A serious question: How is the Democratic Party retooling itself after last year's disaster?

[derby378]

So far, I see no changes in messaging or personnel. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is still in charge of the party, I haven't heard of anyone in the party hierarchy being shown the door, and Obama's White House is still struggling to put forth a bold vision for America. Meanwhile, W 2.0 is being groomed to go head-to-head against Mike Huckabee with his brother's old team in his pocket.

I'm getting a bit worried.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Doubling down on centrism,

making deals with Wall Street and AIPAC to secure campaign financing…the usual, you know. Why change when you've got a winning game?

[Maedhros]

10. Milquetoast acquiescence to Wall Street can't fail, it can only BE FAILED. [n/t]

[Scuba]

2. DWS and the Third Way are pretty sure they can save the Party. Just move right a little bit more.

[obxhead]

3. What are you talking about?

Last year was a complete success. Now the dems can finally work with republicans to drag our country further to the right.

Sure, there are a few nails still sticking up that need to be hammered down, but its OK, there is now an overwhelming corporate majority from the whitehouse on down.

We're finally going to see shit get done, especially the TPP.

Sarcasm? No, not even a little bit.

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Appears Al Fromm is still in control

of the Party Philosophy,and until this POS third wayer goes,nothing will change.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. What disaster?

they are all getting very wealthy. Their families are all getting very wealthy too.so I am NOT seeing where the disaster is.

[derby378]

6. I'll repeat the question... (n/t)

[jwirr]

7. I heard last night that they are going to target races in states where there has been a lot of

gerrymandering. If we can take them back we can get rid of the gerrymandering. That is if we can take back the leadership of those states. I think that is a good move.

I have not heard anything else.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. Probably out recruiting some fresh Blue Dog faces to run.

Ya wanna go for that new-doghouse smell ya know.

[jwirr]

14. Unfortunately that may be the truth. The idea of countering gerrymandering is good but won't work

if we cannot get the right people to do it. However I would think that this idea would be good for all Democratic candidates regardless. For instance if Hillary wants to have a congress that works with her this may be her only hope for 2018 elections. As long as the states can gerrymander they have a guaranteed win.

[madville]

23. Most states won't redistrict until after 2020

So the 2022 election will be the first opportunity to see some of the Republican gerrymandering undone.

They will of course try to adjust some of the districts that are gerrymandered towards Democrats, many of those were established due to the Civil Rights/Voting acts, many seats held by the CBC are drawn to gaurantee a Democratic win.

[HappyMe]

8. Everything is just fine.

No need to retool!

Change frightens people. Sitting out the midterms is no big deal.

[fredamae]

9. Leadership lol

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2015/02/politico-debbie-wasserman-schultzs-office-in-tizzy-over-medical-marijuana-donor-trouble.html

In this case.....treating the lives of the rest of us like mere plastic game pieces.

[ileus]

12. We don't have to...we were right then, we're right now.

[derby378]

25. Hate to tell you this...

...but we were losers then, and we're losers now. That means our "rightness" must have something wrong with it.

Only by winning can we start to undo the damage. But first, we must win.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. They're stocking up on euphemisms for "Not as Bad" and "We Suck Less".

[Fumesucker]

16. Hillary has 200 economic advisers...

Here's a video of one of them in action.

[AtomicKitten]

20. *snort*

[m-lekktor]

22. LOL nt

[derby378]

26. I needed the laugh. Thank you.

[Ramses]

40. Thats about it...lol

[bemildred]

17. Maybe it'll work next time. nt

[Autumn]

18. They don't have to retool. Who else do all we little tools have to vote for?

[Buzz Clik]

29. Oh, hell yes! They found a ton of new tools to run their party.

[truedelphi]

30. Words of truth.

While people involved in the "D" Party are pretending that it is all good.

And it is all good, if you are an American not living in one of the many countries where American Drones are killing people.

And you have the investment options most people don't.

Other than that, it all pretty much sucks.

Which is why, here in Calif., only 29% of all registered voters bothered to vote in the mid term elections.

That is a reduction of eight percent over prior mid terms!

[geek tragedy]

21. did the Republicans retool after 2008 or 2012?

Much of politics is cyclical. Obviously improvements need to be made in certain structural areas, but a complete retooling for the sake of retooling is rarely a good idea.

[CTyankee]

24. I think the Republicans are doing us a favor. One after the other gets up and

makes a gigantic fool of themselves. All their candidates a disasters and the polls prove it.

What this means as far a change in the Dem party I don't know. But the people are paying attention and they want to hear solutions not a bunch of bullshit. It will be interesting to see how this plays out...

[Buzz Clik]

27. Maybe they'll quit running away from Obama's successes.

Yeah, right.

[Warpy]

28. The Wall Street/Third Way Democrats in the halls of power are shifting to the right, of course

because there is nothing that motivates voters who are falling behind every year like promising them more of the same!

It will be like this until the next big crash.

[leveymg]

31. No problem that more of the same won't solve.

[davidn3600]

32. It's not changing at all...

Democrats are assuming they will turn out better in 2016 and Hillary is likely to win.

It seems the Democrats are prepared to just write off mid-term elections and be content if it is able to keep the White House.

[closeupready]

33. They all know full well that no liberal Democrat will ever get a Mickey Mouse board job,

or do-nothing stint at a hedge fund being compensated massively, if they campaign for popular things like more generous social security payments or single payer health care, so they play follow the leader, and the party leaders are on board with the corporo-Third Way agenda. There won't be any change, as such. Change starts with YOU.

[guillaumeb]

34. any possibility of offering a real alternative

to the GOP rather than GOP-Lite?

Just asking.

Yes, as many point out, only a fraction of the electorate bothers to vote. Two possibilities for this:
1) young people, minorities, workers in general are stupid and do not care who wins, or
2) Many people recognize that there is little substantive difference on many issues between the 2 parties.

If the answer is #1 education is the answer.
If the answer is #2 changing the party is the answer. Not change by raising our own money to bribe/elect politicians. Change by getting involved in the structure of the parties and forcing that change.

Raising money to bribe/elect only takes a few billionaires, but getting involved takes millions of people.

Whether the answer to the first question is 1 or 2 the same solutions apply.

[winter is coming]

35. Looks like we're going to run the "GOP so scary!!!" play again. n/t

[elehhhhna]

36. i got nothin.

Debbiebdowner hilthepill Larry fuckingsummers. We're screwn.

[Ramses]

37. nothing has changed on purpose

The party under Hillary will move further and further tp the right by design. And we will be told to sit down, shit up, and clap harder. Ive even read here once her coronation is complete, we are not allowed to discuss issues. Only complete praise and loud clapping will be tolerated.

It almost feels like a certain country in the 1930s

[cascadiance]

38. I wonder if Russ Feingold will surprise us all and replace Debbie Wasserman Schulz

... instead of making a run for the U.S. Senate, that rumors are starting now about with his recent personal moves.

Probably want him back as the senator for Wisconsin, but that would be a surprising move, and I think someone like Feingold would be a good replacement as head of the DNC if called upon.

[NBachers]

39. They're softening the footballs