Don't like what is happening from the 2010 Teabag wave?

[maxrandb]

I will just say...one more time...that "elections have consequences". Maybe we shouldn't have sat on our asses and handed the keys to MI, WI, IN, OH and other state Legislatures to the Rush Limbaugh crowd.

Not to mention that 2010 was also a census and redistricting year.

We're going to be paying for the complacency of 2010 for a fucking generation. We better not forget that when 2014 rolls around.

[freshwest]

1. +1,000 to what you said!

[SharonAnn]

3. And another +1,000

Presidential elections are exciting and get lots of attention, but there are serious "levers of power" in redistricting control and state Republican control of legislature and government.

We shouldn't ignore it. They are capable of great evil.

[freshwest]

4. Yes, it's the years between in the states that make the difference, not the POTUS.

He can only work with what we send. We must send an resounding majority in 2014. The Koches and Nordquists have already declared their intent to declare war on all of Obama's policies he tried to enact with a Congress that had already met and planned how to destroy all he campaigned for before he even took the oath of office. Their obstruction cost us single payer, narrowed some of the consumer protections and regulations, a lot of alternative energy projects and the stimulus. They tied unemployment benefits and housing relief to ridiculous demands that they knew he wouldn't sign onto like the personhood bill and others. He never waivered, but those who knew nothing about the process blamed Obama, as intended, and the media refused to cover his initatives, editing out his speeches. The attack has been relentless and he has had minimal help from what should have been his greatest support, Democrats. It was a huge error and many still seek to justify their ignorance and inaction. They didn't help in 2010 and won't help in 2014. So we have to do it without them as we did this year. And what we're up against is very evil and is not giving up on destroying anything. Obama can't do it alone, he never claimed he could. It's up to us who care enough to see through RW deception.

[xxqqqzme]

17. Which is why

ALL politics is local. Repeat it, learn it, live it.

[freshwest]

19. +1,000 to what you said! Can be tedious at times, but we must do it.

Because our enemies are doing it every single day.

[DonViejo]

31. I've been active for over 50 years and...

loved every minute of that involvement. There are good times and bad but it's been worth every minute. Folks that want to sit out an election to "send messages" drive me crazy.

But, I keep forgetting, there's no difference between the parties.

[freshwest]

40. I love you Don!

[bluestate10]

54. I have been waiting for an apology from the people that voted for Nader in Florida in 2000,

and those that defend that action. I await an apology from the people that blamed Obama and national democrats in 2010 after unprecedented republican obstruction and often violent teabagger protests at town halls. Those supposedly "pure" democrats and Progressives couldn't see the fucking warning lights flashing in their faces. I am at the point now where I don't give a shit about what they do in 2014. What the rest of us must to do is work to get new democratic voters registered and educated on issues, we will have a far stronger support system and a better, more realistic chance for economic and social justice then.

[freshwest]

58. You are correct. They did not help in 2010, won't in 2014. The new voters are the answer.

And this is going to be their world, not the ones who are set up well enough to ignore the power that could be theirs if they'd work for it. Those who truly need social justice are the ones.

[white_wolf]

64. I defended the Nader voters and you won't get an apology from me anytime soon

They voted their conscience and for who they thought was right. That is their right and good on them for doing so. As for 2010, Obama has no one but himself to blame for the poor showing. Maybe if he had at least tried proposing Medicare for all then he would have gotten more support. Instead he gave billions to the insurance industry.

[upaloopa]

2. You know that part of the apathy was because

of the policies of Obama in the first two years.
I don't condone it but I sure as hell felt it. When single payer was not on the table and the public option was taken off it set in motion the ability of the right to take over the town halls and the election.
We always have to accept less than promised or get screwed even worse by dropping out of the debate.

[progressoid]

5. True.

The corporate friendliness of this administration knocked the wind out of a lot of the base. There was definitely a feeling of being unwanted.

[Gman]

14. Just shows the shortsightedness and outright stupidity of some people

[byeya]

15. I voted straight Dem in 2010 but the losses are a direct consequence of Obama's

failure to fight for the majority of citizens; failure to prosecute the banksters and others who trashed the economy; and crapping on his most ardent supporters.

[upaloopa]

21. I would add to what you said that it 's not only

Obama but also voter reaction to it.
Many reacted by not voting.

[arcane1]

28. That actually made me more motivated to vote in 2010

Too many people assume the president is the only vote that matters. Not even close.

[1StrongBlackMan]

29. President Obama didn't run in 2010 ...

As I said, over and over again, to everyone that said to me, "I'm pi$$ed cuz President Obama did/didn't do this out that, so I'm gonna show him by staying home ..."

"So how does not voting for the Democrats running in 2010, punish President Obama and not Democrats?"

People really need to think through their decisions ... Or at least, listen to others when they express concerns about your decisions.

So know we are hearing the same drum beat ... "If President Obama does/doesn't do this or that, I'm leaving the party~!"

[upaloopa]

46. Sure he didn't run in 2010 and everyone should

have voted. I wished there was more effort on the part of the administration to explain it's reasoning.

[bluestate10]

55. Your viewpoint fail to recognize that the "purists" left Obama and National democrats

on their own to fight against the super-rich haters, a violent teabagger faction and a determined group of republican obstructionists in the House and Senate. Yet, in the face of that, people that call themselves caring Progressives and "pure" thinkers on social progress and economic justice sat idle and allowed the angry hoards to have their way in Congress and in states.

The problem that I have with the "purists" is that they have no sense at all of when a critical time is upon us. They didn't have that sense of urgency in Florida 2000. They didn't have that sense of urgency and importance in 2010 and leading up to this election, they largely chose to attack the President time after time. We need new, more disciplined, far-sighted voters to replace them, as far as I am concerned, they can start the mythical third party many of them dream about. 2012 showed us that there is an enormous reservoir of untapped democratic voters out there, we need to turn ur focus from kissing the purists' asses and focus instead on welcoming in new democrats that we can count on to protect our backs in a knife fight in a dark alley.

[rbrnmw]

6. It proves that every 2 years the election is a national election

we have got to work as hard for Congress and State Government as we do for POTUS

[WilliamPitt]

7. Midterm elections are more consequential than general elections

...thanks to low turnout.

Fact.

[Rex]

8. Actually watching them send potential voters fleeing

by the thousands has been rather amusing to watch.

[eridani]

9. Whatchu mean "we," Kemosabe?

The non-voters in 2010 were the occasional voters that we managed to motivate to get out in 2008, not serious activists.

[JVS]

57. Some people want to blame the left for everything.

Nevermind that it's the ideologically driven voters who make it out for midterms and the casuals who only come out for the presidential elections.

[Skittles]

10. when politicians act like true progressives

Last edited Wed Dec 12, 2012, 10:52 PM - Edit history (1)

progressives will vote for them

[1StrongBlackMan]

30. And when ...

politicains DON'T act like true progressives and progressives DON'T vote for them, we get a republican controlled House and a non-filibuster proof Senate.

Holding out for the true progressive in a primary is great ... it sends a message; but when/if that progressive loses the primary, continuing to hold out for the true progressive is suicide.

[lunatica]

44. Great point

I'm a Progressive and I know exactly what you're talking about. Progress. One step at a time progress.

[1StrongBlackMan]

48. Is there ...

such an animal as a "Pragmatic Progressive?" If so, that be me.

[lunatica]

50. Yeah.

Progress. Anything that shows it's in the right direction is progress.

[orpupilofnature57]

51. Or left direction .

[lunatica]

53. Oh yeah!

[Gman]

62. Me too.

[Skittles]

60. when so-called Democrats kiss repuke ass

the vote will go down

[bluestate10]

56. 2012 showed another way.

My suggestion is that democrats forget about what the shit progressives think and get the adult registration for Hispanic, Black, and Asian voters as close to 100% as possible. Longer term, hat route is a sane one, at least then we would have reliable allies that we can count on in tough votes and we can start to roll-back republican obstruction by retaking republican seats.

[99Forever]

11. "WE"?????

Ya mean you and the turd in your pocket?

[Fumesucker]

12. Using the royal "We" is a bit presumptuous, don't you think?

[Gman]

13. You got it. All the grumbling here at DU about Obama and the desire to teach Democrats a lesson

has brought this. Their plan to teach Democrats a lesson worked real well. And their timing couldn't have been better. People decided to teach this lesson in a year that decided the legislatures for redistricting. How stupid can anyone be? And it wasn't just Du members. Lots of folks just thought they were going to teach Democrats a lesson about taking them for granted, blah, blah, blah.

[frylock]

20. do you have PROOF that people here on the DU sat out that election?

any whatsoever?

[Gman]

23. You must not have been looking

Is that your way of denying it happened?

[frylock]

24. do you have PROOF that people here on the DU sat out that election?

i'll keep asking until you can offer proof. i'm one of Obama's biggest critics, yet I voted in 2010, and I also voted for Obama in 2012, so either shit or cut bait.

[1StrongBlackMan]

32. There were post ...

after post of DUers saying they were going to stay home ... some even inviting others to follow suit. There were also post after post of DUers say, "Well, I'm going to vote; but I'm not giving Democrats my time or my money." (which is just as harmful, IMHO)

So is that proof? No, but it is not for nothing.

[Gman]

33. It doesn't matter what you say here

They'll just deny it ever happened.

[frylock]

38. that is purely anicdotal..

you know who didn't vote in 2010? young people that came out in droves to vote for HOPE and CHANGE in 2008. per this report, minorities also stayed home. women increased their support for the republicans. I don't see anywhere in that report that disgruntled liberals abstained from voting.

http://www.projectvote.org/newsreleases/611-project-vote-releases-new-analysis-of-who-voted-and-who-didnt-in-2010.html

[1StrongBlackMan]

42. You are asking for anecdotal information ...

when you ask whether DUers sat out 2010.

[Gman]

34. Either you weren't watching or you ignored it

Or didn't care 2 years ago. If you were watching you'd know if you cared to.

As for proof, I'm not gonna play that old game. It's just another way to deny it ever happened.

[frylock]

41. TRANSLATION: i got nothing

http://www.projectvote.org/newsreleases/611-project-vote-releases-new-analysis-of-who-voted-and-who-didnt-in-2010.html

[lunatica]

45. Do you have any memory?

I remember clearly a number of DUers saying they wanted to send President Obama a message. Why do you need a fucking link? Do you rely on your memory of things at all?

[frylock]

47. i was one of those people..

and guess what? I voted for dems in 2010. I also stated in no uncertain terms that I would not vote again for Obama, and guess what? I voted for Obama again in 2012. people say a lot of things to blow of steam. what I have also seen here is plenty of folks saying that they DID vote in 2010, but evidently that evidence is not admissible.

what we do have evidence of, however, is that women voted for republicans and minorities stayed home in 2010. where is the open disdain for those two groups? ohhhh, that's right. it wouldn't be PC to cast blame their way, so lets just engage in some more hippy punching instead.

[lunatica]

49. Well thanks for voting instead of staying home in 2010

You certainly don't need to get defensive if you voted. Be proud. I think you actually rock!

[bluestate10]

59. How can you ask the "How stupid" question after some of the same minded people elected

Bush in Florida in 2000 and gave 8 years of Bush that we will need four decades to clean up after? So, the purists have struck before and will strike again unless we register other voters and tell the purists to go form their own party. I am so tired of those people that I am willing to lose some elections to permanently get rid of them and get to a point where we have a coalition that we can count on and one which will allow us to win consistently and reach the goal of a just society that every citizen benefits from.

[Gman]

61. Good point. But we're still seeing damage from 08 happen

But the "How stupid" question has been answered many times with "THAT stupid".

[bluestate10]

63. Really, the damage started as soon as Bush took over in 2001. The stupidity of 2010 just

extended the time that will be required to undue the Bush damage by at least 10 years. Even under the best circumstances, President Obama would only have started to undue the Bush damage by the time the President finished a second term. The "purist" driven set back in 2010 will make the President's job harder, a set back in 2014 will make the President's job even harder.

[WCGreen]

16. Ever since the 1990 election...

The GOP has focused on controlling as many state houses as possible so that they get the upper hand in who gets to draw the new districts after the census.

Newt Gingrich worked most of the 1980's at getting control as many state houses as he could.

And they have kept it up ever since.

[SoCalDem]

18. Infrastructure...pure & simple

SoCalDem (98,539 posts)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021956922


What many don't know about republicans.. They LOVE infrastructure

Last edited Mon Dec 10, 2012, 01:06 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)



Well.. NOT the kind of infrastructure we usually think about when WE hear that word.

WE tend to think about bridges, health care systems, electrical grids, roads, school systems, monetary systems..stuff like that.....stuff we should all pay for via taxation, since we all use them..

Republicans love infrastructure too, but their version of it is about "party-building".
Their infrastructure involves "seeding" city-councils, school boards, state legislatures, etc with their own little "seedlings". They nurture these seedlings with lots of love & media-nutrition, so they can be transplanted into state legislatures, and then onto the federal stage or into the governor's mansions on the way to big federal jobs.

THIS IS INFRASTRUCTURE , and they know how to do it. They know where the money is when they need to whip up national frenzy that translates into votes. They know when to "release the Krakken" (See Tea-Bag Summer of '09).

We err when we accuse republicans of being against infrastructure. They are very "into" infrastructure....their own version of it..

Dems often fail to even field opponents to many of these local/lowly-state offices, so we don't "waste" money on losing races.

This needs to end. We need to fight for EVERY "lowly" race. Governors matter..attorneys-general matter..secretaries of state matter..school boards matter..

When republican infrastructure wins, real infrastructure loses.

[cliffordu]

36. Yep

[redstatebluegirl]

22. Midterms are also a time state and local nut jobs

put stupid referendums on the ballot. They know the number of voters will be low. It happens here all the time, that is how some of these ignorant laws get passed and stupid people get elected in the states.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

25. The writing was on the wall and I cried buckets while trying to read a letter from the president.

In it he said how important it was to win in 2010, but seemed unaware of how toxic the FNC peeps and tea party were to the discussion of actual facts. I remembered 1994 as though it was yesterday. It should have been etched in the memory of everyone involved in the 2010 campaign. I think possibly that they believed some pundits at Politico who said losing in 2010 would be good for the White House and they would win again in 2012 as a result. No mention of all the gerrymandering.

[John2]

37. People did stay

home after the 2008 elections because they were caught off guard what the Republicans were up to. With the help of the media, the republicans never accepted the 2008 elections. The media portrayed the Tea party as a group across all demographics, but if you look behind them, they were mostly white republicans, that were upset with the Election. They kept energized and wealthy organiztions and financiers like the Koch brothers were really behind them secretly. That is why they had the resources to stay energized. Only President Obama had those kind of resources but his campaign of 2008, didn't really campaign for the rest of the Democratic Party. President Obama needs to support his Party's candidates. He went in office during 2009, thinking that he could talk to Republicans. Remember, Obama didn't spend that long in the Senate, so he really didn't know the kind of people he was dealing with in the Republican Party. I think he was suprised at how extreme the other side was.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

66. He bought into the surge in Afghanistan. And against my hubby's anger I stood up for the decision.

I still think everything is political, including the surge and the focus on health care. What nobody could anticipate was the desire to ruin the country at a time we were actually economically hanging by a thread. It still boggles the mind that McConnell took the tack he did.

Even today I'm not hearing enough counter to the cry of "Entitlements!" as though they were some give-away. Talk up the value of Social Security at a time when a person can no longer get a job. If Republicans want to talk about a "spending" problem, quickly bring out the chart of the giveaways to the energy industry which profits hugely off of our tax dollars.

[GObamaGO]

26. Nice broad brush there

I have voted in every election except one (when I was in the hospital) since I was 18 years old.

[Spirochete]

27. I voted, Mr. Broadbrush

Even though i was way less than enamoured with the way Obama, Rahm Emanuel, and the rest of them were doing things, one thing I don't forget: while you can't always trust a Democrat not to act like a Republican, you can always trust a Republican to act like a Republican.

[OldDem2012]

35. Maybe you ought to be sticking it to the state Democratic Party organizations....

....in the states you mentioned along with the NDC who failed to raise and funnel money to where it was most needed.

In the future, try painting with a finer stroke instead of a broom.

[frylock]

39. Project Vote Releases New Analysis of Who Voted (and Who Didn't) in 2010

who was complacent? not the folks you're hoping to scapegoat.

http://www.projectvote.org/newsreleases/611-project-vote-releases-new-analysis-of-who-voted-and-who-didnt-in-2010.html

[lunatica]

43. Boy! You said a mouthful!

I knew people saying they were going to sit out the election would have consequences. I didn't think they would be quite as bad though.

But then we never had the Teabag Party before either.

[bluestate10]

52. We are going to need 10 years of participation in elections to reverse what happened in 2010.

The next election is important because Scott Walker, John Kasich. Rick Snyder, Rick Scott will be up for reelection. We can make gains in the legislature in states like Florida. We have to win in 2014, 2016, 2018 and particularly 2020, that is the fix that people sitting on their asses in 2010 because they didn't think Obama and national democrats had done enough to get some brutally difficult legislation passed got us in, just like some of the same minds in Florida 2000 gave us 8 years of G W Bush and the damage he did that we are still struggling to clean up and will be struggling to clean up for the next forty years, minimum.

[Sirveri]

65. How do you know those election results were valid?

I certainly don't trust them, if they're willing to steal the white house in 00 and 04 then they'd certainly steal the most important election in a decade.