What Obama should learn from Wisconsin - Joe Conason - Alternet

[Bill USA]

http://www.alternet.org/news/152094/what_obama_should_learn_from_wisconsin?page=1

The first lesson is that bipartisanship seems to be encouraged among Republicans these days only when they suspect that voters may be sick of their extremism. Just as Walker is now worried about his future, so is Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who has suddenly realized that he prefers cooperation to confrontation over collective bargaining -- evidently because he fears the results of a potential repeal referendum on the issue in November.

The second lesson is that there is only one way to instill such fear among Republicans, in Wisconsin or Washington: By demonstrating the will to push back, as hard as necessary, on behalf of the principles Democrats have always promised to uphold.

That is what the Republicans do with great consistency on behalf of their own ideology, however extreme or unpopular. That is what inspired the Democrats who have fought them to a standstill in Wisconsin. And that is what could still save Obama's presidency.
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... there's a corollary to lesson II that Joe did not mention. That is when you DON'T fight for "the principles Democrats have always promised to uphold" it leads to confusion and disaffection among the party .. and it encourages the zealots (and the idiots who are always there to tag along with them). Not infrequently zealots will try something just to see if it will work. When (to their own surprise) it does work, they rejoice (silently) and push harder (pleased that what they weren't sure would work actually did!).


.... Good luck Joe, in having your message heard and understood by the right person.