I guess the most discouraging thing is the growing realization that my party

is much smaller than I thought it was.

The group I stand with is opposed by all the Republicans and half--or maybe more than half--of the Democrats. The most optimistic interpretation would be to imagine that most of them are paralyzed by fear, or demoralized into helpless apathy or something, but I think it's worse They're imagining a half-assed, insurance industry-friendly variety of health care "coverage." They're perfectly happy with the consequences of NAFTA. They want to keep those big corporate donations rolling in. They really don't want election reform. They couldn't give less of a shit about the poor, the downtrodden, the middle class. They don't really care if the war goes on. They don't really care about the erosion of civil rights, about FISA. Maybe they even like those things. If it weren't for DU and my local Democratic Party I'd think I was all alone in the world in my disgust.

:rant:

With all its rewards for the top executives, that is what we will have.

I can't figure out how it is that we started two wars in the space of six months, one of which we did not need. Yet half the Dems here blather on that we need to think about health care and maybe over decades we will have it.

only with me its the local Democratic Committee. They wouldn't even support Kerry in any way in 2004, and said point blank that they wouldn't vote for "a Yankee because none of them like guns." Which shows how ignorant and stupid they are! Luckily, there's DU and the local anti-war group.

I live in Nick Lampson's district. He defeated Tom DeLay. And I cant stand the way he is voting, BUT, I have the opportunity to talk with him.

And my club is going to.

How can we help. I keep believing that some day people will get it through their heads that we have to have a coordinated campaign that we can duplicate, district by district. Those of us in blue districts can only provide support to those in the district doing the fighting. But we need to know what moves voters to change to get some of these votes to change. If there are things you want to do but don't have the money for, maybe we can ban together and help.

There's the party of the Owners and the party of the Rest Of Us.

Oddly enough, even though the Rest Of Us outnumber the Owners, our party has essentially NO representation in our government. This is an imbalance that desperately calls for an overhaul of the System.

Unfortunately, far too many of the Rest Of Us are willing to play along with the charade that the party of the Owners throws every two years to fool the Rest Of Us into thinking that voting for Them will effect change.

Until the Rest Of US recognize who the two parties REALLY are -- and that it has NOTHING to do with Ds or Rs, we will continue to lose and lose big.

sw

When the revolution comes.

:smoke:

:cry:

It was posted earlier today I saved it, its not a solution but gives rational prospective of our situation (takes the Bogey man out of the closet) sunlight somehow diminishes fear.
http://www.storyofstuff.com/ gota be patient.

K&R

My nose is becoming much more tender and resistant to further punishment.

I also ran out of excuses

The big money is in keeping te war going. The route to power and campaign financing lies through keeping the big money people happy.

K&R

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Editing the OP is just WRONG.

The edit was only to add the little rant thingie.

How do you HONESTLY know that half the Democrats dont' care about poverty? Truly.. how do you really know what's in people's hearts? Or are you basing this on who doesn't support your candidate of choice? HOw can you lump everyone together like that? It's quite unfair to assume and preach that millions of people don't care about the poor, don't care about health coverage, without actually knowing that's true.

Save your handwringing.

One of the biggest fault lines in the party is the one between the "activists" and the professional politicians. I got no particular problems with the activists.

Thanks, SW. I hadn't identified that misunderstanding; thought we were both talking about the same "they."

And BTW congrats on that latest DUzy. I was most happy to facilitate. (I was gonna say "be your straight man" but had second thoughts about giving you the opening.) :P

from hers.

It never once occurred to me, when reading your OP, that you were referring to anything BUT the "professional politicians". Yet, for someone like progressivebydesign, the word "Democrats" invokes her OWN identity -- hence her objection, which is perfectly understandable when seen from that angle.

So, it was a small epiphany of sorts to realize that how far removed I have become from feeling any sort of group identity with "Democrats". This, after a lifetime of readily and proudly calling myself a Democrat. It's a shift that has occurred unconsciously and gradually, over the past few years of political activism.

You wrote: 'One of the biggest fault lines in the party is the one between the "activists" and the professional politicians.' Indeed. It is precisely that split which has pushed me to where I am now: so far outside of identifying with the Party that it takes a conscious effort to remember what that once meant.

Thank you for the congratulations -- I, of course, owe it all to you. As for your second thoughts: I'm shocked, SHOCKED, I tell you, that you would impute such a profane turn of mind to a pure and chaste soul such as myself.

:P
sw

(edited for superfluous word in subject line)

That's what's meant by "rant."

If their level of resistance to the Administration was the greatest in 50 years, it makes little sense to say they're caving in.

"President Bush's success rating in the Democratic-controlled House has fallen this year to a half-century low, and he prevailed on only 14 percent of the 76 roll call votes on which he took a clear position.

"So far this year, Democrats have backed the majority position of their caucus 91 percent of the time on average on such votes. That marks the highest Democratic unity score in 51 years."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1728952&mesg_id=1728952
http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002576765.html

Don't let the media rhetoric fool you. The Democrats have acquitted themselves quite well--especially given their bare majority in both houses, and a relentlessly obstructionist Republican minority.

Hell, I could never figure out why the Dixiecrats stayed with us through the FDR years, for that matter.

lobbyists rule our once great nation....lobbyists don't give a flying fuck about you or I

i think the republican/democrat names mean nothing anymore...like a dodge or ford, it's just another car.....just another politician

And if they don't, oh well. America will get what it deserves.

I think that we will have another 4, 8, 12, or 16 years of continued neo-con rule.

I don't know that the left will ever get a shot to lead, but I will be there waiting when it does.

So stay the course and have courage my friend. Eventually we will get a chance to show the world what we are made of.