Democrats: Losers or Victims?

[kliljedahl]

by RJ Eskow

Some Democrats would rather be victims than losers, like those who wrote me angry emails after this recent piece. In it, I call Democrat leaders "perennial losers" who lack nerve and don't act tactically. Democrats don't lose, say my correspondents, they win - only to have the elections stolen from them by Diebold, a crooked Supreme Court, and other conspiracies.

By calling Dems "losers," I'm just playing into the myth that the conspirators have created.

So, who's right? Are the Democrats inept and timorous losers, constantly blowing opportunities to act like leaders and retake the national stage, as my piece said? Or, are they victims of a broad and complex conspiracy that has kept them from assuming national leadership through foul and underhanded means? Here's something to consider: Both statements can be true.

Did John Kerry win in 2004, as my correspondents have said? The fact is that we don't know, but there's a lot of evidence to suggest that he did - at least in the electoral college. The curious (to say the least) results in Florida, and of course in Ohio, raise many serious questions and deserve intense scrutiny and investigation. So far, they haven't received nearly the attention that they should. Some conspiracies (like the Lincoln assassination) are real.

But what do we mean by "winning"? Did Kerry win a majority of the popular vote? As far as I know (and people will correct me if I'm overlooking something), nobody is suggesting that Kerry won a majority of the popular vote. I haven't heard any suggest that the 3,000,000-plus margin for Bush would have gone the other way under a "clean vote." That would mean that 4 or 5 million votes were stolen, which is a broad assertion.

Let's play out the scenario:



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[C_U_L8R]

1. Neither - thank you very much

Republicans : Crooks or Criminals

[WI_DEM]

3. agreed

[kliljedahl]

7. The only other option is winners

haven't won much lately.



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[Kralizec]

13. Exactly. They leave themselves no other options. (nt)

[mikehiggins]

2. Losers

Its tempting to wrap ourselves in the mantle of being victimised by a corrupt and vicious opponent, but WE KNEW THAT GOING IN. We already had 2000 to look at, when Chimpo was just a possible problem for freedom loving Americans. How could anyone be surprised something along those lines was possible in 2004?

But worse yet was the stunning unwillingness of the Democrats to stand up and stand for something. You can't beat someone with no one and the main thrust of Kerry's campaign was basically that he wasn't George Bush. What did he say he would do differently, other than those boiler-plate issues that Dems have always paid lipservice to? Did he call for the troops to come home? Of course not. Did he promise to roll-back the obscene looting of the Federal treasury to the benefit of a few? Nah.

Did he take a stand? Not that I could tell.

And as for the media, how many times have DU'ers screamed at the TV screen as Democratic "voices" let themselves be used as easy targets by the attack dogs of the chattering classes? Why didn't we buy time on the air to show that Congressman's rant about the lies BushCo had told Congress? Why didn't someone punch Tweety right in the smarmy smile?

I'm not talking about Jomentum here, either. The only guy I saw tell off a correspondent was Clark, and even that was only a rare occasion.

If we are victims its because we victimised ourselves. The party of FDR and Harry Truman has lost any sense of itself, and I damned hard pressed to see any bright spots on the horizon.

[progressivebydesign]

4. Neither. We are waiting tigers. n/t

[Oceansaway]

6. good answer !!

[applegrove]

5. Adults. It takes some time to realize you are dealing with nefarious.

Then you fight like adults. With empathy, might, intellection, responsibility, honesty, and with dreams.

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. I like your take on this question. Works for me.

:applause:

[applegrove]

18. Someone wrote a great article about that earlier this year. Cannot

remember the title or author. But it was about how the nefarious get together and create reality and dump thier issues onto the populace and get the public (or followers) to act out their greatest insecurities. And that adults must fight this infantalization with might, empathy, intellect & the truth. Putting them at a disadvantage - because they have to fight square - but it is the only way.

And then something like Katrina happened and it reminded Americans that they were adults and these neocon games were nothing to be a part of. No matter what the childish rewards (money, power, hate, chance to act out baser instincts).

Wish I could remember that article. It is so true.

And it does take a bit to understand all the norms one has been taught are out the window when dealing with freaks. Very easy to want to change things back to a happy world rather than accept how vulnerable a society can be to creeps.

[SammyWinstonJack]

19. If you happen upon that particular article in the future, I would dearly

love to read it. Thanks in advance. :-)

[applegrove]

21. I'll see if I can find it. If you have any experience with nefarious move-

ment of mob mentality - it rings and rings and rings true. Why I have been parroting it for the last year.

I'll see.

[SammyWinstonJack]

22. Mob mentality pretty much prevails here and now unfortunately.

:-(

[applegrove]

24. I couldn't find it. I didn't remember the languate used to search properly

Perhaps if I sleep on it - it will come to me.

[SammyWinstonJack]

25. No problem, just if you happen upon it, please send it my way.

thanks.

[ProSense]

8. Democrats have been very effective, while others spin whiny theories.

Social Security – Smacked down Bush and his cabal as they desperately fanned out across the country trying to sell a bad idea.
Result: seeing Santorum squirm when he caught on that the idea wasn’t flying. Best result: watching Santorum's decline in the polls

Schiavo – The wingnuts fought the law and the law won.
Result: watching the wingnuts attack Jeb Bush.
Best result: watching Dr. “go to the videotape” Frist squirm in the senate trying to get his credibility back.

Election 2005 -- Wins across the country.
Result: the Republicans are on notice
Best result: Watching Republicans trying to distance themselves from scandal

Troop withdrawal from Iraq – Forced Bush to forcefully stake out his failed stay the course position.
Result: Exposed the Republicans rubberstamp of that failed policy and forced them to a vote calling on Bush to define an effective strategy.
Best result: watching Rumsfeld running around blurting out tongue twisters about bringing the troops home early next year, but not immediately and without a timetable.

Delay's House of Scandal -- the DCCC never let up and did an excellent job connecting the crooks.
Result: Republicans froze like deer in the headlights
Best result: Fitzgerald is behind the wheel

Secret Prison’s – Pressuring the Bush administration to release information.
Result: forced the administration into a defensive position
Best result: Kerry’s amendment.

Torture – Holding the Bush administration accountable for their inhumane policy.
Result: McCain had to publicly go against Bush
Best result: watching Cheney caught in lie after lie during interviews.

Patriot Act – unified to block extension in light of Bush’s constant abuse of power.
Result: Frist had to keep voting to uphold the Democratic-led filibuster.
Best result: Bush didn’t get his Christmas present and resorted to accusing the Democrats of aiding the enemy by standing up for American civil liberties.

ANWR – Save ANWR for the grubby hands of oil executives.
Result: exposed Republican hypocrisy in terms of the dirty tactics used to attach ANWR to the defense bill.
Best result: watching Stevens “goodbye cruel world” whiny drama on the Senate floor.

Censure -- Conyers began the process that could ultimately lead to impeachment of both Bush and Cheney
Result: Bush will continue to screw up and 2006 doesn't look any better
Best result: Bush is screwed


It appears Democrats can walk and chew gum at the same time, i.e, work to find out what went wrong with the election (Kerry, Conyers and DNC) and toward solutions (Kerry, Boxer, Black Caucus and others) and pursue other urgent issues.

[johnaries]

17. EXCELLENT synopsis!

I think this probably deserves a thread of it's own! I'd vote for it!
:applause:

[ProSense]

20. Thank you!

It's already posted here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2334981&mesg_id=2334981

[blm]

27. I agree.....it would be a great, positive thread.

.

[Cults4Bush]

9. bears consideration and thought...

I just wish I had some to devote to it. Im too busy trying to fight off being kicked out of the party by the new Middle Dems who think that the far left wing is somehow comparable to the far right wing.

[lonestarnot]

10. I will make the assertion! Diebold machines were fucking hacked! And

I'm no loser Jones.

[FlemingsGhost]

11. "Bottoms"

Always getting screwed in the end, never wanting to disappoint or offend "Daddy."

[blm]

12. He's lying - exit polls most certainly suggested Kerry would win by 4mil

votes, and John Zogby's polls said the same the night before the election.

To say that no one has ever asserted that a clean vote would have shown Kerry to be the popular vote getter is a huge lie.

[kliljedahl]

14. And Mr. Kerry said he would assure no vote went uncounted

wimped out on that pretty quickly, didn't he?



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[blm]

15. If you have the evidence, please call him. They are still in 2 court cases

in Ohio.

Problem with the rigged machines is that they HAVE no evidence afterwards because they are set up for one time use.

The machines need securing BEFORE the voting - after is too late.

BTW....what did your reply have to do with my reply to the article you posted? I'm pointing out a blatant error in the article and you come back with a Potsy answer?

[bemildred]

23. Hostages? Stooges?

What was all the Anthrax stuff about anyway, a few years back?

[tlsmith1963]

26. I Say They are Both

We are victims because of election fraud, & losers because most of the leaders of our party lack *balls*.
They don't fight back enough. If they had some real fight in them, Bush would be impeached by now.

Tammy