The Teabaggers are forcing the GOP to move further and further right.

[Curmudgeoness]

We all see this. What has been bothering me all day is: Why is it that the liberal Democrats are unable to move the Democratic party even a centimeter toward the left. We can see that the teabaggers are not the brightest bulbs on the tree, but still, they have a lot of power in the GOP at this point in time. We cannot be dumber than they are. (We just can't be!)

So....what is it that they are doing right, or we are doing wrong? Is it just that they are more aggressive? More organized? More vocal? Is that all it takes?

I want to feel as if I have a voice in the direction my party is going. I want my party to move to the left. And I want to find a way to initiate this. And I am disgusted that a bunch of nutcases are able to do a better job than we can to move this country in their direction.

[OHdem10]

1. More organized, more agressive and more vocal

[Curmudgeoness]

2. So why aren't we? We should take a lesson from their playbook.

We can't do worse than we are doing now.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. on a very visceral level I agree, but then,

what is it exactly that separates us from the homo-erectus, cro-magnon, and neanderthals that make up the current clan of GOP Tea baggers?

Rational thought, the ability to weigh evidence, the open eyes, ears, and mind approach, the idea that individuals should all be treated with a basic baseline of respect, and,
no matter how deluded, confused, and misinformed they are, there might be hope that they recover from their willful ignorance.

[quaker bill]

12. and more effective

There are now roughly 100 of them in the House.

[happy feet]

3. They're advocating on behalf of the status quo

for chrissakes. They're advocating on behalf of the rich and powerful. It's a lot easier for them.

Stop beating yourself up. It usually takes mass movements to gain anything going the other way. That's the way it is. I wish we would stop comparing ourselves to them.

We are not them.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. From what you are saying, I am getting "we can't do anything

to move the Democratic party". I realize that we are not them. Thank god we are not them. But damn it, how can they be successful?

Much of what I see of their policies is not at all status quo. Lower taxes to all time lows goes against the status quo. Destroy SS, Medicare, and Medicaid, which have been in existence for decades is against the status quo. It seems to me that we are the ones who are trying to hold on to the status quo.

[LiberalAndProud]

5. Koch dollars. They've got 'em and we don't.

I wish we chould throw a few billion at the populist movement and see what could happen.

[Curmudgeoness]

7. Sadly, I suppose that this is the best explanation to it.

What a crock of shit this all is! I hate that it all just comes down to money.

[TheKentuckian]

8. The Democratic party is also pushing the Republicans to the right by constantly

seeking compromise with them, adopting traditional Republican policy positions, failing to consistently call them on to the carpet for their madness.

Why can't the left move the Democratic party? We don't have insider party strategists providing structure, we do not have massive corporate dollars financing a movement, we do not have a propaganda network supported by the corporate MSM to aggressively push a message, we do not have a party receptive to moving toward it's ideological base, we are not willing to lose (even in the short term), we have a significant percentage of ideological compromisers from the tip top to the street, and we are are more concerned more about civility than our issues and more worried about being the adults in the room than the world our children will inherit.

Also, our leaders are owned by the same fucks that run the opposition.

[MedleyMisty]

9. It's okay

There's enough Americans who won't accept fascism that we will be forced to move to the left by revolution - not armed revolt, for people who can't conceive of anything else (and my god that would be insane against the most-funded military in the world), but peaceful revolution.

The revolutionary chatter is really picking up, on here and on Twitter and in more mainstream places - I remember the Wisconsin farmers mentioning the second American revolution somewhere in their statements about supporting the unions.

If they keep pushing, there will be massive pushback. It's already beginning - occupation of state capitols, of schools, of banks. There are protests happening nearly all the time. Of course you wouldn't know that if you still depend on the propaganda arm of the state for news, but if you look around online for it you'll find it.

Wisconsin's already organized and mobilized and aware. If Walker tries to introduce that financial martial law there, it could blow up. I think that might move them to actually at least consider perhaps thinking about a general strike.

Plenty of people are using financial means to push back - taking their money out of the big banks and moving it to smaller credit unions, shopping local, boycotting corporations, etc.

It's building. It is. And the harder they push, the more it builds. If the Democratic party won't move left and won't fight for the American people, the American people are quite willing to do it themselves.

[Curmudgeoness]

14. But I see the Tea Party movement as a revolution of sorts.

And it is also not an armed revolution. It is doing what we are not. And should be/have to be.

I do admit that you are right about the unions and union supporters countering this teabag revolution. Maybe there is hope.

[walldude]

10. Forcing?

Nope. The Republicans are grateful for the help.

[Curmudgeoness]

16. Some Repubs are grateful, but I think that many of the old school

Republicans are not pleased with this ultra-conservative swing. I could be wrong. Probably am. The more I think about how not one of them in office today is speaking out against the hard-nose tactics and regressive policies, the more I think you are right.

Oh well, never mind.

[walldude]

18. Well you have a point but I think there are just so few

left from the "old school" that any that are there just have to shut up if they want money to get re-elected.

I remember someone, maybe it was Kennedy talking about Barry Goldwater and saying yeah I hate the guys policies but I love having a beer with him at the end of the day. That is what is gone from politics. Civility. Now it's all name calling and bullshit. It's like the third grade has taken over Washington...

[Terra Alta]

11. The Tea Party is bankrolled by billionaires.

Specifically, the Koches. It isn't a grassroots movement, far from it in fact. Without the backing of the Koch brothers the Tea Party would have been DOA.

We need some billionaires of our own.. maybe someone can convince Soros to start a progressive movement? That's the only way we'll be able to beat the Teabaggers at their own game.

[quaker bill]

13. Go ahead, put 100 committed Progressives in the House

then make the comparison. Then it would at least be apples to apples.

[Curmudgeoness]

15. My wet dream. nt

[leftygolfer]

17. We need to collectively wake up

I feel like I'm in a nightmare and am waiting for someone to nudge my shoulder to wake me.