Those pickups should serve as a better indicator of voter sentiment than the recent Florida special congressional election, where the Republican candidate won by a mere 3% margin in a district that has sent Republicans to Congress for decades. Keep in mind that Republicans have done absolutely nothing to earn the public's trust, and are on the wrong side of every major issue. The GOP's constant obstructionism and radical posture have generated enormous baggage for them -- we just need to make sure they properly OWN it by election day.

Last edited Mon Mar 31, 2014, 09:21 PM - Edit history (1)

I did an entire post a few weeks back on how VA was THE MODEL for winning and NOT to get down in the dumps over FL 13 which leans RePUKE in most elections. In VA, the D's won narrowly last fall because they were STRONG on some key issues such as healthcare expansion, gay rights, and women's rights which activated the base, they BEAT THE CRAP out of the opponent as the RADICAL that he was, and they targeted enough of the Obama coalition voters who don't vote enough in non- presidential cycles to get them to the polls.

Yes, Dems just need to DEFINE the RePUKES as the obstructionist backwards ass nutjobs that they are, and then also have the positive affirmative message of what they will DO instead, just like in any other campaign, and then campaign HARD and GET THE
VOTE OUT.

Yes, the Dems need to do THEIR JOB in the campaign and LEAD, but we also can't fall into the corporate media trap of believing all the dire predictions and even SUPPORT it by AGREEING with it. And that is what too many on our side do. SURRENDER. WAVE THE WHITE FLAG. BUY INTO THE BULLSHIT. That is just ridiculous. No one is even paying attention to the midterms yet. There hasn't even been a campaign.

Well, this is NOT 2010, and I can tell you that in Maine we are gearing up BIGTIME for a god damned BRAWL. We are bound and determined to get every single breathing Democrat to the polls and take down this radical nutcase TeaBag governor we have and sink the Maine GOP even further into the legislative hole.

So now they have the best advice some old white guys could give them on those subjects, and . . .


How do Republicans EVER get elected? Are voters really that stupid?

Like in VA last year, Dems need to focus on some motivating issues, define the RePukes as the nuts they are, and then get enough of the voters who vote much less in non presidential years to the polls. Simple as that.

The problem in FL 13 was a lackluster candidate who in a base special election tried to court moderate indies FIRST, and THEN appeal to the base. That was the wrong strategy. She should have excited her BASE, and THEN reached out the indies. They did not do a good enough job of getting their infrequent BASE voters to the polls, and that is why they lost. Lackluster candidate who was a weak debater and a weak speaker and not targeting enough of their infrequent Obama coalition voters.

I'm with you!

But I think it's the Reps that need to worry. They have leaned so much toward the crazy I can't imagine that they could get any self-respecting voter to vote for them. They'll be the ones sitting on their asses.

But dang I'm gonna miss not having Herman Cain in their race.

I recently received a cartoon entitle something like now I understand Politics. On first glance, this just appears to be an innocuous cartoon showing big birds shitting on smaller ans smaller birds and the shit going farther and farther down on smaller and smaller birds. The caption is something about politics work this way. But if you get this cartoon, be aware it is an attempt by Teaparty or republicans to depress the vote by telling you to beliee both parties are equally guilty. I took the reply all option and sent a message stating that this was more rightly characterized as the trickle down theory and that theory has been embraced by republicans and teapartiers not ther democrats. I got nothing back from 18 of the other 19 on the list except from the democrat that sent it to be complaining of my lack of humor. I apologized but stated that although I am sorry if I bruise relations by speaking the truth I will have to continue doing so. One thing, if democrats actually want to be democrats they have to speak up. If we let our opponents successfully portay us as the same as threm, then we are pretty stupid.
I am a little sick of the clamor over the 2014 election already. What specifically bothers me is the unwillingness of democrats to group populist issues to create a clear popular message for our party in 2014. Why is it that our so called leaders cannot understand that the idea of being populist is to be popular and it is popularity that wins all elections. Why is it with our politicians, democrats and republicans, that they try to sell support for populist issues in order to raise money. They try to fragment our populist movement pretending that each idea is separate andm ust be considered so carefully and compromises must be made. The only compromises they appear to care about is the ones they can work out with rich donors to get money and still be reelected.
Populists simply believe in the country being in support of the people. We favor raising taxes on the rich, a strong social safety net for the needy, a fair path to citizenship, encouragement of people to vote, ridding our country of Gerrymandering and Citizens United, a substantial increase in the mandatory wage, healthcare for all at fair prices, education for our people, a neutral internet, an end to monopolies and prevention of new ones, energy policies which put more money and more freedom in the hands of consumers, a Department of Energy and a department of Defense and Homeland Security that work for the people rather than business interests, actual background checks and keeping guns away from those with risky behavior or criminal records.and actual truth in media. Why do they nickle and dime ups to death charging us for each an every issue as if they do us an earned service if we do not reward them for doing their jobs. Their conventional wisdom is not wisdom at all. They want to be seen as standing for nothing and then with lots of advertizing they have no liabilities and can continue to barter with usd to do what they are getting paid their salaries to do. Any time I do not hear of someone, Warren, Grayson, or Sherrod Brown , or Bernie Sanders are the exceptions, standing up for populist vales as listed above, I get angry. Please call your democratic congressmen or women and ask which populist issues listed above they do not support. If they have a great answer take it, but do not be fooled by their we all have to compromise speech. They are supposed to be your representative and if they are bartering wirth you they have already sold the value of your vote for donor money. If they support these values and are working to support them ( do not worry , all politicians will volunteer what they are doing for you without being asked) offer to volunteer to help with their reelection efforts. Everyone can do something and an hour of your time is better than a small donation.

The way we ALWAYS run a campaign in terms of: Have a strong POSITIVE message much along the lines you say. That means FIGHTING for FAIR WAGES, HEALTHCARE, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, AFFORDABLE COLLEGE, FAIR TAXATION, and JOB INVESTMENT. Simple as that. Next, have an ATTACK message. Go after the GOP HARD as the obstructionist DO-NOTHINGS that they are.

Then campaign like hell, be LOUD, and get the voters to the polls.

She's brilliant, energetic, former ACLU-Maine director, Peace Corps alumna, environmental activist, and the only Senate candidate I know of who supports marijuana legalization.

Wow, if she could take Susan Collins's seat ...

The corpo-media meme isn't to suppress the Democratic base vote, it's to do it to the casual independent voters who do get out and vote in Presidential election years. It's very difficult to motivate that kind of voter because they really don't give much of a shit in non-presidential years. So they convince that demographic and their prophecy comes true. But it does behoove the Dems to light a fire under their uninterested asses.

I've met him in my personal travels.

My journey is rather new(just a few months). WMs have a lot on their plates. I'd like to join in the procession some day. I don't have a regular work schedule, so it's tough making it to Lodge on a regular basis.

like they did from 2008 - 2010?

In 2012 they dropped to 45% from 51% 2008.

That's the group that worries me.

They want a higher minimum wage, healthcare, immigration reform, college aid, etc. etc. They support same sex marriage, and the list goes on. They are with US BIGTIME on the issues of the day. In Maine we are going after this group in a big way.