why are we so uncomfortable with our anger? the right wing never is!

[unblock]

time and time again, the right-wing stomped their feet and whined like little babies... and then got their way.

they have a long track record of shutting down liberal bills in committee and getting their radical right-wing bills passed.
they even have successfully shut down conservative legislation in order to make it EVEN MORE radical-right.

how do they get away with this?


because that's the most effective way to exert power. to REFUSE to be taken for granted. they support, donate, and vote when they get their way, and they complain and withhold donations and stay at home when they don't. all they while, it's very well known they they would never DREAM of voting for a democrat. yet this doesn't stop them from getting their way.


now those of us on the left might be proud to be loyal democrats and to supply a reliable liberal voice and vote, but that's NOT the most effective way to GET our way. in fact, it's begging people like obama and emanuel and reid to take us for granted.

WE NEED TO BE WILLING TO STOMP AND SHOUT AND WITHHOLD DONATIONS AND WITHHOLD OUR VOTE in order to get our way.


it's not be disloyal to the party or to obama.
it's being loyal to your liberal principles.

[coti]

1. Totally agree.

They were supposed to have learned by now.

And they lied.

They deeply deserve some serious ire from us.

[ShortnFiery]

2. I'm not ... but it's my nature to be open - WYSIWYG

:shrug:

[unblock]

4. i gather that's the "fiery" part of your username!

[joeprogressive]

3. Amen, I am first and foremost a loyaltist to my beliefs and principles. n/t

[Jamastiene]

5. I cannot get over how the fear tactics have been used by

those who seem to want progressives to leave the party.

Basically, we've been conned and hi-jacked. Yet, people are afraid to try to fight for our own values. The public option didn't even have a chance. Mandates were thrown in right away too. That is the exact opposite of what we were told would happen.

If we don't keep raising hell until they either fix this bill or kill it, we'll never have a chance for real change again in our lifetimes. Our country will be conservative forever and war will never end and people will work harder and harder for less and less.

I say we keep raising hell even if that is all we can do for now. It's better than laying down and taking it.

[rwheeler31]

6. Liberals have different views lock step is not our way.

[unblock]

7. and yet we ARE marching in lock step if we refuse to take a stand

getting angry and fighting for our principles is a very different thing from marching in lock step.

[lunatica]

8. Liberals aren't really angry the way Conservatives are

We don't pass legislation that hurts the needy or that takes rights away. Democrats pass legislation and social programs to help as many people as possible while Republicans pass legislation and practice socialism to help the rich and privileged while kicking everyone else to the gutter.

The differences between Democrats and Republicans is much more profound than just how they get angry or how they go about getting what they want. Compassion, sympathy and empathy lose when they're expressed with foot stomping and pouting anger. But self-service does just fine when anger and rage are involved. Ask any two year old what gets more attention and results. And I am referring to the maturation level of Republicans who throw fits. Watch Glen Beck Sean Hannity or Limbaugh. They're stuck in a permanent rage all the time.

[unblock]

12. some good insights here

i guess you're saying that anger is actually a fundamental part of their policy views in a way, so using anger as a strategem for wielding their influence is an easy step for them.

whereas we would have to shift gears from understanding, empathetic policy views to stubborn, angry political tactics.

excellent point.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

9. I'm not uncomfortable with it in the least.

But I'm a natural redhead.

[Undercurrent]

10. Repugs don't get their way because they have principles.

Repugs don't get angry at their own Presidents, and call for their impeachment. They still love Reagan. They don't attack their recently buried most beloved Senators, or their families and closest friends. Nor do they attack there own party leaders with words like fucktard, traitor, and call for their heads.

[Raine]

11. Self-delete nt

[unblock]

13. sure they do. true, they've got more "message discipline" but they do voice discontent

remember when bush senior raised taxes? the super conservatives tore him up for that.

but on the whole, yes, they're much better about keeping that anger within republican circles, reaching an agreement, and them coming out as a united front. still, there were always times when this spilled over into the public eye. although the media rarely talked about for long or as any kind of long-term problem ("rift in the party").

[Undercurrent]

17. Yes, they did.

And they LOST the White House to a Democrat.

[unblock]

18. not, i would say, due to policy choices, as much as sheer incompetence

on a massive scale. shrub violated many hard principles of electoral politics.

for instance, helping out after a natural disaster (katrina) is a no-brainer for most politicians. somehow shrub and the gang decided that partisan politics outweighed that. that was really the turning point for him politically.

more fundamentally, shrub failed to put a palatable face on unpalatable politics. nevermind failing the public, he failed the republican brand. he was incompetent in virtually all measures.


beyond any of that, i don't think we need to worry about the same effect. if we get our way, we'll get a plan that will HELP people and WIN votes, whereas when the republicans get their way, they just piss off more and more people.

[donco6]

14. They would if they acted like Dems. n/t

[timeforpeace]

16. This is true. Unfortunately, as we see with war and HCR, our principles change daily.

[Phx_Dem]

15. When you have to compare yourself to wingnuts, you've lost your way.

[unblock]

19. if you're unwilling to even consider any of your enemy's tactics, then you've lost entirely