pushing Democrats off the cliff

it's clear to anyone on DU that the republicans are now controlled by an extremist agenda ... no surprises there ... the problem for Democrats, however, has been their not-very-pragmatic (i.e. losing) response to republican tactics ... Democrats seem so AFRAID of how republicans will paint them, that they just aren't acting like themselves anymore ...

let's look at 3 examples of right-wing, neo-con-trolling ideology and see how the Democratic Party, especially the DLC, has responded.

1. Corporate welfare and the corporate interference in our government. Instead of making the case that mega-corporations have totally co-opted the levers of power in Washington, Democrats look for less bold, wonkier strategies on campaign finance reform and have virtually no agenda at all on paid lobbyists ... we just saw an election with record spending ... to quote some songwriter guy: "money doesn't talk it swears" ... the problem is that Democrats are AFRAID of being tagged by republicans as "anti-business" ... hint: we can favor policies to encourage commerce without allowing powerful corporations to corrupt our democracy ...

2. A government of, for and by the wealthy. Super wealthy Americans have seen an America where the top 1% grow richer and richer and the bottom 50% get poorer and poorer ... America's middle class is disappearing ... well, actually it's being systematically destroyed by right-wing policies and America's poor have lost most of their safety net ... Democrats should seek policies that ensure a reasonable standard of living for every American ... the problem is, Democrats are AFRAID to acknowledge that we have been in a class war whether we like it or not ... hint: we can oppose the destruction of the American middle class and support a safety net for America's poor without worrying about being labeled by republicans as tax and spend Socialists.

3. runaway militarism both in terms of spending and in terms of the abusive use of the American military. the Pentagon budget has soared past the $400 billion mark ... we've spent over $200 billion in Iraq ... and all the neo-con-trollers want is more, more, more ... Democrats should seek a military policy that de-emphasizes extravagant weapons systems that do little but line the pockets of the military-industrial complex ... we can already blow up the entire planet and have enough "firecrackers" left over to host a really neat July 4th bash for many years to come ... runaway defense spending is not making America stronger; it's making us weaker ... strength is not only derived from weapons systems ... it's derived from solid alliances built on respect for our values and our conduct in the world ... it's derived from a resilient economy that's built on an educated populace ... Democrats should emphasize the "personnel" side of building our armed forces ... faster, more mobile, better trained, more flexible forces are what's needed; not exorbitant hardware ... the problem is that Democrats are AFRAID of being labeled by the republicans as soft on defense ... hint: we can promote policies that genuinely make America safer and stronger without playing the DLC's "macho" game ... safety is the goal; not the illusion of strength ...

the Democratic Party has abandoned many of the values its members hold dear ... perhaps abandoned is not the right word ... perhaps elected Democrats still believe in many of these traditional Democratic Party ideas ... perhaps the problem is that they are AFRAID of losing the debate because of the republicans' powerful spin machine and their control of the MSM ... the problem with that view, of course, is that its advocates are letting the republicans "push Democrats off the cliff" ... they don't allow us to make the best arguments to best serve the American people; instead, Democrats play it safe for perceived political security ... it's a losing strategy and it's time to unleash an all out firestorm against republican tyranny ... go with a bold and powerful vision and the American people will respond ... there's a malaise in America ... we have lost our way as a country once founded on an idealistic dream ... until the Democrats declare all out war, embrace the mantle of change, and call for a renewal of our democracy, the darkness will remain ...

If we oppose them we oppose what is "right" and we are not willing to stand up for the opposite which is "wrong" so we try to be more like them so we don't seem so "bad". We should be able to oppose the "white male system" and do so proudly it's the wave of the future.

that's right ... everything is either black or white ... the republican extremists try to paint the Democrats as extremists ... we support a social safety net so we're Socialists ... we want to impose reasonable constraints on corporate power so we're anti-business ...

the "push Democrats off the cliff" game has forced Democrats to stand in unsafe places ... it's been a very effective strategy because Democrats are afraid to stand a little nearer to the edge where the truth lies because of the erroneous fear they will be pushed off ... it makes Democrats believe that if they don't stand in the middle, they might get pushed over the edge ...

It's also important to realize that the moderate republicans are being replaced as well. Its' either go along with the radical right or get pushed out of politics. A prime way of doing this, and it has worked well in previously "moderate" republican states, is the dissolution of primary elections. The ruse is that it saves the state a lot of money, which is true but not the primary purpose. The republican caucus can then replace the moderate republican with a fundamentalist, and this is what is happening all over the country. So, come election time, a high percentage of people vote a straight ticket and...

welcome to DU, Biology !!!

i agree with your point about the alienation of moderate republicans ...

the question is, can Democrats look for any support from them while they (i.e. moderate republicans) still hold office?

i'm concerned that Democrats will continue to pursue moderate republicans by "moving to the center" (or by moving further to the right) ... i think a better way to appeal to republican moderates, and i do believe a possibility exists to attract them, is to call for a return to the democratic ideals upon which the country was founded ... no "real" American should condone the loss of freedom and democracy we've seen ... and no self-respecting moderate republican should continue to tolerate the budget abuses a republican controlled Congress and a republican controlled White House have heaped on the American people ... if i'm not mistaken, i think there's some Democrat running around saying "you can't trust republicans with your money" ...

it's not a bad pitch ...