Can the "frustrated" block understand why the White House and others are frustrated with them?

[RBInMaine]

Look, it works both ways. Of course the White House and those who ARE motivated to work and vote to beat the RePUKES understand the frustration of some in the base who feel they did not get enough in the last 21 months. Of course we do. But can they understand OUR extremely legitimate frustration with their seemingly constant naysaying and negativity when, even according to Rachel Maddow, this administration, against lockstep R party obstruction, has passed a hell of a lot of good (even if imperfect in some cases) legislation? Can they understand our frustration when they pound fists and disengage when they don't get policy purity given the realities and complexities of the legislating process (i.e. Senate rules) and the long-standing realities of a diverse nation with a diverse Democratic political caucus in this large regional country (and again, add to that lockstep R obstruction)? Can they understand our frustation with saying they are going to "stay home to punish Dems" and thereby allow TeaRadical RePUKES to win and ruin what so many of the rest of us have worked for? What about OUR frustration with that?

Howard Dean and EJ Dionne have said it best. Howard said, "Now is not the time to continue to engage in the internal policy fights. It is time to focus, unite, and beat Republicans because if they get control it will be a disaster for the COUNTRY."

EJ Dionne pointed out how "Sulking is no substitute for organizing."

Look, no one is trying to "disrespect" any block of the Democratic constituency. It is about the crystal clear obviousness of needing to get up and get in the fight to defeat Republicans. The stakes are just too high to sit it out. Simple as that.

And how do those who are frustrated that not enough has been done become motivated? By turning the stare from the half empty part of the glass to the part half full. By realizing that "punishing Dems by staying home" has NEVER worked and won't now. (That will only help the ShitBaggers and HURT the entire NATION. - This is about WHOLE country, the big picture, and not any one individual or any one group.) By understanding the extreme stakes here, again, as Howard Dean simply points out, how extremely disasterous it would be to have BONER TAN MAN and MISFIT MCCONNELL in charge of the Congress. Do you want the ShitBaggers, Palin, Beck, DruggyLimpBalls, O-LIE-LY, Coulter, Hannity, and the rest of that evil ilk dancing on their desks the morning after the elections? Do you want the millionaires and billionaires popping champagne corks over how much RICHER they are going to now become as they royally screw the rest of us? Do you want the insurance company CEO's dancing for joy through the halls of their mansions? If not, get out and WORK for Dems and VOTE. And bring family, friends, and neighbors with you. Thanks.

[Warren Stupidity]

1. The election will be decided, as always, by the middle, not the base.

And the continual 'blame the base' mantra from the sycophants is bullshit. No we are not enthusiastic about an administration that gave away almost everything to get nearly nothing, that went balls to the walls for banksters, but for working americans, not so much. But the much disparaged base will dutifully trudge out to the polls and vote for the usual idiots. We will be defeated by the fact that the right has captured the middle again - the so called independent swing voters will vote republican this year, and they will do so primarily because the economy still sucks.

[RBInMaine]

2. Try as you might, you can not defend "staying home to punish Dems." It's nonsense. Purity=Nonreality

[RBInMaine]

3. You have a point about the "middle." But, we can move many by attacking the GOP's radical turn.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. But we aren't. YOU ARENT. YOU ARE ATTACKING 'DA BASE'

in lockstep with the administration's mouthpieces. This administration has had a huge problem with coherent messaging, with one exception: it has attacked the center left base of the party relentlessly and consistently. Keep it up. And when the election is decided by the middle, by the resurgent 'angry white guys' of '94, be sure to step up the attack on the left by blaming us for this disaster.

[Inuca]

7. "attacked the center left base of the party relentlessly and consistently"

Sorry, this just BS. Not consistently and most definitely not relentlessly. Just some recent comments that maybe could have been worded better but that are in essence correct and justified IMHO.

Look, there are not that many choices in November. To vote or not to vote? And if you do vote, who do you vote for? It's that simple! And I 100% agree that for anybody from barely left of center to the "radical left" not to go out and vote D given the choices and the alternative is irresponsible. You may do it enthusiastically, you may do it in disgust that you do not have better choices, or anything in between, but the fact is that you know damn well what your choices are, so you MUST do it.

Just my 2c...

[marlakay]

5. I totally agree with you

we will go out and vote because that is what we do, they will blame the loss on us because we are frustrated but it is the middle that sways with the wind that will change things.

[vi5]

6. Do you not realize you are talking to the wrong people...

I can guarantee you that of all the "frustrated" people on here who are pissed off and angry and everything else, that 97% of them are going to go and vote for dems this election. I would guarantee it.

So what is a better use of all the apologists and cheerleaders time and energy: Yelling at people on the internet who in all likelihood are already going to probably vote dem anyway for them to be more enthusiastic and happy and grateful?

Or actually making a case to try and convince people other than political junkies and other than hardcore democrats to vote democratic by making a stronger case than either "the other guy would be much worse" or "Well you see, this 4th page provision in this bill that takes place incrementally over the next 3 or 4 years will somehow make your life MUCH better."

[Inuca]

8. I hope (think?) you are right

about the 97%.

As to your 2nd point, I actually think that "the other guy would be MUCH worse", while not exactly inspiring, is a pretty good argument. Also VERY true.

[vi5]

9. But that argument doesn't resonate....

..with people outside of the hardcore political junkies. It just doesn't. The issues on which they would be MUCH worse (gay rights, women's rights, abortion, etc.) are ones which really mostly resonate with the very politically active.

The issues that the only vaguely politically aware care about are the economy and foreign policy and those are the two biggest areas where ceding power, authority, and control to a handful of blue dogs and Bush holdovers and conservative economists have blurred the lines and there is much less of a convincing case to people like that.

[PVnRT]

12. +1

[Zenlitened]

15. "what is a better use of all the apologists and cheerleaders time and energy"

Believe me, it is best for Democrats and Pres. Obama alike if some those folks stay right where they are.

The last thing we want is for them to step away from their keyboards and come in actual, real-world contact with potential voters.

[vi5]

16. Haha...I just have this horrifying image....

Of them going up to some frail sick,unemployed person and berating them for not being more thankful to President Obama for the wonderful, historic healthcare bill and amazingly effective stimulus package, and asking them how they'd like President Palin and grabbing them by the shirt collar and dragging them to the voting booth.

[woo me with science]

10. I think vice-versa is the more relevant question.

They work for us.

[Gman]

11. People that won't vote will also throw away their vote for Obama in 08

because they're not following up and keeping up the fight. It's not perfect, but it's infinitely better than the last 8 years.

Great post. You articulate it more tactfully than I have the last few weeks.

[jonnyblitz]

13. you authoritarian party loyalist types need to learn some people

skills.

[w4rma]

14. They have DLC priorities and pro-big business/Wall Street priorities. We do not.

They want us to do what they tell us to do so that the billionaires can continue to accumulate more of our assets. America has a history of rebelling against being told what to do.

[zipplewrath]

17. It isn't half full

The empty part is bigger. It's hard not to miss that the empty part is huge, and there is just alot of milk coating the sides of the glass. It isn't a case of half empty. There would be alot less complaining if there had been some victories. But there wasn't.

We passed a HCR basically written by the GOP in 1993. Half empty would have been the public option. Half empty would have been dumping the mandate and cadillac taxes once the public option was dropped.

We passed a banking reform bill that won't prevent "too big to fail". Half full would have been AT LEAST preventing too big to fail.

We escalated a war in Afghanistan with no clear exit strategy, much less calendar. We're dragging out a war in Iraq for no apparent reason, with a government that can't form itself. Half empty would have been Iraq done by now, if not considerably sooner. Half full would have been Gates being gone by now.

Not a single person has been held accountable for torture. Not a single one. Half full would be AT LEAST the beginning of torture prosecutions. Half full would have been stopping the explusion of gays while the military studied how not to piss off the bigots if and when DADT was repealed.

Half full would have been NOT honoring Warren on inauguration day, even while Obama agrees with him that gays shouldn't get married.


It isn't half full, not even close.

[bvar22]

18. ^^^K&R this post^^^^

:patriot: