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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ChinuSFO who wrote (13686)	3/2/2006 9:34:24 AM
From: mph	Respond to of 541922

I see your point about my first line. Any comments on the rest of it? I think we all agree that the Dems do not have an alternative plan to anything. They just criticize and that does not sell to the American public either I really have no comments on the rest of your post, but we are in agreement about the Democrats' lack of alternative plans. I read the article about liberal ideology and thought that it could provide at least a possible explanation. The old ideas don't work so well, particularly in the information age where the blogging universe kicks in to high gear within nanoseconds of any event. In a way, it's sorta ironic. On the one hand, technology provides a powerful forum for political commentaty across the spectrum, which can have the effect of keeping politicians "honest" so the speak. On the other hand, the ability to virtually bludgeon the public with whatever message is desired can result in a kind of mass brainwashing. By that I mean the constant reiteration of certain talking point spins and key words to implant a message that becomes "true" by dint of repetition and because it sounds familiar having been heard before. Call my silly, but I think the general public--at least those who are not on the right or left fringe---is smarter than that. If either party wants to appeal to the non-extremist, it has to have a concrete message and forget the insulting tactics. JMO

To: ChinuSFO who wrote (13686)	3/2/2006 9:55:18 AM
From: thames_sider	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541922

There's a clear Dem plan here: although for some reason the source has abandoned its normal stance and is clearly reporting the news completely straight... WASHINGTON, DC—In a press conference on the steps of the Capitol Monday, Congressional Democrats announced that, despite the scandals plaguing the Republican Party and widespread calls for change in Washington, their party will remain true to its hopeless direction. "We are entirely capable of bungling this opportunity to regain control of the House and Senate and the trust of the American people," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said to scattered applause. "It will take some doing, but we're in this for the long and pointless haul." "We can lose this," Reid added. "All it takes is a little lack of backbone." Despite plummeting poll numbers for the G.O.P nationwide and an upcoming election in which all House seats and 33 Senate seats are up for contention, Democrats pledged to maintain their party's sheepish resignation. "In times like these, when the American public is palpably dismayed with the political status quo, it is crucial that Democrats remain unfocused and defer to the larger, smarter, and better-equipped Republican machine," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said. "If we play our cards right, we will be intimidated to the point of total paralysis." Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) cited the Bush Administration's bungled response to Hurricane Katrina as a model for Democrats. "Grandmothers drowning in nursing homes, families losing everything, communities torn apart—and the ruling party just sat and watched," Lieberman said. "I'm here to promise that we Democrats will find a way to let you down just like that." According to Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Democrats are not willing to sacrifice their core values—indecision, incoherence, and disorganization—for the sake of short-term electoral gain. "Don't lose faithlessness, Democrats," Kennedy said. "The next election is ours to lose. To those who say we can't, I say: Remember Michael Dukakis. Remember Al Gore. Remember John Kerry." Kennedy said that, even if the Democrats were to regain the upper hand in the midterm elections, they would still need to agree on a platform and chart a legislative agenda—an obstacle he called "insurmountable." "Universal health care, the war in Iraq, civil liberties, a living wage, gun control—we're not even close to a consensus within our own ranks," Kennedy said. "And even if we were, we wouldn't know how to implement that consensus." "Some rising stars with leadership potential like [Sen. Barack] Obama (D-IL) and [New York State Attorney General Eliot] Spitzer have emerged, but don't worry: We've still got some infight left in us," Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said. "Over the last decade, we've found a reliably losing formula, and we're sticking with it." Dean reminded Democratic candidates to "stay on our unclear message, maintain a defensive, reactive posture, and keep an elitist distance from voters." Political consultant and Democratic operative James Carville said that, if properly disseminated, the message of hopelessness could be the Democrats' most effective in more than a decade. "For the first time in a long time, we're really connecting with the American people, who are also feeling hopeless," Carville said. "If we can harness that and run on it in '06, I believe we can finish a strong second." theonion.com <g>