Are Democrats doomed? Not necessarily -- but they need to stop acting like it.

[kpete]

Damage Control for Democrats

Are Democrats doomed? Not necessarily -- but they need to stop acting like it.


Paul Waldman | January 26, 2010 | web only



Damage Control for Democrats


The midterm elections for Congress are a little more than nine months away, and they can go one of two ways. Democrats can lose some seats, but not so many that the fundamental balance of power in Congress is changed. Or they can be obliterated, lose the House, and maybe even lose the Senate as well. If they're going to avoid disaster, they have a few things they need to do.

Ignore the pundits and reporters. When Scott Brown won in Massachusetts, the news media immediately proclaimed it The Most Important Political Event In History. You would have thought the GOP won 20 or 30 seats in that single election. Now, every time a Democratic politician walks down the halls of the Capitol, some reporter is sticking a microphone in his or her face and asking if the Massachusetts election means that all Americans have rejected the Democratic agenda and it's time to capitulate to Republican demands.

The conventional wisdom that Democrats are doomed is wrong. But if they accept its premises (as too many have done), Democrats solidify it. So they need to remember that they're still in charge. Democrats have the White House and large majorities in both houses of Congress. They get to set the agenda. No one should be fooled into thinking otherwise. It's not easy to tune out the din of voices telling them to discard what they were elected to do and cower in fear of the raging mob. But unless they tune out the pundits used to writing the story of Democratic failure and the Republicans who don't exactly have their best interests at heart, they won't be able to see clearly.

more:
http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=damage_control_for_democrats

[peace frog]

1. "They need to remember they're still in charge"

Did they ever know it, or act like they were in charge? Not so much.

[mdmc]

2. The CONSERVATIVE democrats are in charge

and they side with the GOP much more then they side with liberals.

[FSogol]

3. Backbones people. Remember we're Vertebrates. n/t

[golddigger]

4. They have...

Stockholm Syndrome!

[pipi_k]

5. Ignore the pundits...

"Ignore the pundits and reporters. When Scott Brown won in Massachusetts, the news media immediately proclaimed it The Most Important Political Event In History. You would have thought the GOP won 20 or 30 seats in that single election. Now, every time a Democratic politician walks down the halls of the Capitol, some reporter is sticking a microphone in his or her face and asking if the Massachusetts election means that all Americans have rejected the Democratic agenda and it's time to capitulate to Republican demands."



Thank you for a voice of reason.

The country did not fall apart. The world didn't explode. My state did not crumble and fall into the ocean...we're not overrun with pestilence and plague...

In some ways, the overreaction to this election reminds me of what RW nuts think is going to happen if Gay Marriage ever becomes the law of the land.

Life goes on, as it did, and has, here in Massachusetts.


It's not the first time Mass has elected a Republican for any office, and likely won't be the last.

If people wanted to send a message, they did....and it says "We're PISSED!!!"


People need to stop running around acting like the sky just crashed in.

We'll all survive this, and, who knows, maybe Scott Brown will turn out to be an admirable, if not good, Senator. I didn't vote for him, but I'm willing to give him a chance.

I truly believe that most people do want the best for our country...it's just that there are so many opinions on how to do it. If we can all get together and stop fighting with each other (D's and R's) we might accomplish something. But it seems like so many people only want to keep the fighting going on...

[flyarm]

6. TELL IT TO MOVEON ..that has a big ad in many newspapers today! eom

[Winterblues]

7. They will have some pretty damn dry powder though..

:shrug: I believe once the campaigns actually start Democrats will start fairing much better in the polling. Democrats do have winning issues they just need to be able to defend them and implement them..People do want to feel safe and secure and that means more than just having the largest military force ever assembled on earth.. It means financial and health security as well. More people die every week from tobacco usage than from all terrorists attacks combined. Yet Obama plans to freeze spending on cancer research while increasing spending on Defense. Defense is really a misnomer because it actually detracts from our real Defense. Defense from Cancer, from poor water supplies, from bad highways and airports and marine ports, Defense from Big money interests that prey upon regular people, from Insurance Industries that consider people just numbers that indicate Profits. If you get sick, Insurance Companies no longer like you, and may just drop your coverage like a hot potato. I ahve not even mentioned real Basics like Food and housing...Defense...What a lark..Every bullet that is bought, every war ship that is built, every bomb created, they all rob someone of basic life support such as food and housing..