GRAPHIC: WashPost/ABC poll good news for Dems (and a warning)

[yurbud]

This is 90% good news. People trust Democrats more than republicans on every issue.

The "wrong direction" numbers at both the state and national level should be taken as a repudiation not just of Bush's foreign policy, but the domestic policies of deregulation, privatization, low taxes on the rich, overwhelming public debt, and the gutting of public services (which looks a lot like the neoliberal "shock therapy" program that led people in South America to literally chase their leaders out of office.

The warning in this is the majority still don't think the Democrats are offering a clear alternative to Republicans. While this can partly be blamed on being shut out and distorted in the media, it is also due to Democrats having divided loyalties, half-corporate, half-human, that prevents them from saying obvious truths out of fear of offending current or potential corporate donors. So they make the kind of statements a judge would if he wanted to rule in a rape case and not offend the victim or the rapist. It ends up sounding like empty platitudes at best.

The closest Democrats have come to getting this right is the "culture of corruption" meme. If they followed that through to show that it's not just a few bad apples, but systemic corruption like the K Street Project, and even core ideas like deregulation and privatization that are inherently corrupt, people will start to recognize what Democrats stand for (because they would actually be standing for something).

The other danger about that "don't know what Democrats stand for" number is that it is based on a lot of Democrats voting records. Too many have voted for the most abusive, corrupt legislation, and confirmed cabinet officers who are war criminals based on their own public admissions and documents in the public record. Democrats would have made their job easier this year and in 2008 if that had at least voted no a couple of times instead of climbing over each other to kiss Bush's ring.





http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/05/17/GR2006051700191.html

[Sapere aude]

1. How do people say Dems will do better yet feel they offer no clear

direction? What are they basing their decision on? Are they just guessing that Dems will do better because Repubs are doing bad?

I think they have an idea what Dems will offer, they just haven't heard it from the MSM.

[yurbud]

4. it's like the "anybody but Bush" voters

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. because the corporate owned msm.....

keeps telling them that the dems have no plans. i hear & read this repeatedly, and unfortunately, the masses won't take the time to do any kind of research, because they might miss simon cowell excoriating yet another wannabe 'idol'.

if dems can't reduce their agenda to snappy slogans, or 60 second soundbites, most americans just won't pay attention. kkkarl rove repeated that same meme in his speech to the AEI again yesterday. so the public at large is buying into the meme that "democrats have no ideas or plans, just obstructionism". :puke:

[UpInArms]

26. how can this writer justify this statement?

The other danger about that "don't know what Democrats stand for" number is that it is based on a lot of Democrats voting records. Too many have voted for the most abusive, corrupt legislation, and confirmed cabinet officers who are war criminals based on their own public admissions and documents in the public record. Democrats would have made their job easier this year and in 2008 if that had at least voted no a couple of times instead of climbing over each other to kiss Bush's ring.

Has anyone seen any articles from "papers of note" that actually publish these types of reports?

Where in the MSM does this information get distributed to the public?

I know that we (here at DU) know who and what has been voted in and what type of people (if you can call them that) who the *Co has put into the UN, Iraq, every governmental agency, but the average person on the street seems not to have a clue.

We (here at DU) were screaming about the lies prior to the Iraqi invasion - 14 million were in the streets around the world - there was not a freakin' peep other than the rightwingfucknuts saying that we were traitors and scumbags for opposing der fuhrer for his illegal warmongering.

*Co called those 14 million people a "focus group" and ignored us/them.

This article does nothing but piss me off.

[4_Legs_Good]

18. How about a live canvasing by every member of congress or candidate

of the entire district, shouting to the rooftops what the Dems will do and why they're the better choice?

If the MSM won't present the alternative clearly, the Democrats have to figure out a way around it. Get every single Democratic member of the House and every Democratic opponent to a sitting Republican member to get out and hold some kind of town hall meeting in every city/town in the district? Present the vision directly to the people.

We have a golden opportunity in November, we can't let the MSM blow it for us.

david

[Atman]

2. We have five years of Fox New/GOP blast faxes to cut through

We have to keep hammering it home. Of course we have a message, and no one should be expecting the GOP to tell them what it is, and it won't fall from the sky into their laps. If people are genuinely concerned, some of them might actually have to punch up some dem web sites and do some Google searches and attend some meetings...and then tell their friends and neighbors.

[yurbud]

5. You know that not all of them are saying and doing the right things

which muddles the message.

Biden and Lieberman are the poster children for why people don't know the message. Those guys compete with the GOP at corporate toadying and have clones in Congress.

Frankly, Democrats need an anti-corruption plank and pledge that would eventually squeeze out parasites like that.

[klebean]

17. yes - what yurbud said:

"Frankly, Democrats need an anti-corruption plank and pledge that would eventually squeeze out parasites like that."

[beltanefauve]

10. Not just Fox

there are media outlets that are perceived as "Liberal" that continue to parrot the GOP/administration lies, such as CNN and NPR. IMO, they are even more complicit in the meme, "The Democrats have no plan."

[Auntie Bush]

22. Joe Klein is one of the worst. It's almost his mantra. nt

[Karenca]

3. Oh, but this is very good news!

But can we win against the machines?:scared:

[lancdem]

6. I can't believe his approval rating is 11 percent among Dems

Every other poll has Dem approval in the single digits. Of course, I shouldn't complain. GOP approval in the high 60s is absolutely horrible for Bush, and is consistent with other recent polls.

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. There are at least 11% of Dems who don't know the difference

or don't know what a "Dem" is. Go on a precinct walk someday and you will see this.

[WePurrsevere]

13. Just because someone calls themselves a Dem doesn't mean they truly are

in philosophy and beliefs any more then calling myself an alien from one of Saturns moons makes me one. :D

[Blackhatjack]

16. Because 11% are DINOs ....

Democrats in Name Only.

If our party can abide Lieberman, clearly there must be some "liebeRATS" in that 11% number.

[yurbud]

20. 11% seems high for DLC support here (LINK to POLL)

The DLC apologists are quick to point out that this probably isn't representative of Democrats as a whole since their people have better things to do than discuss politics.

If it was accurate, the DLC would be about as popular as Lyndon LaRouche.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2304793

[AX10]

7. Democrats will define themselves come the fall.

[struggle4progress]

23. Better start sooner rather than later

[AX10]

24. I agree. Don't be suprised if the Dems screw up this election though.

[bunkerbuster1]

25. I certainly hope their "contract with America" gets 1/3 the air time

as did the Goopers in 1994.

Frankly, that's probably all it'll take to disavow Americans of the notion that the Democrats have no ideas of their own.

[AX10]

27. The reason I say the Dems could lose is that they don't pull together...

and fight. They let every kook in the world get onto the benches of "justice". They are probably going to let Mike Hayden slide into the CIA. They have not stopped a single deficit spending bill from the GOP. They have the filibuster, they could use it as least once.

[AX10]

28. 1/3rd the airtime would be enough to get the message out there.

[bunkerbuster1]

29. Yep, although I heartily agree they need to show backbone as well.

Or, at least start claiming victory for legislative crap they've managed to block. Social Security piratization comes to mind.

[AX10]

30. They need more victories. "Keeping your powder dry" does NOT...

win elections.

[bunkerbuster1]

31. Crap, just start DECLARING victory

The Goopers are chasing their damn tails now. Find some obscure shit that died in committee and claim, as per Pee Wee Herman, "We meant to do it."

Let the Goopers deny it.

[Buns_of_Fire]

32. A "NEW Contract" is what we need.

Phrase it that way, if they wish. Publically tear up what the 'likins foisted on the populace. Let the people running for office sound the high, piercing, clear rallying grace notes (if they can ever get on the same sheet of music).

Me, I'll be content being the bassist-in-the-background I am, pounding out the "rebubbalican = boosh-lover" backbeat. Over and over and over and over.

They don't want '06 to be a referendum on boosh*.

I have every intent of MAKING it a referendum on boosh*.

[cindyw]

9. People cant say they dont know what Dems would do. It is a cop out.

They have a plan you can read. And its not like they are some new party. Dems will do what liberals have always done. And in that they have expressed their disaprovals of Bush plans and the changes that they have made in low deficit, balanced budget ways, their ideas are obvious. I also do not know if this question means anything. I am not sure I know the Repubs plan on abortion. Anyone actually seen a clear plan on that other than our impression of what they would do. See my point.

People are just being dumb. Of course they know what liberals will do. Its not like they are a new party. Seriously what is the Green party plans. Does anyone know. I just know it is environmentally friendly and anti-corporate. Who makes decisions that way anyway?

The comment by people that "yes the Repubs suck, but I haven't seen a plan by a Dem" is a cop out on the persons part for continuing support for Bush and Repuns despite it being embarrassing to do so these days. CYA speak.

[Tiggeroshii]

11. That health care poll is very good news.

I don't think it was that way before 2004, nor during. But a lot of credit of it getting through to people definitely goes to Kerry's campaign. It may not have paid off in the short term, but in the long term we find out people have finally got it.

[beltanefauve]

12. Kitchen table issues

Playing up the kitchen table issues, such as raising the minimum wage, health care for the 48 million uninsured Americans, gas prices, and stemming the tide of our jobs being outsourced could really help to see that the Dems indeed have a plan.

[RCinBrooklyn]

15. The poll shows people want leadership toward a new direction.

Dems are not offering that yet. They are running as "not Republican" and "Republican Lite." The "fighting Democrats" are the only hope, IMO, for the Dems to distinguish and true differences.

[PATRICK]

19. In defense of the Party

Polls react over a certain time period to certain watersheds. It is never instant and final. It is rarely totally firm so that the polls will never shift again.

The Dems have always been frozen or spun out of the national debate. Whatever slow ground they make in this fashion is eaten up by dominant GOP propaganda or weighting to power. That is not relevant here. What IS relevant that the current motion in the polls is based entirely on GOP bad behavior and the public reaction to that alone. Sure, a big bounce is made toward Democrats for a change and some wake up and listen. But the GOP panic is cleverly spun away. They ARE losing republicans to the Dems. They are losing on the issues.

They obscure that fact by saying it is not FAST or LARGE enough! But people are not reacting to brilliant Dem proposals that are hard to run across, and harder yet without disparaging spin. SURE the cautious attitude is not trumpeting simple united populist messages to merge with the GOP meltdown mode.

The end fact though is simply this. The "Dems have no ideas" is a ruse to obscure the poll facts. The people are not YET fully moving according to reacting to Dems and their proposals. Nor are the Bush polls most certainly ever going to be framed that way anyway. Bush is the whole show. A drowning man is angrily laughing at the dog-paddler slipping past him "Is that the best you can do, sputter, gurgle."

Regardless of what you think about the Dems presentation to the public, the public has not been reacting or polled responsibly about that. These are Bush and GOP meltdown days. Kerry could juggle three swift boats over his head balanced on the Washington monument and it wouldn't signify. we can continue to urge more from our Dems but the polls are simply not a condemnatory "everyone is tarred" issue. Unfortunately, the DLC and the cautious know that all too well. The important thing is who is going up and who is going down and who is making the most furious effort for naught.

[AX10]

21. kick