The truth is that the Democrats are too busy losing to understand why we are losing. This thread covers some of the symptoms, but not the cause. The fact that it recognizes the symptoms is promising, but I've learned to be wary of people who are able to take an honest look at things. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026261090
The truth is that the Democratic Party is afraid. The Democratic Party is staffed from top to bottom with cowards. Let's be honest for a moment. The Democrats have become as harsh towards the accused in the justice system because in the late 1970's, the Democrats were called soft on crime. We have the image of Dukakis and the famous Willie Horton debacle as a demonstrable proof that you have to be tough on criminals or you doom any candidacy for higher office before you get started. So Liberal became a bad word regarding the criminal justice system. Democrats went along with mandatory sentencing, taking the power out of the hands of the Judges. At least we weren't soft on crime, and if a few innocent people get sentenced to life for crimes that they did not commit, that's a price we're willing to pay.
War and the Military. After Viet-Nam, the idea that the Democrats were wimps as far as the Military was concerned took root. This image is one we still fight, and most often unsuccessfully. Any time we suggest cutting military spending on anything, Viagra for example, we're labeled as soft on the Military. Rather than exposing the outrageous waste and fraud going on, we meekly submit and shovel money to the MIC just as fast as the Republicans. Because we're afraid.
The "war on drugs" now entering it's fortieth successful year, is another topic in which we are terrified. Anyone with half a brain knows the fastest way to end drugs is to legalize them. Because product liability lawsuits would bankrupt the cartels in about two years, maybe three. It would make Asbestos look like a desired product by comparison. Yet out of fear of being labeled Soft on Drugs we shovel money into the DEA so we can avoid that.
We keep doing things that are blatantly stupid. Our core principle that we apply to any question is can we be blamed for this? It used to be that the Democratic Party believed in principles. Now, our only principle is summed up thusly. We're in favor of winning elections. We're opposed to the Republicans winning elections.
So the Republicans read the polls that show the people are concerned about the Economy. We are afraid that someone might think we are responsible for the Economy if we talk about it other than saying how awesome it is, and we ignore the issue. Instead we focus on a phrase that tested well with a focus group. We focus on the War on Women. We get our asses kicked, and we don't know why.
Then someone comes along and announces that it is because the Republicans have more big money donors. More Billionaires donate to Democrats than to Republicans. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2014/jun/23/do-many-billionaires-support-democratic-party/ That isn't nonsense, that is factual information we are afraid to deal with. Again, the fear element comes in. Because if we admit that plenty of rich folks donate to us, then we have to explain how Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are good rich people who made their money through totally ethical means while the Koch Brothers are scum because they cheated to get their billions. At least we're smart enough to be afraid of that asinine argument, but don't worry, I'm betting before long a Democrat will be so afraid that they do shout that out.
Cowardice is the defining factor of our party. The only time one of our politicians takes a stand on an issue is when they're too afraid not to. Doubt me? President Obama's decision on Gay Marriage. The reasons were just as true three years before as they were the day of the decision. Yet after VP Biden made his comments, President Obama was too afraid to sit silent any more.
It isn't courageous to come forward as a witness to a crime when they've picked you out of the video from a surveillance camera. It isn't courageous to admit you have an STD after the county health department has contacted your Significant Other with instructions on how to get tested. It isn't courageous to bow to public pressure and support something today when you ignored it yesterday, last week, and last year.
Courage used to be a word that embodied the Democratic Party. Now we try to be Republican Lite, because we're afraid of being labeled soft on insert the issue here. Look at the upcoming election. Look how many people here, and in the media have already decided it will be Clinton. How many are supporting her because they're afraid of saying they don't support a woman. How many are grasping at meaningless polls as their justification and utterly ignorant of the issues she supports out of that fear?
We're a party led by cowards. People so craven that the giants of our party, FDR, Truman, JFK would spit on us in disgust. We've lost the courageous and we don't have anyone left to take the lead. No Teddy Kennedy to give a rousing speech on the floor of the Senate calling things what they are like we had in the 80's and 90's. Nobody to pick up the torch and run with it. Now, our political leaders look at the torch, and say that if they pick it up, they might get burned.
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