the Democratic ideas,

apart from "We don't like the Republican ideas"?

Democrats are in their most weakened position in decades. For the first time in 50 years, we don't control either the House or the Senate and we don't have the White House.

Even during the lean years of the past, when Republicans dominated the White House, we held the House and usually the Senate. We could force Republican presidents to alter their more unsavory ideas. At the very least, we could force them to compromise. During the Clinton years, when we didn't control Congress, the executive branch could keep the Republican Congress from becoming too conservative.

Now, for the first time in decades, we're utterly powerless. We can't force the Republican president to do anything unless a few Republicans go along with us.

And we're not used to it.

The Democratic Party is in a position now where it is the party of reaction rather than proaction. Rather than proposing a long-term agenda for America, we're busy reacting to the Republican long-term agenda.

The American people have had nearly four years of Republican domination in Congress and it's pretty evident that they're dissatisfied with the results. But as long as Democrats aren't presenting an alternative, we're not going to win major victories.

Republicans in 1994 were determined to win the House and the Senate. Thus the Contract with America. It may have been utter bullshit but it presented an alternative to the Democratic agenda and the American people got behind it.

If we want to win in '06 and '08, we have to stop saying "The Republicans are screwing up. Vote for us" and start saying "This is what the Democrats will do. Vote for us."

[bonzotex]

40. the ideas are there, the principles are simple

You are right. A Democratic "Contract with America" is long overdue.
Action, not Reaction
How is that hard to understand?

It's our stagnant leadership that won't articulate it and stand behind it.

If you've haunted DU or the net roots any length of time you've probably seen 100 different lists of bullet points that spell out a pretty damn good Democratic platform. All of them are very similar.

You could write one yourself or any two or three DUers could crank one out that was simple and easy to sell. Our leaders won't do it. Some say their silence is strategic; let the repugs hang themselves then we'll sweep in and save the day.

Bullshit...

All our necks are in the noose the Repugs have woven. Time to fight back like our lives and Nation depended on it was 5 years ago. I've been waiting and waiting for the big name Dems to strike back and they never did. I'm not buying the "we must stay unified at all costs" mantra.

I'm going to work to get populist Dems with some conviction elected. They can be DLC, moderates, or flaming liberals, but they will not be spineless mumbling cowards who step into the ring waving the Marquis of Queensbury rules while Republicans beat them with a folding chair.

[Wizard777]

32. It rubs off.

You kiss a republicans ass and you'll have Bush's poll numbers all over your lips. America is sick of Bush AND his republican cronies and they are going to give it to them all right between the eyes. So quit trying to compromise and just back away slowly then run like all hell. You don't want to be anywhere near a Republican when it happens.

[mmonk]

37. Nobody knows what they stand for

so the MSM and republicans define them for the populace that for the most part, has no clue what is going on.

[leesa]

43. Because they refuse to stand up for right and against wrong.

And....some are working for the good of the GOP.

[wli]

44. we can't really do anything

1. Diebold, ES&S, Sequoia, et al.
2. 95% of elected and appointed officials are Dominionists and/or some other flavor of neo-Nazis.
3. Complete and total Dominionist/neo-Nazi control of the media.
4. Homeland Offense Gestapo death squads to assassinate anyone influential on the left.
5. Homeland Offense Gestapo launching full-scale military assaults on protests/demonstrations.
6. Economic restructuring to enslave the populace.
7. Economic restructuring to dump all communication and assembly channels into the control of corporate Dominionists and neo-Nazis.

This isn't crappy policy, this is a fascist break. About all we can do is try to get out before they kill us, and odds are, most will be caught by surprise.

[kentuck]

45. They need to be more disagreeable.

with the Republicans. They need to offer their own ideas instead of waiting for the Republicans to fuck up...

[WhiteTara]

46. I agree, but it is hard to keep defending, watch

for mistakes and wrong doing by the repukes AND try to govern. Where is Wonder Woman? We need the goddess of ten thousand hands who would just come in here and clean house really. But meanwhile, where is Barbara Boxer? She should meet with Cindy. We need to have someone step in, take some of the energy and move forward now and become a leader. But now that fantasy has left my fingers, I guess sleep is in order.

[TreasonousBastard]

48. I think historically...

Congress has always been held in low esteem when people are polled. These numbers are probably not exceptional, and at least we're not considered all that much worse than the Republicans.

What to do about it? Not much-- it's always been a great American sport to diss politicians, particularly Congress.

But, we have to remember that old maxim-- "All politics is local." Somehow, all Congresscritters suck, but "MY" congresscritter is just peachy keen.

So, we ignore these polls and just go out and run our people with the people who count-- their voters. Maybe the locals do care a bit about abortion, gay marriage, Iraq, and other things that get us all up in a twist, but what they REALLY care about are the potholes, the price of gas, how their schools are doing, their property taxes, local job growth and all that other stuff that affects them directly.

And that's what we run on.

[ginnyinWI]

57. that's right

Senators and Congress-persons are elected in their own home states, and few people are going to be pleased with the whole Congress as a group. That's why Dean, Kerry and others are working for and supporting elections at the state level. Win one state at a time, and the difference will show in Washington.

To everyone who has been complaining about the Dem Party on this thread:

I hope all of you personally get out and go to your local Dem county meetings and GET INVOLVED. We need warm bodies all over the United States to pitch in now, not wait until the next presidential campaign season. It doesn't matter how young or old you are, rich or poor, educated or not--there is a job you can do, even if only serving coffee and muffins to campaign workers! Nobody has a right to complain who is not involved!

[darkism]

51. Because the GOP are idiots and the Dems won't call them on their bullshit

No one in Congress - save Conyers, Waters, Boxer and a few others - has a spine.

[LittleClarkie]

52. And this, sports fans, is why I want them to keep their mitts offa Cindy

If people are as sick of Washington as this poll indicates, then they could do more harm to her than good.

I like that Rev. Al is going down there. Out of work pols are one thing. Just nobody who might be campaigning. You know?

[LTRS]

53. Because they are spineless cowards....

... who won't speak up for the American people in opposition to the nutballs running things right now.

That is the honest to gawd truth. I prayed on it and Jezus came down and told me it was true (even though I already damn well knew it on my own.) Praise gawd (and dog).

[enough already]

55. Simple

Because we have weak-kneed wimps in our party who agree with Bush on the war, on judges like Roberts, etc. When the public looks at Republicans and DLCers in the Congress, they see the same thing and hate them both.

[Toots]

56. Good maybe there will be a general "Throw the bums out" mentality next

election. I would not mind seeing half the Democrats in Congress get tossed on their asses as long as all the Republicans suffer the same results. Nader was right when he said the parties were virtually the same thing any more.