No matter who ends up in the WH from the Democratic Party,

[Skidmore]

unless the teabaggers are eliminated from Congress, we will see similar obstruction. The state houses and all levels of government need to be cleaned out. The Koch brothers agenda needs to be stopped at all levels, not just the presidency. And people need to vote. This election must be a collective pushback.

[Andy823]

1. Exactly

Republicans have been winning at local and state levels for years, and when democrats don't get out and vote in those elections, they only help republicans. I agree with you, it has to be on ALL levels, and it needs to be done as soon as possible.

[madokie]

2. No doubt about that

we need to call the teabillies out to the point that they're ashamed of who they are otherwise we're stuck with them. As long as they win elections that is. God, Gun, Gays and Abortions is the only things that they get elected with. Its all about God. Don't touch my guns, God is against gays and God is against abortions.
I don't do God
I don't do Guns
I did pay for an abortion
I love a dear friend and his friend who I know for a fact were gay from the day they were born. No choosing this for either of them. Born Gay. Friends both

[Thinkingabout]

3. Democrats has to focus on electing Democrats, we have the numbers on our side, it is the goal

of DU and we can't allow RW talking points here to influence anyone not to vote. The GOP is doing anything and everything to suppress the vote and yes DU is a target.

[Dustlawyer]

5. In Texas, if you register with a County Clerk and take a short class, you can then register voters.

You cannot be paid for registering voters. I plan on registering as many as I can in the poor neighborhoods! I would like to see at least some of the local Teapublicans voted out, though we will have to recruit Progressive candidates who previously have not had a chance. Hope it will help Bernie in the Primary as well. I still need further education on what I would be allowed to say while registering though. I am hoping there are no restrictions on what I can say, but it is Texas!

[merrily]

4. We still don't want an (R) holding the veto pen.

Last edited Sun Jun 21, 2015, 11:12 AM - Edit history (1)

Here's the reality. The House at least is gerrymandered because the Republicans held it in a census year. Besides that, the saying is that everyone hates Congress, but loves their representative. The incumbent advantage and the gerrymandering means that getting even a simple majority in the House is going to be tough. However, if we don't get it soon, Republicans will hold it until 2020, another census year.

Getting 60 Senators again is going to tough, too. Getting both, OY.

We HAVE to register voters, especially in cities. Republicans are very astroturf organized on this issue. Meanwhile, Democrats voted ACORN into oblivion and did not replace it. So, it really is up to us. We must START now.

Don't overlook people in senior housing or nursing homes, either. Get them absentee ballots, if they need them.

Another thing to start now: badgering your state for paper ballots. We've had them since the 2004 Pesidential. If Boston can vote on paper ballots, so can your town.

[MillennialDem]

11. Or far worse, nominating SCOTUS and federal judges.

[MoonRiver]

6. Thank you for this.

I love to read reasonable posts on DU. It's getting harder and harder.

[stonecutter357]

7. K&R!

[treestar]

8. Yes Defeat of Republicans is number one.

I don't care about Third Wayers or Blue Dogs. They aren't Republicans.

[Thespian2]

9. Koch plans were to take over state governments...

That plan has worked reasonably well...now, they want to take over local governments...

This cancerous evil must be stopped...before it devours everything...

Another part of their agenda is electoral college vote splitting, already making its way through some Republican held states...the reality is the electoral college has passed its sell-by date, should be relegated to its rightful place in the dust-bin of history...One person, one vote...with that the John Birch Society (aka, Teabaggers) will never win another election...

And, of course, we need to go back to counting paper ballots...

[7962]

18. The Electoral College gives the Dems a huge advantage right from the start

Some estimates give the Dem presidential candidate over 200 electoral votes before the votes are even cast, because of reliably blue states with large electoral votes, like California. I doubt we ever see Ca vote GOP for President again.
Texas is the only reliable Red state with a large number of Electoral Votes.
Putting 2000 aside, the electoral college method still gives the Dems a better chance than total votes. Even in California, the GOP would get millions of votes. Under the current system, those votes mean nothing for the GOP since the state will go Dem.

[Thespian2]

31. So

if Republicans manage to pass enough state laws to split the electoral votes, where does that leave Dems?

[7962]

33. Wouldnt the constitution have to be amended?

Even changes to a state constitution would require a vote.

And to change it at a national level would require the 2/3 ratification of the states, right? Or could electoral law be changed without that?

[Thespian2]

34. No constitutions involved...

the election of the electoral college electors is the business of each state...not all states award all electors to the winning party on a winner-take-all basis...they split them according to the votes in their states...Kochs believe they can get more states to split their electors..

[Art_from_Ark]

38. Tell that to Al Gore

He got 530,000 more popular votes than Bush, but you know the rest of the story.

In fact, 3 presidential candidates have actually won the popular votebut were kept out of the White House by the Electoral College: Samuel Tilden (1876), Grover Cleveland (1888), and Al Gore.

[Demeter]

10. Ah, no.

It is any legislator who takes the corporate dollar that must be voted out.

The Tea Party grassroots is our ally against TPP, TAA, etc. They are silly on social issues, and ignorant about most everything else, but they are aggrieved and will make common cause against Corporate takeover of the globe.

[bettyellen]

21. Teabaggers are merely "Silly on social issues", WOW.

Go Peddle that in Charleston. They are not ever going to be allies of mine.

[lastlib]

30. That's one bunch I ain't gettin' in bed with for anything!

Agreed, they don't like the idea of corporate takeover, but they swallow every policy that facilitates it.

[Cha]

40. Yeah, their voting habits are all about making life easier for Billionaires. Doesn't take much to

notice that.

[Betty Karlson]

12. You are so right.

And succinct too. You really said it all.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. YES!

People have to stop this mentality of only voting "every 4 years" or maybe only a couple times in that 4 year period. There is usually some election (whether a primary, general, or special election) pretty much EVERY YEAR - where you may have federal one year, state another year, local/county/school board, perhaps judges, etc., another year - and these positions very much impact someone's the day-to-day life.

[SoapBox]

14. Exactly!

GOTV on all levels.

[4dsc]

15. Then we need candidates who will stand up to them

our history has been pathetic when it comes to standing to the teabaggers. When we see more candidates like Warren, Sanders, and Grayson then we can and will defeat the teabaggers.

[AlbertCat]

16. I know! A 50 state strategy!!!!

Why hasn't anyone thought of this before???????

[R. P. McMurphy]

17. So many wise comments in this post.

You crazy DU'ers make me so proud of y'all sometimes.

[lastlib]

19. I strongly urge every Democrat to go to this website:

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. If you can, make a donation; if you can't (or can), volunteer! For the sake of our democracy, GET INVOLVED! Help out at the local level, and get Democrats in the state houses! That's the key to defeating the gerrymandering and ultimate victory on the national level. This is where the action is, folks. If all we do is whine about those mean ol' 'publicans, we ain't gonna get anything changed. We gotta put shoulder to wheel and move things our direction. GET INVOLVED!

[arcane1]

29. This should be an OP, I had never heard of this organization before.

[davidn3600]

20. The reality is that certain parts of this country are conservative

It is what it is. You can't elect progressives in certain parts of the country.

At least 47% of this country will vote for the Republican nominee.

[raindaddy]

22. I'm more worried about the current state of the Democratic party..

We need to focus on what's in front of us and what we have the power to change. And it matters what Democrat ends up in the White House...

Hillary Clinton is not going to change a dysfunctional, corrupt economic system that is based on entitlement and the disparagement of the American workforce. We're working longer hours, for less money, with less time off while spending more for healthcare and college than any industrialized nation in the world.. And the only candidate that's talking about the radical changes necessary to change the system is Bernie Sanders.

Hillary Clinton, the current front running Democratic candidate is being funded by the very establishment that benefits from our current corrupt system and that is who she represents. That's the problem..

[Le Taz Hot]

23. I think the populist momentum is on the rise

and now is the time to start replacing these batshit crazy and/or sellout politicians we currently have with people who will represent OUR interests and not those of the .001%. The local Democrats here (mostly the PDA) picketed Costa's office after he voted for fast track for the TPP. There's serious talk about recruiting someone to run against him in 2016.

[pnwmom]

24. Absolutely. We have to take back Congress. But we'll still be held back unless

we have 60 votes in the Senate.

[Scuba]

25. It won't happen until 2018, and then only if ....

... Bernie Sanders is elected President.

One of the biggest mistakes President Obama made once he was in office was, after mobilizing millions of Americans during his brilliant 2008 campaign, to basically tell those supporters, 'Thank you, I’m going to sit down with John Boehner and Mitch McConnell and take it from here.’

I will not make that mistake. ~ Bernie Sanders

Only Bernie is in position to use the bully pulpit to change the makeup of Congress.

[orpupilofnature57]

26. I agree .

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

27. Not true.

Elect a "Democrat" who works with Republicans to pass RW legislation, and you won't see much obstruction from them. As we can see with the TPP, they'll work with people they've proclaimed undying hatred for, as long as the job at hand is passing RW legislation.

[arcane1]

28. And let's not forget the all-important LOCAL elections too!

Teabaggers are way ahead of us when it comes to the less "sexy" elections.

[FSogol]

32. K&R. n/t

[rhett o rick]

35. You don't understand the real problem. We know what the bastard Republicons will do

to us, but what will the Democratic candidates do to us. Obama has screwed us and we can expect the same from DLC Clinton.

We need Democrats that will fight for the 99% and it isn't HRC.

[Ron Green]

36. There are plenty of bought-and-paid-for Democrats at state and local levels in "blue" states

who make plenty of nice noise on the social issues but are still surviving on big corporate cash.

[underahedgerow]

37. You know this is already in the bag for Jeb, right? After the last time a bush

"ran' for office and the debacle that followed there, I am desperate to think that most people realize that the outcome of the next Presidential election is already a foregone conclusion. It happened twice, and it can happen again.

I'll spell it out; the bush regime is going to rig the election process again. Jeb is going to be appointed President.

I have a history of making posts that are misunderstood and people get offended, very much unintentionally. If I have offended anyone in this post, I absolutely apologize in advance, but feel free to let me know rather than alerting on me! Thank you!

[Cha]

39. Thanks Skid!