So now that we have nothing more to lose

[upaloopa]

how about taking our party on a hard turn to the left. Let's come up with every progressive idea we can and put together a liberal platform for 2016.
Never compromise with the devil

[Ykcutnek]

1. I've been hard left before... and I feel myself swinging back in that direction. nt

[QuestionAlways]

36. We still have the Presidency

Let us not be so far from the mainstream that we lose that also in two years.

[grahamhgreen]

2. Put on your walkin shoes for Bernie:)

[southerncrone]

4. Yep!

[Autumn]

112. Bernie/ Liz 2016. Go big or go home.

We can't afford to play around anymore.

[elleng]

3. with Hillary running?

[VanillaRhapsody]

5. Hillary is our best bet to defeat them...

Now is not the time for longshots...and this divisiveness has got to dtop now...

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. Hillary?

No. I'd have to put two clothespins on my nose to vote for her. She's all buddy-buddy with the Republicans.

[VanillaRhapsody]

15. YESSSSS Hillary

She polls higher than ALL Republicans.....or do you want to risk Repukes hsving all three branches?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

20. That's because average people vote for the candidates they've heard of

and the media have been all-Hillary all the time.

But when presented with an alternative to Hillary in 2008, the voters selected a black man few of them had heard of before the campaign season.

It is precisely BECAUSE the media are pushing Hillary that I am suspicious.

[whereisjustice]

24. Hillary submits to Wall Street. Media CEOs like that in a president. Your instincts are correct.

[VanillaRhapsody]

38. i dont give a shit about your pet peeves....

only SHE polls higher than all Republicans even Jeb Bush. When YOU have a candidate that can say that let us know...

[Nuclear Unicorn]

80. Being sold off to the corporatists isn't merely a pet peeve. It's an existential threat.

Being sold off as chattel to the corporate state doesn't become more palatable because the auctioneer has a D instead of an R.

[deutsey]

98. For some, it actually is more palatable, unfortunately

I really don't get it.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

99. May their masters always treat them kindly. nt

[whereisjustice]

90. You better give a shit, the fact that you think NSA spying, banking fraud, fracking, miliarized

record poverty, outsourcing millions of jobs to Asia with US income disparity at levels not seen for nearly 100 years is going to work for Hillary shows just how far out of touch you are.

You are like the disembodied voice of the DNC, lost in the wilderness, still thinking that to be a good Democrat means you have to be a good Republican and fuck over every principal that benefits the working class

And while you were out there battling the ghosts of ponies and rainbows, Republicans became the beneficiaries of a frustrated middle class.

The HMS Hillary is sinking and you think you are bailing water. Really you are just making a mess.

[VanillaRhapsody]

91. no i dont have to..

Now because of this bullshit we have an uphill climb for several election cycles..

So thanks for all tour support with friends like this who needs enemies. YOU better recognize..

[somebody-else]

126. hillary? really?

the more you know about her, the scarier it gets


http://www.alternet.org/world/5-most-hawkish-positions-embraced-hillary-clinton

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/10/ralph-nader-rails-against-corporatist-militarist-hillary-clinton-shes-a-menace-to-the-usa/

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/08/11/quiz-said-hillary-clinton-benjaim-netanyahu/

[AngryOldDem]

77. +1

I find it somewhat amusing that with all the call for "change" here, HRC is still aces with a lot of folks, when in fact she is just as conservative on many issues as the GOP.

I am hoping that between now and 2016, the party does take a turn left, and that Elizabeth Warren changes her mind and decides to make a run for office. If not her, then Bernie Sanders would work well, too.

Not feeling the HRC love, not that I ever did.

[VanillaRhapsody]

79. and I am surprised a :"Democrat" gets away with talking

This trash on a Democratic forum. Wpuld EW endorse her if that were true,?

[AngryOldDem]

81. Your bullying won't change my opinion.

I do NOT think that HRC is the savior of the party.

Off to work. Have a good day.

[VanillaRhapsody]

83. telling it like it T.I Is is not bullying

If you spend your time here doing nothing but trash talking Dems then you are psrt of the problem and I partially blame these so called Democrats that do that by helping to supress the vote!

[AngryOldDem]

133. Check my post history and tell me how many times I have "trash talked" Dems.

And I don't think having doubts about the presumptive nominee is "trash talking," either. I do NOT fall into lock-step with anyone just because I am TOLD to do so. Just where did I insult HRC by expressing doubts about her ability to lead the party out of the wilderness?

Is this how you convince people to come to your side? By insults? From what I've seen here, it is.

[Caretha]

94. In what world

does supporting or preferring a different Democrat (Elizabeth Warren) for office become "talking This(sic) trash on a Democratic forum"?

Your idea of Democracy is extremely flawed and does not reflect any known definition of a democratic government philosophy. In fact, it brings to mind the word dictatorship.

IOW, You might as well have said "if you don't support who "I" say - then you are dog poop,and don't belong here."

[VanillaRhapsody]

100. is THAT how republicans pulled this off

Did they look like fools who cannot even defend their own party candidates?

Thats how we lost ...we acted like losers

[Caretha]

128. I find it amazing how short most people's memory is

You must not remember the Republican presidential clown parade of 2 years ago - they were very busy tearing each other apart.

Thats how we lost ...we acted like losers

Well...we certainly didn't act like Democrats...more like Republican lite & 3rd WAY DLCers, I'll grant you that.

Mean while, why don't you take some of your own advice and quit trying to be some sort of know it all forum hall monitor.

[VanillaRhapsody]

129. no losers eat their own.....like we do

And that is what losers do....one thing we ate good at? Circular Firing Squads....

[AngryOldDem]

134. Exactly.

For Godsakes, it's still 2014. Why is the nominee decided NOW? (Rhetorical question, but one that saddens me to even ask.)

[antigop]

92. psst..don't tell anyone....

Who owns the media?

[Erose999]

104. Yeah name recognition from the Big Dog era really worked in GA. The names Carter, Nunn, and Miller

really won it big for the democrats.

[JDPriestly]

45. But the candidates the Clintons tried to help did not do that well considering the name

recognition and experience of the two.

Just 17 candidates backed by either Clinton won, compared to 31 who lost. One race will go into a December runoff, and 9 races had yet to be called as of early Wednesday.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/2014-elections-clinton-candidates-112559.html

Granted these were tough races in conservative states, but . . . . .

If the Clintons can't do better than that, why not take a long shot? Introduce some fresh blood, some new ideas, maybe even some real solutions instead of the boilerplate grab-bag of slogans???

When the old standards don't get much applause, we need to try some new tunes. Clearly, our Democratic old standards are not getting much play, and certainly no ovations.

Let's go for something that really will stir the country to its feet and stop singing the same old boring songs we've been hearing for ages. The Clintons are passee.

[VanillaRhapsody]

84. this is midterms.....this when you play defense

Trashing our party leaders id not going to accomplish thst

[Nuclear Unicorn]

78. In the wake of a historic drubbing that was framed as a referendum on Obama --

and conceded as such by the Dems who ran away from him -- you want to run a former Obama administration official.

I'll give you points for audacity.

[LondonReign2]

103. Your strategy of running as Republican Lite LOST! Enormously!

How about we ignore the ignaramouses that suggest we should continue the strategy that just got us whipped.

[VanillaRhapsody]

120. you can call it whatever you want

MY interest is in winning in 2016 not a repeat of last nite.

[LondonReign2]

121. Your interest is in doubling down on the strategy that got our asses whipped

Pardon me if I choose not to join in the stupid

[VanillaRhapsody]

123. the stupid is beating on the very candidates you

Know you will eventually vote for.... then feign innocence...

Its also hypocritical...

[LondonReign2]

124. Stupid is listening to your doubling down of the strategy that LOST

[DisgustipatedinCA]

14. Divisiveness has got to stop now.

Does that mean you intend to stop making several false accusations per day against good liberals, claiming that they're secret Republicans? You don't have credibility on the subject of divisiveness.

[VanillaRhapsody]

18. no I am telling them to stop their bullshit playing

Support of Third Party candidates!

We have GOT to get our heads in the game...

[BlindTiresias]

30. Please, Vanilla

You are a shill and nothing more, and everyone with eyes that can see know this. How about you get your head in the game and realize the tired center-right strategies are over and start thinking dynamically and strategically, which means not walking right into a trap your opponents have set up ten steps ago.

[VanillaRhapsody]

40. bullfuckingshit

How aboutYOU get your head in the game and stop pretending that the American electorate would elect someone from the far left..Bernie is not going to happen. And even if he did....we will be dealing with the results from tonite through multiple election cycles.....meaning he would be obstructed too.

[BlindTiresias]

42. Bernie far left?

hahaha you are delusional. Guess we know who the real republican is considering you want the Dems to dwell in complete obscurity.

[VanillaRhapsody]

64. well he isnt lyndon larouche..

But out of all american contenders he is...

[BlindTiresias]

65. hahahaha

yeah ok, Ayn Rand. Get over yourself.

[VanillaRhapsody]

67. ayn rand?

Loony

[whereisjustice]

17. why is it divisive to stop the Democratic Party on its suicide march to the right? Hillary

is a poster child for triangulating, phoney right wing, out of touch corporatist who has no clue about a VERY frustrated middle class.

[VanillaRhapsody]

19. GMAFB

Will you people never learn?

[BlindTiresias]

31. You people?

it is to laugh, the dems just got their butts kicked and you act like centre-right third way "realism" is still potent. Give me a break.

[VanillaRhapsody]

43. yes you people.....

and you think your far left utopian America is just around the corner Idealist. I on the other hand understand what we are up against. I am a realist and understand you have to play defense too...and tonite proves that fact..

[BlindTiresias]

49. Haha

yeah ok, republican.

[JDPriestly]

37. Now IS the time for longshots.

The short shots were all purged in this election.

Look who won and who lost.

In California, liberals won. In Minnesota, liberal Franken won.

In Florida, liberal Alan Grayson won.

Watch the list of those who won and lost. The middle-of-the-roaders lost to conservatives. And it is no wonder. If you are going to vote for a conservative, why not vote for the real thing?

When Democrats do not offer the real thing, they cannot win anything real.

Wendy Davis won big among Hispanics.

She was a liberal who lost over all, but she won big in the growing demographic. That is a good sign.

Landriey, the compleat middle-of-the-roader in Louisiana did not pull enough votes to the Democratic side to insure a defeat in her run-off. It's going to be tough for her. I wish her luck but it is going to be tough.

Face it. This election although doomed to bring a Democratic defeat just based on the coincidence of the locations of the races is a defeat for Obama's middle-of-the-road policies.

Offering any sign of a compromise on Social Security, offering to cut it in the slightest, compromising with regard to budget items like unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed, food stamps, etc. are not strategies that excite voters from the working class.

[BlindTiresias]

55. Bingo

Sorry to all the center-right dems, but your shit just got falsified yet again. Learn the lesson and Deal With It.

[LeftInTX]

61. Wendy Davis did worse than our last candidate Bill White against Rick Perry

I think it was because she is a woman. They called her Abortion Barbie over and over and it stuck.

[LondonReign2]

105. I like Wendy Davis, but she was a pretty bad candidate

[VanillaRhapsody]

88. and risk all three branches....

Wow that would be a nightmare...

[nolabels]

102. Yep, pretty much like it was just before 1776

If you are not willing gamble with some loss eventually you will still lose it anyway

[quakerboy]

54. Turning right

has gotten us here

And now you want us to double down.

Its like you want us to lose 2016.

I want to win 2016. Lets find ways to build on the good things Obama has done, not ways to throw it away.

[BlindTiresias]

57. Yep

Like I said, Vanilla has been calling people Republican operatives but all this time she was the true Republican. What a twist!

[VanillaRhapsody]

87. that is what YOUR side does...accusing Dems

Of being Dinos And republican lite.....I accuse them of being Indie....

[VanillaRhapsody]

85. thats bullshit

Going far left is not going yo force the country to go with..sorry. We made alit of progress the
last few years and we didnt defend it.....just likr Bernie Sanders says we should...

[quakerboy]

118. Bullshit is backpeddling and pretending that

doing the same things and expecting a different result will somehow work.

We tried the "we are just like republicans and we eschew traditional democratic values" approach to national elections.

Perhaps its time for something different. Democrats running as Democrats. They don't even have to be "far left". They could be "middle left". Just as long as they are actually on the left, that would make it a worthwhile trial.

We've got a sorry situation. The president has set an example, and a bunch of democratic candidates tried to one up him, and lost. He has governed toward the "center". People tried to abandon the presidents moderate positions and move past him headed right. Essentially they tried to run as moderate Republicans. It didn't work. Its time for a new strategy.

[Marr]

119. Your schtick is old and no one is buying it. /nt

[appal_jack]

6. most anything besides gun control.

Gun control loses elections for Dems.

-app

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. gun control?

[Cleita]

7. I guess we should keep trying. But unless we can shut up the asshole RW enabling media, it

won't happen.

[Maedhros]

8. Think of all the bullshit propaganda aimed at Obama in 2008.

A Black American, named Barack Hussein Obama, ran for President. If we can do THIS in 2008:





we can do it in 2016 as well.

And it's NOT about the candidate! It's about Liberal and Progressive Americans shedding their defeatism and moving the country forward.

It's about DEMANDING MORE and not stopping until WE GET IT.

[Cleita]

9. The entrenched Democratic establishment is pushing Hillary on us.

I wonder if she would get those crowds? We need to change the entrenchment.

[Maedhros]

10. DEMAND BETTER. Don't stop until WE GET IT. [n/t]

[dreamnightwind]

59. Absolutely right on

[Erose999]

106. DAMN RIGHT!! +1

[VanillaRhapsody]

22. she is our best bet dammitt......whi do you have

That can say that? Does tonite teach you nothing about the American voter?

[Cleita]

23. Yes. It teaches me that the stoopid is deep and far. n/t

[VanillaRhapsody]

25. Exactly.....and you better come with your A Game...

And prepare for an unfair fight...better bring Defense....

[Cleita]

26. Go away. Your nonsensical posts don't wear well with me. n/t

[VanillaRhapsody]

27. go away? why....did I strike a nerve? Did you just learn

Something about American voters tonite?

[SunSeeker]

34. Sadly, the Obama bashers will never learn.

They're already gearing up to be Hillary bashers.

[VanillaRhapsody]

35. yep...they never do see their own compliciteness

Bash bash bash is all they do....then wonder why turnout is so difficult.

[AgingAmerican]

39. Nobody is obligated to like Hillary

Politics have never worked that way.

[VanillaRhapsody]

44. you dont have to like her....its not about who you want to have a beer with.....

its about who can win

[AgingAmerican]

46. It's about who can deliver

What matters to voters.

[VanillaRhapsody]

48. and she has....:-)do you want me to post my list again?

If delivery was so important to all voters....how do you explain their voting for repukes tonite......they certainly dont deliver. But i guess that is what you really want....

[BlindTiresias]

51. Apparently not

They didn't agree with you that they deliver, as evidenced by results. To argue otherwise is delusion, but that is kind of your bag isn't it Vanilla?

[AgingAmerican]

56. They voted for repukes

...because the Democrats stupidly abandoned their base for the non existent 'center'.

[Sparky 1]

62. How indeed! Perhaps they didn't vote for repukes in the numbers we're being told.

Seriously, can you name a group of people besides old white men they didn't offend?

Either this country is inundated with massively stupid people (those that voted and those that didn't bother), or a lot of numbers were "fudged" and a lot of votes suppressed. Personally, I think it's all three of those things and some more besides. Remember, Republicans still own the voting machines and the vote counting machines, and billionaires own the Republicans and a good number of the Democrats as well.

[Sparky 1]

72. Aging American, you nailed it. We've had a belly full of DINOs.

[VanillaRhapsody]

86. okaaaay....lets just keep doing what we have been doing

Bashing Democrats......its worked out so well!

[LondonReign2]

107. Hillary is the best...at continuing the death match to the right

Not surprising that you want to continue the strategy that just got our ass handed to us. Why is that?

[Fawke Em]

131. The problem wasn't the American voter - it was the American NOT voter.

When only 13 percent of people 18-30 voted in yesterday's election, it might be time to find out why. I doubt many of them could identify with most of our candidates.

[Ykcutnek]

11. We need to be just as extreme as them.

It's working for them.

[blkmusclmachine]

58. No way our DEMS want to be seen as "rocking the boat," "being political," or "being unwilling to

get along."

[Horse with no Name]

16. I think you will have a hard time convincing the republicans in the party to do that. n/t

[KingCharlemagne]

21. Plank #1: Nationalize the TBTF banks, expropriate their assets, fire their

management and run them as publicly-held institutions. IOW, no profit motive, no richie riches getting rich by receiving privatized gains while socializing the risks.

Plank #2: A Guaranteed Annual Income for all American citizens and permanent residents, irrespective of employment status, race, gender, religion or sexual orientation.

Plank #3: Increase the marginal tax rate to 90% on all income over $100,000/year for single filers and $200,000/year for married filers.

Plank #4: Prosecution of Bush, Cheney and other members of the Junta for war crimes and crimes against humanity

Plank #5: Immediate implementation of Kyoto.

See? That wasn't hard, now was it?

[QuestionAlways]

47. A good platform for losing BIG

The average American voter would be so fearful of this platform that tonight would look like a victory for us. But the Extrema Left would be very happy with our campaign, since they had a real choice. Unfortunately like 2000 the consequences would be very bad for our country, especially the SC

[KingCharlemagne]

53. Your assertion does not make it so. Did you bother to read the post that

began this thread? I'm replying to that OP.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

113. No, surprisingly

Contrary to popular opinion, Minnesota is blue only by a narrow margin, and some truly nutty conservatives have gotten elected in the rural and suburban districts.

When the banks were bailed out without penalty, the online comments in the local people reflected outrage from all parts of the political spectrum. The grouches who are in the habit of feeling clever because they repeat Rush Limbaugh's "jokes" were just as outraged as the lefties.

The deal was negotiated in the last days of Bush, and it infuriated EVERYONE. Literally EVERYONE who comments on the website.

The only time I have seen such unanimous comments was when some nursing home employees were accused of abusing patients. Everyone thought the employees deserved serious jail time.

Then when Obama got into office and bailed out the banks with no conditions attached, there was another round of outrage, with the righties saying, "See, he's no good" and the lefties saying, "This isn't what I voted for."

[quakerboy]

63. I like it

But I think that #2 would kill it and result in failure.

For #1, no one loves the banks. At least, not many.
For #3, no one particularly loves the ridiculously rich, although I suspect changing it to a million would get a far better response. 100k is a lot, but I think most people could see themselves getting there, or at the very least believe that a person can do work to earn that amount. And I think that a better focus would be on the "all income" part. Doing away with the exemption of non-work income would do a lot, and its something I think many would identify with.
#4- Sure. Though I think the realistic window to capture public participation in this has past, and most now think of Bush as old news. It would fire Up the left, without really upsetting the greater populace.
#5- Eh. Sure, but I doubt its a big vote getter, by and large. The right would make some hay, but if it were approached right that could be mitigated.

But #2... people dont like seeing others get a benefit. If you successfully put through #3, and you solved the perceived budget issues of the country, you might be able to sell it. Someday. But right now, you are going to get absolutely destroyed at the polls with this one.

[KingCharlemagne]

70. Thanks for the detailed consideration. Much appreciated. I was trying to

push what I thought helped further the OP's intent about promulgating a radical platform. My #2 is my own sense of how to create a really powerful social safety net that will also help smooth out the rough edges for the economy and liberate people to follow their dreams (once they have the assurance of a GAI). I'm tired now, but hope to dialog with you and the OP about this tomorrow and in the days to come.

My wife just reminded me to add a 6th plank: universal single-payer healthcare (or nationalized healthcare). In practical terms, healthcare providers would become federal employees and healthcare facilities would become federal property, with compensation to shareholders to be worked out as part of the transition.

[angrychair]

28. who gives a damn

You people make me laugh. All of you. Like any of you think you have a choice, one way or the other.

PAY ATTENTION: the American people DO NOT CARE.

[99th_Monkey]

29. Yes, AND ...

deal with this, or Dems can forget about ever winning very many elections in the future.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025763710
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025758265
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025748099

[blkmusclmachine]

60. You mean you DON'T trust Corporations to tell us how we actually voted?!?!

GOOD!

[True Blue Door]

32. First let's find out whether the election was legitimate.

No good talking about our agenda if people aren't allowed to vote.

[quakerboy]

66. Never gonna know.

Bradblog will provide various evidences.
the DOJ will be doing exactly Squat.
The Democratic party will be doing exactly Squat.

And we will never know how much of an impact fraud really had. We may have well founded suspicions, but we will never know.

[True Blue Door]

71. Let's not just assume that.

[quakerboy]

74. Prove me wrong

Id love it to be otherwise. But I have 0 confidence that anyone with any real power in the system wants to see the problems corrected. And the few that might want to see it fixed seem easily co-opted by the "but we cant undermine voter confidence" scheme.

[True Blue Door]

75. It's not up to them. It's up to us.

[quakerboy]

117. You mean the "us" who can bring a criminal case?

or the us who didn't bother to show up and vote?

If its the first... then your firmly talking out your rectum, because they are a they, not an US. It is up to the JD to do the investigation and take people to court. They have access to a wide range of tools that the rest of us do not have to investigate the issues. And, frankly, they are paid to investigate. Its their bloody job. So no. Its up to them. Not us.

If its the second... propose a method that a person who's vote has been voided by tampering with a computer count that lacks any papertrail can use to get their vote counted? Particularly when all their elected reps just became R. Their vote is stolen and they have absolutely no recourse. You want them to show up again in 2 years so that it can be stolen again? I think they should, but its not exactly going to fix the situation.

This is, flat out, up to them, and not to us.

[liberal_at_heart]

33. absolutely.

Campaign reform and a living wage. We need a living wage along with many other progressive policies but will never get them until campaigns are publicly funded.

[AgingAmerican]

41. The "Lets be the center party!" experiment

...has officially failed.

Time to go back to what had us in the majority for 40 years. The left.

[BlindTiresias]

50. Yep

[Myrina]

122. ^^ +a brazillion ^^

Thank you.

[blkmusclmachine]

52. The ONLY "lesson" our Dems EVER "learn," is that they are not Republican enough. Expect Obama to

comply.

[AgingAmerican]

69. Which will lose us even more elections in the future

nt

[liberal_at_heart]

93. Yes, I expect to hear the words "work across the isle" and "bipartisanship" quite a bit from the

President in the coming weeks as usual.

[Marr]

127. +1, that seems to be the case.

Or at least, that is always their spin.

I expect a lot more "compromising", personally-- and next to zero vetoes.

[Sparky 1]

68. Upaloopa, you make a good point.

I'm a grandmother and all my life it's been a choice of voting for the lesser of two evils. What ever happened to voting for a good?

We can see where it's gotten us. Ever since the New Deal -- and especially since those who lived in that time and saw the benefits of it have died off -- this country has been drifting ever right-ward. We do, all of us, need to give it a large number of very hard yanks to the left just to get it back in the center.

We need to remember that fathers used to go to work and support the whole family while mothers stayed home -- plus they managed to get ahead. Compare that to today. We the People have been robbed blind. Time to start screaming our heads off about it and stop going along to get along. And stop voting for who the corrupt media tells us is the only one who can win. Hillary will get my vote if it's her versus a rethug. But make no mistake about it, she is firmly in the pockets of Wall Street plus the military industrial complex -- which is NOT what this country needs more of.

[VanillaRhapsody]

89. that wont work..america fears change..

Last edited Wed Nov 5, 2014, 01:28 PM - Edit history (1)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

114. Anerca may fear change, but America wants it badly

which is why they voted for Obama, who did a good imitation of a progressive populist to get elected and then immediately settled into being a corporate lackey.

[VanillaRhapsody]

115. America STILL fears change

Or thi disaster wouldnt have happened

[Lydia Leftcoast]

125. Or was it former Dem voters staying home because of disappointment with

the way Obama caved in to corporate interests at every opportunity?

I saw how enthusiastic young Obama volunteers were. They hated Bush and hungered for change. They were jubilant in 2008 when he was elected. Then he went and did everything he could to prove that he was in thrall to the corporate donors: a condition-free bank bailout with the criminal banksters allowed to keep their jobs and bonuses "because contracts are sacred" while the auto workers' contracts were somehow not sacred; refusing to push for single payer or even a public option; intensifying the war in Afghanistan, wanting the Patriot Act renewed, extending the Bush tax cuts, espousing ruinous "free" trade treaties that are negotiated in secret, putting Wall Street types and Republicans in his Cabinet, favoring the XL pipeline, putting a charter school advocate in charge of the Department of Education, need I go on?

This is NOT what the Obama volunteers of 2008 (I was not one, by the way, because I saw through his fake populist shtick) wanted, and if the Republicans had nominated someone halfway decent in 2012 (a real Eisenhower Republican, for example), Obama would not have coasted to victory in 2012. It is by sheer dumb luck that the Dems had an opponent who was such an obvious Chatsworth Osborne Jr. type.

If you think that a corporate-appeasing faker is the best we can do, then I feel sorry for you.

[BlindTiresias]

73. What is amazing

Is that several positions that are staples of the American left (cannabis and increasing the minimum wage) passed but the Republicans still won. This should be a strong signal that the days of center-right orthodoxy in the Democratic party are numbered and it is time for the party to embrace new players who want a more dynamic and more engaged direction for the party that is outside of the stale, decades old attitudes of the current leadership.

[Martin Eden]

76. Sadly, a Left Turn has not been the trend

For decades the Democratic Party has been responding to defeat by trying to be more like the Party that defeated them.

I'm not sure whether this is due more to the influence of corporate money or the utter cluelessness of the Democratic Party.

[Caretha]

97. Definitely money

Money has corrupted this government until it is hard to distinguish it from the fascists of Italy & Germany in the '30's & 40's.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

82. The presidency is a pretty big "nothing".

So is the chance to retake the senate.

[Orsino]

95. Sorry. Per Citizens United, it's a one-way street.

Left turns are no longer allowed.

[Bettie]

96. Except that "we" are not the ones in charge

In the party, I am expecting a hard turn, but to the right.

Us rank and filers aren't even on the radar of the people running the show.

[Crunchy Frog]

116. This.

[MineralMan]

101. Oh, we have much more we can lose.

Much more. Be careful what you wish for. Truly.

[freshwest]

132. Yes, like a lot of lives of people I know. But we don't count in this equation, clearly.

[Dawgs]

108. Isn't that what we thought we were doing in 2008?

Warren or Sanders seem to be the only way this time.

[upaloopa]

109. Yes it was but we didn't follow through.

I remember comparing Obama's point in time with FDR's and saying we need a new New Deal. We never got it. We got the need for "bipartisanship" we tried to compromise with the devil. The rest is history.
I expect to hear more of the same from Obama today.

[Dawgs]

110. What do you mean "we"? Obama picked Summers and Geitner before he even got into office.

He made the decision to go center-right before any of us had a chance to blink.

[upaloopa]

111. Well I wasn't up on those guys back then.

I was still star struck and had visions of sugar plums dancing in my head.
I saw the unicorns that fart glitter stampeding toward me.
I gave a lot of money that I could have spent better and wished I had.

[treestar]

130. Is there any identified voter

Who voted Republican, especially in a red state, who says the would have voted for a Democrat had the Democrat been "hard left?"

Is there really any identified voter who says they decided not to vote because there was no candidate hard left enough?