Enough blame to go around, but here's how DU can unite--and be useful

[blondeatlast]

to the country:

Let's find the three biggest problems that DU can unite on, hash them out amongst ourselves, and consequently, we'll find workable fixes.

We can't "fix" the three branches of government ourselves, but we can find ways to get aound, say, the Citizens United decision (guess what the blonde feels was the biggest reason for 2010's dismal result--and the one that's going to keep hurting America, and not just in election years?).

If the contentious likes of DU can find something to rally around, I'm pretty certain that the "Dancing with the Stars" viewer who votes every two years can find its brilliance as well.

Carry on if you prefer; I'm a single mom to a 13 year old boy who's bigger than me; y'all got nuthin' I can't handle!

[Renew Deal]

1. The disunity on what to unite on will be amusing.

:evilgrin:

[derby378]

2. We can unite by remembering we are the Democratic UNDERGROUND

And if we have to take over the Democratic Party the same way the teabaggers took over the GOP, then so be it. There is strength in numbers.

[jaxx]

6. OMG it has been said in public.

Split the party. Give the repukes a hand up. Oh hell no.

[EFerrari]

7. How is gaining control of the party "splitting" it?

Geezus.

[derby378]

9. Exactly!

The country-club Repukes may squabble with the teabaggers, but if there's no country-clubber on the ballot, who are they going to vote for, the teabagger or the Democrat? Simple.

All I'm talking about is saving the party from self-immolation.

[lumberjack_jeff]

13. Um, isn't that what the teabaggers just did?

It worked.

[jaxx]

16. So the teabaggers become the role model?

That's convoluted.

[lumberjack_jeff]

18. Yes. "Win" is the role model. n/t

[jaxx]

19. The republicans won the house.....the teabaggers ran as repukes.

Do you really want to be like them?

[lumberjack_jeff]

21. How many times are you going to ask the same question?

Yes. I want to be just like them; The majority party in the House.

[jaxx]

22. No more needed, the answer was finally given.

[Angry Dragon]

20. By using a role model does not mean you have to have

the same message. You build on it.
You stand for your principals.
The teabaggers of the election have no principals.

[EFerrari]

3. Campaign financing, media reform and vapor voting.

:hi:

[gkhouston]

12. Agreed to all, and we really do need an effective DNC chair. Kaine doesn't seem

effective in the position. I'm not going to waste time speculating as to why--it's simply not something he's good at.

[joeybee12]

4. Can we at least agree that we all HATE Republicans? nt

[madmax]

5. Brain cells started firing yesterday

along the lines of your post. The hell with the McConnell looks like a turtle and Boehner's tan. Let's get together, there are enough of us to focus problems that we can be of use.

Jobs - the economy. More articles and opinions by experts posted, discussed and perhaps action taken. Letter writing to those in DC. Whatever. Hope I'm on the right track here, if not someone set me straight.

That would be real grass roots, not astroturf.

[DevonRex]

8. Good luck with that.

[snot]

10. Love this OP! K&R'd. Here are my top three:

(because without them, no other progress is secure or maybe even possible):

1. Election integrity (both electronic voting and campaign finance, including corporate money);

2. Media integrity (we need to restore restrictions on consolidated ownership and the Fairness Doctrine, and ensure 'net neutrality); and

3. Public education (stop the destruction that's ongoing under Arne Duncan and restore a system that was, at least in many parts of the country, working well).

If we restore these three, I think progress will naturally follow on other issues.

[madmax]

14. We're going to need a longer list

;) I would include jobs and the economy. Hell you think we can handle say 5? Sure we can - how many forums does DU have. We can handle 5 issues. Today I'm an optimist, ask me tomorrow.

The 3 you chose go without saying. They are definately important and integrated. Right, now people are screaming for jobs and until they get jobs they don't want to hear jack.

[madmax]

11. We need some good music

during the 60's we had great music with a message. Was thinking about some of them recently and found this link.

http://www.jwsrockgarden.com/jw02vvaw.htm

sorry off topic - just a bit ;)

[Winterblues]

15. Well for number one...I did not get a pony.....

Why were there no ponies? Republicans got ponies....Democrats got mandated Corporate insurance and Banker Bonuses, oh and more and deadlier and invasive war in Afghpakistan..

[gkhouston]

17. Republicans need the ponies because they can't generate enough horseshit on

their own to create their party platform. }(

[Angry Dragon]

23. Well

In the last few days I have read numerous posts on Du calling for a party of democrats within the Democratic party. I was first wondering if this is within the rules of DU. If it is then I would like to know the definition of progressive and liberal. We need to have a line between what stands for the party today, the one that has Obama as the head, versus what you have planned.

Perhaps it would not hurt to list ALL the things that define a democrat versus a republican.

I would state that money is the evil that corrupts this country and the world. You would have to have this as your main focus. We have all seen that money has really had an affect on how this last election has influenced the vote.

The same rights for everyone.

Stop being a policeman and empire builder of the world.

Most of my thoughts deal more with subsets of these major points. CAmpaign reform, clamp down on wars and aggression, equal rights for gays(all inclusive), equal rights for women, firm definition of separation of church and state (I have watched how the use of god has split this country), etc.

If someone from the left does nothing to fix this country then there is no hope for this country to ever get to the year 2100. The republicans will never do it.

Count me in

[derby378]

24. The Democratic Party is much larger than Barack Obama

Otherwise, however, I think you and I have plenty to agree on. :hi:

[Angry Dragon]

25. I agree the party is bigger than Obama

However, the "leaders" of the party have determined that he is
the person they have chosen to get their message out.
It seems to me that the message that Obama talks is not
the message he promotes once it gets to the trenches.
So the message is all garbled by the time one sees it again.

Wellstone had a message and he was not afraid of fighting for it.
He may not have always won or he had to settle for something less
than what he wanted, but you always knew where he stood. With
Obama you never know where he stands. That is the problem and that
moves so far to the right before he fights that his message is
lost before getting to the table.

[madmax]

26. Cross posted to

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9482895&mesg_id=9483205

[flamingdem]

27. 1. citizens united 2. defending hcr 3. supporting Obama starting now for 2010

Great initiative, DU should be for organizing not tearing down our great Pres.

[lonestarnot]

28. Since pugs are so worried about their money and they're looooaded or think they will be some day, I

say, the 700 bil. is what we unite on for now.

[the redcoat]

29. The biggest problem is this:

I put the citizen's united case and corporate donations above all else. above the 112th house, above the rich's tax cuts, above keeping DADT.

The ability of corporate money to influence what people see and eliminate conflicting ideology means a war on knowledge.

An ignorant populace makes all the other negative things possible. Educate Americans so they can be aware when someTHING (corporations are not people, dammit) is trying to manipulate them, inform Americans so they are aware of what political rhetoric sounds like.

Openly challenge TeaBaggers and the like to backup what they say, loudly and out in the open.

Because the fact remains, nothing good can last if people can just be fooled back into their same old ways every few years.