1. Do nothing to help this country for two years

[CTLawGuy]

2. block/hinder any good that anyone else tries to do for this country

3. attack the good that does manage to get past your obstruction scheme as socialism

4. sit back as your unwitting allies on the left ignore the positives of what is passed and trash it as inadequate

5. voters blame democrats, the only people trying to do ANYTHING about the problems facing this country.

6. Win House majority (!)

7. Repeat next time democrats control WH, House and Senate.

[depakid]

1. Which begs the question- why did it work?

[grace0418]

2. Well honestly, I think whoever won in 2008 was fucked from the start. Given the economy

and the downward spiral it's been in, low-information voters were never going to remember that Bush and Friends were squarely responsible for it. They were bound to blame whoever took over in 2008, ESPECIALLY since it was Dems who took over. It didn't help of course that Dems squandered the time by trying to play nice with Republicans who never had any intention of "reaching across the aisle".

That, and people seem to love to vote against their own best interests.

[depakid]

4. That was a common opinion expressed by astute observers all over the world

Ms. Depa held it- whereas I held out hope that a well targeted economic stimulus combined with returning to accountability under the rule of law to pre-Bush norms would carry the day, even if there were policy "compromises" of the sort I expected.

Sadly, it was not to be- and that was evidenced early on.

One thing Republicans are adept at is coopting what Democrats cede.

[Arkana]

8. It also means they have more seats in the House to defend next time out

than we do.

[MH1]

3. Find your answer in the responses to this thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9459222

"In a democracy the people get the government they deserve" - oft attributed to de Tocqueville but a google search shows that no one really knows ... maybe Hunter Thompson first formulated it this way.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. "It's the economy, Stupid" was not given its proper priority.

[depakid]

10. Yep- flashback to January & February 2009

[GOTV]

12. It worked because 1 - the economy is still bad 2 - Obama and Dems did not treat the GOP ...

... as opposition. Although the GOP was very clear that they had an opponent even though HCR, for example, was based on GOP ideas.

So to the rest of the country Obama and the Dems seemed very happy with what they got and the economy is still bad.

If that's all you knew who would you blame?

[ProSense]

5. That's pretty much how it went, but for the next two years,

House Republicans are on the hot seat.

"2. block/hinder any good that anyone else tries to do for this country"


Is that still going to work?

[jeff47]

6. That depends

If the Democrats actually create a media strategy, where they demonstrate that the Republicans are blocking everything, then no it won't work.

Since the Democrats haven't created a media strategy in the previous two years, I'm not optimistic.

[ProSense]

7. Democrats

cannot rely on the media. Unless they change the "Tools" that are pushing everything negative the Democrats' way, the media is useless.

[depakid]

11. Obama and the Democrats have shown no more interest in media reform

than they have in honestly and effectively reforming anything else.

All they seem to do- at least, all those in positions of power seem to do is behave like the ultimate hypocrites.

Calling anyone and everyone who might have effective solutions names like tools.

Which sort of begs the question now.

Who are the tools?

[dionysus]

16. well.... bye.

[DevonRex]

19. Well, it appears that

you are.

[jeff47]

18. You don't have to rely on the media

You don't have to rely on the media to carry water for you. What you have to do is actually talk about your accomplishments and goals, and how the Republicans are wrong.

The White House didn't do this for most of the last two years, in their moronic attempt to court bipartisanship. Pushing their accomplishments would upset the fee-fees of the Republicans they were trying to court.

Once the White House started speaking up at the end of August, Obama's approval numbers moved up and a lot of polling started going in the D direction. But one can not undo two years of Republican lies with three months of work.

Short version: If the White House keeps going with what they've done so far, they'll end up like Carter. Tons of actual accomplishments nobody knows about, and out in one term. If this loss delivers a clue to the White House, they'll start the 2012 campaign on Monday and might salvage the situation.

[GSLevel9]

17. Their strategy will be to drive a wedge between Congress and the Admin

They will send bills to the Senate like tax cuts that have a chance in the Senate but will be vetoed. Then they will claim Obama is the problem and if they can't get legislation thru the Senate they will blame Dem Senators. By the Dems holding the Senate the Repubs are still the "party out of power" and the economy will still hang from the Dems necks.
The people who elected the Repub House don't want them to be bipartisan and play nice. They have been sent there to halt the Obama agenda and reverse HCR.

[NJmaverick]

13. yup

[Whisp]

14. that about explains it well enough. rec'd.

[Bobbie Jo]

15. Nailed it. nt