I am more convinced than ever that you cannot talk to Americans like adults.

[kentuck]

You cannot discuss the issues in a quiet, sensible, rational manner and get their support. You can't even get their attention.

It is my opinion, borne out by the last debate, that facts and history do not matter to most of the voters in this country.

I believe more than ever that the voters of this nation vote on appearance and emotion moreso than issues or anything else. Politicians that attempt to appeal to the common sense of the American people are handicapped.

Where does that leave the Democratic Party? On every issue, from abortion to guns to God, we have tried to fashion a moderate message in line with our constitution and the rights of all our citizens. It hasn't worked.

So, what should the Democratic Party do? In my opinion, they should counter the Republicans with their own style and emotion. They should not run from the language of class warfare. They should preach loudly about fairness in our tax codes and building a strong middle class. They should ridicule the greed of the wealthy. They should have a populist message of equal appeal to the masses as the right wing ideologues.

[leeroysphitz]

1. Can TOO!

[handmade34]

2. NO you CAN'T!!

[sendero]

3. My first post..

... on DU, about 10 years ago, was making this very point. Democrats simply let themselves be steamrolled, believing that Americans are smart enough to see through the lies. But most of them aren't.

Owing to the bad economy, more people are paying attention but not enough.

Obama makes the point occasionally, but he need to focus on it and repeat it 100 different ways. ALL REPUBLICANS HAVE IS MORE DEREGULATION AND TAX CUTS, THE VERY POLICY THAT HAS HAMSTRUNG THE ECONOMY ALREADY. THAT IS ALL THEY HAVE.

Because they are not working for the middle class, they are working for the rich and fooling the middle class.

[whistler162]

4. Awwww poor wittle one did

someone hurt your feelings?

[kentuck]

5. Yeah.

You.

[elleng]

6. Largely true.

Public education has been decimated over the last 30+ years, and democracy is in serious jeopardy as we can see today.

Don't have a 'solution' at the moment.

[Fumesucker]

10. Some of the most ignorant were educated back in the day..

You know, back when they had Civics classes in HS.

Now they are screaming to keep government out of their Social Security.

[elleng]

11. They've been coopted by the propaganda arm of of the repugs,

the no-news media.

[whathehell]

13. Could we stop conflating repukes with Americans as an entire nation?

I was educated "back in the day", and I, like everyone here,

AND the majority of Americans was "smart enough" to elect Obama in 2008.

This self-flagellations shit is getting old.

[Fumesucker]

17. What part of "some" did you fail to understand?

[whathehell]

18. The part that appeared in your post, but not in that of the OP. Yeah, I get it..My bad.

[Martin Eden]

7. Are you an American

Is it possible to talk to you like an adult?

If so, are you unique?
(because if there is more than one American who can be talked to like an adult, you need a different title for the ideas expressed in your post)

[kentuck]

8. Too simplistic.

Look at the polls.

[whathehell]

15. What about the polls?....Isn't Obama still in the lead?

[kentuck]

19. Not in NC or CO...

the last I have seen. But , why not? That is the question?

[Tigress DEM]

27. Because the repukes are finding "non-partisan" polls (wink, wink)

AND because the churches are pooring it on.

My relatives who are really strong religious types are on the Anti-Obama train.

[whathehell]

32. Oh well, then.

not ahead in all of TWO states not traditionally democratic to begin with?

A sure sign of an entire nation reduced to imbecility!

Please, bro.

[Martin Eden]

37. Which Polls?

Any poll that isn't 100% on the batguano side of the ledger would indicate that SOME Americans can be talked to like adults.

Yeah, I'm being simplistic here -- but your thread title encompasses ALL Americans.

just sayin'

[whathehell]

14. Thank you. n/t

[COLGATE4]

9. I think you're absolutely correct. I don't know if it's the

advent of cable TV or what, but we have become a society which functions solely on sound bites. In addition many in our society have been led by RW media to be contemptuous of education and/or educated people. They react emotionally, not logically or rationally many time, particularly in political matters. And the RW has been extremely astute in exploiting this phenomenon for their own purpose. For too long we Democrats have been content to try and make our case to the folks logically, expecting that they will consider the facts rationally and logically, and we've been steamrollered by this assumption. The latest case in point was the debate. Rmoney talked exclusively in sound bites carefully programmed to appeal to the reptile brain dominant in many of these voters, whereas the President looked like the oft-despised 'Professor'. (Note Scott Brown's repeated attacks calling Elizabeth Warren "Professor&quot .

We have got to get down to the level of discourse and fight these people with their own language and their own tactics. To not do so would be in my mind a critical mistake, and one the could cost us dearly. Let's learn the lesson of the infamous debate and try to turn it into something positive for us. I am waiting to see what the tone of the Biden-Joe Cool debate will be, although I confess to a certain gut fear that Biden will feel constrained to take the kinder, gentler tone he was forced to take with Palin and let this idiot get away with things. Hopefully I'm wrong and Biden will do the job and nail the little sonofabitch to the wall. Let's see. Fingers crossed.

[Doctor_J]

12. We should absolutely fight back in kind

but as you can see clearly on DU, anyone who suggests that the president actually take on the Repukes instead of positioning himself a hair to the left of them, gets shouted down, told to either praise his every move or shut up.

Your post is accurate, but won't be heeded by the purists or the PTB

[whathehell]

16. I'm convinced that Americans who call Americans "dumb" should speak only for themselves.

That way you avoid insulting the rest of us.

[Fumesucker]

20. This *is* the nation that (s)elected Dubya in 2004 with a bigger margin than in 2000

Not exactly a fact that brings great intellectual acumen on the part of the voters to mind.

[cherokeeprogressive]

21. So those of us who DIDN'T vote for W are among the group who cannot be addressed as adults?

Because I read the OP and didn't see a distinction between one American and another.

Why should MY intellectual acumen be compared to that of those who voted for W or McCain (forget for a moment what you think of me as an individual)?

[Fumesucker]

23. Visited Meta lately?

Even here on DU people acting like adults is almost the exception to the rule and DU tends pretty old I think.

Maybe the OP had a hard day and a frustrating conversation or three with wingnuts, it's enough to drive anyone to some hyperbole about stupid Americans.

[cherokeeprogressive]

25. Ever the voice of reason...

[whathehell]

28. This *is* also the nation that elected Barack Obama by a bigger margin than either.

and one "fact", especially one with MANY unusual, and potentially mitigating circumstances surrounding

it does not a nation of dunces make.

The fact is, Dubya won in '04 by the SMALLEST margin of any sitting president in history, not to mention the considerable

evidence of it being a "coup" brought about by the Repukes that year -- I'm sure we all remember those mysterious disappearing

exit polls, and the countless complaints of "dysfunctional" electronic voting screens all across the country, all

strangely "dysfunctioning" to the advantage of Bush over Kerry.

The election of 2000 found us with a "selected" rather and elected president due to another "mysterious" and wholly

unprecedented "intervention" by the Supreme Court.

Dismissing Three Hundred plus MILLION people, is, IMO, simplistic and intellectually lazy.

Things are complicated, and we're not, in any case, the first or last nation to elect a few losers.

[Fumesucker]

31. Ceasing to hit oneself with a hammer is now considered to be a sign of great intelligence?

I also lived through the period when Dubya had a 90% approval rating.

[whathehell]

33. Continuing to hit oneself with a hammer now IS?

Back at ya.

[cherokeeprogressive]

22. You're right: Americans fucking suck. They. Simply. Suck.

Of course, when you post bullshit like this, there is absolutely no need to distinguish between one group of Americans and another. Just lump them all together and tell anyone who will listen that none of them can be talked to like adults.

Yup yup.

[whathehell]

29. Thank you. I'm so sick of this shit.

It's simplistic, self-hating, and IMO, utterly non-productive.

[cr8tvlde]

24. Speaking just for myself, I read the entire post before feeling "insulted"

I assumed OP was talking about the knee-jerks, not me. I was right.

[GeorgeGist]

26. The greatest accomplishment of the anti-Reagan ...

will be making intelligence respectable again.

[mnhtnbb]

30. It's very difficult to talk to people who do not have open minds...people who

are not interested in new information...facts...other points of view.

Unfortunately, far too many Americans are now like this.

How else could the right wing have mounted the response to the unemployment
numbers by accusing the Administration of having cooked the books? Lie and deny
has become the m.o. of the right wing and their followers.

Seriously, I just passed up the opportunity on another website to ask
a person who said " I am ashamed and embarrassed by our current president for reasons too many to list."
why on earth you would not be ashamed and embarrassed that the Republicans could not find someone else to nominate
for POTUS who wasn't an animal abuser, a bully, a liar, and so unempathic that he doesn't care about 47% of Americans?

Seriously.

[reformist2]

34. Americans like common sense and anecdotes, not ideology or even reasoned arguments.

I think you're on the right track with your suggestions.

[coalition_unwilling]

35. It is convenient at times like these to borrow V.I. Lenin's distinction between

a 'class in itself' and a 'class for itself.' There is no doubt that the working class (read '99%,' 'Middle class,' or any other label) exists as a class. However, the working class lacks consciousness of itself as a class -- or, rather, its class consciousness is fogged over and clouded with extraneous matters -- and thus cannot consider its own self-interest and act 'for itself.'

Truth to tell, the Republicans at this point should be a rump political party, enjoying only about 10-15% of the popular vote. The real debate should be between Obama and Bernie Sanders (and the two wings each represents).

[ecstatic]

36. That's what happened at our convention

We didn't run from our positions, we proudly embraced everything from Obamacare to abortion to civil rights, and that resonated with Americans.