So- when the Democrat who gets elected takes office next year...

[dysfunctional press]

and mostly nothing of any real consequence changes- the troops stay in iraq; healthcare costs keep spiraling upward- but we keep being told that single-payer universal coverage isn't what america wants;
we remain beholden to the big oil economy; what jobs are left continue to move offshore; etc...

what happens next?

and i'm sure that there are plenty of people who will say(and honestly believe) that isn't going to happen this time around, this election is all about CHANGE. and don't get me wrong- it's great to feel that way, but i'm too jaded to get too excited about the prospects...but what IF nothing really changes?

what's the next step?

personally, at this point i don't think that anything much will change to any appreciable extent, no matter who gets in there...and i don't really know what the next step would be, until circumstances- like a major depression, some extremely catastrophic effects of global warming, a serious worldwide epidemic, etc. FORCES a change to be made.

[Eric J in MN]

1. We need to support progressive legislation in Congress.

We can't wait for the next president to propose something.

There will be progressives in Congress, and bigger Democratic majorities.

The important thing about the president is for him-or-her-not-to-veto progressive legislation. I don't think Obama, Clinton, or Edwards generally wants to veto progressive legislation.

[dysfunctional press]

5. try telling that to the blue dogs...

i just don't have any faith in our supposed reps to make any kind of significant changes for the betterment of our society overall. they're just there to protect their corporate contributors bottom lines.

[frogcycle]

2. we may need a "movement"

like the civil rights movement, or women's suffrage


progressives marching on DC, sit-ins in the Capitol

if Edwards does not become Pres maybe he can be our MLK

[dysfunctional press]

6. i don't see that happening either.

my wife and i drove to dc from chicago to protest at lil' boots coronation in 2001. i assumed that MILLIONS of others would be moved to do the same.

they weren't.

[pingzing58]

3. Edwards if not our candidate has a great future in remaining as a public figure who speaks

for the working middle class and poor. I believe that he commands the same attention as Al Gore and his service to humankind.

[dysfunctional press]

7. "he commands the same attention as al gore"

and even if that were true, with today's corporate-owned/controlled mainstream media, neither one's message will get very far.

[Terry_M]

4. Next step is to stop voting for democrats that don't vote the right way

Like any senator that tries to move the telco immunity forward... If they make it through their primaries just don't vote for them, vote for that crazy green party senator or something... When those "crazy lefties" start getting support in the double digits they'll get scared. When the choice becomes lose your precious seat or actually move a bit to the left to make sure you don't... Well we know what those selfish pricks will do.

[dysfunctional press]

8. as long as the corporate media keeps choosing the candidates for the uninformed masses...

that strategy will NEVER pay off.

it would require an intelligent and inquisitive electorate- something that we don't have the luxury of in this country.