What did we lose in 2010?

[MineralMan]

Well, we lost a lot, in every state and nationally. In Minnesota, where I live and work on precinct politics, we lost both houses of our legislature to the Republicans. Similar things happened in many places. But, it's only when you think about the results of that loss in Minnesota that you realize the real cost of that election. Here are some of the things we lost:

1. With a Democratic Governor in place, had we maintained a strong majority in both legislative houses, Same sex marriage would have become a fact of life in Minnesota. There's no chance of that happening now.
2. Our Governor is committed to raising taxes on the wealthy of our state. The legislature will send him no such legislation. A Democratic-controlled legislature would have.
3. Cuts are being proposed to education.
4. Cuts are being proposed to health care for the uninsured.
5. Cuts are being proposed to veterans services.
6. Cuts are being proposed to assistance to the homeless.
7. Cuts are being proposed to assistance to small cities and towns that are on the verge of bankruptcy.
8. Infrastructure projects are going to be cut.
9. Tax cuts are proposed for corporations and the wealthy.
10. Tax increases are proposed for homeowners.
11. An Arizona-style immigration bill is proposed.
12. Cuts in pensions, health care, and other things are proposed for public employees in Minnesota.
13. Cuts in environmental issues across the board are proposed.

There are many more effects. Our Democratic Governor will veto some of these things, but probably not all of them, because they will be attached to bills that must be signed to prevent the state from financial collapse. Had we elected a Democratic-controlled legislature, all of the things on that list above, and more, would have been turned right around, and the opposite would have happened.

In our urban cities, heavy GOTV efforts managed to turn out enough voters to get Governor Dayton elected. Such was not the case in many rural and suburban areas. The result was that Republicans won enough of those legislative districts to take over control of both houses of the legislature.

Similar things happened in many states. Wisconsin, for example, failed to elect a Democrat as Governor, so the Republican-controlled legislature can pass reactionary measures, as in the list above, and they will surely be signed by Walker. We lost a Democratic Senator, too, from Wisconsin.

How did your state do? What was the turnout of your election? Could anything have been done to make that better? Will the same thing happen again in 2012? These are things we all need to think about. Government, on the state and local level, is hugely important to achieving progressive goals. We must not let dissatisfaction with national political leaders keep us from electing those on the local level who really control much of the way we live our lives.

Let's not do what we did in 2010 in 2012. Please! Start working today to reverse this ugly trend and to put us back on a progressive path. The 2012 election begins now.

[gadjitfreek]

1. We were barely fortunate in NY...

We elected Andrew Cuomo, who may have run as a Democrat but want to do all of those things that would destroy the poor, middle class and union workers. For the first time I can ever remember, NYSUT (the teacher's union) did not endorse a candidate for governor. We still have the Assembly, though...and that should help mitigate the damage somewhat.

[MineralMan]

3. Thanks for the information about your state.

[Andy823]

2. I live in Washington state

Over a half million people that voted in 2008 did NOT turnout to vote in 2010! We still kept control of the states government, but we also had things on the ballot that would have helped the debt, like taxes on those who made over $250,000, it failed! Now we are seeing cuts in education, state employee salaries, cuts in health care programs the state offers, etc. Half a million voters didn't take the time to vote, that hurt!

I think if one looks at the numbers of voter turnout in the states where republicans took control of the state governments, you would find the same thing with turnout being way down! NOT VOTING is the same as voting for a republican, and we have to change that if we don't want to see more republican takeover in 2012!

[MineralMan]

4. Yes. That is key to gaining ground, rather than losing ground.

We need gains at each election, locally, statewide, and nationally, to make progress. A single election isn't enough. We need to gain new legislative seats in every election. In 2010, we lost many. That's unacceptable. GOTV for 2012 begins now, not later.

[Old and In the Way]

7. Maine appears to have followed Minnesota's tack.

The Teapublican governor got in because the vote got split between the Democrat and Independent candidates. For the first time in a generation, we know have teapublican majorities in both legislative branches. Of course, there will be no progress made in dealing with our economic issues. But the governor is doing what you'd expect...putting lobbyists in charge of our various departments, hiring his unqualified cronies (including family members) at outrageous salaries, and focusing on divisive policies designed to distract us. Cutting taxes and reducing services will be their solution to guarantee a more dismal future for all.

[MineralMan]

8. It's a shame, I think. I haven't been following Maine politics,

I'm afraid. I'm very sorry to hear about those results and the effects they will cause. Thanks for your report.

[ChiciB1]

5. I Live In Florida... The LIST Is Endless! Said I Was Fed Up & Done With It All

but seeing Wisconsin a glimmer has returned. Still, here in Florida, well IT'S NOT WISCONSIN and it REALLY sucks with almost NOWHERE to turn. People are STILL apathetic and mostly NOT paying attention, but "some" that are getting hit hard have been grousing more!

WE NEED MAJOR ACTION!!!

[MineralMan]

6. I think it is possible to use the dissatisfaction of many

to increase the turnout of Democrats, and even to switch some Republican votes. The time to start is now, while all of this is fresh in people's minds. Locally, the Democratic Party needs to begin now to campaign for 2012, even though we don't know who will be running. We need to campaign against the Republican's, starting right this minute.

You can be part of that action you're calling for. Truly.

[ChiciB1]

9. Well, I DID Sign Up For The Move-On Rally For Tuesday Here In My County...

which is truly amazing for THIS Ruby Red County but so far ONLY 5 people have signed up! NEVER in the over 26 years I've lived here has ANY Democrat been elected as a Commissioner... NEVER!

Currently my Congressional Representative is Vernie Buchanan, a man with a LONG, LONG list of lawsuits against him, and Kathy Dent is one corrupt Supervisor of Elections! She is a worse WITCH than my previous Congressional Representative, the one and only Katherine "Cruella" Harris! THAT someone actually volunteered to hold a People's Rally here shocked me! I just wish I could get some people to come along!

One BIG plus in all of this though... my husband who has told me for so many years that I'm TOO consumed with politics told me he WOULD go with me on Tuesday! THAT is PROGRESS, but we are Union people and it's what I think got him motivated. If there are only five of us, then it is what it is! So sad, but I'm calling people now, just not getting much response.

Sarasota County if NUMBER 3 in per capita income here in Florida and many SEE the foreclosures around, but just don't want to acknowledge TRUTH! We now have a HUGE Tent City here where once we had NOTHING! AND I'm also surprised that they are letting it stay open. It's my opinion they are allowing it because our crime rate has gone up and all the SUPER rich here are afraid of getting robbed!

It's unfortunate that those of us who have NEVER locked our houses at night are now doing it, AND we are turning on our outside lights too! I don't know if I'm even middle class anymore because my husband is now retired and collects Medicare, but we DO have GOOD health care benefits BECAUSE of the Union. Also, both my daughter and son-in-law work in the health care industry. My son-in-law a critical care nurse at Memorial Hospital, and my daughter who is currently working part time for world renowned cardiac doctors while studying to become an ARNP! She has about one year to go and tells me she will be able to "care for" her parents for free! I am truly LUCKY and GRATEFUL that she picked up on furthering her education, something I ALWAYS tried to instill in both of my kids.

My son has also been lucky and worked for one of the world's top female tennis players as their maintenance/landscape person. The player moved from this area, but he got lucky enough to keep his job when the people who bought ONE of her homes hired him so he's still employed at the same level.

We're just plain folks, struggling like so many, but I really am doing better than so many, many others. I WANT so badly to help others REALIZE that it's NOW up to "we the people" because we appear to have been abandoned! Still too many haven't gotten the message. It's something I've pushed for since my BOOMER days and in these times I've been so depressed because I haven't been able to effectively mobilize people here.

AGAIN, The Time Is NOW!! May we prevail!

[MineralMan]

11. Thanks for your efforts. I hope you can enlist the help of many

others in your area. Keep up the good work! It can be frustrating, I know, but it's very important.

[Mojorabbit]

12. I live in Fl too and it is

very disheartening. I think the unemployment rate is so high people are just trying to hang on by their fingernails. I will say one thing, I know two people who voted for our Gov because he promised to bring jobs and that was their one focus. It isn't happening and I hope many who voted for him for the same reason are now seeing the light.

[MineralMan]

14. Keep the pressure on, and keep telling people that their votes

are essential to reversing this ugly trend. We should be able to convert many who were deceived by the Republicans. 2012 is a new election. Let's make sure all those who are being harmed by the current office holders know how to change that. We need every voter. Every single one!

[upi402]

10. Grayson and Feingold come to mind

Baby Huey Americana will un-elect the used car salesmen and game show hosts they voted in last round. If not, we're really hosed.

[MineralMan]

13. We can all help to make the turnaround happen.

In the districts and states where our legislators are elected, even a single individual working to GOTV can make a difference. We must keep trying. We must try even harder. Thanks for your post. And yes, Feingold needn't have lost. Grayson, too. It is a shame.

[Overseas]

15. Gotta explain to the young, even if your party publicly slams you, while groveling for one or two

precious GOP votes that weaken effective democratic policies, you've still got to follow us old Yellow Dog Democrats to the polls to vote D.

That's what we did when Clinton's "New Democrats" went along with Republicans before, weakening policies put in place after the last Republican Great Recession, we gave in to the Republicans even though we knew they were trying to undo safeguards established by their nemesis, FDR.

Democrats would always do a bit more good for the middle class and poor than Republicans, so we had to vote for them. Even as they allowed Republicans to overturn more and more of the social programs that really helped our country in order to pay for the many wars that have weakened us.

Maybe youngsters don't know what Yellow Dog Democrats are-- it is a really old term to describe Dems who would even vote for a Yellow Dog, as long as it was a Democrat.

Democrats used to be reliable union supporters because that's where concentrated funding came from.
But now the reality that my Democrats caved instead of filibustering the final Republican judicial activist Samuel Alito's appointment to the Supreme Court has made things ten times worse.

The Republican judicial activist majority on the Supreme Court has allowed in a flood of secret right wing and profit driven corporate funding to crush Democrats all over the country.

I don't know if we can save our country any more, but at least I will keep toddling out to vote D.

[BobbyBoring]

16. In MD we only lost 1 seat, but it is a big one

Dist.1 Blue Dog Frank Kratovil lost to Andy "Where's my health care" Harris, a tea party favorite. District 1 includes the Chesapeake Bay and Ocean City, the largest contributor to state coffers.

Needless to say, the health of the bay, which was already dire is of little importance to Harris. I suspect funding for beach replenishment will be cut as well.

The good news is, he's already pissed off a bunch of people and will be a one termer. The sad thing is, Harris defeated Wayne Gilchrest in the 08 primary only to lose to Grateful. Gilchrest was OK in my book for an R and that says something as I hold them in utter contempt. Although he really cared about his district, he a moderate and therefore had to go.

As bad as things look, I do hold hope that many in all states will see how badly they were deceived by the clowns and will vote them out in 2012. I just hope they haven't done too much damage by then.

[Auntie Bush]

17. I'm lucky being from Vermont :) ALL our representitives are Democrats!

Now I'm waiting to see what happens and how we'll balance the budget. We don't have all the hateful infighting between parties as other states have. We're blessed and soon we'll have single payer Health Care. :)

[MineralMan]

25. That's good. Vermont chose well, it seems.

[Auntie Bush]

18. I'm lucky being from Vermont :) ALL our representitives are Democrats!

Now I'm waiting to see what happens and how we'll balance the budget. We don't have all the hateful infighting between parties as other states have. We're blessed and soon we'll have single payer Health Care. :)

[whattheidonot]

19. the message.

The Democrats did not have a good message campaign. They let the big government, big spending is the only problem message win big time without much of a counter argument. The talk of tax increases was unheard of. Talk of defense spending was minimal. The government does spend too much and grows it's own tail in so doing. If the government would quit spending on wars many more people would have jobs and not need all the assistance programs. So it is a double whammy. Cutting assistance when people are unemployed is nuts. Desperation set in and people are lost.Republicans do not see it that way.

[edhopper]

20. As long as

Obama and the Dems continue to accept the GOP scenario on things like the deficit, tax cuts and Wall Street and fail to offer a true progressive agenda, we will continue to lose. Period.

[whattheidonot]

21. true.

Obama is has been bought off. Sad but true. If obama does not push for the end of the Bush tax cuts then he is finished. We have to get a president who is not beholden to special interest who has some guts and vision. I do not think that necessarily has to be a Democrat. Ron Paul says a lot of things that need to be said. Unfortunately for me he is too far out on some issues. As long a Goldman- Sachs is your leading campaign giver change will be slow.

[MineralMan]

27. Ron Paul? Really?

Never mind.

[Mojorabbit]

29. A lot of my nephew's friends are taken by him

He says the right things on the constitution and the wars. As a woman, I am appalled at his views on women's issues and his views on glbt issues. I think libertarians forget how much they use infrastructure every day paid for by us all and that they show a creepy lack of social cohesiveness(everyone out for themselves) that would make for a bleak world. There is an appeal there right now for the youth who don't see much to excite them in either major party. I do add a carefully worded snippet when I hear them talking of him as they are not fully informed on many of his positions. These are kids in their mid twenties.

[ChiciB1]

22. +1000... Compromise Works At Times BUT NOT ALL THE TIME!!! n/t

[edhopper]

26. It only works when the other side

shows they are also willing to compromise. I see no evidence that the GOP is willing to do so.
Extended tax cuts for billionaires is a prime example. Gov. Walker-shithead is another.

[pintobean]

23. You're just being spiteful

:sarcasm:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9067807

[Zorra]

24. A better question might be "Why did we lose in 2010?"

Spineless, ineffective corporate whores in the US Senate failed to take anything to reconciliation or end the filibuster all together when faced with surmountable opposition from republicans. They did nothing.

People do not respond well to pathetic spineless ineffective leadership. Harry Reid and his ilk disgusted me to the point that I almost became an Independent and I was born a yellowdog Democrat.

Get the US Senate to start behaving like the 14 State Senators from Wisconsin and Democrats will retake control in a major landslide.

[MineralMan]

28. So, the answer is to stay home and not elect state legislators

who will work for us instead of against us? Really? You seem to have missed the entire point of my OP.

I don't vote for Harry Reid. I voted for Al Franken, and I vote for my state legislators. Harry Reid is irrelevant in my decisions. If Harry Reid or other national Democrats do things I don't like, that does not affect my vote for candidates who are not them. If Harry Reid runs in Minnesota, then I'll have some say in his election. That's how it works. We have our own candidates in my state, and I'll bet you do in yours, too. Staying home to punish Harry Reid is just plain foolish. He's not the one who gets punished.