Theories -- why do Dems keep rolling over?

[JMDEM]

Why do Dems keep rolling over to the Republicans?

Is it because they are in the minority? Oh, they aren't?

Is it because they are afraid of losing their 11% approval rating?

Is it because they honestly think they need to sway ultra-Nazi neocons to vote for them?

Is it because they think that doing what the majority of people want -- impeaching the bastards -- will result in losses at the polls?

Is it because they are just plain stupid beyond belief?

Is it because they are just as corrupt as the Republicans? (Bribed and bought out).

Is it because they are being blackmailed via information gained in illegal wiretaps?

Or is it because of both of the above -- bribery and blackmail?

Personally, I go for the last answer. It's the only one that makes sense to me.

Maybe this should be turned into a poll. Anyone want to do that?

[muntrv]

1. All of the above.

[Selatius]

2. Money. It is the great dictator of our nation.

If your paycheck is dependent upon acting like a grade A fuck-up, then it's pretty damn hard to convince you not to act like a moron. That's what special interest money means from Wall Street bankers and industrialists.

[Basileus Basileon]

3. Because they aren't?

http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002576765.html

[mudesi]

4. Because people keep electing CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS

I've said this hundreds of times.

[rwheeler31]

5. They do not want their kids to be crushed.

[EVDebs]

6. It's Money That Matters (not people)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXtHJDxbEOw

[Harper_is_Bush]

7. They're looking to take absolute power in '08.

[Deja Q]

8. What do they know that everyone else does not...

And what it would take to join in? :)

[Lint Head]

9. Because they are comfortable with their wealth and don't

want to make waves. It takes a lot of money to run. You have to be well off or have a backer to even get started to run for a major office or any office above a city official. If they actually stand up for something they can lose power, money and possibly even their life. That is why it takes a true hero and patriot to stand up to these criminals that have taken over our country.
Most of the people presently in power are cowards and have proved it because a coward will scream at the bad guy but will run the other way when they are threatened any way. :dem:

[crickets]

25. I think you just nailed it. -nt

[Window]

28. Yes, that and ...

I'm beginning to agree more and more with this excerpt from Tom Clancy's
Red Rabbit:

"...most politicians are like movie stars. They surround themselves with sycophants and yes-men and people to whisper nice shit into their ears -- and a lot of them start believing it, because they want to believe it. It's all a big game to them, but a game where everything is process and damned little of it is product. They're not like real people. They don't do any real work, but they appear to."


Peace:thumbsup:

[kitp]

10. rethug moles

part of the neocon revolution foisted on us first in the 80's was to groom an entire generation of rethug politicians who would run as dems. eventually, a significant number of dems in congress are rethug moles, after all, who else can we vote for?
when the time is ripe and the fascist leaders take control, the "opposition" party seems unable to understand 80% majorities in the polls and gives the fascist exactly what he wants.

they're moles, rethug moles.

"it's just a theory"

[dysfunctional press]

11. maybe they all know something(s) we don't(or aren't supposed to)...

perhaps they've been briefed on just how truly dire the situation is in regard to a combination of peak oil and global warming having cataclysmic effects on our society in the very near future.

and because of this, they are setting the stage for the type of intensive "security" measures that are going to be needed to keep the rabble in line, and protect the upper 1%'ers.

or maybe- they're just being good little corporatists, at the beck & call of the highest bidders...

[JMDEM]

22. I forgot this one...

But it has been a fear of mine too.

[dysfunctional press]

32. it certainly would explain a lot.

and it's going to happen- it's just a question of how bad, how soon...?

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Dysfunctional Legislature during a fascist shift

read naomi wolf

[begin_within]

13. They're tied to corporate money

[Whisp]

14. definite intimidation and not only to the Dems.

something (even more wicked than american and all history of war war war, take take take) wicked this way comes. to all sides.

[AuntPatsy]

15. I prefer to believe they are being blackmailed and or threatened, to believe otherwise

would have me giving up on them entirely but knowing not all are caving gives me hope and should all of us and the ones that are not caving in and are attempting to fight back regardless if they themselves are being blackmailed or threatened should be a wake up sign to many of us that they need us, perhaps instead of focusing so much attention on those caving in we should be backing in full force through writings and money to those that deserve it?

[MannyGoldstein]

16. The "We Suck A Little Less - Who Else Ya Gonna Vote For, Assholes" Strategy

They just need to stay ever-so-slightly to the left of the Republicans, and we'll vote for them every time.

The enduring legacy of the Clintons, along with outsourced torture, of course.

[Disturbed]

21. Most Dems in Congress are part of the Wealthy Class.

The Plutocracy of America is moving toward a Corporatist System away from a democratic Republic.
The Middle Class is shifting into the Working Poor & the Poor can just die in the streets.

[Ivan Sputnik]

17. Probably all of these

to some extent. I also think they believe the next terrorist attack will allow the Repuglicans to successfully "reframe" them as "soft on terrorism" appeasers and take away their majority if they are too oppositional. And I get the impression that it hasn't quite sunk in yet, psychologically, that they *are* in the majority.

[Swamp Rat]

18. NSA, Anthrax, etc.

[upi402]

19. Recommended!

:applause:

[Alameda]

20. a pole would be good....

Here are my choices


........they are just as corrupt as the Republicans? (Bribed and bought out).

...................because they are being blackmailed via information gained in illegal wiretaps?

.................because of both of the above -- bribery and blackmail?

[RainDog]

35. yeah, but where would you put it?

sorry, bad puns r us.

but that wouldn't be torture, would it? if it didn't kill someone? :cry:

[donheld]

23. In. On. It. n/t

[bridgit]

24. The obvious stuff: it's money, it's easier to get along, they sit across from some of the...

biggest assholes in the history OF america talking smack about everything but what matters plus, somewhere in there...'the democrats' may just be privy to info that is specialized to say the least, or will never be disseminated down (these are dangerous times who can deny that) to where anyone here at DU is able to see or understand it till bush & his junta handlers have been driven from DC, they do not enjoy a 'super majority', an ill-shaped notion i'd like to see trashed by the close of DC business TOMORROW!!

look here for clues as well: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2199090&mesg_id=2203375

[God23]

26. Answer: Follow the money. n/t

[Joe Fields]

27. Their balls have been shrunk by the greatest steroid of all: money!

[Perry Logan]

29. FALSE PREMISE: the Democrats in Congress have rolled over LESS than any group of Dems in 50 years.

Sorry guys, but endlessly repeating a false meme doesn't make it true--unless you're a Republican.

"President Bush's success rating in the Democratic-controlled House has fallen this year to a half-century low, and he prevailed on only 14 percent of the 76 roll call votes on which he took a clear position.

"So far this year, Democrats have backed the majority position of their caucus 91 percent of the time on average on such votes. That marks the highest Democratic unity score in 51 years."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1728952&mesg_id=1728952
http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002576765.html

Don't let the media rhetoric fool you. The Democrats have acquitted themselves quite well--especially given their bare majority in both houses, and a relentlessly obstructionist Republican minority.

this 110th Congress has had more roll call votes this year than any
other Congress in history, almost doubling the number under the previous Congress overseen by Boehner
and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL):
The House last week held its 943rd roll call vote of the year, breaking the previous
record of 942 votes, a mark set in 1978. The vote was on a procedural motion related to a
mortgage foreclosure bill. When the House adjourned on Oct. 4 for the long weekend, the
chamber had reached 948 roll call votes, putting Democrats on pace to easily eclipse 1,000
votes on the House floor in 2007.
Last year, the Republican controlled House held 543 votes, and for historical comparison,
the last time there was a shift in power in Congress, Republicans held 885 roll call votes in
1995. The Senate, which has held 363 votes this year, isn’t on pace to break any
records, but has already surpassed the 2006 Senate mark of 279 votes.
Much of the lack of progress can be traced back to obstructionism by conservatives. Approximately “1 in
6 roll-call votes in the Senate this year have been cloture votes,” noted a JulyMcClatchy report. “If this
pace of blocking legislation continues, this 110th Congress will be on track to roughly triple the previous
record number of cloture votes.”
It’s interesting that Boehner is criticizing the 110th Congress as doing nothing. After all, the House, under
his leadership, met for just 101 days during the second session of the 109th Congress, setting the record
“for the fewest days in session in one year since the end ofWorld War II.”

[madokie]

30. Is it because they are being blackmailed via information gained in illegal wiretaps?

[H2O Man]

31. You can tell

a tree by it's fruit. If that tree in your back yard keeps producing pears, and you keep expecting apples, it's not the tree that is confused.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

33. They're playing politics. Seeking the "moderate" vote in '08.

The "not as bad" as the Republicans or scary like "the Left".

[L. Coyote]

34. OR is it that THEY DO NOT roll over? They represent their constituencies.

[spanone]

36. cheney & bu$h* can wiretap ANYONE at will....and i believe they do.

[KharmaTrain]

37. The Purple District Factor

First...the Democrats have been faced with a combination of a rogue regime that has shit upon the Constitution and rules by fiat and an enabling Repugnican minority in the Senate that protects boooshie's vetos while preventing legislation passed in the House by Democrats from moving forward. Until this obstruction is removed, Democrats are stuck with "compromising" or having nothing move forward. The conflict is to be shown as "hard-working" vs. hardly working.

Many of today's Democrats weren't around prior to '94 and most suffered under the highly repressive tenure of Armey/Hastert/DeLay that barely allowed them bathroom privilidges (remember the Conyers hearing in the basement?). It's been a slow learning curve for many to go from being whipped to masters of their own destiny. It doesn't help when you have a corporate media that uses "Conventional Wisdom" (Repugnican talking points) that bash them for any hesitation or mis-step. Many in Congress feel damned by the right AND the left...thus stick to the middle out of shell-shock.

Finally, many of the gains in the last election were in red and purple areas...districts that either hadn't elected a Democrat in years or where the winner had a slim victory. The fear has been that going too far to the left would alienate these districts and give Repugnicans strong weapons to use in the '08 elections. While they can openly question Iraq, they are afraid to touch anything that appears to "hurt the troops" or "look weak" on defense. Maybe polls and re-election will remove the jitters from some...a solid progressive challenger may be needed for others.

The Democratic party is far from a monolith. It has many different constituents that have basic values of fairness and social justice, but differ on what's the best approach or which issue is the most important. We've seen what a monolithic party can do to a country over the past 6 years and I, for one, don't want to see a return to that.

The march toward a more Democratic and Progressive America is a steady one...one that will take several elections, not one or two, to change the political landscape of this country. The '06 elections were to put the brakes on the right wing lean in this country, '08 will be to return sanity and accountability...then beyond is where, if we work together, we can start seeing some positive movement. There'll just be too much of a mess after '08 to clean up.

Cheers...

[Le Taz Hot]

38. Follow the money.

It's all about money and power. It always has been. WE THE PEOPLE are no longer represented. The predator class and corporations have the representation.

[JohnnyBoots]

39. Because Blue Dogs always have their tails between their legs. n/t

[MadBadger]

40. Its funny how you leave out the actual reason

they dont have the votes for a lot of things.

[Enrique]

41. dems have opposed Bush at record levels

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20070904/pl_cq_politics/bushsuccessratingathistoriclow

Bush Success Rating at Historic Low

President Bush’s success rating in the Democratic-controlled House has fallen this year to a half-century low, and he prevailed on only 14 percent of the 76 roll call votes on which he took a clear position.

The previous low for any president was in 1995, when Bill Clinton won just 26 percent of the time during the first year after Republicans took control of the House. If Bush’s score holds through the end of the year, he will have the lowest success rating in either chamber for any president since Congressional Quarterly began analyzing votes in 1953.

A study of House and Senate floor votes, compiled by CQ over the August recess, also showed that House Democrats have backed Bush’s legislative positions this year only 6 percent of the time, making for the strongest opposition from either party against a president in the 54 years CQ has kept score.

(...)

[2rth2pwr]

42. So you are saying that all the dems are corrupt and have been caught on tape

and their families and/or themselves are under a constant threat of physical harm or death unless they vote the right way?

Pass me some of what you're smoking