What We Have Is A Failure To Understand That We Are Now In A Combat Zone Nationally.

[TheMastersNemesis]

What we all have to understand right now with this election is that it is not an election in the usual sense. We are beyond debate and parliamentary procedures. What we have is "electoral combat". The GOP has made it clear that it will steal the election given half a chance. They are doubling down every day on stopping the vote of ANYONE who will not vote for their candidates. And they make it clear that they will use any method to do so. To ignore their combative and militant language is a mistake.

They make the assumption that they will NOT be challenged directly about their election fraud and caging activities. You can file lawsuits and go to court all you want. By then the GOP will have taken the vote and the election. Playing boy scout and being above the fray so to speak will not work when they have declared war on just about everything that this country stands for. They use the flag and fancy words. They use the veterans and the military as propaganda tools for only one end. That end is to be the only party and run things the way they want with an iron fist.

Their reaction to ACA is that they will NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER accept the will of the people on this matter. And they will over run anyone who tries to resist. One thing you learn in a place like Vietnam is to read the enemy's intention. The GOP has made what they demand and plan to do extremely clear. Too much of their hateful rhetoric goes unanswered.

Romney's speech today was an insult and it was a call to action to the GOP base. To me it was code that they will force their will on the nation. We will reach a point when Republicans will have to be openly confronted in no uncertain terms. Play parliamentary bean bag and we will be over run.

They are now going berserk over the decision on ACA. They are whipping themselves into more of a frenzy every day. We must somehow let them know that we will FORCE them to accept the verdict. And we will be in for a battle.

I have never seen so much vitriol and hatred in this country. It is worse than the civil rights fight. And it bothers me greatly that they believe that they are ENTITLED to take a right to vote from anyone. We have to quit talking nice to them. They must start paying a real price for their misbehavior.

[msongs]

1. I wish the dems would devise and implement a coherent nationwide campaign strategy

starting with concrete and easily understood framing of issues important to them (us), including a brief list of key objectives they want to accomplish, sort of like a special education IEP: identifiable, observable, and measurable

[saltwn]

2. you are correct...

but like a gang of unruly teens who've crossed the moral line, they find they can so they do. how you fight this kind of inhumanity, i don't know

[wandy]

3. I wish it wasn't like this, but you are most correct..........

This is not a good healthy dispute within a democracy. This is a war FOR democracy.
The repugs have made it clear that winning it all is all that counts.
The losers be damed.

[HopeHoops]

4. Call it an oligarchy. Call it a plutocracy. It is NOT a democracy.

[fascisthunter]

5. K&R (nt)

[grasswire]

6. If *someone* had held them accountable long ago.......

.....perhaps we wouldn't still be in a mess.

Moral: LOOKING FORWARD doesn't work.

[HiPointDem]

17. +2

[SammyWinstonJack]

19. Yes! A little late to be crying about it now. Taking the high road worked out so well. NOT!

Taking impeachment off the table (something they wouldn't have done) was all that was needed for the repugs..........blood in the water.

They're going for the jugular now.


And we made it all so easy for them by NEVER fighting back and always giving in, in the name of bi-partisianship.

[grasswire]

22. it goes back farther than that

FDR, after the coup attempt against him, just wanted to get along to get ahead.

Bill Clinton didn't fully pursue Iran Contra or the S&L debacle, and let Bush 41 skate.

There are other examples.

This juggernaut can't be stopped by LOOKING FORWARD.

[RagAss]

7. Some of us understood this as far back as 2000.

[RevStPatrick]

8. Oh, puh-leeze!

Quit the hyperbole.
It's been like that since the election of 1860.
And really, since 1796.
It's the same as it ever was, same as it will ever be...

[zeemike]

10. No it is not the same at all.

I have seen this develops in the last 50 years and it is not the same..
there is a viciousness that has developed...and the popular thing among the right wingers is talking about armed revolution...specialer if Obama wins...that is new.,,,Jefferson ran ugly things in the papers but his supporters did not threaten a revolution if he lost.

This anger and vitriol is much different and only comparable with the civil rights times....but then the majority really did rule and so the racist just went underground until the climate we have today allowed them in the limelight....and back then we had a media with integrity unlike now.
Nope not the same at all.

[RevStPatrick]

14. Not the same as what?

1860?
After "our guy" won and half the country left and started the deadliest war in our history?
Not the same as that?
And then after "they" lost the war one of the losers shot "our guy" point blank in the head?

1960?
When "our guy" stole the election and the guy who lost was going to challenge it, but was told by his power brokers not to? And then they killed "our guy" a couple of years later, and then the loser went on to get elected and then became the only president to resign in disgrace?

Not the same as that?
You're right, "it is not the same at all..."
Because none of that shit is going to happen this time.

Yes, this is an important election.
They all are.
And the losers are going to act out like the petulant children that they are.
However, I don't think hyperbole does anyone any good.

[zeemike]

23. "It's been like that since the election of 1860"

Really?
I have been alive sense the election of 1948, 52,60, 64, 68, 72, 76, 80 and down to now...and none of those were like the election of 1860 and now....so do you think YOU might be the one with the hyperbole?
Yes the civil war was a bad time and so is now...but it has not been like that all the time as you say...nor even close...although they hated Kennedy a lot they never even thought of armed revolution....the took the Grassy Known route.

If you say that we have always have these evil fucks with us I would agree ...but they have not always had the boldness to be so open about it.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

16. You're right and you can definitely see it in phrases like --

We are beyond debate and parliamentary procedures.

They are whipping themselves into more of a frenzy every day.

We will reach a point when Republicans will have to be openly confronted in no uncertain terms.

And with that I leave you with this dire warning --

Too much of their hateful rhetoric goes unanswered.

To ignore their combative and militant language is a mistake.

The OP makes these wild-eyed blandishments that do nothing but incite fear and get people running around flapping their arms. He swoops in, leaves an OP and sits back to watch the fun while people run around like the world caught fire. He seldom, if ever participates in threads; even his own. He'll denounce broad-based, imprecise threats and offer no solutions whatsoever. Your being agitated is his only intent. He's just here to cause trouble. I can't figure out if he's serious or just trying to get people worked-up so he can sit back and laugh but DU is a poorer place because of this nonsense.

[bhikkhu]

13. I am inclined to agree

having seen the same variety of hate and angst and hyperbole in every election since Nixon. Its ugly and divisive every time around, and it does no one any good. Yet the work of government is important, as are the institutions of the country.

As important as voting is, the firm demand and expectation that the will of the people be upheld is more important. Last time around it was clear, and I expect it to be at least as clear next time.

[randr]

9. Not one American would vote for Romney if he was not running against

Obama. It is the hatred and fear of a black President that drives Romney's voters.
The only reason he won the Republic primary is that he had the most money and with that the best chance of defeating Obama.
He will run on lies and fear since the Republics have not had an original or productive idea since, well, never.

[stupidicus]

11. that's been the case for a long time now

at least since the selection of Bush in 2000.

The only difference I see isn't a diffenence in the stakes, that being a setting into immutable stone as to who and what we're gonna be as a people -- a battle for the heart and soul of this country so to speak -- but rather their being on defense as opposed to offense as they were throughout the Bush years.

As I've seen and argued it for forever now it seems, offensiveness serves as both their offense and defense, in the "the best defense.." sorta way. The simple fact of the matter is, and the best explanation for their ever escalating dishonesty and stupidity is, they can't turn it around now without having to admit the mountain of turds they've already polluted our politics and political discourse with. The "have you no shame sir" no longer has any value as a behavior modification tool, because like misery, almost all of them are stupid and dishonest beyond measure, and therefore represent positive reinforcement to each other, as well as the source of the cohesiveness seen in any cult.

This is why I've argued for equally as long, that civility is way overrated, and given the extremes to which they've gone, only serves as an enabling tool. A bully has never lived that reacted positively to anything but their own blood flowing.

It's well past time that the use of "con" in describing or designating conservatives, should be with an emphasis on the conning they do. After all, those of today are no longer just simple defenders of tradition or advocates of slow and managable change, they are architects of rather abrupt change with the their relatively recent extremism. Given the poll numbers on taxes on the rich, etc, it's rather clear they are once again on the wrong side of history, and the time is right to throw some rhetorical fuel on the insane fire they lit upon themselves.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. Feel free to contact the Justice Department

Office of the Attorney General Public Comment Line - 202-353-1555

[hack89]

15. "I have never seen so much vitriol and hatred in this country."

the 1860 election led to a bloody civil war. The 1960's gave us Chicago, Selma and Kent State.

It has been worse.

[HiPointDem]

18. today is more comparable to 1860 than to 1960, imo. in 1960 most people still had faith in most

institutions, and the political parties weren't murderously divided (at least publicly) as they are today.

i'd also add that the tensions of the 60s took place during an economic boom, which soothes a lot of wounds.

ours take place in a depression with no end in sight.

[hack89]

20. We are no where near a bloody civil war

the political hyperbole is extreme, I grant you that. But it has not translated into significant acts of violence. There are no riots, no campaigns of physical intimidation, no significant departures from law and order.

The internet is a megaphone - it amplifies both the important and the petty. A lot of what is referred to as political discourse in America is simply partisan noise blaring at you loudly and continuously - it doesn't necessarily carry any real significance.

[lunatica]

21. This isn't even close to how bad things have gotten in this country before

For starters we had a bloody Civil War which we're still fighting to this day. Today's vitriol is child's play in comparison. And if you think the Civil Rights movement was tame you weren't paying attention because it was violent, bloody and horrendous and many Civil Rights leaders were gunned down and murdered in their homes or in broad daylight.

This is just another chapter in our country. Hopefully the march of history will bring about more justice and true Democracy through the hard struggle we're going through between progression and regression.

[kentuck]

24. I get up every morning and put on my combat boots...

because I know this is going to be a battle every day all the way.