Given the desperate straights in which we find ourselves, maybe it is time for our leadership . . .

[Stinky The Clown]

. . . . who I personally support fully . . . . to do some really grand things, bold things, grandstanding things, attention-getting things, calling out things, piss-em-off things, parliamentary things even if just to annoy or embarrass, just make a LOT of fucking NOISE.

Suck the air out of rooms. Dominate a news cycle or two. Red meat stuff.

No silence. No dry powder. No politeness. No decorum. No mercy.

And what would happen?

For one, our base would feel better, which is kinda needed right now. For another, it might just elevate them in the base's eyes. And it might allow them to stay.

~OR~

They would go out in an historic blaze of glory.

Anything is an improvement over bleak here and now.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. "Bleak" - a perfect descriptor.

[tonyt53]

2. Smart people won't do that in June. They would wait until October. American have short memories.

[pangaia]

8. Do it from now and keep going !!!

[LuvLoogie]

3. You know. I am leaving my despair in the dusty gutter.

I am buoyed by the good around me, and I am honing my edges.

Bring it britches.

[tonyt53]

4. YOUR words are inspiring!

[leftstreet]

5. DURec

[saidsimplesimon]

6. Remember the Nixon years?

Those were bleak times for me, the lesson I learned is that old cliche, "It's always darkest before the dawn.". Do not despair, keep the dream alive, work to defeat these rumpublicans who represent only their people.

[pangaia]

9. It is not the darkest yet.

Not even close...

[saidsimplesimon]

11. No rose colored glasses here,

yet, I have seen the Republicans make hay when Democrats controlled the Congress. If they can do it, we can do it better.

We do need a strategy and tactical actions to hold the fort.

I am focused on supporting the protests tomorrow. sleep well

[GulfCoast66]

7. Care to give an example of all these thing that could/should be done?

I am tired of these types of OPs that have no basis in reality.

The minority in congress will never have anywhere close to the bully pulpit the president has.

If we manage to become the majority in on of the houses it will be marginally better. But not a lot.

[BigmanPigman]

10. Maybe we need something like the Yippies

and their provocative political theater to jar people awake. They weren't afraid of getting arrested, in fact they used it to their advantage. If we had real showman with antics like that it would put the moron's Fux Ruse political theater and his BS rallies to shame. The PR would leave Don the Con's Reality TV presidency in the dust.

[GulfCoast66]

12. Oh, back when we ran McGovern?

I think I will pass.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. May I suggest that negativity like yours could be part of the problem?

Whose side are you on? I ask because keeping negativity at the fore tends to depress turnout.

Just a thought.

[Garrett78]

13. Yep. More press conferences on the Capitol steps. More attendance at protests. And...

...as I've suggested before, the DNC should hire a smart and charismatic individual to give a nightly press conference to address the lies and misleading remarks made by Trump and other Republicans over the previous 24 hours. Every single night. It would be a full-time job. The Trump Administration is Orwellian, and desperate times call for new tactics. Inject some humor to keep people wanting to tune in every evening.

In addition to addressing the lies, it would be an opportunity to address tactics that are employed by Republicans, such as the tactic of projection.

"Before we get to the lies of the past 24 hours, I want to take a moment to talk about this Republican tactic known as projection. Republicans project onto their opponents that which they themselves do, and this tactic proves effective because it makes their opponents come off as defensive when they rightly accuse Republicans of the very thing they are falsely accused of. Many in the media have irresponsibly let Republicans get away with this. And, admittedly, my fellow Democrats have not done a sufficient job of combating this tactic. That ends today. Now, let me address all of the lies and misleading statements made by the Trump Administration over the last 24 hours. Let me tell you, there have been some real whoppers--in spite of the president's supposed preference for Big Macs. I'll start with his false claim that the economy was slumping toward the end of the Obama Administration. In reality..."

Also, how about a new slogan that has some punch and is provocative? Someone suggested "Making America Safe for Democracy." I've suggested "Saving America from Traitors and Bigots." Something that will highlight the corruption and destructiveness of the GOP, and have the media talking.

[GulfCoast66]

14. We are past frustrated

Last edited Sat Jun 30, 2018, 02:58 PM - Edit history (1)

We are all frustrated. But our leaders understand that they cannot go head to head with the president when it comes to press coverage. Trying to do so is wasted effort.

[Garrett78]

15. It's not about trying to get as much press coverage. It's about influencing the narrative.

Democrats can do a better job of controlling the narrative. For instance, allowing the "liberal media" narrative to dominate over the last several decades has proven highly destructive.

Is it your opinion that nothing different needs to be done, that the status quo is sufficient?

[democrank]

16. Kicking for reply #15

[GulfCoast66]

20. Garrett78

I want to apologize for the tone of my post. I have edited it to take out the part that clearly read as an insult to you. It was not my intention.

My concern is that I the frustration we are all feeling is being turned against our party leaders as if the could just change a thing or two and fix the cause of our frustration.

[Garrett78]

21. I just think this is a time for extraordinary actions.

Again, I think Democrats need to do a better job of establishing and maintaining the dominant narrative. Frank Luntz and Republicans kick our ass in that department.

[Stinky The Clown]

18. Rude

And more of the same negativity from you.

Maybe we'd be happier if you went away? Wuddaya think?

[GulfCoast66]

19. It did read more rude than I intended to I edited it

Thanks for make me read it again.

But my point remains. I am frustrated at the attention Trump gets as he sucks all the oxygen out of the room. But it comes with being President.

My fear is that I see lots of that frustration being turned against our party leaders as if there was something magical they can do about.

And go away... no, I’ll stick around.

[smirkymonkey]

22. +1000

[RandomAccess]

23. What I have proposed --

and was roundly shouted down --

was that they make a lot of noise as you suggest, in the service of countering Trump's lies (and Hucklebee Sanders' as well). GET SOME HEADLINES. Schumer and Pelosi in a weekly (Fri afternoon?) NOISY press conference to get some of those headlines and broadcast coverage to spread the facts about things.

But some people here accused me of wanting to be entertained. No. I just want the populace informed. The media could do a much better job, but there's nothing saying they couldn't do with a little help.

[Tatiana]

24. I would really like it if some Dems started calling Fox a propaganda network.

Or the American Pravda.

Or the official channel of Trump.

You know, like be really brutally honest and, like you say, embarrass anyone watching or appearing on that network that has a modicum of shame into dropping it.