January 5, 2010 :: Permalink

Aloha Kolea ~
HaHa! What humor you write, The disenchantment is widespread. You seem to want to 'shoot the messenger' for daring to pass word to the commander in chief that the people are disappointed and unlikely to do the heavy lifting needed to win elections in 2010.

Heavy lifting? Iranians fill the streets ... thousands of Afghan university students demonstrate against U.S. strikes ... closer to home tea-baggers shout down civil discussions in local venues.

Democrats??? Democrats??? They're pissed; they're disenchanted; they vow to sit out the 2010 elections - in protest (which ensures those who failed America will soon return to power; which ensures their president will have even less power for the remainder of his term; which increases the probability that nuts like Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck might become the next president).

That's some serious fight in dem Progressive Democrats! Republicans extend you a huge MAHALO for your enlightened strategy.

Where were the local or national Democrats when Joe Lieberman gutted health care reform? Where were they when Bill Nelson inserted stronger language to prohibit women's reproductive rights?

From the article, Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan and not fight for a government-run public option in healthcare reform, among other moves, has upset many on the left.

Boo-hoo ... many on the left are upset - yet they do nothing (except sit in front of their computers and post nasty blog entries, which scares politicos greatly). FILL THE STREETS WITH YOUR ANGER!

This gets media's attention. They want blood - if it bleeds it leads. Nobody is threatened by bloggers expressing their disenchantment. We surely aren't Crashing the Gate.

Democrats, locally or nationally, don't have the courage or will to fight. They'll complain - sit out the next election in protest - knowing even that such a strategy hurts their own cause in the long run.

Smarter political activists would recognize we go to political war with the president we have. This is not a question of loyalty ... it's a matter of knowing how to win. Take a step today. Declare victory - because any health care reform would be better than that accomplished by Bush, Clinton, Reagan, etc., back to Teddy Roosevelt.

Smart political activists take every small reform they can get and sell it ... market it to the public ... as a major victory. They use this capital to increase their progressive margins in the next election. With this greater political capital - and votes - they continue to push measures further along. Incremental democratic politics ... patience, persistence and finally perfection.

Progressive Democrats don't get this. They want it all now or they take their ball and go home. Conservatives NEVER give up ... Rush Limbaugh NEVER gives up ... they want lower taxes (got it to middle class destruction). They want abortion banned (women's rights continue to decrease). They want to lock us into foreign entanglements and squeeze social programs (Democrats shut public school doors - too afraid to raise a needed tax or borrow from rainy day funds).

Similar to you I voted for Hillary Clinton in the primary. I believed she was tougher than Barack and thought she would better manage the hate-filled Right. Barack made it clear he wanted to seek reconciliation. I saw then, and see now, little use in trying to reach across the isle to people intent on destroying America - by destroying the middle class.

Yet here are the facts ... Barack Obama does not have the votes in the Senate to push BOLD reforms through Congress. You and other Democrats blame him - rather than kick out the Blue Dogs and DINOs.

This is typical of the poor as well of liberals - blaming others rather than doing the heavy lifting themselves - yet this is why the RICH remain rich. This is why conservatives rightly scold liberals ... as liberals are too willing to delegate responsibility to others.

FILL the streets with protest ... try this for once. Stand behind this great man and demand more. Send ten million Democrats to Washington and remain there until you have a public option - or an exit from Afghanistan.

Contrast my recommendation with the strategy of Progressive Democrats: if you don't get it in gear, we're going to wave nasty signs at you and sit out the next election.

I do not have to "shoot the messenger" - Progressive Democrats are doing a rather fine job all by themselves.

BTW, I'm writing from planet Pandora ...

A*L*O*H*A