In the aftermath of the loss of the Senate seat for the Democrats in Massachusetts, this is what is going to happen next (and I encourage you all to bookmark this post so in a few months when the Democrats get their asses handed to them in the mid term elections you can see how correct I am):
The Democrats will move rightward, which will be a huge mistake. They'll listen to the pundits like Bill Kristol, who has been wrong about everything, who will tell anyone who will listen to him that the Democrats need to become more like Republicans to win. All the talking heads at FOX Noise will bray and snort that the Dems need to be more conservative, when in fact they need to do the opposite.
People in this country are crying out for two (or more) distinct political parties that have different positions on the issues and challenges facing our country today. We want actual differences in the Republicans and the Democrats. But what the Democrats give us in times like this is a party that is Republican Lite. They think that they'll garner votes by tilting to the right. But that only accomplishes pissing off the liberal and progressive base who will decide to sit out the election rather than elect someone who is not really a liberal Democrat.
So the national Democratic party will listen to the pundits, move rightward, piss off the liberal base, and then what happens next? The Republicans win a majority in the Congress and they make Obama's life a living hell and probably try to impeach him like they did Clinton.
This kind of thing happened in the aftermath of Reagan's landslide victory in 1984 and again in the mid term elections of 1994. Harry Reid, who is the worst Democratic majority leader in my lifetime, and Nancy Pelosi do not remember the past so they are condemned to repeat it. And honestly, to them, having a majority is not important, what's important to them is getting re-elected so they can stay in their cushy jobs and suckle at the teat of government while helping out their pals in big business. They're just a little less obvious about it than the Republicans are.
Mark my words, if the Democrats don't move LEFT and become more progressive, they're going to lose in 2010 and most likely 2012 as well.
5 comments:
As long as Rahm Emmanuel (the man who never met a Blue Dog he didn't love) is Obama's right hand man, the Democrats are going to continue to sink. Howard Dean built the party up by dragging it leftward; Rahm is determined to undo all that and drag it back towards being Republican lite -- and if voters want Republicans, they'll vote for the real thing, not the half-hearted imitation.
Move left? How about they move from the right to the center for starters?
This is the biggest bunch of mealy mouthed misfits in history.
Fuck 'em.
I've been a liberal since the '60s and I can't believe this whole fucking thing. Agree with all the sentiments expressed here. It's a good thing I still have a bunch of Percocets left over from my last kidney stone.
Totally true, well said. I have no faith they will figure this out, either.
Agreed, 100%.
People in the US (all New World people are "Americans", by the way -- just ask a Costa Rican or a Nicaraguan if you don't believe me) are feckin' idjits. And the Democratic establishment are the leaders of that particular pack.
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