WTF is wrong with us as a Party?

[PCIntern]

Everyone knew...KNEW how important every Senate seat is....it is CRITICAL that we maintained this number or improved upon it, and no one from Dem Central or the WH called this Coakley up and said, "This is how you're gonna do this, you amateur..."?

If she winds up losing, and we are the subjects of literally thousands of newspaper columns on how we collapsed in less than a year, we are going to be the equivalent of the 1964 Phillies or 2007 Mets. This is a revoltin' situation...

I am sick...

[Hannah Bell]

1. Yes, it's strangely like the party deliberately wanted to lose "liberal" massachussetts.

[Fumesucker]

3. It takes a lot of "liberal" pressure off the party if they don't have sixty in the Senate..

They then can point to the Republicans as the reason for not passing liberal/progressive legislation.

[GreenMetalFlake]

23. mission accomplished

[rhett o rick]

52. Yes, the pressure is off like during the bush* years. nt

[Sebastian Doyle]

61. Standard DLC procedure

Do whatever you can to undermine Liberalism and any chance of an actual Democratic agenda. A lot of parallels to the 2004 Presidential campaign here. Step one - push the weakest candidate possible. Step two - don't even support that candidate.

[Individualist]

77. Exactly!

More people need to learn what DLC's objectives are.

[rpannier]

2. Possible explanations

1. This is what happens when the nominee virtually disappears from public view for almost a month while her opponent continues to campaign

2. This is what happens when people view the leadership of the Party as unrepresentative to the views of the electorate

3. Her numbers are actually better represented by the Boston Globe and other polls that show her ahead by at least 8 points

[FLAprogressive]

4. It's what happens when people vote for corporate Democrats in primaries.

[Hannah Bell]

5. ir's what happens when the party doesn't groom & put up liberal democrats to stand in primaries.

i.e. it's what happens when the money men back republicans in dem clothing.

[FLAprogressive]

6. that too

[rockymountaindem]

46. Not in this case

Michael Capuano was in the race, and he's pretty damn progressive. I think he got around 25% of the vote.

[tmyers09]

7. She was absolutely horrid in the Democratic Primary debates.

Compared to Capuano, Khazei, and even Pagliuca, but still won the election due to statewide name recognition. Now, she has been, from all accounts, run a bad campaign in the general election. They had a debate earlier in the week between her, Scott Brown, and Joe Kennedy, where she faltered at the beginning, but recovered for the rest of it and did fairly admirably. However, Brown was very good at hiding his shortcomings. Hopefully, she can pull out the win.

[depakid]

8. That's what happens when the "leadership" sells out or fails to stand up and fight

for its key constituencies- preferring instead to reach "across the aisle" and align itself with the unpopular corporate interest groups that caused so many of the nation's problems- at the expense of ordinary Americans.

I mean- who's going to get all fired up to work for candidates- or GOTV when it's perceived that the party isn't interested in- or doesn't have the courage to fight for them in return?

Particularly after having built up such high expectations.

[cali]

9. Amateur? She currently holds state wide office. This is on her, win or lose

she's a fucking pathetic candidate. an arrogant asshole. And yes, I desperately want the loser to win.

[boston bean]

10. Oh go ******* Cali, you don't have a fricken clue

martha started losing support once the obama campaign got a hold of her and made her support healthcare.

Keep your stupid uninformed bullshit better than thou opinion in Vermont, please.

edit to let my comment stand

[Buzz Clik]

11. This is Obama's fault?

LOL! :rofl:

I'd dying to hear whose fault Lieberman is.

[boston bean]

12. you bet your god damn ass it is. she was said she would not vote

for the bill and them the Obama machine got her ass in line.

that is when she started losing support.

This is a referendum on healthcare not Martha Coakley.

edit sp

[Buzz Clik]

15. Right. So, the only person in Congress that Obama fully controls is an unelected woman in Mass.

How could I miss that inescapable logic?

I believe that this is a referendum on health care -- because the program in Mass is a million times better than the proposed plan -- but Coakley is running on her own merits. And if she can't beat that dipshit Brown in Massachusetts, ... holy crap.

[boston bean]

17. You ought to start gettin ready for 2010. This is the play book. Whether you want to remain in

denial or not.

[Buzz Clik]

49. "The Play Book." For whom? You think that Obama will be running elections from coast to coast?

No, he won't, any more than Bush ran the elections when he was president. If a campaign wants no help, no help is provided. Period.

Massachusetts has the full right to elect any candidate they want, but the decision rests solely with them. Don't be so childish as to blame others for your own failings.

[boston bean]

56. The Republican playbook, are you that much of a fool, or are you just grasping at straws? nt

[Buzz Clik]

59. I see. The Republicans are now running the campaign. Along with Obama.

Wow. How could I be so simple as to miss this?

[boston bean]

60. The rage against this healthbill from many quarters will help Republicans win

are you that much of a fool?

And the rage comes from indies, some dems, and all repubs. Add it up, sir.

[Buzz Clik]

And that's the Republican playbook being used by Obama?

Have you considered dropping your tending to this thread and actually campaigning for your candidate?

[boston bean]

67. You are acting delusional. Where did I say that?

The Republican play book will be to play on these fears, and will because the libs and dems and women and gays and unions do not feel represented. what is so difficult to understand about that.

And that latter part of that is the dems fault for not representing party principles.

[dionysus]

42. he's simultaneously weak and all-powerful at the sime time. didn't you know this?

[Buzz Clik]

50. I've noticed. It must be awesome.

[newspeak]

74. I get what you're saying Boston Bean

I believe the polls are showing the people not supporting the current senate health insurance profit bill--that if Coakley supports this bill, that some Democrats won't vote for her or bother to go to the polls. It was on TV, and that's the thought I had. But, her opponent seems like a teabagging douchebag, and I would go to the polls just to keep him out.

[boston bean]

80. I'm going to

go to the polls and vote for her. and the only reason is so people like the fuckers on this board, can't blame her for this admins blunders, so he comes off smelling like a rose. after he has sold us all down the river.

[uponit7771]

86. Obama killed bambi dammit!!!

[cali]

13. well, that's a pile of stinking shit, honey.

poor damsel in distress Martha?

She's run one of the worst campaigns it's ever been my misfortune to watch.

[boston bean]

16. I know you're all into glitz and glamour babe, but what you say is not true.

She had a healthy campaign until she was told to support healthcare and then she started slippin and slidin in the polls.

[Laelth]

28. Thanks for giving us this perspective.

Despite your angry tone (and you probably have all right to be angry), I suspect your assessment of the campaign is more accurate than that of those who want to prop up the President.

I do believe this election is a referendum on "health insurance reform," and I think the candidate was right to oppose the current legislation. Plus, I have little doubt that she was the victim of some serious arm-twisting from the Administration.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Buzz Clik]

51. Let me guess: you also believe that Obama didn't push health care strongly enough in Congress.

Am I correct? "He was weak on the agenda."

But, suddenly he has the power to flip politics in Massachusetts.

:crazy:

[boston bean]

57. No one is asking him flip massachusetts, but the be a tad progressive, might help. duh! nt

[Buzz Clik]

58. Bullshit. If you want a Democrat in the Senate from your state, make it happen.

We can't do it for you. Quit bitching and get busy.

[boston bean]

62. Wow, no need to get so upset, sir.

I don't call it bitching you ignorant POS. I call it reality.

[Buzz Clik]

63. Nice. Third round of insults from you.

[boston bean]

64. I thought I was just bitchin. you aint got nothing except defending the

indefensible.

have a nice day.

[Laelth]

69. My assessment of the President is more critical than that.

I think he's getting exactly what he wanted (the deal he negotiated in advance with the health insurance industry and Big Pharma). He pushed (the left) quite strongly to agree to this abysmal plan, and I place the blame for it squarely on his shoulders. He pushed plenty, imo. He just pushed the wrong people. He has showed tremendous strength (in opposition to the working people of America and in favor of big business interests).

:dem:

-Laelth

[laughingliberal]

70. Yep. nt

[amborin]

82. Health Insurers & Banksters donated more to Obama than to any other cand:

Health

Obama, Barack $19,462,986
McCain, John $7,389,547
Clinton, Hillary $6,397,849
Romney, Mitt $2,283,350
Giuliani, Rudy $2,075,197
Paul, Ron $828,483
Richardson, Bill $778,170
Edwards, John $587,941
Thompson, Fred $537,429
Huckabee, Mike $491,202
Dodd, Chris $339,850
Biden, Joe $283,880
Brownback, Sam $108,580
Thompson, Tommy $67,811
Nader, Ralph $62,251
Kucinich, Dennis $54,357
Vilsack, Tom $32,800
Tancredo, Tom $31,600
Hunter, Duncan $27,930
Barr, Bob $22,550
Gilmore, Jim $15,600
Gravel, Mike $11,721
Keyes, Alan $11,600
Baldwin, Chuck $6,050

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/sectors.php?sector=H


Finance Industry Campaign Donations:

Finance/Insur/RealEst

Obama, Barack $39,480,169
McCain, John $28,930,292
Clinton, Hillary $19,249,595
Romney, Mitt $13,710,157
Giuliani, Rudy $13,411,959
Dodd, Chris $5,480,286
Richardson, Bill $2,916,752
Edwards, John $2,125,162
Thompson, Fred $1,943,704
Biden, Joe $1,504,861
Huckabee, Mike $1,320,265
Paul, Ron $1,249,206
Brownback, Sam $248,637
Vilsack, Tom $175,900
Thompson, Tommy $120,409
Hunter, Duncan $109,650
Nader, Ralph $77,996
Gilmore, Jim $63,150
Kucinich, Dennis $56,910
Tancredo, Tom $53,260
Barr, Bob $39,259
Gravel, Mike $14,825
Keyes, Alan $8,901
Baldwin, Chuck $7,342
McKinney, Cynthia $4,050

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/sectors.php?sector=F


and, Goldman Sachs was the #2 donor to Obama's prez campaign:


list of top donors to Obama's campaign:


Goldman Sachs $994,795 ***********
Harvard University $854,747
Microsoft Corp $833,617
Google Inc $803,436
Citigroup Inc $701,290 ************
JPMorgan Chase & Co $695,132 *************
Time Warner $590,084
Sidley Austin LLP $588,598
Stanford University $586,557
National Amusements Inc $551,683
UBS AG $543,219
Wilmerhale Llp $542,618
Skadden, Arps et al $530,839
IBM Corp $528,822
Columbia University $528,302
Morgan Stanley $514,881 *****************
General Electric $499,130
US Government $494,820
Latham & Watkins $493,835

[Ganja Ninja]

14. You want to know what's wrong?

Yesterday I received two phone calls from the Democratic party. The first one from the congressional Democrats. The conversation went like this:

Caller: I'm with the congressional Democrats. We need your help can we count on you?
Me: No.
Caller: Why not?
Me: I'm not happy with the way the health care bill is going.
Caller: You don't like the public option?
Me: What public option? There's not going to be any public option.
Caller: That's the senate bill, I'm calling from the congressional Democrats. The house has a public option in our bill.
Me: That's not going to happen and the last time I checked there's only one Democratic party.

We argue a little and I finally say no thanks and hang up.

The next call comes from the Senate Democrats.

Caller: Blah blah blah need money.
Me: No I'm not happy with the way things went in the senate. There's too many of them on the take from the health industry.
Caller: "We need money to elect better Democrats."
Me: Well good luck with that.
Caller: We need better Democrats. Blah blah ...need your help.
Me: The Democratic party needs to figure out what it stands for and clean up it's act.

That's pretty much how it went. The congressional Democrats throwing the senate Democrats under the bus. The senate Democrats asking for my money to throw out their own bums. Well they don't need any money to throw out the turncoats. The Democratic party needs to fix it's internal problems before I give them another dime or another vote.

[Little Star]

22. Your attitude is exactly what is happening here in MA

Life long Dems are so sick of our party not holding true to democratic principles. I have been arguing with quite a few of them. Their argument is, I'm staying home in protest! MA may lose this seat, not because of Coakley but because of the anger at our party. It is hard to fight their very real anger when we hold the presidency and both houses. They don't buy any of the excuses such as bipartisanship, etc. any more. They have had it! They are going to do the same thing republicans did in the last election and stay home. You guys better wake up and smell the coffee. Massachusetts is just the wake-up call. People are pissed at this administration and at congress. If you keep sticking your heads in the sand maybe 2010 will wake you up. We are screwed!

[Ganja Ninja]

29. We're already screwed and have been for a while.

The Democrats are calling me to ask for money to fight other Democrats!:wtf:
It's not me who needs to wake up and smell the coffee. :banghead:

[Laelth]

30. +1 n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[Little Star]

33. Sorry Ganja. I worded that wrong.

I should have clarified that those who deny the anger by dems are living in a dream world. That anger is real and justified. It is our party leaders who have failed us including our president.

[Ganja Ninja]

37. I kind of gathered that after I posted.

You're exactly right.

[Buzz Clik]

53. They're sick of Dems not being Dems, so they elect a Republican.

Sweet Jeebus.

[Little Star]

73. Shows ya just how pissed they are.

I HATE this bill but can't cut off my nose to spite my face. I will drag as many people as I can to vote for Coakley.

[flyarm]

71. Democratic principles and values????? what are they? perhaps this??

Rahm Emanuel Tells Liberals To Kiss His Arse

Yes people this is the "NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRINCIPLES.. and now they are bitching that we are angry and will not vote?

Well i don't know about you..but as a democrat for 39 years, that has walked the walk..in GOTV, as a former "elected" dem delegate for my state , as a 25 + year DEC member..as someone who has run Campaigns and Housed Dem Field reps and helped run Presidential Campaign offices in my state, as first responder for the National DNC and done Public speaking for the dem party..and gone to many states to help the Dem party in national elections..I will resign as a Poll watcher at large for the dem party..I am done.

I will sit home in Nov if this health ( which has nothing to do with the health of American people) Bill, goes through as written today.

My protest vote will be no vote at all..nor will I vote in 2012 if this goes through..

The dem party will have gotten the last dime from me they will ever get, the last bit of work from me..the last GOTV call i will make and the last walking of streets from me..I will never fly anywhere to help them in elections..the last vote they will ever get from me..and they can reverse this statement ..and put it upon themselves.

Rahm Emanuel Tells Liberals To Kiss His Arse

[newspeak]

81. it has me worried

on TV they talk about the Repuke party in trouble--but the Democratic Party may be in trouble as well. If these "new Democrats" are expecting to hang on with RHINOS and independents and BLUE DOGS; thus, starting their own"new" republican party, while the truly hate spewing crazies take over the Repuke party. Then, those who believe in the FDR democratic platform, need to organize now. I know there is the PDA--it needs more public exposure.
We need a strong coalition, so that we have more power to elect progressive democrats.

[PCIntern]

93. I therefore repeat the question;

WTF is the matter with us? The Rethugs certainly didn't do the equivalent under Boosh...

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[elocs]

19. Maybe this is the 1st chance for some Dems to show how pissed and disillusioned they are

about their party, how they are taken for granted with "well, you have to vote Democratic, where else can you go?" That should make you sick as well as a party that evidently has the philosophy that nothing is too important to compromise away and is more than willing to escalate a Republican war.

Remembering Bushco and when the Republicans controlled Congress, they sure seemed to get their own way with smaller majorities than the Democrats have now. I guess that many of us expected more of this party.

[KharmaTrain]

25. So We Burn The Village???

The problem with this scenario is it assumes that most the Democrats in Massetchussets are progressives and liberals. They aren't. If Coakley blows this election...and that's what she's been doing, it's more than a repudiation of the party...it's a vote for government gridlock (as the Boston Globe has editorialized)...and not only will be the death knell to healthcare "reform" but any other "progressive" legislation. It will mean at least two years, if not longer of stagnation.

I caution those who want to "punish" the Democrats by wishing Coakley to lose. I have no problem going after Democrats who serve the corporates over their constituents and there will be plenty of primaries to express one's dismay and vote to make changes.

[Little Star]

34. The Dem's I've heard here in MA, say they ARE

staying home in repudiation of the party along with Martha's flip to support the HCR bill. Coakley is not the only one who will have blown this election, it is our leadership. If the Dem's in MA were happy with our party, Martha could have been a corpse and they would have still voted for her. That is the truth and people here need to start looking at the whole picture cause we are going to see it happen all over this country in the mid-terms. We should have been holding our party's feet to the fire the second we held the presidency and both houses. We were to busy worshiping our president and patting ourselves on the back.

Myself, I will have my ass at the polls voting for Martha because I happen to like her and I hate republicans.

[KharmaTrain]

38. Points Very Well Taken...

Sadly too many thought that winning in 2008 was the do-all, end-all to "changing" the world. Unfortunately it was not the end but the start...one that many Democrats, including "progressives and liberals" have let get away. In many cases I don't blame people for being upset at the lack of "change" or how slow its going but instead of walking away and cursing the darkness, this should be a time to regroup and re-evaluate where things are. It's sad since this is the closest Progressives and Liberals have been to the levers of power in over 30 yeras and the opportunity is slipping away. Maybe Coakley losing will be a wake-up call...to both the party not to take votes for granted...and to Progressives and Liberals as to how much there is to lose if the rushpublicans regain any power.

Cheers...

[Raineyb]

78. I don't think that's the case at all.

Most people are reasonably reasonable. I don't think they expected instant change overnight. What they do expect however is to see some movement toward the change they want; and this Health Insurance profits protection act doesn't cut it. Capitulating to the banksters doesn't cut it either. The Democratic politicians are not going to convince the electorate that it's worth their time or effort to support them if once they get in office the make it clear that the will of the electorate means nothing. People want a public option. Where's the public option in this bill? People want to tax the rich to pay for any reforms to the health care system. Instead they go after union plans for being too expensive. Forget whether or not the plans are "too generous" they're not generally but instead of wondering why others don't have plans as "good" (or better yet why we all can't have health care that's not tied to an employer) as the union plan they wonder why the union doesn't have a shittier plan so they tax their plans to bring them down to every one else. We can get that shit from Republicans why the hell would someone want to go and vote for a Democrat to do the same thing? And single payer? Forget it, they didn't eve want to hear from anyone who thought single payer was the way to go they cut them out of negotiations from jump street while tripping over themselves to get the insurance companies opinions on the matter as though the insurance companies weren't the bloody problem in the first place. Why would anyone go out of their way to stop Republicans from taking power when results like these are the same as Republicans running the show in the first place. Do you really think people haven't noticed that some of the worse "reforms" (like welfare "reform") which are Republican wet dreams seem only to be able to pass with Democrats running things? And you're pissed at people for withholding their vote? Why? Unlike Republicans the Democratic rank and file aren't interested in aiding in their own destruction.

[KharmaTrain]

83. The Catch-22...

When you "teach someone a lesson", you also empower those who will do you even greater harm...in this case the rushpublicans.

I can't disagree and won't with your frustration and I share them as well. Healthcare reform turned into insurance reform and many other promises of two years ago either go unfulfilled or discarded. But by "punishing" Democrats the problems won't go away or get solved, they'll get worse. If you think these reforms are a rushpublican's wet dreams, just wait to see what they have in store if they retake the Senate and or House.

The real problem is how screwed up our political system is. Politicians put their careers ahead of all else and this means getting elected or re-elected. The average House seat will cost $1 million and Senate seat in excess of $10 million...and this is what drives the political system. One can't face the voters unless they have a huge warchest to buy TV time and have a large staff/operation. We're seeing with Coakley's poor campaign how the lack of visibility is letting Brown get the upper hand. Thus the target should be at beating the system, not walking away from it. Unfortunately it's not going anywhere and if you disengage you lose any real chance at any true reform.

This isn't a matter of what I think...it's a matter of channeling frustration into something positive...to support more Progressive and Liberal Democrats and get a bigger seat at the table.

[Raineyb]

90. Supporting more progressive and liberal Democrats is important.

But I'm not voting for just any git with a D in front of their name because not all Democrats are created equal. I'm not voting for DINOs. I won't do it. DINOs are as bad as Republicans and they don't support progressive candidates. In fact they will support a DINO when there's a progressive running in a primary. Forget it. If the Democrat isn't progressive enough I'm not wasting my vote on them. Better to vote third party than putting up with more entitled crap from entrenched DINOs.

[KharmaTrain]

91. No One Said You Should...

Be an educated consumer...read up on the candidates and if a candidate is worthy of your vote or money, that's what matters. And it's not words, it's deeds, too. I can give you a laundry list of candidates I won't support but others will...thus it's more important that I find someone I believe in and work with others to get the candidates name out to the voters and the voters to the candidate. Pretty simple.

Again...the system isn't going to change on its own...it requires more liberal and progressive at the table, winning elections and overwhelming the "DINOS" or "DLC" or whatever evil you think has infested the Democratic party. If you think third party will solve the problems...more power to you, but then be prepared to work 100 times harder. Good luck...

[Raineyb]

92. That's not true at all. There are several people who post here often who would

have you vote for ANY candidate claiming to be a Democrat whether they vote progressively or not because the reasoning, such that it is, goes if we don't we're helping the Republicans by withholding votes that are OWED the candidate.

The truth is the PARTY is not trying to get more liberals or progressives and in fact it will not only not fund progressives but will actively campaign against them so where exactly are these progressives supposed to come from if the party makes it clear that they're not welcomed. And while undermining actual progressive candidates they will come to the voters and demand fealty as though they were entitled to it. If you vote for Dems even when they govern like Republicans why exactly should anyone be expected to vote for them? Not being Republican is not enough and to expect a vote based on merely not being Republican is indicative of a rather ballsy sense of entitlement does it not?

[dgibby]

45. So why isn't the WH going up there to help her? n/t

[KharmaTrain]

48. Damned If You Do...Damned If You Don't...

Most of the problems here I blame on Coakley...and the DSCC and DNC doing little to either push her into being more proactive or doing anything else than to let Brown and the GOOP spin machine frame what's going on. Someone put it aptly the other night that voters resent being taken for granted, Coakley hasn't asked for their vote and this is the result.

At this point, flying in the President will be perceived as a sign of weakness and, as we saw with his last minute airlift into New Jersey (even though President Obama had campaigned with Corzine previously) it was perceived that it was due to his last minute appearance that was the tipping point against Corzine (rather than Corzine's poor campaign...also assuming the vote). Meanwhile in Virginia, where he stayed out, and another very inept campaign, he was blamed for not going in. Either way President Obama loses.

It's now down to the "ground game"...and Coakley and the DNC have precious few days to reframe this campaign...here's hoping the attention this race is getting will get the "base" motivated, not necessariy because of Coakley, but to keep Brown from winning.

[flyarm]

72. no the village was burned by the leaders..that didn't lead! and this of course..

Rahm Emanuel Tells Liberals To Kiss His Arse

[cap]

20. Let's stop beating up on the Party and start

making some motion on Coakley behalf.... Write to the media, Call or donate money, people.

She is what she is... but we can't suffer on account of her.

[boston bean]

21. I was gonna sit on my hands this election because I am so pissed at the Dems.

But I will go vote for her, even though I am pissed she waffled on the support for healthcare over women's issues.

I am not going to sit back and let "Democrats and it's Leadership" blame her for losing Kennedy's seat, when it's their fault for not sticking to democratic principles and the party platform. They created this fuckin nightmare!

[Ganja Ninja]

26. That's the kind of thinking that got us into this mess.

Just elect anybody with a (D) at the end of their name regardless.

[cap]

87. I say start with where we are... Don't throw away our advantages and prune

the dead wood come this spring in the primaries. But tee up Progressive candidates to take

[flyarm]

75. we are suffering with a bogus health care bill that only gives health to the corporate powers

what part of that are you not getting??

Mass dems have asked Obama to stay away..they are sending Big Dog in instead..why would that be if the Dems in power are told not to come??

The utter Irony ..Is Bill Clinton.. is being sent into Mass..and Obama is asked not to come!!

wow what reality are some of you in??

and then of course ..it is liberals and progressives that will be blamed..

well the blame belongs at the top..those who fucked the American people with FISA, the continuing wars..with the sell out of Americans with wall street and the banks and loss of jobs and no stimulus getting to Americans for jobs....with this pile of dung of a health care bill..

and of course this......

Rahm Emanuel Tells Liberals To Kiss His Arse

sure we will vote...when the dems go back to real principles and values that most of us believe in!

Fuck the new democrats and this bullshit..and it is a pile of bullshit that is being dished out at us!

[TexasObserver]

24. It's not the party, it's the party leadership.

When Howard Dean was running the party, it ran well. Now, it's got the leadership of the president, Reid and Pelosi. Collectively, they can't run the party as well as Dean did. He actually understood the dynamics of winning nationwide, and it was because of him that we won big in 2006 and 2008.

This is a failure of leadership at the very top of the party.

[boston bean]

27. Everyone's to god damn busy making excuses.

The base of the party has been told to go fuck itself.

And the base of the party may just tell the party to go fuck itself.

Sad commentary, but true, although I hope that doesn't happen.

When people have nothing there is nothing they won't do.

Here in Boston they are calling Martha Coakley the Bill Buckner of MA politics. And you got "democrats" on this site that are happy to smear and blame her, instead of looking at the real problem, which is the Leadership and the lack of standing on principle.

[Ganja Ninja]

32. It isn't just the leadership.

The party is infested with career politicians that stand only for themselves. They have sabotaged our majority. The Democrats didn't lose on health care because of the Republicans (R)'s. They lost because of the Democratic (R)'s.

[PCIntern]

85. that was my implication of my post...

Thanks :hi:

[stray cat]

31. If a dem voter doesn't get what they want they don't care if republicans get elected

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

44. Close.

If a dem voter doesn't get what they want were promised they don't care aren't surprised if republicans get elected.

[flyarm]

84. NAHHH WE LIFELONG DEMS JUST DON'T LIKE TO BE TOLD THIS..

Rahm Emanuel Tells Liberals To Kiss His Arse

AND THEN HAVE EVERYTHING WE HAVE FOUGHT FOR AND BELIEVE IN BEING SHIT ON!

[W_HAMILTON]

35. Our politicians are the problem.

n/t

[Deep13]

36. Many, many things.

:(

[Tesha]

39. Our elected Democratic representatives didn't "dance with them that brung them".

Instead, they wanted to dance with those folks across the aisle.

And dance (and much more!) with their corporate sponsors.

And hang out in the DLC's smoky back room watching war and
torture porn.

So now we, the jilted dates, left all alone out on the dance floor,
are going to ignore our turncoat dates for a while. Maybe they'll
learn. Maybe they won't. But at least we won't have to feel like
doormats for that while.

Tesha

[TransitJohn]

40. It's CYOA

The national Party has no intention of passing any liberal leaning legislation with majorities in both Houses of Congress and the Presidency. They plan to keep cozying up to the business interests. This provides cover. "Well we don't have a filibuster-proof Senate majority, so of course we can't do anything."

[Buzz Clik]

55. Of course. It all makes perfect sense now.

:tinfoilhat:

[frog92969]

41. Too many moles

From top to bottom

[Jennicut]

43. Why is Blumenthal in CT polling so well and Coakley in Mass just okay?

It is the candidate, not anything else. She is merely alright. Mediocre at best. I still think she will pull it out. I live close to Mass and just don't see Scott winning there but who knows, anything can happen.

[Orsino]

47. Money.

Money has corrupted both parties, and Dems are nearly powerless against its influence. The meme of money-as-protected-political-speech has doomed us to plutocracy.

[rhett o rick]

54. Dont think Rahmbo likes her. nt

[Tim01]

65. Democrats tend to be wrapped up in their ownpersonal aganda.

If the issue is not about them personally, they don't really care that much. So they are not team players, and it is not a cohesive team. It seems to be that way from the top down.

[flyarm]

79. is this the team you are talking about???????

Rahm Emanuel Tells Liberals To Kiss His Arse

i thought so..you are right..this is not my team.

[Tim01]

66. Dupe.

ignore

[Lydia Leftcoast]

68. A suggestion for Massachusetts residents--DON'T STAY HOME, BUT SHOW YOUR DISPLEASURE

Now there is a way for you to register your displeasure and BE COUNTED, as opposed to making it look like the Republicanites won in a landslide.

I don't know what the Massachusetts ballots are like, but if you are really upset, what are the alternatives?

Is there a third party option?

Is there the option of writing someone in?

As an out-of-stater, I don't know, but whatever option there is for indicating your displeasure, show up and BE COUNTED.

If the Dems just stay home, you know how the DLC will spin that, don't you?

They'll say, "Obviously Coakley was too liberal."

That's always their excuse after they've sabotaged or co-opted a progressive candidate.

If disgruntled Dems SHOW UP AT THE POLLS and register their displeasure in other ways, then the powers that be will have to notice.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

76. Two Words...Howard Dean N/T

[anonymous171]

88. Moderates. nt

[Nikki Stone1]

89. Obama has been asked for help for awhile, but Coakley is Hillary Clinton's candidate

and perhaps there is still some bad blood there.