What will happen when we stay home in '10 and '12?

[placton]

Since I see little dif now between the way Gop and Dem govern, there is no reason to vote in '10 and '12. Other than loss of choice, which Obama and the Dems are already contemplating, I see no effect from tossing Obama and the Dems out. The real question is, what effect will it have in future elections. It used to be the GOP scheming to keep people home on election day - by making us disgusted. What will the Dems do when we - their base - simply stay home?

[Sebass1271]

1. don't know. I surely know i will NOT stay home in 10 and 12

i can't foresee another republican (romney) in the white house. I just can't.

sorry.

[placton]

6. Gee if Romney were Prez

we would have 2 wars, one escalating, no universal health care, kow-towing to the right, Goldman-Sachs in charge of the treasure and economy, trillions for the bankers - zip for the rest, polluters in charge of our health. Ooops - that's what we have now. I have had it.

[Sebass1271]

11. Caused by years of republican control. You can't blame the

situation we are in on President Obama. If you are, you are stupid and a dreamer.

[placton]

18. That is like saying

when your toilet is backed up, and you call a plumber, you should excuse him for taking a dump and walking away leaving it still the same.

[Sebass1271]

20. bad analogy. Think again.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

79. Wierd analogy for Obama- probably more suitable for Palin

Has Obama resigned ("walked away") all of the sudden and I just didn't know about it?

Far as I can tell (and I suppose I could be wrong- I don't know what he does every minute of every day), Obama has rolled up his sleeves and is on his hands and knees furiously trying to plunge the toilet (and the MASSIVE dump taken and left by Reagan/Bush/Gingrich during the past 28 years). And pretty much all he seems to be getting from some people is blind, irrational, sneering hatred for not moving fast enough, not doing enough of what some people want, not ramming things through Congress, etc., as well as receiving little or no cooperation from our *majority* and our so-called "leadership" in the US Senate.

I know that some people hate other people reminding them of it but he has only been in office now, what, 5-6 months? How much exactly did everybody expect Obama to have fixed by now, particularly with the economy having been upended last fall? Obama was elected to 4-YEAR TERM in office and he has at least that much time to do (or start doing) the things he talked about on the campaign trail and make the case for another 4 years in office. If all he does is basically sit on his hands for the next 3.5 years, then I might need to reconsider my support for him but I would think it would be more productive in that event to stay involved and back a primary challenge rather than to just stay home and make it easier for another Repuke waltz into 1600 Pennsylvania. Right now, whatever particular flaws Obama has are NOTHING compared to the last 8 years of Bushco, who left Obama holding the plunger in the first place.

There are some people whom have claimed not to be that upset about Republicans because "at least we know what we're getting". :eyes: Well, I think that we can all pretty much guarantee that THEY will vote in lockstep, THEY will do what they say that they will do, and THEY will "get things done". Of course, the problem is that what THEY do will just clog up that d*****ed toilet even worse. Heck they may even bury it. Where will we all be then, huh? What's the bumper sticker going to read? "Don't blame me- I stayed home?"

If people are seriously considering sitting out in 2010 and 2012 it would seem that they have already made up their mind that the Democrats are just as evil and misbegotten as the Repukes and probably no amount of discussion here is going to change their mind, so if they want to go ahead and stay home in 2010 and 2012, then by all means, do it. NOBODY here is going to try to stop them.

[morgan2]

89. the republicans shit in that backed up toilet

the democrats simply squirt a little diarrhea.

[Hutzpa]

104. Now we know where your thinking came from n/t

[WonderGrunion]

121. No, it's like complaining to the plumber

that your toilet isn't fixed even though he just started working on it and isn't finished fixing it yet.

[Sebastian Doyle]

54. You can't blame Obama for CREATING the situation

But when he appoints Monsanto shills and Wall Street Criminals to his cabinet (and indeed, keeps Chimpy's secretary of "defense") then that does make him guilty of prolonging the problem.

[BurtWorm]

45. You actually can drop out and no one will notice.

:hi:

[nichomachus]

92. That's the way to attract people to your cause. Attaboy!

[BurtWorm]

102. It's true though.

One person can drop out if they want to. It's a free country. No one will care.

[sendero]

117. It will be a lot more than one..

... only morons accept the blatantly false idea that Obama is even in the ballpark of living up to his promises.

He's got one unfortunate trait in common with Bush, he talks a good game but then he does NOTHING or the EXACT OPPOSITE.

I'm glad you are satisfied with the complete abdication Obama has demonstrated so far, on the economy, on the war, on Bush's crimes, on telecom, on damn near everything. I'm not. He inspires me when he speaks and then he acts as though what he said means nothing.

Yes, Obama did not create this mess, but then he's doing nothing positive to clean it up. By the time 2012 rolls around we'll be in a full scale depression, and he will RIGHTLY own it, because he chose bankers over Americans. Too bad.

[BurtWorm]

118. And if a certain slice of progressives lets Republicans ooze back into power

by providing the necessary margin of defeat (or confusion), will that get them any closer to their goals?

Single zealots are powerless, but just enough of them are very useful indeed.

[UrbScotty]

107. Same here.

[MarjorieG]

2. Voting is for the painully disenchanted, those expecting more. Even if uncounted. Complaining rights

[Sebass1271]

3. these are the ones we need to take out in 2010 and 2012

if we want our party to make a difference.

We still have to deal with Ben Nelson.
We still have to deal with Mary Landrieu.
We still have to deal with Max Baucus.
We still have to deal with Joe Lieberman.
and some other one i can't remember right now.
There is another female senator ( I think from CA) whom I would love for her to be voted out.

[placton]

14. Guess what?

The Dems support SPECTER in the primaries. Yeah, we are gonna toss them out. I have some nice beachfront property in a Louisiana swamp - another place Obama is doing nothing - for you to buy.

[Hutzpa]

105. Instead of putting pressure on the Governor

you are here blaming Obama, why don't you go asked the Governor what happens to the
stimulus?

[LittleClarkie]

109. Is that a royal we or something?

Not we. You.

[DireStrike]

114. Yep.

The D party tossed out Dean and came down hard on anyone pushing change.

Well, not quite. They seem eager to promote ever-more rightward "democrats". I guess that's a kind of change.

[abumbyanyothername]

46. Feinstein? nt

[Sgent]

110. LOL

Your going to take out Landrieu??????????

She's the democrat's only hope, otherwise we get a Vitter.

[MNDemNY]

4. I am 1 of Obama's biggest critics here on DU, But to stay home is NOT an option.

Yes, the lesser of two evils, and all, but the alternative is the very destruction of mankind.......Back to my critzizin' , now.

[Mrs. Overall]

36. Great post. Totally agree.

It's fine to criticize Obama and the Democrats (in fact, it is our duty). I would take the lamest Democrat over any Republican--GOP philosophy/goals are insidious and dangerous.

[endarkenment]

75. +1

[Buzz Clik]

5. Why don't you get out every now and then BEFORE 2010? Get some air. A dose of reality.

[placton]

9. Obama and the Dems

have given me a dose of reality. And I am gagging on it.

[Sebass1271]

13. I don't call that reality. You are not being a realist.

You are an idealist.

[gkhouston]

61. You're polite. I had a different "i" word in mind. n/t

[Buzz Clik]

39. So, I guess you'll be leaving DU soon.

:hi:

Say "Hi" to the Greens or the Libertarians or whoever.

[Mrs. Overall]

42. I hope for a big GBCW thread...

I just learned that little acronym and I love it.

[mkultra]

44. I think its time you composed your GBCW post.

do not delay.

[Sebass1271]

56. what's GBCW?

[mkultra]

59. It stands for "Good by cruel world"

[Hawkowl]

7. Primaries

Primaries would be the obvious strategy to make our voices heard. It is widely believed that the primary challenge of Ted Kennedy to Jimmy Carter made it almost impossible for Carter to win re-election. I think Kennedy would have had a very good chance at beating Raygun.

If Obama insists on maintaining his current path, I would expect a serious primary challenger. Perhaps even Hillary herself will try once again.

So I will vote progressive in the primaries and if that doesn't work, I will not stay home but for the first time, cast my vote to parties left of the Democratic party.

[Uzybone]

8. Hillary challenge her boss?

as the MORE progressive option?

You guys are nuts.

[WI_DEM]

17. You can bank that Obama won't have serious opposition in a primary in '12

Neither did Bill Clinton who brought us DADT, Welfare Reform, NAFTA & DOMA.

[Hawkowl]

33. The economy stupid

Bill had no challengers because the economy, i.e; employment and wages, were humming right along. I don't think the economy will be out of the toilet by '12, and that is what will determine whether Obama has a serious primary challenger. We are mirroring the Great Depression, or what used to be known as periodic financial "panics". These type of depressions typically last at least 4 years.

[Jim Lane]

76. Your Depression comparison cuts the other way

After four years, the economy won't be great, but the trend toward improvement will be clear. Obama will have no serious primary challenger and will be a clear favorite to win re-election.

By your reasoning, FDR would've been in deep trouble in 1936, with the economy still in the toilet. History records that he nevertheless .

[Hawkowl]

80. True but....

FDR was seen as willing to try anything. He was ruthless and pragmatic. He did not let his personal ideology stand in the way of his efforts. Wall Street hated FDR with an unparalleled passion.

Now if Mr. Obama models himself after FDR instead of Bill Clinton, then yes I unequivocally agree with you. Obama would steamroll any opposition.

[DaveinJapan]

116. "eke out"...that's the finest "dripping with sarcastic venom" link I've ever seen!

Kudos. :toast:

[WI_DEM]

10. If you don't see any difference you are not paying attention.

I know I'm not staying home in '10 & '12. I know some people here (a small minority) see no difference but many more people do and we're not about to let the GOP take over again without a fight. My guess is that the ones who do stay home are the ones who thought Gore was no different than Bush and voted for Nader.

[liberal N proud]

12. Who's staying home?

Sure as hell isn't me!

[BurtWorm]

15. All or nothing, eh?

That's why progressives have to wait so fucking long to get anything vaguely resembling progressive policy, because of purists among us who take a hike and let the wingers back into power. Thanks a lot for every bit of nothing you all give to the country.

[Sebass1271]

40. great response. I see this all the time amongst progressives

instead of fighting for what we want, we give up.

[dysfunctional press]

16. i hear you, and i'm in the same boat.

i vote FOR a candidate, not AGAINST another candidate, and so far, it's looking increasingly like i won't be able to vote for the incumbent in 2012.

if they screw up healthcare bad enough soon enough- i'm hoping that a true progressive with the right answers could come to the forefront with a rising tide of grassroots and populist support(kind of like dennis kucinich, but electable).

ditto for the congressional races.

[placton]

23. So true

Obama is starting to make Clinton look like a lefty. Watch as choice is dumped out the window.

[northzax]

87. so, what were you saying during the primaries?

may I ask? what was it that gave you the idea that Obama is a serious progressive? was it Fox? cause they're the only people who seriously believe it.

Obama didn't have a serious national health care plan during the campaign; he never addressed DOMA, or DADT; or real progressive taxation; or anti-corporatism. where'd you get the idea that these things would happen under his administration? did you not actually listen to the things he said? or did you think, like Fox, he was a liar hiding his real motives? he's a moderate progressive, and will move the country a bit towards the left. he's not going to self-immolate on any one issue, instead he will pick and choose the ones he thinks he can win. This is exactly what he told us he would do. He is doing exactly what he said he would do. so why are you all up in a tizzy now? the man picked Joe Biden, the Senator from MBNA, as his vice-President. and now you're shocked he didn't take on the banks? what did you think he was going to do?

Obama is exactly as advertised, a conciliator, a compromise reacher, governing from just slightly to the left of the middle of the road. this is exactly what he told you he would do. so again, why are you surprised? because he's actually an honest man?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. What will happen when you stay home in '10 and '12?

You'll be on the wrong side of history. Again, probably.

[Enrique]

21. your numbers will be so small it won't matter

most people remember that Nader rhetoric and what it led to.

[stray cat]

22. Welcome to President Palin and a GOP house and senate

good bye social security

[Sebass1271]

25. and public education!

and free lunches for kids in school.

[placton]

27. nope - social security will stay

but please tell me what else would be dif?

[Sebass1271]

28. get off. Ur pissing me off if you think social security will stay

like i said. you're a dreamer.

[stray cat]

48. Bush and GOP wanted to put it in the stock market - did you forget?

[stray cat]

24. Did you enjoy the last 8 years and want more of them same?

People who stayed home in 2000 and 2004 elected W

[Sebass1271]

30. he was probably a nader supporter

[Kahuna]

26. This is really stupid. After 8 years of bush you don't think there is a

difference???? Weak. And, EPIC FAIL.

[placton]

31. It always interests me that

the usual response to threads reflecting the sad truth about the Dems is "you're stupid!" Brilliant.

[dionysus]

47. well, you invited it...

[Kahuna]

65. It's your kind of thinking that got us bush in the first place. nt

[placton]

32. It always interests me that

the usual response to threads reflecting the sad truth about the Dems is "you're stupid!" Brilliant.

[mkultra]

50. dont be shocked, its a democratic board

if you slam the democratic party here, people will think you are dumb.

[geek tragedy]

95. Well, you Obama=Bush people ARE stupid.

Sorry you don't like readingthat simple truth. Your lack of intelligence is not our fault.

[Gman]

29. We? Got a mouse in your pocket or something?

We??? Who TF is "we"?

[WI_DEM]

35. self-aggrandizing, thinks speaks for everyone on DU.

[Telly Savalas]

99. "We" is the miniscule slice of the American electorate that can't discern the difference

between Obama and Bush.

If they stay home in 2010 and 2012, it will almost certainly have no impact on the results.

[LynneSin]

34. Obama will still win

You do realize that 'we' as in those who post online with progressive web forums probably make up less than 0.01% of all voters out there.

[frylock]

and that 0.01% will be blamed for any lost democratic seats in '10 and '12

[SidneyCarton]

37. One of two things...

One, the Republicans gain back lost ground, and your issues fall by the wayside.

Two, the Democrats win anyway and your issues fall by the wayside.

Non-participation is your right, but it is akin to cutting off your nose to spite your face, you may screw the rest of us, but you end up screwing yourself over the worst.

[Peacetrain]

38. Summer soldiers... NT

[Ikonoklast]

74. Ice Cream Patriots...

melting at the first sign of any heat.


I love how those who never supported Obama to begin with are threatening to do the very same in the future.


Bitter to the end.

[Peacetrain]

96. Ah Yep

[mkultra]

41. the extreme left is not the base

the base is the committed block on the left. That's why they are called the base. I seriously doubt you are the base. I am.

Stay home. we will beat the republicans in 2012 without you just like we beat McCain without the PUMAs.

Same effect.

[LynneSin]

53. honestly, I learned this fact after Howard Dean was trounced in the 2004 primaries

Because I swore that there was no way that Dean could lose because of his immense popularity. But that was a popularity generated thru use of the internet that never translated over into the rest of the democrat voting population. Even still, the techiques that Dean first used in 2004 were made commonplace for anyone running for public office (Mainly the use of websites like Meet-up, Myspace, Facebook and other similiar social websites.)

Dont' get me wrong - Obama could lose but he would have to become totally ineffective the way Jimmy Carter did the last year of his administration. The republicans have absolutely no strong candidates for 2012 and may very well focus on reclaiming Congress than trying to win the whitehouse. But even then, I can't see the Republicans re-enacting another "Contract on America". There was something about the republicans in 1993 that had the gumption to pull off that sweep that I just don't see with the republicans of 2009. Without the core leadership of someone like Newt Gingrich in Congress, I can't see them retaking Congress anytime soon.

[mkultra]

62. i agree

anything is always possible but frankly, i cant see how it could really work. Obama will not be seriously challenged. The only one who could do it would be Hillary and she would have to come out real negative against Obama with claims of inside knowledge of incompetence. This would probably result in the GOP using the same accusation against the Dems as a whole those causing her to losing a general.

I think she is smart enough to know this and thus was somewhat reluctant in taking the SOS post.

[readmoreoften]

71. By "extreme left" you mean what would've been the moderate Dems of the 70s and 80s?

This party is so far right it hasn't even dreamt of a center in generations. The actual "extreme left" of this country has no interest in this party. Frankly, the moderate left is also largely defecting. But what do you care? You're correct. The rightwing, including the "center" of the Democratic Party, will probably prevail. It doesn't make you and them any less culpable for your participation in crimes against humanity.

And, by the way, its the paranoic rightwing 'patriots' of this country who invented the MKULTRA experiments for which you happen to be named. Funny how you support a man who refuses to end torture at Bagram which uses principles developed from MKUltra. Oh well, maybe your name isn't attempting to be ironic. Maybe you just openly promote the torture and atrocities of our government. :shrug:

These days on DU. I wouldn't be surprised.

[mkultra]

120. If you truly believe that American politics has shifted heavily right

Then you have only yourself to blame. Its those that fail to recognize the nature of the two party system and its implications that are as culpable for center shift as the non voting careless.

In every general, there are only going to be two valid candidates. No matter how right or wrong that may be, its the truth. If you fail to support the viable candidate that is closest to your ideals and instead split support for that candidate amongst the minor candidates, then you simply provide a leg up to the opposition. The pendulum of idealism in America is effected most by the actions of the party in power.

If that party fucks up, like GWB, then the other party can take hold and influence the center. If non viable third party candidates like nader and perot fragment as little as 8% of one wing of the spectrum, they essentially guarantee a win to the other side.


You can vote green or whatever else if you wish, but i will always use my vote to push the pendulum.

[dionysus]

43. you'll have more time to whine and complain on DU? for starters, there aren't enough of you to

affect jack shit...
:shrug:

[jesus_of_suburbia]

49. How can you not see a difference between Obama and Bush?

Maybe Obama isn't doing everything right (which he isn't), but he's doing so much more right than Bush.

I can't EVER see myself staying home... Dems are always better than Republicans on at least SOME issues.

[Orsino]

51. The same thing that happens when we fail to pull our government as far left as we can:

...our Democrats think it's okay to govern as Republicans. They give in to the money being hurled at them.

[Sebastian Doyle]

52. The real battles in '10 and '12 are the primaries

If your elected "Democratic" senator or congressperson is not doing his or her job, vote in their primary opponent, who hopefully will be a REAL Democrat who is running against them for that very reason.

[Echo In Light]

55. Corporate America, and its MIC will simply install whichever admin they would have regardless

It would only mean less propaganda effort in the Establishment powers maintaining the illusion that:

1) The populace has a substantive hand in determining American policy and economics. We don't.

2) The Few Big actually give a shit about anything other than getting what they want over the backs of all else. They don't.

[SidneyCarton]

57. So why are you still here Echo?

The Canadian border is to your north, and Europe's across the pond, surely if it's a lost cause here, the best thing for you would be to go elsewhere, where your voice can be heard? Or perhaps it's not as hopeless as you would have us believe.

[Echo In Light]

60. Why such a keen interest in my geographical whereabouts?

Don't like my views? Skip em.

That aside, when one considers one's various family wants/needs, such a move isn't necessarily so simple. Besides, I'm beginning to take on a new approach in re to our governance - admittedly it's kinda interesting watching millions who keep repeating the same, tired shit every few yrs while expecting different, or even positive, results in the attempt to maintain the collective belief system. Reality will break the hold eventually.

[SidneyCarton]

68. No interest in your particular whereabouts whatsoever.

That said, you make your point, you are waiting for reality to set in, hopefully (for all our sakes) it arrives sooner than Godot.

[paulk]

58. anyone who thinks that there is no difference between

"the way Gop and Dem govern" is probably too stupid to be making political choices anyway and should just stay home.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

63. If none of the candidates please you, write one in.

"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all." --Thomas Jefferson to Francis Hopkinson, 1789.

"Were parties here divided merely by a greediness for office,...to take a part with either would be unworthy of a reasonable or moral man." --Thomas Jefferson to William Branch Giles, 1795.

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." --John Quincy Adams

[Maru Kitteh]

64. Who's this "we?" I will NOT be staying home.

[emulatorloo]

66. That's what the Republicans want to happen

They like it when purists do their downer they're all the same thing.

Because then the wingnut crazies come out and elect Michelle Bachmann and Steve King types.

[omega minimo]

67. "What will the Dems do when we - their base - simply stay home?"

Blame Nader

[omega minimo]

Blame Nader

[Name removed]

69. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[readmoreoften]

70. A Republican will be elected and he'll continue Obama's wars. Then DU will get all outraged again

and they'll hand-wring and call for a purge of anyone who isn't loyal to a party that has, as far as I can tell, no identity other than being--theoretically--a little less bad than the right-wing extremists they "oppose." Then they'll get another Dem in office, who will, like Obama and the next "Evil Republican", expand the Bush Doctrine using death squads and contractors (probably from our new massive billion dollar bases in Afghanistan/Pakistan/Iraq).

Four years after that, we'll be an archipelago of tent cities with broken infrastructure controlled by a police force of former IRF contractors at Bagram. And then the onslaught of environmental devastation due to our (US, Luxumbourg, Kuwait) grotesque levels of forced consumption (get a cell phone or face unemployment! Update your wardrobe, or you'll never get ahead!)

Latin America and China will emerge as the new superpowers. Hopefully, Latin America's leftist tradition and China's left resistance against the Chinese totalitarian capitalist government (it's actually pro-democracy communists fighting the Chinese so-called "communist" party, which is nothing more than a reactionary slave state for corporate profit...) anyway, hopefully they'll do better as superpowers than we have.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

72. In the year 2000...In the year 2000!

[SeattleGirl]

73. I'm not staying home.

Do that, and you guaran-damn-tee that things will get worse.

I just can't do apathy when it comes to voting.

[MadMaddie]

77. Ummm...well you can stay home and watch the rest of us

go perform our Civic duty. Too many people died and were beaten (not just blacks, but women and others) to stay at home and whine because they did not get their golden pony!!

[Burma Jones]

78. Get ready for the Religio-Corporate state.......

I, as a heterosexual, affluent, college educated, white anglo-saxon protestant male with a wife and three blond children.......will get by just fine....shoot, my recent tax increase will probably be repealed, and we'll certainly pay less for Domestic Help you betcha.

I'll just have to stop all that pesky thinking.....

[nichomachus]

93. As opposed to what we have now?

With Obama kowtowing to the religious right and to Goldman Sachs.

[gkhouston]

81. Is the bait store having a special today? n/t

[NeedleCast]

82. I won't be staying home, thanks much though

I'll be voting for Obama again barring unexpected things happening and I'll probably vote a straight Dem ticket in Virginia too unless there's a really compelling reason not to.

[ecstatic]

83. Turning it back over to the neocons is a great idea!

Geez The stupidity is unreal. :eyes:

[Odin2005]

84. The high voter turnout and left-leaning stance of 20-somethings will make up for...

...the whiners regurgitating Nader's "there are no difference between the two parties" lie.

[mmonk]

85. They will think we stayed at home because they weren't conservative

enough and move even further to the right.

[tranche]

86. Hopefully the youth (with more sense then aging washed up boomer activists)

will be enough to keep the Republicans out of office. Holding off for another cycle the perpetual seesaw between R and D that worked so well for so many years. The conservative movement is dangerous. The democrats just cave to big business. The youth seem to have enough sense to see that one can be dealt with, the other not so much.

The base, whatever that may mean, if it leads to a retaking of major offices by republicans would serve best by staying home and shutting up.

[mmonk]

90. Or maybe boomer activists remember what made the Democratic Party

great.

[quiller4]

88. Maybe you see no difference but I see plenty-no way I'll stay home n/t

[Joe Fields]

91. I'm staying home.

There is no one in congress, or in my state that represents my interests.

[geek tragedy]

94. All 10 of you? Sorry, but 10 Naderite idiots

don't mean a damn thing. Politics is a form of masturbation to your crowd.

So, go ahead and leave and drop out. Just spare us your moronic whining.

[frylock]

100. it's funny that "10 Naderite idiots don't mean a damn thing"

yet the "Naderite idiots" are still blamed for Gore's loss in 2000. you haters need to make up your minds.

[geek tragedy]

101. Different demographics. You succeeded in electing

Bush in 2000, but the country has shifted to the disadvantage of you and your Republican allies.

[frylock]

122. i didn't vote for nader in 2000..

nor did i vote for bush. the only "Republican allies" are your pathetic enabling dems sitting in congress.

[MrSlayer]

97. The Republicans will come back and the Democrats can striaghtface claim they don't have the votes.

The Democrats seem to be terrified that they are in power because they are now expected to do something to help the people and their corporate masters won't let them. So it's better for them to have Republicans in there so they can bitch and moan that they can't do things they never had any intention to do anyway.

[cali]

98. we won't stay home- much as you may wish it.

[Geek_Girl]

103. Obama is better than McCain

But if you don't want to vote for Obama at least vote third party. In order to make this country better everyone should be participating and voting.

[anigbrowl]

106. We won't have to listen to you complaining after the election is over?

Probably too much to ask for. I don't think the two parties are the same, but rather that it takes time to turn things around, just the same way that you can't turn a truck on a dime.

[LittleClarkie]

108. If...

Not when...

Don't assume all feel as you do and will be staying home.

[eridani]

111. There is no one on DU who won't vote

There are plenty who won't donate and doorbell, though. It is the mostly uninvolved people that activists doorbell who are going to be hard to get to the polls if their lives keep on going into the toilet.

[grillo7]

112. We need to support viable progressive candidates...

Not voting is beyond ridiculous, but if we could find a way to pressure some of these weaker Dems, we would be much better off in actually achieving something substantive.

[olegramps]

113. WE? You don't speak for me or anyone else for that matter.

Unfortunately for our nation far too many shared your views and we got Bush and a disaster. Work to elect progressive Democrats and keep the heat on them once they get to Capital Hill if you give a damn for your country.

[quickesst]

115. If you are tasked with ....

...pushing a boulder up a hill because your freedom, equality, health, and happiness are at stake, and over four years, you make it, say, a third of the way. Someone gives you the option to chock the boulder, wait and rest awhile, then continue. The dumbest, most idiotic thing one could do is say, "Nah, fuck it, I'm letting it roll back down to the bottom of the hill and starting over because I'm not satisfied with the progress I made on the first try." Palin and the likes of Mitt Romney are waiting at the bottom of that hill. Is the brain disorder that affects most repugs creeping into the democratic party? I sometimes wonder. Thanks.
quickesst

[TWiley]

119. what specifically has you so pissy?

hmmm? can you put a name on those demons in your head, or do you prefer to be vague as to hide your stupidity?

[bamacrat]

123. IF you do that you should loose your citizenship.

Or atleast your DU membership.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

124. Well, for 2010, my Congressman is one of the good guys

(Keith Ellison), and my Senators are entrenched till 2012 and 2016. I definitely don't want another right-wing "no taxes, just throw the poor under the bus" Republicanite in the governor's office, so I'll vote for whoever the Dem is.

As for 2012, Senator Amy Klobuchar desperately needs a primary challenger, since she seems to specialize in feel-good legislation that is neither here nor there and to mumble ambiguously about the big issues, so that you have no idea where she stands. It's quite a feat to write four paragraphs on health care without stating what you think should be done about it.