As election day approached, I felt a growing sense of unease. I caught my self thinking about race after race that the Democratic candidates was running their campaigns all wrong. It became clear that they were apologizing for being Democrats. The could not have adopted a more self-defeating strategy.
We don’t have all the data in yet to know exactly why the Dems were demolished well beyond even the GOP’s best hopes. But we can make some preliminary judgments. IMO, the biggest reason overall is that Democratic candidates played not to lose, went fetal, following their usual pattern, helped by Obama’s own example. The GOP played to win, went for the jugular, and the American people like candidates who go for the jugular. The Dems ran from their reeling president, ran from their own party history, and tried their best to sound like Republicans with a smiley face. The American people don’t like weak imitations. They chose the real thing.
Three key moments or decisions stick out of me. The first, seeing Joe Manchin on TV early in the day calling out Obama’s supposed anti-coal policies (which don’t exist. Natural gas is killing coal. Not the EPA) — and he’s a Democrat. First of all, Obama has governed as a conservative on all but a few social issues — which is itself another cause of this tsumani. His EPA is handcuffed by trade secrets laws and an administration afraid to upset business interests. There is no war on coal, no war on fossil fuels, no war on business. Obama, in reality, ranks as one of the most business-friendly presidents we’ve ever had. But the Republicans have quite successfully painted our weak-willed, very conservative president as a wild-eyed, dictatorial leftist, and many Dems in office echo this frame. Manchin did on election day and prior to it.
Second: Grimes in Kentucky. When are the Dems ever going to learn? It doesn’t work to run from your own party. It never works. Refusing to say you even voted for the president of your own party just tells voters you can’t be trusted and that you’re embarrassed to be in the party you’ve chosen. And they rightfully say, if you’re embarrassed about it, why run as a Dem? And why should I vote for you? Americans are going to choose even lunatics who stand by their parties over thoughtful, nice people who cower in the corner when confronted about their choices.
Third: Obama chose not to ruffle any feathers before the election and held back on his executive decisions regarding immigration. A fatal/fetal decision. Obama, time and time again, has chosen the path of attempted reconciliation with his enemies, even though there is no hope for this, ever, and it keeps kicking the Dems in the teeth. When are the Dems going to learn that in our political climate, the party that obsesses about "looking reasonable" is going to lose out to the one that goes for the jugular. People are pissed off. They don’t want Miss Manners in charge. They want Patton… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Daily Kos>
I not just a progressive. I’m damn proud to be one! You won’t catch me apologizing for what I think. If I thought there were better political views for America that mine, I would have those views, not these. Admittedly, the Democrats came into the election at a bad time with a bad map, but because of the frequency and heartlessness, with which Republicans abuse the power they do have, Democrats have never had a better opportunity to unseat them. What they had to do is offer a clear alternative from a position of moral strength. Instead it was Ready! Aim!! Fire!!!
28 Responses to “Ready! Aim!! Fire!!!”
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"They want Patton…"
Or Rambo, providing he comes wrapped in Progressive colors.
I'm not just a Progressive, I'm a damned proud Radical Progressive, one who thinks outside your comfort zone so you don't have to. Bright ideas = 100s; political will to impliment them = 0
And so it goes.
Your political will?
Nope, that of people who are chained to the status quo of the Capitalist/Corporatist system of economics and government; against billions, broke doesn't stand a chance.
We beat them here in Oregon. 🙂
Sorry TC – migraine – can't see well enough to understand anything just at the moment!
(Glad I was able to just focus on the cartoon – brilliant!).
I hope you feel better, Pat.
Bottom line: We tried to use fear as a motivator (it works so well for Republicans. But, dammit, they are Republicans.) We should have gone boldly for the moral high ground. Did we learn?
To pull off a campaign based on pure fear, requires a high degree of dishonesty, a skill at which Republicans excel.
Yes the Democrats shot themselves in the foot. That is still mind blowing. After all they have been doing it for a long time. Back in 2006 when they took the congress. They still gave Bush just everything he asked for. That alone was upsetting. But in 2008 I thought they would have learned and They had Obama. But they still in 2014 decided to run from Obama(Which is a little more that upsetting) You can not win anything if you have no backbone. I have almost thought of leaving the democrats. But I am remained of my daughter and how I tell her daily no matter how hard things seem to bite you never give up. So I will continue to support the democrat party. After all this is not about one but about all. We need to think about the Supreme Court the poor the middle class and so much more . And I do not see anyone who win on the other side except by our own stupidity. So who ever is Democrat Nominee I will stand up vote. I would love Warren to run but even if I get some gulf I think she is needed else where at this time.(after all she can still be president but not in 2016.) Clinton has not even said if she will run. But if she does I will vote for here. We still have others like Jim Webb who may stick his hat in the ring even Sanders. But until we see we can not give up. It to important for our country.
I fear we'll get Hillart. Then we'll have to fight her for eight years.
Hilary is not on my A list………..she is a corporate supporter in too many ways. She is with Monsanto for one thing. What is her position on The Pipeline and on fracking?
Sadly, not a lot of people showed at the polls that had BLUE in their hearts. That right there is the reason our side lost, and the Earth will be worse off for it!
We needs to find a way to motivate those people off their lazy asses!
Right you are!
Welcome Marz! 🙂
You gotta hand it to the Repubs – they got a GREAT PR Campaign …
With gas prices dropping like a stone, unemployment down to 5.8%, interest rates rock-bottom low, stock market soaring, no terror attacks on our homeland, deficits plummeting to levels not seen in years and years …
And yet the Rethuglicans made it seem like if ISIS terrorists weren't just about ready to do behead you in our schoolyards, then Ebola was going to get you.
They run on FEAR – and sadly it seems to work.
They definately get a PhD in Bullshitology! … Piled higher and deeper!
That brings back memories:
BS, MS, PhD:
Bull $hit, More the Same, Piled Higher & Deeper
This article is what I have been saying for a long time. The Democrats acted like gutless wonders by running from the president instead of amplifying all the has accomplished against an obstructionist congress. I knew Grimes was going to lose when she refused to say if she had voted for Obama. She had been neck and neck with McTurtle until this, the next day he was 8 points ahead. They treated Clinton the same way and now they beg him to campaign for them. Democrats need a back bone.
Ifg she had said she had voted for Obama, even though she disagrees with several of his policies, because she thought Romneys policies would export thousdands of jobs and werck the economy. Then the issure would not have dragged on through election day/
You are exactly right!
Thanks
Obama needs a backbone! Maybe he'll wake up. What do you think?
How can the Democrats rally the people behind them, when they demonstrate that they don't believe themselves?
This dovetails nicely with Lakoff's Daily Kos article "Democratic Strategies Lost Big. Here’s an alternative" contained in the Open Thread. I don't think Democrats should operate like the Republicanus/Teabaggers. They can't be a cheap imitation. But they do have to "attack" as a cohesive party with a single vision and lots of confidence. That they didn't do.
I remember watching a Star Trek Next Generation episode years ago where Data was playing some game against a more efficient computer. He was sure he would win but he kept losing, game after game. Then he changed the parametres of his play. Where he had previously played to win, now he played to tie. In so doing, every subsequent game was a draw. He played for a different reason . . . to tie . . . which wasn't exactly logical. Had the Democrats taken a hint from Mr Data, changed their game execution, the outcome could have been different.
Had they boasted of their Party's accomplishments, the outcome might have been different.
I think they needed to play to win, like Data's original strategy.
The lowest voter turnout since 1924. The old saying is true, the higher voter turnout, the better for Democrats.
All too true!