Beat the Republicans, not one another...

[Mythsaje]

I hate to tell some people this, but last night's win wasn't a "mandate" any more than the Republican "wins" of 2000 or 2004. It was a "show me what you've got."

America is, as a whole, a Moderate bunch. Not conservative, not liberal. Or, at least, not exactly liberal as some of US would define it.

We all know that the dialogue has been carried toward the right. They've done their best to obfuscate the fact that universal healthcare, a living wage, and ending the War in Iraq are ideas supported by the majority of Americans.

These aren't "liberal" points of view--they're MAINSTREAM.

Moderate.

If we keep acting as though these positions are "left," we're allowing the neo-cons to control the dialogue EVEN NOW. They've been trying to convince us that right-leaning positions are "centrist," but...

WE KNOW BETTER.

Thom Hartmann calls it the "radical middle."

We can't let them continue controlling the dialogue. We just can't.

Let's stop fighting about it, okay?

[JeffR]

1. Amen

but something tells me we won't...:eyes:

[Mythsaje]

2. I try very hard to be the voice of reason...

I'd like to see a couple of the other writers on the site chime in on this one.

[JeffR]

4. I don't mean to a pessimistic about this, really

I think your post could be, should be, the beginning of a real dialogue about where DUers think things should go from here. I'll make allowances for the idea that majority status feels a little strange yet, and for younger DUers, unprecedented in their experience of politics.

But well before we can successfully circle the wagons, there will be dust-ups over a lot of issues. On a good day, I ascribe that to our individual sense of ourselves as a group of free-thinkers. On a bad day, I read through some of the arguments, very occasionally join in, and usually switch off the computer with a mixture of mild disgust and mild amusement.

You're on to something here, though, so sorry if I came across as flippant about it.

[roamer65]

3. Herding Democrats is like...

herding cats. It's always been that way. We allow a lot more intraparty dissent than the Rethugs, and that will be what attracts more people to our party. I don't worry about the dissent that much.

[oddmanout]

5. I agree

I agree with you completely. I am celebrating this course correction back to the middle (Love Thomm Hartmann). But we need to watch with skeptical eye all the newly elected representatives and need to keep reminding them of what they ran on, this was not just an indictment on the Bush administration.

There needs to be clear and fundamental changes made immediately: i.e. Minimum wage, health care, a sane proactive defense policy (because we are targets for radical islamists..like it or not Bush only exacerbated the situation, he did not create it, it existed before his bumbling), tax reform that does not destroy the middle class, dismantling of the special interest influence peddling system, better relations with the rest of the world..etc..

They need to be held accountable for every vote, for every proposal, every policy initiative, and if they do not follow the will of the people that elected them then they will be replaced by someone who will (that needs to be made abundantly clear at every opportunity).


:dem:

[Mythsaje]

7. You've got a great handle on what I'm trying to say...

Thanks.

[uppityperson]

6. "Mainstream" is a great way of putting it, better than moderate even

I like Mainstream, think I'll keep using that. Thank you for the wording.