Feingold: Democrats will not win "if we play it safe

[kpete]

Feingold to Dems: Don't play it safe
Submitted by davidswanson on Sun, 2006-06-11 02:51. Elections
Senator gets rousing reception at convention
By David Callender, http://www.madison.com

LA CROSSE -- Wisconsin Democrats will need to do more than tap popular discontent with President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress if they want to win this fall's elections, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold told a cheering audience at the state Democratic Party Convention on Friday.

Democrats will not win "if we play it safe," said Feingold, who has staked out some of the boldest positions in the U.S. Senate by voting against the war in Iraq, calling for a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops there and proposing that lawmakers censure the president for his domestic spying programs.

"We will not win by default. We will not win by running down the clock," he said. "People will perceive if we are not standing on principles. They will perceive if we are fearful and weak, if we do not stand up for what we believe in. That is the only way we truly win."

He added that if Democrats fail to do that, "we don't deserve to win."

more at:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/11720

[dysfunctional press]

1. russ is one of the few people truly deserving of the presidency.

my vote is his to lose.

[longship]

2. Within 24 hours of a post saying we can't campaign on Iraq and Climate

Feingold's correct. Ditch the DLC campaign rhetoric.

DLC Whining:
* We have to get along with the Republicans.
* We have to support the troops and the war.
* We can't campaign on global warming
* Don't rock the boat -- be like milk toast

Wah - Wah - Wah!!!!
:cry: :cry: :cry:

The DLC are a bunch of spineless crybabies.

[bearfan454]

57. It's worse than that

The DLC is made up of corporation paid repukes pretending to be Democrats.

[redqueen]

63. AMEN AND THANK YOU!

:hi:

[Warren DeMontague]

68. Right. What do THEY want to campaign on?

"Look! We've got all the atheists, gays, and pro-choicers gagged and stuffed in the back of the Democratic Party Bus! We Love Guns! and Jeeeeeesus!!!"

[benEzra]

70. Feingold is pro-gun-owner...

and among other things, helped the 1994 Scary Looking Rifle Ban die its well-deserved death. He's not talking about taking up the jihad against civilian gun ownership; THAT was a DLC position...

[bbgrunt]

3. Well, there is one Dem with balls.

I love Feingold. I just wish he hadn't been so accomodating in some of his earlier support for nominees such as Ashcroft.

I also hope that he can avoid the Dean treatment, although the lack of support on the censure resolution makes me very uneasy. Dean had this message in 2003, and was tremendously successful until his collapse. Is this why other dems are such weasels?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

17. he accepted Ashcroft on principle not politics... there are guidelines

he followed them to the letter and couldn't vote the guy down in good conscience.

[robinlynne]

4. yes! right right right. n/t (loving this n/t thing.)

[Beelzebud]

5. He's right.

[Truthiness Inspector]

6. Feingold takes his own advice

He went out on a limb, with little support when he tried to get Bush censured.

Feingold clearly has conviction.

[Metta]

7. Feingold is right and the DLC is a nightmare.

They're one of the reasons Dems are so tepid and subsequently, deservedly, out of control of things.

[mwooldri]

53. Well, there needs to be an Opposition.

Seems like in some respects that some members of the Democratic Party seem to be part of a coalition government with the Republicans.

[Metta]

62. Yeah, Republican Lite sunk Clinton and empowered Gingrich.

A devil's bargain.

[bleever]

8. Even the Rope-a-Dope strategy

requires a flurry of well-placed blows at the end.

It's all about being able to fight, and being able to wait.

Someone here was quoting Sun Tzu's Art of War. The Tao Te Ching also speaks about how action exists together with restraint and listening, and how effective action comes from effective listening and the ability to know not just how, but when to act.

[Downtown Hound]

9. He's half right

Yes, they won't win if they play nice. They also won't win unless they stand up to the massive voter fraud that's occurring.

[robinlynne]

11. I think that's the point. not playing nice= standing up to election fraud

(not voter fraud) Voter fraud is not occuring. You mena eleciton fraud.

[Martin Eden]

10. Amen!!!

Too much of the Democratic leadership is playing not to lose, rather than to win by boldly providing leadership in repairing the damage that Bush has done to our country. We cannot do this if we turn a blind eye to his crimes and let stand his trashing of Constitutional checks and balances.

[ninkasi]

12. He's right

How can we be expected to lead the country, if we won't stand up for our beliefs? We have to fight, and tell Americans what it is we're fighting for.

[Fovea]

13. Russ kicks ass, takes names

The point Russ understands is that most of America is liberal-- even if they have been told to shun the brand, they love the ingredients.
It is only when we dems no longer fight for the New Deal, the Fair Deal, and an Even Better Deal that we are blown out of the water.

The days of triangulation to the right are over. Now we move the center back leftward, because that is where the nation wants to go.

[BrklynLiberal]

14. Absolutely true. I heard Frank Luntz on the Tavis Smiley show earlier

today "offering some free advice" to Democrats. He said that if the Dems want to win, they should be more centrist. He suggested that Rahm Emanuel was the person who should be leading the Dems

It reminded me of something I read recently about PNAC's newest strategy being to infiltrate the DLC.

I am very sure that moving toward the center is the very last thing that the Democrats should be doing in order to unseat the Repukes in '06 and in '08!!

It was Arianna Huffington who quoted George Lakoff in 04:

"As cognitive psychologist George Lakoff told me: "Democrats moving to the middle is a double disaster that alienates the party's progressive base while simultaneously sending a message to swing voters that the other side is where the good ideas are." It unconsciously locks in the notion that the other side's positions are worth moving toward, while your side's positions are the ones to move away from. Plus every time you move to the center, the right just moves further to the right."

From this article:

THE NEXT DNC CHAIR: WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Arianna Huffington, AlterNet

[BrklynLiberal]

15. An oldie but a goody. >>> "Debunking Centrism"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1436574#1437407

[mistertrickster]

29. EXACTLY! Why should we take advice from the man who wants us to lose?

They run on the most radical fringes and win, the most divisive hot button issues, the biggest fear generating issues.

And he's telling US to be "moderate"?

How much more moderate can you get than Kerry's last campaign?

[BrklynLiberal]

31. True. If we had won by a big enough margin, there was no way they could

have stolen it. They will be trying to steal it again in '06 and '08, so the wins have to be close to landslides whenever and wherever possible. That will not happen by playing it safe.

[bbgrunt]

34. I sure hope you are correct, but given the level of

corruption exhibited in the election process, I'm not sure that even an overwhelming vote against them would change the outcome. We need an orange revolution.

[IndyOp]

47. Right, but you won't get an orange revolution unless you *first* get

85% or more of your eligible, registered voters to the polls. The likelihood we will detect fraud will rise as the % of eligible voters rises. The more people CARE about the outcome of the election - the more they will be likely to go vote and to respond with Ukrainian-like orange revolution if they believe it has been stolen afterwards. You have to let them know that a theft is possible and tell them in advance what they need to do if it happens, then get them to care deeply the result.

:hi:

[Jeffersons Ghost]

16. Whew, Russ really lays it on the line. Ok folks you heard the man...

Stand up to save lives in Iraq. Stand up for the working American. Stand up for the U.S. Constitution.

[magellan]

18. Yay for Russ and I agree everything everyone above has said about him

He'll get my vote if he runs for president, without question.

[BigBearJohn]

19. A-fucking-MEN!!!

[PATRICK]

20. On another post

I commented how the most accurate predictor of the Busby race in CA had overall projections showing the Dems failing to get control either the House or Senate. Unless things change as the optimists among us expect all the time, Feingold is the lead prophet to back up the grim reality of the internet prognosticator.

The clock is already running out and it is rigged to favor the GOP more than ever before. And never before has there been such a crisis, such a boiling rage and desire. Never before this has any set of American politic ans failed to lead and tap the passion of the moment. Instead we see many hunkering down or accepting repression of their voice and lowering, lowering expectations as they seem in private to be rubbing their hands with a totally unrealistic glee.

The sad thing is that even should the repressed centrists lose- again- enough gains will be made by pure hatred of Bush so that they can congratulate themselves, and like Diebold manufacturers, promise to fix themselves and do better next next time.

Of course, this is a big brush. The actual names of people dragging down hope is few when you try to focus on them. Most of the harm is done by media and advisers the pros tragically trust. But how could this overall impression be so strong, strong enough to suppress a rising tide of voters? Blame the media certainly, but blame the Dems who empower their treasonous "legitimacy". Maybe a lot are not playing it safe so much as playing ravenously to the lukewarm, amorphous trap of the center instead of turning the flank, arguing just a shade away from controversial clarity instead of inspiring.

And again, what are THEY whoever they may be, afraid of? Unemployment? The going broke, the poisoning, the violence, the hatreds, the loss of all law and liberty, the threat to very human survival, somehow the lip quiverings of politicians don't match up. Pardon the people if the portentous trappings and strategies of Foggy Bottom don't signify and consider they would throw the whole game aside for leaders who would make America in the people's image as it has never been allowed by Washington pols before.

Bush is not the only one murdering history by preserving the misery of the past. Not winning? It isn't even living, not even the barest dignity of being human which most of the victims of the universal bungling of failed leadership must display each hour of each day in a never ending test of integrity and survival.

[Totallybushed]

21. Good post.

He's right. Democrats need to stand up and tell the American people exactly where they stand, what the problems they see are, and what they intend to do about them.

No more mumbling under the breath when asked to take a stand. No more trying to get along with the Republicans. No more, "We're better because we're not them." It may be true, but it doesn't win votes.

And the Dems need to win votes if they won't to keep it close enough that the Republicans can't steal it. The left can't afford to split, even if the Dems abandon our pet cause for the campaign. No Greens, or other third parties deserve our votes at this time. It's too important. We need to get the moderates on our side. And if we can't get their votes, we at least ought to show the right voters who are angry at Bush that they should stay home.

And for God's sake. Somebody needs to do something about election fraud!!

[Asgaya Dihi]

22. That's why I like him

A couple of his stances I didn't agree with at the time but in hindsight he had better judgement than most of us did. Seems to have good instincts and the guts to say what he thinks, we could use him in a higher leadership position.

[draft]

23. too bad the political elite don't agree with him

they will stick by their 'third way' till we're all broke or dead

[Golden Raisin]

24. Feingold is the only one who gives me hope.

He's got convictions that he has obviously given a great deal of thought to and stands up for them. He also seems to understand the concept of flexibility --- something entirely alien to George Bush --- who constantly keeps blinders on and wouldn't change his mind about anything even if God came down and personally smacked him upside the head. Feingold's got balls. He stands up and publicly says what has to be said in this bizarre "Emperor's New Clothes" world that we now live in ("Mission Accomplished", "everything is going swell in Iraq", "the economy is going great", "we don't torture"). I've had it with the rest of the Dems' dithering, wringing their hands, hemming & hawing, trying to snuggle up to the Repubs, not wanting to rock the boat, etc. If nothing else, Feingold was the ONLY one to vote against the infamous and so-called "Patriot" Act the FIRST time around in 2001. He'd get my vote just for that!

[JNelson6563]

25. More great stuff from Russ Feingold!

Oops! I mean "Spine-gold" :toast:

[mistertrickster]

26. Testify, my brother. Russ has always been my first choice.

Of course the South will hate him because he's a Yankee, but since Tennessee couldn't even bring themselves to vote for Gore, I don't think the Democrats owe them one damn thing.

[krispos42]

37. Winner take all

The Electoral College is winner take all. It doesn't matter if Feingold gets 1% or 49% of a state, he still loses. In the current environment, unless Feingold panders completely and unreservedly to the South, he'll lose. What matters is that he has a good showing in the toss-up states, then throws the South some bones and tries to bridge the gap and win them over in the next election.

Strangly enough, even though Bush is just as much a born Connecticut Yankee as I am, he's still considered 'southern'. Go figure.

[mistertrickster]

46. It's the way he talks. You know, the good ole boy act. nt

[mistertrickster]

27. Check this paragraph about how to "git 'er done."

"Dem. Gov. Doyle said those Wisconsin values were upheld by balancing the biggest budget deficit in state history without raising state taxes, providing low-cost prescription drugs for senior citizens in a plan that costs less than the federal Medicare prescription drug benefit, and increasing student aid."

Woo hoo! Take that, so-called "fiscal conservatives." Liberals show you how to help people, balance the budget, AND lower taxes.

That's why we rock and they suck.

[krispos42]

39. Worst of Both Worlds

Currently, the $9,000,000,000,000 hole that we've dug ourselves (god, how sad it is when people need to use scientific notation to write down the federal deficit!?!?!?!?) is because BushCo have used the worst attributes of both sides: liberal spending with conserative taxation.

In order to fix this, we're going to need to have liberal taxation with conservative spending. For decades! And we need politicians with balls to do it. And they probably won't be popular or get re-elected.

Fuck. We might actually be screwed beyond all hope now.

9.0*(10^12)... god, what a shameful number.

[mistertrickster]

45. Did you read my blog? That's the title of my latest post!

I wish I could link to it, but the mods will pull it if I do.

Google "serendipitydooday" and follow the links, if you want to see it. Very similiar message to what you posted.

Great minds think alike!

[krispos42]

54. LMAO

No, I spend most of my political time bitching on DU!

It's fairly obvious that there are two ways to look at at state of budget deficit or budget surplus. If there is a deficit, then either we are overspending or undertaxing. If there is a surplus, then we are either underspending or overtaxing.

However, in our political world, we only have two states: overspending or overtaxing. The former is more politically palatable than the latter. And thus: $9.0*(10^12). 'Deficit spending' is undertaxation. 'Deficit reduction' is overtaxing, unless you are the GOP. If you are the GOP 'deficit reduction' is actually a tax-transference from the rich to the poor.

[treestar]

28. Damn fine, Russ lays it down again!

The dems have been letting the freepers set the tone and control the debate forever, time to stop.

Russ is a real leader, not a would-be leader afraid to piss off the masses. Sometimes the masses need to be shook up and made to think, not catered to! Now is such a time!

[ldf]

30. hey, if the dems want to play it safe....

then it IS safe, and obviously in the bag.

therefore, since it is SAFE, there is obviously no dire need for me to do anything and everything to make sure i make it to the polls.

after all, it IS safe.

the dems want us to make all manner of compromises so they can vote "safe", becoming more and more "centrist".

then they say, well, we have to win. once we get in we can address all the other issues. yeah, just like they have done in the past.

well, we'll see just how far THAT takes us.

:grr:

yes, we need every single voter to make it to the polls. yet you wonder how they are going to motivate us all to get there, other than assuming that we have no other place to go.

after all, beggars, scrambling for crumbs, can't be picky.

again, :grr:

[BrklynLiberal]

32. To reiterate:

It was Arianna Huffington who quoted George Lakoff in 04:

"As cognitive psychologist George Lakoff told me: "Democrats moving to the middle is a double disaster that alienates the party's progressive base while simultaneously sending a message to swing voters that the other side is where the good ideas are." It unconsciously locks in the notion that the other side's positions are worth moving toward, while your side's positions are the ones to move away from. Plus every time you move to the center, the right just moves further to the right."

From this article:

THE NEXT DNC CHAIR: WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Arianna Huffington, AlterNet

[KittyWampus]

33. Hey Feingold, if YOU don't address Election Fraud you don't deserve to win

What have you done, Senator Feingold to counter Election Fraud?

You want to run for POTUS get the damn ball.

[AzDar]

35. Speak on it, Brother Russ! n/t

[organik]

36. Dems also will not win unless....

they prevent ELECTION FRAUD!

I'm so sick of "what we did wrong" I could puke.

What we did wrong is let them steal elections right from under our noses!

[Radical Activist]

38. That message worked in '03 for Dean in the primary.

Clearly, many Democratic primary voters want to hear that. Of course, Feingold has the progressive record that Dean didn't have, which makes the argument more compelling when it comes from him.

[Terran1212]

40. Absolutely true

[dogday]

41. I just love this man's politics...

He is the one... I hope others will see that he is the geniune article.. Mr Feingold goes to Washington...

[chill_wind]

42. Take it to 'em Russ!

Delighted to see this make the front page.

[YankeyMCC]

43. Right on...

and standing on principal doesn't mean we have to do this with the same kind of arrogance the other side had done and act holier than thou...standing on principal is part of good leadership...and that's what an effective political party should be doing...leading people

[porphyrian]

44. Thank you, Feingold. Is anyone else in the party listening? - n/t

[SavetheUSA]

48. GO RUSS!

bringing the truth to the congressional bubble...

[MoonRiver]

49. Go Russ!

You tell it like it is!! :kick: and R

[987654321]

50. Feingold has guts and courage!

In an age when so many of our Democratic leaders are playing it safe, making sure they cover their asses trying to woo people from all sides of the political spectrum, Feingold is one of the few willing to take a stand on important issues. He doesn't play political games, and won't sell out his beliefs for the sake of political expediency. (see Hillary Clinton)

I just hope other members of our Democratic leadership will begin following his lead. I hope they get a clue that playing it safe may gain a few seats in Congress, but it will do nothing to save our country from the tyrants now running and destroying it. We don't need to win a few seats, we need to win back America!

[blm]

59. I wonder why he never chose to use that fight to support other Democrats

who were standing up on real tough issues all these years?

Undergod knows there were Democrats who needed someone to stand with them and fight on issues much more crucial than McCain's issues.

[987654321]

66. I think that in the past he was hoping for bi-partisanship.

At least he has come around and now finally understands the responsibility he has to the whole country, as well as to the Democratic Party.

I wish he had been more vocal before. In my own opinion I believe that earlier on he was fooled into believing that he could get things done through bi-partisanship. I think that is one of the things that has motivated him to be more vocal and take tough stances now, because he is ticked off that the bi-partisanship he was trying to form was all for nothing.

I don't know, that's just my opinion.

[orleans]

51. Russ forgot one very important thing

when he said:
"We will not win by default. We will not win by running down the clock," he said. "People will perceive if we are not standing on principles. They will perceive if we are fearful and weak, if we do not stand up for what we believe in. That is the only way we truly win."

he forgot ELECTION REFORM! THE VOTING MACHINES THAT STEAL THE VOTES!

ooops. i guess everyone has forgotten those

my bet is that they'll all remember come november 8th

(cryptic--but that's really what i believe--sadly)

[dysfunctional press]

52. the DLC doesn't want us to win.

they're repuke infiltraitors, who just want to destroy our party from within, and strengthen repuke corporate control over the country.

and they're doing a damn fine job of it.

[Voltaire99]

56. Well said.

It's also arguable that they win even when they lose.

As long as the corporate contributions don't dry up, electoral victory is beside the point. What a charade!

[Voltaire99]

55. Nor do they deserve to win by playing it safe.

Hillary and more war, more corporatism? No thanks. Already have enough of both. You can put that lesser-evilism where the sun don't shine!

Russ is right. Playing it safe--especially after appeasing Bushism for six years--will be a disaster. Can it be that more disaster is needed to shake the party free from the DLC's suffocating grip?

I'll only vote if there's an agenda of reform and lots of it: immediate withdrawal from Iraq, limits on outsourcing, no more corporate tax breaks, and viable health care reform are all good places to start. But offer me more war, more bullshit military spending, more corporate policy and, well, as the Smiths song goes...

You just haven't earned it yet, baby

[myrna minx]

58. It's now or never for the Dems. I love Russ! n/t

[Tsiyu]

60. This time, honesty is the very best policy

I honestly believe that the Marriage Amendment failed miserably because even the Repukes know that America is fed up with wedge issues, smoke and mirrors, corruption.

Bloggers waged a relentless assault on biblical thinking this time. The hypocrites appear to realize that the citizen is on to the game, especially when half these Repuke freaks speak about "the sanctity of marriage" while standing behind a podium next to their third spouse.

So the fools have stepped away from their places leading us and they have left a void. It's a dark, hollow, eery silence emanating from Washington these days. It's the sound of no one at the helm, in the cockpit, steering the team, whatever phrase works for you. No one is working for us.

If Democrats want to win, they have to get the hell out of their hidey-holes and just listen to the people. Really listen. Respond. Call the hypocrite fools what they are. Tell the citizen what you are going to do, what you believe and why.

THERE IS NO Cause for shame any more. And no call to lie, obfuscate or make any more excuses. Take care of the people. Fight back when attacked with THE TRUTH.

STAND UP in the void they've left.

Saying all this, I concede that the media has it stacked against Dems. All the more reason, if the Dems can pull it together in November to take the House, that they begin the process to reinstate a Fairness Doctrine. Our right to a free press demands it.

[ElboRuum]

61. Breaking ranks...

It seems to me that most of the elections in the next 10 years or so will be won by those who cast off their party's election machine shackles.

[rep the dems]

64. Russ is the man.

He makes me proud to be a :dem:

[Donkeykick]

65. Feingold has it right!

Bite with carnivore teeth or lose!

[Iniquitous Bunny]

67. He's beyond right.

:thumbsup:

[Warren DeMontague]

69. "President Gore & Vice President Feingold" sounds REALLY good to me.

But President Feingold works, too.