More progressive or nearly progressive legislators need to be elected.

[LiberalFighter]

The middle of the political spectrum is already in or near the progressive (liberal) band of politics for voters. It isn't there for the elected officials. Progressives need to do a better job of identifying where they stand on critical issues. And they need to show to the public that on other critical issues such as economics they are either no different or have better ideas.

Until we get more progressives elected the chambers will not elect good strong progressive leaning leaders that do the negotiating. And until more progressives or leaning progressives are elected, as a group their votes are not going to be what the leaders will chase if more of the others drop off and fail to get the passage. And considering that the Democratic Party is in the minority at this time we don't have that much choice. We have to eek out what we can get. What saves us at this time from it being a total disaster is that we still have the Senate and the President's veto power.

[valerief]

1. More progressives need to control the electronic voting machines. nt

[ladjf]

3. Yes. nt

[nenagh]

2. I'm glad some are fighting back....

because I'm stuck somewhere in the Grieving Process..

Is disbelief a stage?

[treestar]

4. Have to rec and thank you because I have been trying to say that

all along. People here get obsessed with the Presidency as though they need not worry about any of the lesser beings in the system. They think the President should just do it all and the system is not designed for that.

[Armstead]

5. I think you are misreading what many progressive critics are saying

We are not disagreeing with that point.

However, many progressives had been led to belueve that we were also doing that on the national level by supporting Obama in 2008. So there is a strong reaction when it looks like we were misled.

Also there is a huge chicken and egg aspect to this. If the national Democratic Establishment is working against progressives and demeaning them, it is harder for those progressives to get a foothold within the political party system beyond the job of local dogcatcher or Registrar of Deeds.

It is a compkex situation, and can't be addressed with the simple put down of ""Quit whining and go out and get elected. "

[LiberalFighter]

6. That is also part of the problem when the movers and shakers within the party

make the decision on who runs for office and whether they will get financial and other support from them.

Progressive candidates need to campaign differently. Some of the old school and some new school that forces the old school to go along. It means less reliance on big money and better grassroots to offset it.

[Armstead]

7. I agree, but I believe that griping and pointing out the current....

bad behavior or mistakes (in one's own opinion, of course) of the current Democratic Party is also legitimate.

[treestar]

8. A progressive cannot just demand that the national establishment

work to get them a foothold. As to demeaning them, it takes a lot of nerve coming from people who've worked so hard at demeaning the national leaders. Why would the national establishment work for progressives now? If I were Obama I'd tell them to take a hike after their lack of support for so long and so consistently.

Progressives just don't want to do the work. They want it handed them by those who did make it to the top already. And after trashing those people over and over again. Not going to work.