will the protests in WI get all of the democrat/progressive voters out to vote

[svsuman23]

Who stayed home in 10?

WI shows us best what can happen if you sit home and do not cast your vote..

We need better results in 12 if we hope to keep the US moving forward..

[polichick]

1. We also need better Dem candidates - people who will pledge to...

...vote for measures to restore our democracy - things like public funding for elections.

[svsuman23]

3. I agree, but I also believe that any dem is better than any repuke.

[polichick]

5. That argument didn't work in 2010 and it won't work in 2012 - people are too fed up...

...with a party that's ineffective - more and more irrelevant.

[leftstreet]

2. Will the protests in WI get all of the Democratic politicians to turn left?

Probably not

[county worker]

4. Remember when Bobby Kennedy entered the race?

It was because there was no real creditable anti-war candidate running. He would have won had he lived in my opinion.

The same could happen in 2012.

If we get a progressive candidate who could get the support that Obama got in 2008, yes the progressives will vote.

And the Obama apologists would vote for her/him too!

[polichick]

7. Yes - a bold populist could win big. nt

[CherokeeDem]

6. I fear...

that we also need leadership from Obama and other high ranking Democrats, or this will be non-effective when it comes time to vote. I hope I am wrong, but I am afraid that unless these protest continue and grow in strength, without that leadership, we have problems ahead.

I wasn't certain that I thought it was a good idea for Obama to show up in Madison. That was until I saw the 'comfortable shoes' clip. He said it, he'd better do it.

[undeterred]

8. You are new here so I'm not going to jump down your throat.

Wisconsin is home of some of the finest progressives in the nation, as is Madison in particular.

Madison is where you find Tammy Baldwin, John Nichols, Russ Feingold and the magazine The Progressive, and a county that turns out a 70% Democratic vote even on a non-Presidential year.

We don't control the rest of the state.

[mitchtv]

9. If the Dems hide now

what makes you think anyone will come out for them in a year?

[Ken Burch]

10. It's not ALL on the people who didn't vote

They need to be CONVINCED to come back.

The way to GET them back is to get the party to stand for something.

If Obama were showing the guts of the Wisconsin Dems right now, it's a sure thing they'd come back, and he'd lose nothing from sounding like that.

Don't bash the people we need.

It's the party's fault they stayed away.

[murielm99]

12. Not all of those people out in the streets in Madison

are Democrats. They are simply pissed-off citizens. Many of them regret voting for Walker now. We will have their votes in the future.

[creon]

11. Perhaps

We need good progressives to run for office
We need a good campaign message that resonates with people
We need more ammunition from the GOP for the Dems to use against them.
Obama needs to run a powerful campaign at the top of the ticket.
Money. Camapigns run on money -- lots of it.

A lot depends upon this Congress and how stupid the GOP gets.

This Wisconsin matter has to spread.

[Ken Burch]

13. And we need leaders who stop acting like it's embarrassing to be progressive

The voters don't WANT us to apologize for not being as far to the right as the 'Pugs. And they aren't obsessed with wiping out all vestiges of the Sixties anymore(at least not the ones we have ANY chance of ever reaching).

[creon]

14. yes

That is part of a strong campaign message. progressivism is modern americanism. getting good progressives to run is part of it.

The WH is an important part, as is the DNC and the Democratic caucus. All of it has to be on point and not working at cross purposes.

[deutsey]

15. They might even get some Democratic voters out to vote too

along with the "Democrat" voters. :-)

[Peter1x9]

16. We need actual progressives to run instead of all these corporacrats.

Instead the system is rigged in such a way that only the super rich have a chance of winning elections.

:banghead: