Should Liberals Give Up on Politics?

[niceypoo]

As I think about the results of this year’s midterm elections, there is a part of me that is tempted to give up on politics altogether. I am a 46-year old whose political life as an adult has been dominated by eight years of Reagan and twelve years of the Bushes. And it seems unlikely that Americans, during my lifetime, will elect another President as progressive as Barack Obama. In fact, the next two decades are likely to be as grim, politically speaking, for liberals like myself as the last three have been. Thus, the question I keep returning to is whether liberals should give up on politics.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/34670

It seems that the main objective of liberals for the last three decades has been to defend the legal and political gains achieved during the 1960s and 1970s, ones that helped to make this country a fairer and more egalitarian one. But these gains were achieved by an earlier generation of progressives, leaving the task of defending them to my generation (and, apparently, to the next one as well).

The real problem is that progressive politicians (President Obama included) during that time have been utterly incapable of defending liberal values — such as society’s moral obligation to help and care for all of its members in need — against the onslaught of attacks by social conservatives and free-marketeers

If progressive politicians were speaking in moral terms today about why we need, for example, health care and financial regulation reform, the political losses, such as the Congressional ones this year, would be easier to stomach. But I see no inclination on the part of liberal leaders — or, for that matter, on the part of much of their constituency — to talk about values.

[emulatorloo]

1. Do a little research on "capitolhillblue" before you take advice from him

Never Give Up.


EDIT: spelling

[niceypoo]

4. Advise?

Try reading the article

[emulatorloo]

8. Try checking out capitolhillblue on factcheck.org

http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/an-unlawful-congress/

http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_president_bush_call_the_constitution_a.html

I'll read the article but I will consider the source.

[stray cat]

2. Conservatives have spend years working behind the scenes - perseverance

progressives want it now or not at all it seems

[elocs]

7. Yes, perseverance, patience, working hard for "their" goals

even when some even here at DU were dancing on the GOP grave 2 years ago proclaiming that the party was dead.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. No, because liberals don't let fascists take over.

[OHdem10]

5. It is hard to be a Liberal. There are times I think we all would like

to throw in the towel. The country needs more than ever
right now. We are on a treacherous path. This rightward
turn with so much Corporate Power can blindly move into
Fascism(Merger of State and Business). We must be the
canaries in the mine.

[niceypoo]

6. We have a Democratic administration who taunts and derides liberals

...and liberalism. My, how far we have fallen in such a short time.

[emulatorloo]

10. Rahm Emmanuel is out the door already. Tepid reminders from Joe Biden to go vote is hardly

taunting and derision. I have no idea why you think that is a reason to crawl in a hole and die.

[niceypoo]

13. Taunting and derision?

Perhaps you missed it last September when the Administration was deriding and taunting it's liberal base just before a midterm election.

Oh, and by the way, I didn't write the article; I merely posted it.

[emulatorloo]

20. I heard Joe Biden reminding people to vote in 2010 and that it was an important election.

If you seriously think that was taunting and derision you've got a real thin skin.

[denimgirly]

9. Liberals in America lack the passion that Liberals have in Europe.

Its because MSM has pretty much neutered liberals.

[niceypoo]

11. The administration has attempted to neuter them

...but they do so at their own peril

[flamingdem]

12. You should give up if you think Obama is utterly incapable of defending liberal values

Maybe President Palin would be less upsetting to you with your head in the sand

[niceypoo]

14. I didn't write the article

lol

[HughMoran]

19. You dumped it here

From Capitol Hill Blue of all places!

Yikes!

You take no responsibility for what you dump here?

[niceypoo]

21. Yes, I did

Because it is important to view our present situation from many different angles.

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

[emulatorloo]

22. Including the discredited Tin-Foil-Hat-Website angle?

[niceypoo]

25. Please post the 'tin foil hat angle' that you detected in the article

lol

[emulatorloo]

29. The site is not credible. If a person lied on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday would

you believe they were telling you the truth on Saturday?

[niceypoo]

46. The article that you refuse to acknowledge.....

...originated on huffpo.

Now, as you were saying?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

49. Yeah because HuffPo never posts questionable sources

Remember that global climate change denier?

[HughMoran]

24. Yes, that's the usual reason given when right-wing propaganda is posted here

I'm not in need of it, thank you very much - I'm already intimately familiar with their strategies of discouraging liberals from voting.

[niceypoo]

27. See post #23

[emulatorloo]

35. See post #34

[Yeshuah Ben Joseph]

15. So when is he going to start doing so?

:shrug:

[HughMoran]

28. You have watched him push for the most progressive legislation in a generation

And you can say that with a straight face?

Give me one reason I should consider you a serious person who actually cares about liberal values.

[niceypoo]

31. "The bill contains every republican idea"

"Give me one reason I should consider you a serious person who actually cares about liberal values"

You have degenerated into lashing out at other DUers

[HughMoran]

33. The Bill is getting me a new policy that gives me more guarantees and coverages

I'm not the one calling it Republican, you are.

It also allows me to keep my kids on my insurance until they are 26.

In the future there will be exchanges that will help millions.

Call it all the names you want - it was passed over the 100% objection of Republicans by Democrats and it helps me and my family.

[niceypoo]

38. Obama called it 'every republilcan idea'

...not me. Again, you are attempting to tar and feather me personally.

The exchanges do not kick in for five years. In the meantime, there is nothing to stop gouging. My premiums went up about 40% this year. My deductible went up to $6000 per year last April. I can no longer afford to see a doctor. Everything was compromised away for zero in return.

[HughMoran]

41. Characterizing everything in a negative light is not my idea of fun

I'm getting a new policy Jan 1st with additional protections.

Don't tell me I'm characterizing you in any way that isn't simply a reflection of your previous post. If you don't like it, don't be son negative.

Anyway, enjoy!

[niceypoo]

45. Painting me with an Obama quote?

lol, your funny

When reality is 'negative' it is time for change

[Yeshuah Ben Joseph]

37. Have you ever read the Gospel of Matthew?

I am the one who INVENTED Liberal values!

[HughMoran]

42. Dodgeball

It doesn't even require a ball any more.

[SidDithers]

44. No, you're an anonymous person on a message board posing as a fictional character...

believing you're Jesus usually gets a person medicated.

Sid

[Yeshuah Ben Joseph]

48. Sidney, Sidney

why do you persecute Me? :(

[DrToast]

16. Better question: Should they start politics?

[HughMoran]

17. Interesting

Considering CHB is a banned site for good reason, it will be interesting to see if people are influenced by this right-wing propaganda.

[niceypoo]

23. Please quote the 'right wing propaganda' contained in the article

[HughMoran]

26. You've been here since 2002

You should know that this site is verboten - and for good reason.

[niceypoo]

30. So you can find no right wing propaganda in the article?

Perhaps if you dig deeper into my profile, you can find more ammo there?

There is a name for your type of argument:

Description: Fallacy of Ad Hominem

Person A makes claim X.
Person B attacks person A
Therefore A's claim is false.

[HughMoran]

32. Suggesting that liberals get nothing from politics = might as well give up

= right-wing methods used for generations to discourage liberals from participating in politics.


You're promoting a right-wing site and a right-wing meme and you won't admit it.

[niceypoo]

Im promoting nothing

I posted an article, you cant refute it, so you attempt to smear me. EOM

[emulatorloo]

36. Author profile from Huffington Post for what it is worth.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carlos-a-ball

Doesn't mean he isn't wrong, though/

[SemiCharmedQuark]

50. Amy Siskand has a profile on HuffPo and she supports Palin.

[33Greeper]

18. No

I will never give up.

[Scurrilous]

43. ...

:thumbsup:

[emulatorloo]

34. I am going to help you out and give you the HUFFPO link for this editorial

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carlos-a-ball/should-liberals-give-up-o_b_778790.html

That way we can get past the capitolhillblue problem.

As one of the commentors there says:

"Neither LBJ or MLK sat around wringing their hands and lamenting the lack of liberal leadership. They became leaders. Stop looking for a leader and BE one."

[SunsetDreams]

39. Capitolhill???????

[TwilightGardener]

40. Do Republicans ever give up? Or do they regroup and try again?

[Arkana]

47. If you give up, you don't get to bitch about what happens without your participation.

Plain and simple.

[Doctor_J]

51. There is no reason to continue as we have been doing

That's one definition of insanity

[treestar]

52. Why suggest such a thing?

Plays right into the hands of the conservatives. They'd love that.