If President Obama cannot pull Coakley thru in Massachusetts..?

[kentuck]

how will that change the Democratic Party?

The media is reporting that the President will visit MA to campaign for Coakley. Obviously it is a very important race and very, very close.

If the Democrats lose that race, they probably lose the healthcare reform battle? Also, it means they would lose one of the most liberal and progressive seats in the Senate.

How will this change the Democratic Party? Will they return to their base? Will they become much more populist and progressive? Will they start attacking the big banks and Wall Street? Will they question the lack of regulations on these people? Will they talk about the unfair tax system presently in place?

I suspect they will. They will desert their present centrist positions and return to their roots. Albeit, a day late and Senate seat short.

[Walk away]

1. So are you hoping that teabag scum wins?

That's interesting politics. You do realize that six years of someone voting against everything you say you believe in?

[stevenelijah]

4. 3 years

I believe there are three years left to the term

[Motown_Johnny]

9. welcome to DU

[David Zephyr]

5. Kentuck is not "hoping" the Democrats lose. Most unfair of you.

This is a discussion forum; hence the name "General Discussion".

Kentuck is asking a question that I think we all (if we are honest) are asking.

I've known Kentuck for almost nine years. He takes second chair to no one when it comes to loyalty to Democrats and progressive candidates.

[Walk away]

26. I read the post. You must have a lot of faith in Kentuck because it certainly...

reads like a wish list that might be granted if only we lose that senate seat. I read it again and it sounds the same. But you are right. I really don't want to discuss how progressive things will get once a Democrat is defeated. I don't belong on this thread.

[David Zephyr]

34. Just so you know...

I don't think things will get more progressive if we lose Teddy's long held seat to a freak like this Brown fellow who will have the seat for six years.

If anything, I think that our Dems, with some notable exceptions, will climb deeper into the clutches of their corporate sponsors.

If we lose, and I'm not sure we will, it will be because there is simply a lot of disillusionment with what the Democrats made their "priorities" the first year they had so much power. It wasn't jobs, it wasn't ending the mortgage crisis and real bread and butter issues, it was bailing out more banks and Wall Street, throwing billions more at war without providing a rationale for it, and pissing away the entire year on an insurance bill instead of a health care bill. One year and it turned to shit. Let's face it, it was a complete embarrassment and a window into how not to govern.

[kentuck]

6. If she loses...?

what would be the reason? The President is already, in the last two days, started criticizing the big banks for not paying back the money to the taxpayers. This is not just a coincidence. They know that their suck-ass, moderate, centrist, Republican-lite positions are losing support within the Party. Either they change or they lose. They see the writing on the wall. Too bad some people here do not.

[David Zephyr]

8. Preach it, Kentuck!

"The President is already, in the last two days, started criticizing the big banks for not paying back the money to the taxpayers. This is not just a coincidence. They know that their suck-ass, moderate, centrist, Republican-lite positions are losing support within the Party."

[Bandit]

18. Probably on Monday an announcement will come out describing the huge bonuses banks are paying.

When so damn many are really hurting or at the very least very worried about their own financial security and these bums that accepted tax payer money announce they are paying bonuses about the same size as the amount they accepted from the Government. It will hit Obama and the Democrats hard and strike a blow to their integrity and sincerity.

[treestar]

22. Yes. They are against the health care bill

and want the Democrats punished for not being able to get Lieberman to accept a public option. The way to do that is to have more Republicans in the Senate.

[leftstreet]

2. Dem Leadership can go back to blaming Republicans for everything!

It's the American political way!

[NJmaverick]

3. A repuke victory means the Democrats will not pass HCR which means

losing more seats in 2010. So what will pass Congress will have to have the blessing of at least some repukes. So the Dems will be forced to move more to the right, than they all ready are or pretty much do nothing.

[Bobbieo]

14. Coakley's track record leaves something to be desired!!!! I

don't have the link but it was posted earlier today on DU and I am amazed that she has gotten as far as she has in the Democratic Party. There were some serious issues in her cases.

It is a shame that the fate of the health care bill may depend on the election.

[Fumesucker]

31. The Centrists and DLCers will love it, you're right.. n/t

[David Zephyr]

7. You pose the pregnant question. What would they do?

If Democrats don't turn out to vote in big numbers, it signalls that they are disillusioned with the Party now for being to corporate oriented and breaking too many promises. It signals the public now see Dems more as politicians now. Hopefully, this might make some of them more bold.

Unfortunately, I think the opposite will happen. Dems will retreat even more from their promises and play it even safer, choosing to count on big corporation donations to help them at election time than depending on an upset activist base who is unpleased with how little they have done with the White House and super majorities in Congress.

Let's hope Coakely pulls this off, because I don't think a loss will make our Democrats bolder.

Edit for K&R.

[kentuck]

15. I hope she wins also...

But if she doesn't and the Democrats do as you say and retreat even further into corporate donations, then they have misread what is happening within the Party, in my opinion. They have done a masterful job at dividing our Party and acting like Republicans. More and more Democrats are becoming disillusioned each day. This is a critical time for our Party, in my opinion.

[DJ13]

10. We talk about how stupid the GOP is by thinking they arent conservative enough....

...after they were beaten in two straight elections.

And yet, there are some Democrats who wont admit that this election is about the voters telling our party to cease pandering to the corporations, and will say her losing proves that we havent gone far enough.

If she loses (which I dont really believe) I expect the DLC types to blame her specifically (she was the WORST candidate...yadda yadda) instead of reexamining whether their message isnt popular with voters.

[DrDan]

11. they didn't change anything when they won overwhelmingly in 2008

why should they change with this defeat.

That would require some leadership . . . and some work . . .

Better to just sit back and rake in those corporate contributions.

[kenny blankenship]

12. Do you think they can learn?

I doubt it very much. I suspect they will continue lurching to the right and make any excuse for it no matter how arbitrary or facile. Eg: We won in Mass, ergo we continue to the right, since we are now vindicated. Or if it turns out the other way, "We lost in Mass., ergo we must now redouble our outreach to the right."
They don't sleaze off to the right because that's where the votes are, they go that way because that's where the lobby money is. Whether they win or lose one particular Senate race, that underlying incentive won't be changed. The explanations and analysis of the party strategists will be adjusted as needed, depending on most recent results, to justify selling you out, even it means more losses.

[geckosfeet]

13. Coakley has run a miserable campaign. I don't blame anyone but her and her staff.

[timeforpeace]

17. Unfortunately the rest of the country will see it as a referendum on Obama.

[treestar]

24. Every election down to dogcatcher is a "referendum"

No, local elections are local elections. Voters actually do have local interests.

[Scarsdale Vibe]

16. School uniforms and midnight basketball. It will be sooo progressive.

[kentuck]

19. delete

mispost

[ddeclue]

20. It means Health Care "Reform" will be defeated.. given the crap giveaway bill they are trying to

pass it may not be such a bad thing.

SINGLE PAYER OR BUST!

[WeDidIt]

29. Wrong, it means the current Senate bill will become law

as it will be passed as-is in the House.

They've come to far to let it die. Losing supermajority control of the Senate means the bill already passed by the Senate becomes the final version.

[ddeclue]

32. Nope because it has to pass in BOTH houses and the House won't pass the Senate bill.

won't even be close.

[treestar]

21. That would cause them to move further to the right

If Republicans can win Teddy's seat in MA, then obviously the nation has shifted right.

[kentuck]

23. Then...

many progressives would see that as a further shift to the right and would either leave the Party or stop working for the Party as in the past.

[Nite Owl]

25. I think that they

could pass the Senate bill unchanged without the 60th vote. they also mentioned something about it taking a couple of weeks to certify the election so they might be able to pass it in time.
If they were to suddenly return to the base and become more populist how could we believe them? they would have to be very seriously remorseful and admit that their stratgy was wrong. There is not a lot of trust left and once lost it is hard to regain.

[Rapanui1]

28. Unfortunately would not happen

Rightwinger as vocal as they are radical. Don't take all the polls on its face value! Massachusetts would remain a democratic seat irrespective of what. But wouldn't say the same about 2010 elections. Obama/Dem's have reneged on almost all promises made to the base thus far. Most Obama decisions have been to the right not centrist. I worked/voted for him during the last election cycle, however, I will not even think about the same in 2012 if Obama is the candidate.

[WeDidIt]

27. A Coakley loss in Massachusetts will push the Democratic Party to the right

Historically, election losses always push the Democratic Party to the right.

If Coakley loses, Ben Nelson becomes the standard as to what is slightly left of center.

[Fumesucker]

30. The DLCers will breathe a huge sigh of relief when the Dems no longer have 60 in the Senate..

It will take the leftward pressure off them almost completely..

They can then blame the lack of movement to the left entirely on Republicans..

[laughingliberal]

33. +1000 nt