If you look at polls on almost any issue, the people side with the Democrats the vast majority of the time. Given that fact, it should be a no brainer that Democrats should be a shoe-in come November, but that are not. That’s the dilemma. Now what? Here are some ideas.
Victoria Newman is a proud Democrat who says that when she voted for Barack Obama in 2008, it was the most excited she’d been about politics in all her 58 years. But now, Democrats grasping to keep control of Congress will have to do without her.
Newman says she’s planning to stay home on Election Day.
As she pays for a package of corn muffins at a grocery store, Newman, a retired state employee who’s black, sums up her feelings about voting in November’s congressional elections with a dismissive flick of her wrist.
To retain House control, Democrats must find a way to reactivate core supporters and re-energize the independent and new voters who handed Obama the White House and swept Democrats into office.
It’s a tall order in dozens of competitive districts where enthusiasm for the president is at a low; even some of his strongest backers aren’t motivated to go to the polls.
The challenge is boosting Republicans’ hopes of winning the 40 seats they need to seize the House in a year when a sagging economy and disillusionment with Obama have created a grim outlook for the majority party.
National surveys show Republicans are far more enthusiastic than Democrats about the election. The latest Associated Press-GfK Poll found Obama voters are much less attuned to the fall contests than are those who supported Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona in the 2008 presidential race… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <AP/Google>
Part of the problem is Democratic mistakes. Even before Obama’s inauguration Republicans were in full attack mode. Democrats should have counterattacked forcefully. Instead, they spent a year and a half accomplishing what they could in the face of unyielding opposition, and kissing elephant butt trying to get just a vote or two, which rarely happened. They accomplished some good things, but when they did, the Republicans attacked the accomplishments. Now from a media perspective, and bot even counting the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda at Fox, attacks are better infotainment than accomplishments and sell no soap, so the public knows all about the attacks, but very little about the accomplishments. Thus, Democrats allowed Republicans to dominate the news.
Part of the problem is that the economy has not recovered, as voters hoped it would. I and other well informed people knew it would not, because the Republican damage to the economy was far too severe to undo in the short term. Adding to the problem, Obama appointed Geithner, Bernanke and Summers, banksters all, in the mistaken belief that only someone who knew the system could save it. Republican obstruction also slowed recovery.
At this point, our best hope is to educate voters about the nature of the choice before them. With all the Democrats’ flaws, they are far better for the poor and middle classes than the Republicans, because Democrats represent the majority of Americans. Republicans, on the other hand, have demonstrated that they only have one policy: No Millionaire Left Behind. That is the choice.
Consider this ad from Barbara Boxer (H/T Daily Kos)
Barbara has the right idea, here. We need to focus the choice on this. Who should represent America, the party that governs on behalf of most Americans or the party that governs on behalf of the top 1%?
10 Responses to “The Democratic Dilemma”
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it’s shoo-In. Footwear is not germane.
Welcome James. 🙂
My bad.
Don’t know about you Tom but I used my bully poetry pulpit last night to make at least three young folks who thought the tea party was joke understand why they need to get caught up on what is happening in the nation and agreed to vote if the news I gave them was in fact true. They had no intention or interest. They sure as hell are now. to me three could equal thirty. The young ones I talk to as the adults they are, I tell them to sit and discuss household finances with their parents and how the last ten years have been for them. some of the kids were gay, they certainly did not like finding out about Montana or O’Donnell and her gay recovery movement work of the past. Truth is key and education the door.
Mike, I do the same on an almost daily basis.
WRT your correctly complaining about wasted efforts to achieve bipartisanship, I have long-held that the only correct compromise with Teapublicans is this:
I’ll hug your elephant, if you kiss my ass!
LMAO!! 😀
Call me a crazy idealist, but in my conversations with right-wingers (especially young ones), I’ve shaken things up by saying, “This is not about money or ideology. It’s about lives. And that makes it about conscience. If you can support this soulless agenda without a single pang of guilt about families living in tents and motels, people without healthcare, and rampant discrimination against minorities, then you should. But I think you’re better than that. Rupert and Newt don’t care about you any more than the millions of lives they’ve already wasted. And I think you’re smarter than they think you are.” It shuts them up every time.
The Dems really need to make this personal. I’d launch a campaign with Uncle Sam wearing a “Kick Me” sign and an elephant (teacup in hand) eager to do it.
Hi SF!! That’s an excellent approach. I like it!!
Call me a crazy idealist, but in my conversations with right-wingers (especially young ones), I’ve shaken things up by saying, “This is not about money or ideology. It’s about lives. And that makes it about conscience. If you can support this soulless agenda without a single pang of guilt about families living in tents and motels, people without healthcare, and rampant discrimination against minorities, then you should. But I think you’re better than that. Rupert and Newt don’t care about you any more than the millions of lives they’ve already wasted. And I think you’re smarter than they think you are.” It shuts them up every time.
The Dems really need to make this personal. I’d launch a campaign with Uncle Sam wearing a “Kick Me” sign and an elephant (teacup in hand) eager to do it.
I still like it!!! 😉