Why are some Democrats so unhappy with their Party ?

[kentuck]

Should not we all be over-joyed that we have an intelligent progressive in the White House, a large majority in the House, and a filibuster-proof 60 votes in the Senate? Why are some people so unhappy and critical?

Just what do you expect the Democratic Party to do? Is it not enough that we have a majority in both Houses of Congress and that the Republicans do not? Do you truly believe that the Democrats should be able to pass whatever they wanted to pass? Some folks simply can't be satisfied, it seems?

[msongs]

1. it's not the "party", just some politicians elected under the party's name nt

[G_j]

2. -

:sarcasm:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. Immaturity, lack of foresight, and laziness nt

[tekisui]

26. On the part some of our party leaders?

I agree.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

42. Hey, looks like you're asking questions, and then answering them yourself

Multiple personality disorder?

[Ozymanithrax]

4. Because they do not understand the difference between campaigning and governing.

We do not have an intelligent progressive in the White House.

Obama is an intelligent liberal, slightly to the left of political center.

You are correct on other accounts.

[anonymous171]

11. There should be no difference. Obama should be making himself more popular by giving everyone HC

He should also be using the government to fuck with his enemies.

[Vidar]

5. There may be some progressive pages & office assistants in the White House,

but what we have above that level is a prize collection of corporate tools & sycophants.

[anonymous171]

6. Actions speak louder than supposed intelligence or majorities. nt

[NYC_SKP]

7. some people would never ever ever ever ever ever had been happy now matter who won.

And much of the party seems skewed to the right.

But, all things considered, we dodged a bullet.

Among the candidates who had a chance in hell, we got the best.

[readmoreoften]

24. Unless it was politicians who weren't right-wing, or cowards, or

right-wing cowards, or center-right cowards, or "political capital" investors playing chess in 33 dimensions with results happening somewhere in the multiverse unseen by mortals.

[NYC_SKP]

27. and the system is rigged such that these people have a significant advantage...

like I said, "Among the candidates who had a chance in hell".

:patriot:

[pokercat999]

50. The system IS rigged. Your "choice" is between two

pre-approved corporate candidates. The two candidates have committed to doing the bidding of the corporations in all matters that concern them and are left to do "as they please" on moral issues. The game is controlled by the money necessary (in amounts so large they can only be collected from corporations) to campaign nationwide and by the corporate owned media. Our vote really only counts on the "moral" issues, which are only a small portion of the issues that affect our lives.

For instance take healthcare. While some (myself included) might consider this a moral issue it is treated as a financial issue by most of the politicians and so they do the bidding of their corporate masters. How else would you explain the move from Candidate Obama's position favoring a single payer issue to Presidents Obama's position as a hands-off observer of congressional action who supports whatever kind of health INSURANCE reform they can pass?

[NYC_SKP]

54. You're right but on the matter of single payer.

No president could have gotten this congress to pass it.

Though I think I wish Obama would push harder for it.

:patriot:

[pokercat999]

59. Maybe not, but my point was his priority is not healthcare.

Not in the way it would be mine, if I were President. I would put forth an all out effort pulling out all the stops and if necessary use a scorched earth campaign to bring all the democratic caucus in line. By any means necessary. I wouldn't care if I was the most hated President in history by my own party if I was doing the right thing for the people of this country. Obama on the other hand SEEMS to be more concerned with being liked.

[Skittles]

8. this is sarcasm, right?

[kentuck]

10. right.

at least, you recognize it, even without the label.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Sorry ..... but that label seems a necessity

The senses of irony and humor have largely been AWOL of late.

[Toasterlad]

52. Definitely. I Unrecced This Before I Realized the OP Was Sarcasm.

There are tons of people here on DU who regard Obama as Moses down from the mountaintop. A PROGRESSIVE Moses, even.

[Skittles]

18. hard to tell around here, kentuck

I see so many over-the-top swooning over Obama (stuff even Obama would find ridiculous), it's truly hard to tell these days :o

[kentuck]

22. I know.

It's the gullible ones that might have difficulty if they aren't drawn a picture.

[defendandprotect]

35. Need that label up there . . .

[Bjorn Against]

9. Because the tools in Washington are more concerned about the party than they are with the issues

I don't care what letter they have behind their names, I care about what they stand for and lately it seems they have stood for shit.

[gratuitous]

12. Because they'd rather be Republicans?

Looking at you Sen. Lincoln of Arkansas.

[Jamastiene]

14. You'd think they can pass at least some of what we wanted them to pass

with ALL of the reins of this horse in their hands. I mean, they have clear majority now, yet they are meeting the Republicans OVER halfway. It's killing me.

So many of our elected officials are like freaking FReeper lapdogs. That's truly sad.

[HughMoran]

15. Snarkasm DU style

Good for you - kinda funny.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. It's an infuriating lost opportunity

Imagine what the Republicans would have done with majorities like that plus the White House.

We'd be at full-blown fascism by now, and the most of the Dems would have voted for, say, the imposition of martial law because "it was going to pass anyway." (You think that I'm exaggerating? That's the despicable excuse that most of the DLC apologists on this board gave about the IWR, the Patriot Act, the bankruptcy bill, and every other nasty bit of legislation that the Republicans passed with the full or partial complicity of the Dems. Those craven, corrupt cowards couldn't even see their way to making a statement of protest.)

You tell me that the Republicanites wouldn't have actually had a field day with this type of majority, cheered on by the DLC.

[JohnnyLib2]

17. You're a sly one.

Unhappiness is good for discussion boards, sorta like depression is good for therapists. :evilgrin:

[kentuck]

19. Whatever gets us to look in the mirror...

and face the truth.

[readmoreoften]

20. That whole 5 time deployment soldiers with PTSD, do-nothing congress thing

probably has something to do with it. Not to mention that bank-bailout, torture-censoring, health industry-giveaway, mountaintop exploding thing. That thing.

[leftstreet]

21. They'll cheer up after the midterms

Then everything will be the Republicans fault

[hfojvt]

23. We are certainly encouraged to be unhappy

both by the RWNM and by the leftwing agitators.

Besides that, there is a centrist moderate in the White House and it is moderates who have filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Progressives do not have lots of power.

[kentuck]

25. And what do we hope to accomplish with this moderate majority?

Some folks might argue that they are as useless as tits on a bull.

[Jim Sagle]

29. Useless to us; to their corporate paymasters, not so much.

[JVS]

32. Give money to banks and insurance companies?

[Individualist]

28. Dissatisfied lefties should simply abandon those messy principles

and applaud everything done by those with the letter D after their names.

(Do I really need the sarcasm icon here?)

[kentuck]

31. Or we can face the reality...

that nothing, absolutely nothing, will get done. We are set up for failure.

[defendandprotect]

30. "Some" . . .? Yes, we all want ponies -- !!!

The feelings of progressives/liberals outside of DU are also reflected here at DU --

Can't agree with you that we have a "progressive" in the White House --

Nor do we see the Democrats using the power that we've given them since '06 -

which was as Nancy Pelosi made clear . . . a mandate to Democrats to 'END THE WAR' ...

The Democratic Party has been largely overtaken by the corporate wing having pre-bribed

many members of Congress, including Democrats. If you want to see power having been used,

see what the Republicans do as a minority -- whether this time around, or former occurrences!


Unfortunately, if you don't understand the threat of war to our freedoms --

If you don't understand the danger of the bankrupting of our Treasury as a way to undermine

and destroy democracy --

If you do not understand the corrupt and criminal nature corporate government and it's impact

on our lives every minute of our lives, then I think you can hold the view you hold!

Are you satisfied with the health care reform which will move $600 billion into the pockets of

the insurance companies?

Are you satisfied that America can't afford a $900 million "reform" of health care ?

Are you satisfied that neither Obama nor the Democratic leadership have supported MEDICARE FOR ALL?

Are you satisfied that the Speaker of the House bowed to Catholic Bishops and Rome in order to

entertain the Stupak Amendment?

How about subsidizing patriarchal religions?

Patriot Act?

Homeland Security?

Surveillance of citizens?

Please tell us why you are so satisfied and content --- I'd really like to know!

[liberal_at_heart]

33. I will not be happy with the democrat party until they support

single payer healthcare and campaign reform. You can call me whatever you want but when you can't take your kid to the doctor because you can't pay the doctor bills then you learn how to stand up for what you believe in. What really scares me is that I know if we have even one big medical crisis then my daughter can kiss going to college goodbye. So, yeah, the people on this board can call me whatever names they want to call me. I don't care. I will stand up and fight for my family. I will stand up and fight for what I believe in.

[unkachuck]

34. I don't undersatnd....

....why some folks simply can't be satisfied either....it might have something to do with lack of healthcare, loss of their jobs, foreclosure of their homes, lying politicians, corporate control of their lives and government, being indentured to a blood-sucking perpetual war-machine, but the Dems won!

....I'm just not sure what we won....

[liberal_at_heart]

36. well said

[StarfarerBill]

49. Exactly. Having power is one thing;

exercising it compassionately and effectively seems to be quite another.

[doc03]

37. Most of the dis-satisfaction comes from our equivalent to

the Republican teabaggers.

[bridgit]

38. Seen it submitted as a reversal: that the new DU pipers are piping to the new Obama Hamlin

Proportionately inverse are their disappoints with Obama for not having the balls to simply turn things around just *snap*...turn them, so off they go. Piping other tunes on the same old pipes minstrels yes if a little less merry. As an expression of their freedom & liberty and how am I able to argue with that accept to suggust...

That that leaves a collapsed hive with scant worker bees trying to push wet noodles through keyholes while smirking vultures drool over that effort too, but hey!

We're Democrats, we don't have to come together for anyone - and we are certainly under no obligation to be happy if & when we do

[ipaint]

39. They dumped the working class and the poor two decades ago.

and have helped advance conservative policies that are now dismantling the middle class.

[ddeclue]

40. Because it isn't doing shit so far and it is being blocked by a bunch of DINOs

who need to go.

[donco6]

41. A majority doesn't exist just to be a majority.

It exists to DO SOMETHING. Stand up for a principle. Any principle. Just one. That would be great.

[Tx4obama]

43. Because a lot of dems weren't listening last year & not paying attention this year....

Obama said 100+ times last year that he'd send more troops to Afghanistan and now many people are acting like they didn't know he said that!

And the media is not reporting on all of Obama's fulfilled campaign promises and accomplishments!

516 Obama campaign promises:
61 Promises Kept
16 Compromise
7 Promises Broken
23 Stalled
170 In the Works
237 Not yet rated
Right side of the page: http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

90 Accomplishments (there are even more since the list was composed)
http://www.tellingthoughts.com/asides/obamas-90-accomplishments-email-list

[deutsey]

44. In a sincere response to your sarcasm

I'm unhappy because I want a president and party that fight as hard and as tirelessly for the interests of struggling working people like me as Bush and the GOP did for the interests of the wealthy and corporations.

[Flubadubya]

46. Well said... hear, hear!!

Put so succinctly and so true. Thank you deutsey!!! :thumbsup::toast:

[JustAnotherGen]

45. I'm a Democratic and unapologetic about it

However . . . The leadership (not just the WH) but by and large our 'reps' - are not acting like Grayson.

They all start conducting themselves as he does: Unapologetic and not afraid to NOT get sent back to Washington by standing on his principles, beliefs, and the courage of his convictions - I'll get real real happy again.

I want health care reform with a public option. I want Lieberman forced to caucus with the Republicans. I want our leadership throwing their weight behind Cestak(sp? in PA. Just a little list. Those things and I'll be THRILLED.

Afghanistan doesn't concern me. Is President Obama staying the course of his campaign perspective? Yes. Will time show it was pissing in the wind? Yes. But I also don't think it's possible. Vote Vets.org had a great article earlier this week showing that we don't have the soldiers (I hate the semantics of 'troops' - these are human beings who happen to be soldiers) to SEND there. Even the draw down in Iraq doesn't backfill Afghansitan.

So this Afghanistan folly should be pretty interesting to see if we can even do what they've stated what they want to do.

[jpak]

47. Yup!

what you said

:sarcasm:

[MadHound]

48. Because the party has become just another corporately controlled party

One that doesn't reward, or even work with its liberal base, but only wants our votes.

Ours is a party that is promoting a horribly flawed health care reform bill, mainly because they don't have the spine to stand and fight the 'Pugs.

Ours is a party that is refusing to re-regulate the financial sector, despite the abundant evidence that deregulation of the field was/is a disaster.

Because ours is a party that has essentially abandoned the working person via outsourcing.

Because ours is a party that is escalating an illegal, immoral war, thus killing thousands of more innocents.

Because. . . wait, the party isn't ours any more. It belongs to corporate America now, just like the 'Pugs.

That dime's worth of difference, well, it's become just a few cents now.

[laughingliberal]

51. I suppose it's not so important to me what numbers we hold in the house and Senate or who occupies

the White House (although I would always prefer Democrats) as it is what kind of laws and policies are enacted. Our filibuster proof majority in the Senate does not seem to be helping much when we have several alleged Democrats who would throw their hats in with the Republicans to filibuster any part of health care reform that has a chance of lowering the costs to the people. I don't believe they should be able to pass whatever they want but I also believe they should have been able to get more done for the working class. I was very disappointed that the stimulus bill was decimated in the interest of 'bipartisanship.' When most credible economists were clear that anything less than $1 trillion would have little effect, we let the demands of the other side of the aisle whittle it down to $787 billion and channeled 40% of it into tax cuts. I'm grateful the tax cuts went to the middle and lower income workers but they were not as stimulative as infrastructure spending or other job creation programs would have been. The bank and financial institution lobbies seem to be able to buy off our members to prevent any rigorous regulations from being enacted almost as easily as they bought off the other party. Our president has renominated a chairman of the fed who feels confident enough in his confirmation that he is already talking about cutting 'entitlements.'

It's a matter of expectations. I expect the other party to enact job killing, middle and working class destroying policies. It is what they stand for. When my party (which has represented itself as the champion of the working guy and the disadvantaged) continues on the path of increasing corporate power and worrying more about the profits of the health care industry than it does about getting real reform for the citizens, I am, understandably, disillusioned. I have worked to get Democrats elected my whole life. I am frightened to see many of our Democratic legislators and, at times, even our president governing so far to the right. For God's sake, Nixon offered Kennedy a better health care reform proposal than what is coming out of Democratic legislatures right now. Our party has moved to the right of Nixon the Republicans have gone completely off the cliff. And I'm tired of being insulted here for working for the same policies I have always believed in.

[proud2BlibKansan]

53. We do not have a progressive in the White House

You lost me there.

[DireStrike]

55. "Just what do you expect the Democratic Party to do?"

Pass democratic legislation.

Asking for progressive legislation is obviously out of the question. There is no party that does that sort of thing.

But it would be nice if they wouldn't take every piece of legislation and every policy stance directly from the republicans.

[Edweird]

56. I like what you did there.

[blues90]

57. I'm a liberal . The Dems are the other side of the same coin

Most are in the same corporate pockets so why on earth should I support them , because they have a D before their name?

We don't even really have a vote with these career politicians. They choose who we vote for then offer them up as some sort of choice on a ballot.

One who might be honest has millions to raise to get them out who are dug in so deep like a tick on a mule.

I see these freaks on TV from both sides and to be honest just looking at most of them I would not want to be a friend or even talk to them .

They all put their seats before the people other than a handfull of them.

Fucking money rules and there is no escaping that.

Look at Edwards , he was in the lead in the straw polls with Kucinich but Edwards screwed up big time. Then along come Obama with two books and hope and change and suddenly he rises to the top because of the selling of a campaign . It's all bullshit . It;s been bullshit for decades and an inside game .

[SemiCharmedQuark]

60. I'm sorry, but in what poll was Kucinich leading in the primary?

Huckabee consistantly wins straw polls. They don't mean much.

[alarimer]

58. Because it is nothing more than the party of Wall Street.

Fuck all of them and their corporate cronies.