Yes, we're all pissed. That said, sitting out will not improve matters. It only plays to the GOP.

[backscatter712]

Flame away. I'm as pissed off as everyone else over Joe Lieberman's rank lies and betrayal.

And today I'm reading a hell of a lot of "I'm done! No vote in 2010! They deserve to lose!"

I can't say I blame you, but that sort of reaction is counterproductive, and is exactly what the Rethugs, the Joe Liebermans, the Ben Nelsons and the conservadems want.

When we sit out, they win.

When we stay home, we get stuck with assclowns like Bush or Palin.

You want to get the conservadems back? You want to push the Democratic Party to serve our interests instead of corporate interests?

PRIMARY THE BASTARDS!!!

Arlen Specter's facing a primary. Michael Bennet's facing a primary. Notice how well behaved they are lately? Both Specter and Bennet are supporting the public option loudly - they HAVE to dig up the support of the base (in other words, US.)

If you want the Democratic Party to be worthy of our votes, you use the tactic that works - primaries - they're an effective and satisfying way of venting your rage at DINOs.

[bluestateguy]

1. I heard a lot of the same kind of talk after the war funding capitulation vote in June 2007

And to be quite honest, people cooled off after a few weeks and had moved on to other issues.

[dysfunctional press]

2. how will voting for the current demofucks change ANYTHING?

why should anyone reward any of the dinos with a vote in the general?

that only GUARANTEES no change.

[backscatter712]

19. Like I said, primary the bastards!

You want a place to vent your well-deserved rage? That's what primaries are for. Replace doucheclown "Democrats" with real Democrats.

[dysfunctional press]

20. and what happens in the general when the progressive candidate loses the primary?

voting for a dino in the general only guarantees more of the same.
but if the dinos lose in the general- at least the progressives won't have to face incumbents in the next primaries.

[Generator]

3. The GOP -is that the Republicans?

or the Dems that just vote like Republicans?-cause I'm not sure anymore. This health care "debate" is a sham. And it's been led mostly be sham leaders. And many of them are Democrats. Voting changes nothing. It can change nothing. The country is owned by the insurance industry, the banks, and the military. The sooner people realize that and do something else than pretending voting will save them the sooner there will actually be change.

[JVS]

4. I think it depends on where you are. Conservadems are not helping the situation.

[liskddksil]

5. Challengers and Progressives Already running in 2010

Jennifer Brunner, is Secretary of State in Ohio, and much more progressive then the establishment backed Lee Fisher, in the race for Ohio's senate seat.

http://www.jenniferbrunner.com /

Rhode Island State Representative Betsy Dennigan, who is progressive and pro-choice, is running in a primary against current Rep. James Langevin, who voted for the Stupak amendment.

http://betsydenniganforcongress.com/?page_id=10

Andrew Romanoff is the former Colorado House Majority Leader, who has bucked the establishment and even the President to run a primary against Michael Bennet, who voted against the Cram-down legislation, and until very recently was not generally supportive of the public option.

http://www.andrewromanoff.com /

Doug Tudor is a progressive Democrat running in the primary against self-proclaimed "blue-dog" Lori Edwards in Florida's 12 Congressional District.

http://www.teamtudor.org/index.asp

Bloomington Resident D'Ippolito is running against Evan Bayh.
http://www.tamyraforsenate.com /

Joe Sestak running against Republican turned Democrat Arlen Spector.
http://joesestak.com/

Also keep an eye on Lt. Gov. of Arkansas Bill Halter, who many believe could run against Sen. Lincoln.

[backscatter712]

16. EXCELLENT!!! Thanks for the info!

This kind of information is what we need to put the fear of God into those that are supposed to be working for us.

[bdamomma]

30. thanks, for RI time for some new blood.

it is time for Langevin to go.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. Fortunately, my ballot comes with more than 2 options and a write-in spot.

[readmoreoften]

8. Perhaps we can have a coordinated write-in boycott.

Like "Kucinich" or "Progress" or "No Representation"

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Count me as coordinated.

[zbdent]

7. Don't forget ... (and the quote was from a Repug) ...

when THE people don't bother to vote, then Republicans do well in elections ...

(not the exact quote, but I remember Steph or Thom playing the quote quite often)

[boston bean]

10. it would seem when dems do vote the republicans still do quite well policy wise, no? nt

[zbdent]

15. yup ...

they get more and more of the spotlight to attack Dems/libs ...

When they were in power, they got the spotlight to attack Dems/libs ...

[Kitsune]

11. Voting Dem again like nothing's wrong won't help either. We need a general strike.

We need to show these disconnected scumballs that pretend to represent us while doing the bidding of the ultra-wealthy that we are not going to take their shit anymore. Grinding the entire fucking country to a halt seems to be the only thing that might do the trick at this point.

[JVS]

22. We need to protest the next democratic convention hard!

[backscatter712]

24. I'd be glad to participate in a general strike, but organizing one big enough to be effective...

is a bit of a challenge.

[WeDidIt]

12. There is absolutley NO FUCKING POINT any more

None.

[backscatter712]

17. Then you're giving the country to the teabaggers.

Think that'll improve things?

[WeDidIt]

18. How will things be different?

Seriously, how?

[backscatter712]

23. Let's count the ways.

Kiss goodbye to economic stimulus, watch the economy plunge into the second Great Depression.

Kiss goodbye to anything resembling environmental protection - we're just starting to see tenuous enforcement actions by the EPA. That will all go away. Control of carbon emissions won't happen at all.

Kiss goodbye to the tenuous reassertion of Constitutional rule - we'll be right back to unitary executive theory.

Kiss goodbye to the deescalation in Iraq - we'll surge right back in and the violence level will explode in response. (I know it's not in the news thanks to Afghanistan, but the war in Iraq actually is winding down.)

Kiss goodbye to stem cell research - the fundies will ban it for good this time.

Kiss goodbye to Roe vs. Wade - the teabaggers will put more raving lunatics into the Supreme Court and they'll overturn it.

Shall I keep going?

We all have every fucking right to be pissed off, but at the same time, we need to think, and put together tactics that work to get our way from our government. Sitting out and letting the American Fascist Party take control of our government is not effective.

[Neecy]

13. It doesn't really matter what we do

When the public realizes that they'll be FORCED to enrich insurance industry executives and their stockholders at a time of record unemployment, declining wages and underwater mortgages, when they'll have to decide between heating their homes and buying for-profit insurance, it won't matter if we sit out 2010 at all. Everyone else will give the GOP a landslide.

[G_j]

14. whatever..

[branders seine]

21. If voting made any difference, it would be illegal.

J Biafra

[Lydia Leftcoast]

25. Remember how much damage Margaret Thatcher and John Major did to the UK?

Remember how hopeful everyone was about Tony Blair? He was "new Labour," not a "class warfare" type like Tony Benn. He was going to take Britain on the Third Way.

Note that everyone is predicting that the Conservatives will be back in power at the next election.

Labour not only failed to undo the damage that the Conservatives did in the 1980s but beefed up the security state and other intrusions into people's private lives.

Now their economy has tanked, as ours has.

When the voters are angry, watch out.

And Labour has only itself to blame. Let the Democrats take note.

Personally, I would never vote for a Republican. I have done so only once, and that Republican was Senator Mark Hatfield, whom I appreciated for his environmental concerns and his opposition to foreign intervention. The Republican party as currently constituted contains no Mark Hatfields, just Michelle Bachmans.

But others do not share my qualms. One thing I'm seeing on message boards from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune to the New York Times is "vote out all incumbents."

[Marr]

26. Sitting out national elections will help matters, in the long run.

I know that's not exactly proper to say, but I think it's true. It won't do to sit out local or even state elections, but national ones? There's no point in showing up. The party's establishment is solidly controlled by career con-men and lobbyists, and should be allowed to wither on the vine.

Build from the bottom up, and don't bother maintaining that corroded ceiling. It's only blocking the sunlight anyway.

[bdamomma]

27. this is what the repigs are hoping for, they are just waiting for the kill.

lets not give the repigs want they want, no way should they ever get in again. Never surrender, never.

[Individualist]

28. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

[sendero]

29. Who cares.

... what would be different? TELL ME ONE FUCKING MEANINGFUL THING THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF THE GOP WERE IN POWER.