Well, you "I'm leaving the Party" folks will sure be busy...

[brooklynite]

First, you'll need to Primary all the Democratic women who asked Franken to resign; you really can't trust them to decide on policy, do you?

Second, you'll need to get all your new candidates elected, since you probably don't want the Republicans deciding things either.

Hope you've got deep pockets and a lot of free time.

[leftstreet]

1. Not cool to kick people when they're feeling down

The anger over this is very understandable

[brooklynite]

2. I'm not; I'm only responding to the "I'm quitting the Party" voices.

[flamingdem]

4. They only cared about themselves not the voters and they were WRONG

and disgusting in their thought process.

The nerve of hanging Franken out to dry when a creep like Moore is about to enter congress!

How could this NOT drive voters away, they don't protect us.

[snooper2]

71. Hard to run ads hanging the GOP and the party of pervs when people will just say- BUT FRANKEN!

amazing how people are wigging out for no reason. Dem will get the seat, we take high ground, win win...


BUT OH NO THE SKY IS FALLING NOW TRUMP WILL GET A SECOND TERM geez the things i'm reading here

[flamingdem]

72. Who cares what they say? Plenty of women voted for Trump. Morals don't matter to those voters

The seat is being given to someone who doesn't want it. Franken won by few votes against a Republican. We may well lose a senate seat over this, prove me wrong.

[OnDoutside]

10. You might have stood a chance of being believed if you hadn't waited until he resigned. Instead it

looks like a complete lack of class. But hey....

[ChubbyStar]

18. Perfect response!

Thank you

[OnDoutside]

24. Thank you. This is an emotive subject without such trolling.

[leftynyc]

35. Well put

Obvious gloating isn't a good look for DU at all. Poster should consider pulling that BS.

[Irish_Dem]

5. Then the GOP and Russia wins. nt

[woolldog]

6. they've already won.

[NCTraveler]

15. Thats means your input above is insignificant as you have already given up.

Interesting to say the least. Some of us are still fighting. We will keep fighting as you sit on the sidelines.

[woolldog]

22. Good luck, and I mean that sincerely

But I just don't care anymore. And there are plenty of people who feel the same way.

[bdamomma]

52. don't you see

if this set up this is how the repigs want us to feel down and low, us Democrats shoot ourselves in the foot.

We are hurting right now I understand that but we have bigger fish to fry, tRump, McConnell and Ryan and the Repigs. Just my two cents.

[jrthin]

26. I don't think you've been paying attention...

They've already won.

[Irish_Dem]

37. Even so, I am a Democrat. nt

[NightWatcher]

7. Their first step will be to stop voting for Dems

How will that help us in 2018? 2020?

Al didn't even get the benefit of a Senate inquiry after he volunteered to one. Without an investigation we don't know if these were legit complaints. The voters of Minnesota didn't even get the chance to have a say in their representatives. For the "we've got to clean house before we can expect the republicans to do anything" crowd, do you think they'll turn on Moore or trump? I'm just afraid we've got ahead of ourselves just a tad.

We don't need to keep disenfranchising left-leaning voters. Jill Stein chiseled off a few thousand. "Bernie Bros" kept a few thousand voters. These moves that get us to eat our own are orchestrated to destroy us and they are doing it.

I'll keep voting Dem, but how many did this just turn off?

[Horizens]

61. Voting

I'll keep voting D but my hours (and I mean hundreds) door to door and on the phone are over.

[enough]

8. Self righteousness, our new strategy. NT

[jrthin]

27. We saw how well that worked for us in 2016.

[Demsrule86]

9. right...but what this does is make it open season on all Democrats... and depresses the vote.

[NCTraveler]

11. K&R +1 nt

[hamsterjill]

12. I am very upset at Franken having to resign.

But I've not said I'm leaving the party.

What I (as an individual voter) want is to have some god damn representation that is willing to FIGHT for a few things. I'm tired of the Democrats always having to take the moral high ground. That only works when you have an opponent who also has moral guidelines. The Republicans don't have any.

Until the Democratic party is willing to get down and dirty and fight Republicans on their (the Republicans') terms, we are going to continue to be the losers.

I'll continue to make my opinions known to Democratic representatives and hope that one day they start to listen.

[bench scientist]

28. agreed Dems keep bringing a melted spork to fight the Rethugs armed with nukes.

[G_j]

13. Regardless

the party just shot itself in both feet.

[tonedevil]

14. You really don't understand at all do you?

I'm going to have more free time because I simply won't work for politicians who won't fight for me. In my case this hasn't got me fired up so I'm going to make shit happen, it has depressed me and left me with a feeling of betrayal. It sounds to me like a lot of people feel like I do and I expect this to result in less voting. Apparently the Democratic party leadership wants to commit suicide there is no reason to vote for them they won't do anything with the office when they get it.

[LenaBaby61]

80. You really don't understand at all do you?

Nope, that OP unfortunately probably will be in for a rude awakening come 2018 and 2020.

What that OP doesn't understand or is that the voting apparatus has not really improved from 2016 for Dems. Machines across this country are still very hackable. Many are old and still not functioning properly. Also, the same "cheating" and "rigging" will still continue, and the ruskies will still be interfering into our elections. In what way, who knows in 2018. GOP staples of voter-crosschecking, voter-Id'ing, citizens united remain, and the big, fat quiver in thuglicans bows will be WHEN that ruling coming down from a 5-4 thuglican Supreme Court gives their brethren in Wisconsin the official go ahead to continue on with their gerrymandering of that state (And all across this country in essence). Wisconsin will be OUT of Dems hands for the unforeseeable future, and those other 2 states that Hillary "allegedly" LOST by 70,000 or so votes to fatso--Pennsylvania and Michigan--will be gone from Dems hands as well. Florida & Ohio has been compromised as far as Dems were concerned IMHO since 2000 & 2004 respectively.

But hey, the OP is free to be a Sarandon-acolyte if he/she wants to

It's a free country.

OR IS IT free for thuglicans votes WILL be counted. But, when you don't even KNOW if your vote will count or be counted, because thuglicans like KRIS KOBACH are the ones who will be in charge of collecting and tallying most of the votes all across this country. That includes of course, DEMOCRATIC votes. The ones that haven't gone missing & are actually counted.

Dems are in trouble in 2018 & 2020 (That's if we have an election in 2020).

[alarimer]

16. People are just letting off steam

This is anger talking right now. I'm sure once 2018 really gets rolling, it will change.

I'm angry and disappointed, but I have only ever grudgingly belonged to the Democratic Party, so none of the leadership's actions have surprised me. We saw it with Acorn. Knee-jerk reactions to bullshit in the guise of being "better" than the other side. Better, but to what end? They cave whenever Republicans find a little dirt.

[OhioBlue]

17. ya know... maybe some of us are just wondering what the f*ing point of being a Dem is

when Dem leadership just continues to kick their own asses.

People are allowed to be angry right now. There is no need for you to taunt them.

[LanternWaste]

19. It's fun to pretend we know what other people need to do.

It's fun to pretend that we know what other people need to do, or who they may or may not trust.

If nothing else, that pretense certainly illustrates an arrogance of stunning proportions, regardless of your free time.

[Tipperary]

66. Thank you for saying what I am thinking.

[JustAnotherGen]

20. I'm not leaving

I think we are going to pick someone the Democratic Party is going to HATE in 7th district this time. He won't quite fit the 'image' - but I'm for it.

Don't care if we lose to Lance again! He votes our interests anyways (our Indivisible and Action Groups have him terrified).

I think I feel bad for the leadership - I don't think they realize they just told the voters in Minnesota that THEY will be the deciders of who their representatives are.

I think Booker is next - too many rumors of him smoking pot with college age kids and video of him doing it.

[brush]

73. And Booker on his sexuality

[JustAnotherGen]

75. I don't think there's anything to that

Seriously - you never really know - but I was in the same level of singles scene for folks in their 30's and 40's as he was 10/12 years ago. That piece of 'news' would surprise me - and I will leave it at that.

[brush]

77. Repugs are ruthless. I'm sure they're doing oppo research on other Dems, whether true or not.

[JustAnotherGen]

78. I don't disagree!

They are what they are - and now seeing the tweets between 45/140 Jr and Tweeden? OMFG. What just happened here?!?!

[dpibel]

21. That's it in a nutshell

And Democratic leadership wonders why engagement with the party is dropping off.

"Where else ya gonna go, suckers?"

[Egnever]

33. Considering this poster was supposedly dining with democratic leaders last night

I would say that is exactly their attitude.

[Vinca]

23. I don't think you should mock people who believe judgement should be rendered AFTER trial.

[lame54]

25. It's true that we are stuck with the capitulating dems...

And we realistically have no place to go

Splitting the party will only strengthen Trump's rule

BUT GODDAMNIT WE ARE REALLY PISSED AT THE ABSOLUTE WEAKNESS OUR PARTY HAS DISPLAYED

Our faith is shaken that the current dems can take on the ruthless repugs who will gladly fight from the sewer to steal this country

Those sewer pigs have a new weapon and it is our own dem senators and they will do whatever they can to manipulate them

If it wasn't for Mueller I wouldn't have any hope left

By the way - they are currently trying to neutralize Mueller by attacking his character

[Binkie The Clown]

34. They will find a way to get rid of Mueller, and the Dems will yawn and say "tsk, tsk",

then roll over and go back to sleep.

[lame54]

38. My advice...

Invest in tiki torches now
(just in case)

[Bettie]

54. Nah, the Dem leadership

led by a junior Senator from NY will demand his resignation the second they hit on just the right anonymous allegation.

[bdamomma]

57. that will be the end of the repigs

if they get rid of Mueller, the investigation will continue.

[bagelsforbreakfast]

29. And I'm sure the Anti-Franken 5th column will soon have and other target. Nm

[Irish_Dem]

30. I was born a Democrat and I will die a Democrat. Heartbreaking to read all of these posts. nt

[lame54]

39. The people that you think are quitting the dem party...

Think that the dems just quit on them

[Irish_Dem]

41. Yes, I understand. Still heartbreaking. Is our party splitting in two?

Where are all the people quitting going to go?

[lame54]

42. That is the sole selling point for dems right now...

Because they are offering nothing else

[Irish_Dem]

44. The Viet Nam war caused the Dem party to split, and helped Nixon win the

presidency.

[lame54]

45. Is that supposed to counter my point?

[Irish_Dem]

49. No, not at all, Lame. I am just remembering when it felt like this before.

Just musing and thinking out loud, sorry.

[lame54]

51. "We're not them"...

Is not gonna be enough

[Irish_Dem]

53. Maybe it is good that people are going to fight harder now.

Obama warned us not to be complacent.

[kcr]

48. Sorry you're heartbroken. But we've got to get Dems with backbone that actually fight for us!

Or what is even the point? They're next to useless and let the GOP steamroll all over us. It doesn't even mean anything, staying or going, if it's just thumb twiddling and letting them stay there, useless and ineffective. I feel like I finally woke up. I'm going to demand better.

[Irish_Dem]

50. Maybe then it is a good thing. We had to fight hard in the past for gains.

Stoping the Viet Nam war, civil rights, the environment, women's rights.

Obama just this week warned us.

[Binkie The Clown]

31. Beyond casting our vote on election day, caring about politics seems to get more futile every day.

All it takes for evil to prevail is for weak-kneed Democrats to cower and do nothing. It's one thing to stand idly by as they shoot us in the head, but it's quite another thing to keep handing them more bullets as they do so.

[KPN]

32. Nice smug gloat.

What's your purpose here? I don't see any other.

[Demit]

43. It seems like he feels he "won."

As if what the Democrats did with their star chamber approach validates him.

[hlthe2b]

58. His poll didn't go his way, apparently

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029942330


But, I guess he'll have someone to gloat with:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141933576

[Tom Rinaldo]

36. I have never been an absolute loyalist to the party - just to the causes ii professes to support

I have been sadly bemused by how some here seem to have worn their allegiance to our "Mule" the way Republicans blindly wear flag pins. I can't begin to number how often I have felt let down by Democrats.

We live in a real, not idealized, world. Decisions are not always made for all the right reasons. The Democratic Party is a human institution, and I can't begin to number how often I have felt let down by humans, including myself.

I agree with you brooklynite. I will not walk away from working with Democrats in this political system, the one that we have to work with, for the causes that we can not afford to abandon. I will pick and choose my fights with individual Democrats when necessary - but I will not allow Republicans to go uncontested.

My partner and I have a small concert series and one of the artists that we hosted is a man from Wales by the name of Martyn Joseph (he's superb). Martyn started his own foundation to fight for others in deep need facing overwhelming odds. The first project he swung behind was in occupied Palestine, where he met a man who explained why he refused to give in to despair: because of his young children.

These are lyrics from his song "The Luxury of Despair" written about that encounter

"Some walls fall that come from love
All walls fall that come from hate
Poking and pushing to make folk bite
Houses torn down by the military might
People want to live people want to roam
People want to dream people need a home
But rage in the eye won’t let in light
Love makes a better job of the fight

As the sun rises in my children’s eyes
I don’t have the luxury, the luxury of despair
As the night rips stars across this ancient sky
I don’t have the luxury, the luxury of despair..."

[lame54]

47. Meanwhile Mitch McConnell will die in the senate...

His evil walls won't fall

They were built to last

[Bengus81]

40. Hope your READY for a Republican in Franken's seat.........

Republicans will spend $20-50 MILLION of the Koch Machine CASH and pull every dirty trick out of their azzzz to EASILY beat the Dem challenger which will have ZERO name recognition compared to Franken.

Happy??

[bathroommonkey76]

46. +1

[geardaddy]

56. Yep, creepy Norm Coleman is already on his vulture perch.

[NurseJackie]

55. Charming.

[FarCenter]

59. Franken has 3 years to run as an independent for 2020.

If today's speech is representative of his abilities as a communicator, he has a good shot.

[emulatorloo]

60. Stay classy and stop gloating.

People are venting today.

[LostOne4Ever]

62. I didnt leave the party when the candidate I supported lost the primary

I didn’t leave when we lost (or rather the Republicans stole) the general.
I haven’t left the party despite all the Bernie bashing since that time.
I am not leaving now despite Franken’s resignation.

So long as this is the more liberal of the two major parties I am not going anywhere.

[Drahthaardogs]

63. Actually, I'm upper middle class, and by all rights SHOULD

Vote Republican.

However, I grew up poor and I never forgot where I came from ( I am a grandson of the Ludlow Massacre).

I vote Democratic because I want others to have the opportunity I was given, work hard, do things right and you can live the American Dream.

I've just lost my appetite for trying to help. It's like living with an alcoholic. I don't NEED to do anything. It's the rest of us I was fighting for, and now, I just might NOT do anything.

[Hekate]

64. I agree with you, brooklynite. I am disgusted beyond measure with the idjits who abandoned Franken

I wonder if the Democratic Party has a goddam death wish. I agree with Nance's latest rant with all it's choice Anglo Saxon vocabulary. I want to sit down and cry

But. I. Am. Not. Leaving. The. Democratic. Party.

[Tipperary]

65. Your post is unkind. People are hurting today. They feel betrayed.

Rightly so.

[blueinredohio]

67. Who says were going to primary anyone I for one am just fed up to the

point that voting does no good because anyone we put in either house forgets us after our vote and democrats can't even defend their own party so I know if it doesn't benefit them they're not going to defend me

[Proud Liberal Dem]

68. I'm not leaving the party or voting otherwise

but I'm hella angry right now at the Democrats in the Senate whom called for Franken to resign. It was a VERY bad call IMHO and I made my displeasure known to my Democratic Senator (Donnelly).

[Scurrilous]

70. Busy rearranging their sock drawer maybe...

[lostnfound]

74. Actually I plan on reading fiction and paying attention to the stock market

[L. Coyote]

76. Millions of Russian bots swear they are leaving the party.

Really looking forward to this, but we all know they will still be trolling as always!

[pandr32]

79. Many of us are upset and grieving

Please don't pile on. Losing Franken isn't just a bump in the road. It happened because of an organized hit that was not called out by our Party for what it was.
We should have rallied behind him and shouted long and loud that the ones accusing him are coddling real perverts--and rewarding them. We should have demanded an ethics investigation--it would have been like pouring water on the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz. That way we would have protected our own while still demanding that serious sexual offenders face consequences.