How Feingold's "Grandstanding" can Energize "Depressed" Democrats...

[KoKo]

Lots of Dem Bloggers have been criticizing Russ Feingold's "Censure Motion" and even Josh Marshall has an article in "Roll Call" saying why Dems shouldn't work for Impeachment....but Digby makes some very good points in this post, BAD INSTINCTS. You need to read the whole piece for the good argument but this is what I could snip. He doesn't have "Permalinks" so if you are interested go to his site and scroll down for the article.

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Bad Instincts

by digby

Three: It's apparently true that Feingold didn't consult with the party. But considering the response I can sort of see his point. They are so unimaginative and so sluggish that he didn't see the use in playing the party game. If party coodination means being forced to wait for them to hold plodding press conferences about x-raying cargo boxes, then it's hard to see why anyone who wants to take the fight to the Republicans would bother.

I can see why they are angry about it. They were caught short. But they need to move more quickly on this stuff. Planning is great, but you can't always control events. How you deal with things coming from left field is important --- they failed on this one, making it worse for themselves by ducking the press and dithering about their response. I think Democrats have lost touch with their political instincts. This is one of those things that a smart old fashioned pol would have been able to either finesse or respond to properly off the cuff. (They should have called Bill Clinton --- he was good at that sort of thing.)

Four: Iraq is what's killing the Republicans in the polls. Democrats will be talking about Iraq every day in one way or another far into the future. And other things are going to come up to interrupt their plans to "pivot" on the war at any particular time. They need to learn to deal with this.

Five: Well yes, by all means a strategy whereby we count on Specter to hold "real" hearings is spot on. What could possibly go wrong? Why, if we wait until after the 2008 election, he might even do it.

I said this yesterday and I'll repeat it. This image of "powerlessness" at a time when the Republicans are on the ropes is the biggest problem we face for the fall elections. If Democratic pols don't understand that they are flirting with terrible grassroots defeatism, then they are going to lose. They must take action (and I don't mean boring press conferences and 10 point plans) or it won't matter a damn if the Republicans are on the ropes --- demoralized Democrats are not going to bother with them. Come on. Speak for us. If not now, when?
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_digbysblog_archive.html#114246500620393659

[wiggs]

1. Well said, and just

based on what I'm reading and what I'm hearing on progressive talk radio there is much more public support for censure and standing up as an opposition force than is apparent in MSM and even in DU discussions.

There has been DU discussion in the past about whether or not the country really is as evenly divided on the issue of administration competency as is widely reported...that underneath the reports and polls there is deep and widespread dissatisfaction and anger. I don't know, but I do note that most online polls (like CNN quick vote) on the issues of the last several months show that a gigantic percentage of respondants oppose administration postitions...the ones where 20-30,000 people respond and 60, 70, 80,and 90% support the dem position. Seems to me that, even for non-scientific polls, this overwhelming response is significant.

[Sugarcoated]

2. He put the things I was thinking about this

into coherent sentences! I will only add that my sense about Frist et al is that, they bluff very well. They're happy to challenge on this on the senate floor to try to spin it to their advantage - they have to do that and are good at it, but inside they're scared. I believe all they have right now is to appear confindent. They really aren't. And it's all the more reason to come at them.

[Sugarcoated]

3. This is a must read so

:kick:

[paulk]

4. How bloggers like "digby" can hurt enegized Democrats

by repeating right wing bullshit like -

"If Democratic pols don't understand that they are flirting with terrible grassroots defeatism, then they are going to lose."

[RazzleDazzle]

5. If not now, when FOR SURE.

Amen.