The Dem leadership should resign now and pass the torch

http://www.smdp.com/article/articles/490/1/SOAP-BOX

>snip

In 2004, John Kerry narrowly carried every age group in the five key battleground states — Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Nevada and New Mexico — except for “Generation Jones.” Generation Jones covers those born during the end of the baby boom, or at the beginning of Generation X who came of age during the Carter and/or Reagan presidencies. Kerry would be president today were it not for the fact that Generation Jones voters, also known as “Jonesers,” overwhelmingly supported President Bush by margins of 9 to 19 percent in those key states.

Jonesers’ political views were shaped by Reagan’s success, Carter’s failures and the fact that Republicans constantly reminded them of both throughout the Reagan-Bush era. Today we forget the fact that the Republicans so effectively stigmatized the Democrats with the failures of the Carter administration that it was only after the passage of 20 years that the former president was permitted to address his own party’s convention.

Throughout their voting lives, Jonesers have seen vertebrally challenged Democrats dodge fight after fight and respond to the Republicans’ success by abandoning the word “liberal,” embracing the death penalty and ducking any fight over gay rights. During the Bush administration alone, Democrats have rolled over like lap dogs on Iraq, tax cuts and bankruptcy “reform,” and then failed to effectively respond to the Swift Boat Veterans’ smear campaign in the 2004 race. It does not matter how many wars or weapons programs the Democrats support or war heroes they nominate, Jonesers will never trust them to defend their country if they continue to lack the courage or will to stand up to the Republicans and defend themselves

Andrew Jackson once said that “one man with courage makes a majority.” If Democrats listened to Jackson more and their pollsters less they might solve their Generation Jones problem. “Letting Democrats be Democrats,” could make the difference between another long season and this finally being the Democrats’ year.
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I support Murtha to finally become a Dem leader with balls. Throw the rest of the bums out. I am tired of throwing oatmeal at the Reich-wing instead of bricks and sledgehammers. I am tired of Reid capitulating, Boxer stuttering, and the DLC deciding. Get new blood in who wants to fight the Thuglies toe to toe or move on and do something else. This "next time" bullshit is over. There is no next time in our future.

And Reid, Boxer and the rest are doing just fine in my opinion, though I agree some others should stand up a bit more often.

But I'll be damned if I call my fellow democrats bums, especially when so many of them are fighting tirelessly for what is right and doing the best they can in the poisonous environment they are currently in.

against anything the Reich throws up. Tirelessly dragging us down is more like it. When was the las time he appeared ANYWHERE on TV where it counts to voice our side of the story? His media effectiveness is non-existent.

They may have sucumbed to dening the liberal label, but all polls show they are more inclined to support gay rights. As to bankruptcy and tax cuts, I think it depends a lot on your income level than age.

except for Reid, sorry but I thik he lacks the presence. We need someone who seems sincere, and I don't believe that reid comes off as that very often.

I've been suggesting him to as many people as will listen for some time now...

I have always felt that the Democratic leadership's lack of nerves to stand for the principles of the party portrayed the very weakness that they so fervently want to avoid. It is a shame that they will rather hope that by 'triangulation' of the issues people will prefer their positions - which most times turn out to be no position at all. The rethugs having experienced the Clinton era triangulation have wised up to that and will not let Dems capture the issues high grounds so easily.
If Democrats cannot put across strong messages that effective appeal to their rank and file and then work to convince non democrats, then we will be lost in this political miasma for a long while.

Supports the death penalty, A+ NRA, 0 NARAL, voted for bankruptcy reform, has a mixed record on civil rights, trade and the environment. I am tired of people jumping on the latest hero-worshipping bandwagon without doing any sort of research on the person they're supporting. And now Markos is spouting some sort of Libertarian Democrat garbage after bashing Democrats for years for not reclaiming the liberal label. And gives support to the DLCer Warner. :crazy: Then there's the ones who throw Tester and Angelides in the same pot, that's just friggin' hysterical, as are the ones trying to throw Murtha in that pot with them. They're all 3 as different as they can be.

Let Democrats be Democrats? Okay, fine. But Greens aren't Democrats any more than Zell Miller is.

speaking for us right now. NO ONE IN THE MSM or middle Amurka pays attention to Boxer or Reid, I am sorry. And they make NO effort to have their voices heard to counteract the Reich drumbeat.

Oh and now Markos spits garbage? Get real. Go back to sleep and enjoy another 12 years of Puke rule.

it's all about the M O N E Y today