I ache in the places where I used to playAs we stand once again on the trembling verge of yet another Teabaggers threat to set fire to something irreplaceable because Barack Obama won't defund a Heritage Foundation plan to give insurance companies millions of new customers, I wonder how many people remember waaaaay back in 2010 when some of the loudest political voices on the Left were busy preaching this genius idea that the very best way to advance Liberal causes would be to withholding our votes and throw an election or two or three to the Teabaggers?
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
I'm just paying my rent every day
Oh in the Tower of Song
-- Leonard Cohen
After which, something something, Leprechauns! Riding centaurs!, something something, swoop down from the tail of Hale-Bopp and deliver us a 1000 years of peace and Single Payer health care.
People like this guy:
But I'm not giving up on this (advocating for extension of jobless benefits for long-term unemployed). And I think the best way for the 99ers (Schultz's pre-Occupy name for those without work nearly two years) to get the attention of the Congress is to form an unemployed coalition and just flat-out tell the Democrats, we're not voting in the midterm. Look, if they don't realize the seriousness of this, then they don't deserve to be in office. It's that simple. Because they are not serving the people and they're just taking the problem and passing it to the next generation. We have got unprecedented unemployment in this country and the people have to be heard. The people have to be heard! This isn't about saving anybody's congressional ass. This is about saving lives at this point. And if Harry Reid doesn't have the guts to keep the Senate in to move on this issue, in my opinion, he should not be re-elected in Nevada. I don't care who he's going up against. We'll just have to go through this generational fight and make it a lesson for the Democrats and make sure that they know that the grass-rooters are serious, that we mean business, and you gotta do it for people and if you don't, we're not going to vote!And I'm announcing today, I'm not gonna vote in the midterm. I'm not gonna do it! You can say it's un-American. No, it's rather revolutionary is what it is. I'm at that point. I'm checking out. I'm checking out of the Democrats because they are proving to me that they don't know how to handle these big babies over on the right that say no. You know what you do? You get in the driver's seat, you hit the throttle and you run over 'em. That's what you do. And the Democrats just don't have the guts to politically do that. So they have to be taught a lesson.
There was also the collective wisdom of these students of political phlogiston theory:
And, of course, this guy, who worked hard to kneecap the Democrats going into 2010, and took a few minutes to do a grave-dancing victory lap after the Teabaggers swept to power:
Because the very best way for fortunate, privileged people to make their revolution is to have less privileged, less fortunate people pay for it.
14 comments:
Some or another hysterical ninny over at dailykos.com every day and twice on Sundays. We must punish the corporate/warmongering/NSA-pandering/faux-populist Democrats by with-holding votes or by throwing in with the Greens. Once the people have tasted the horror of government by teabagger they will clamour for the pure of heart to rescue them.
Which didn't work in 1825 Russia, nor more recently in 2000 Florida, and I really don't expect to see it work in my life time.
I wonder how many people remember waaaaay back in 2010 when some of the loudest political voices on the Left were busy preaching this genius idea that the very best way to advance Liberal causes would be to withholding our votes and throw an election or two or three to the Teabaggers?
Yeah. Exactly.
The Young Turks have spent all of 2013 describing Obama as an out of control despot. They even went so far as to imply, over and over, that he personally ordered the murder of Michael Hastings. Suddenly in the past week they have discovered, once again, how dangerous and crazy the GOP is. But their analysis is half "this is really Obama's fault because he's so weak," and half "and don't forget, he drones children to death for fun."
Yeah, because the powers of the President, the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader pale in comparison to the power of some pundit in front of a camera saying stupid things. And if voters get demoralized and a crucial election is lost, we shouldn't think of blaming the defeat on the piss-poor leadership of those in power who squandered their majorities and mandate on a fruitless quest to find the mythical city of Happy Bipatisana-topia.
To be clear, I held my nose and voted for my local conserva-dem in 2010 (followed by a similar act of self-induced nasal blockage and supporting Obama in 2012) and I'm all in favor of preaching the message of practicality in our two-party system. Voting the lesser-evil is a time-honored American tradition. But when you lose a battle, blame the inept generals first and foremost.
Most of the blame should go to Harry "The Jellyfish" Ried for continually refusing to reform the filibuster, an act which, if done in 2008 when he had the chance, would have made things much easier today. Frankly, I do wonder if the Democrats would be better off if he'd lost in Nevada. Such an election result might have been a Pyrrhic Defeat for us.
Sure, not-voting doesn't work and voting 3rd party is similarly ineffective. However, let's direct our wagging fingers at those in power who make the actual decisions. The fact is, liberals have good cause to feel frustrated. We voted for "yes we can!" and got "aw, c'mon guys". And while the GOP has gone psychotic, such happens when you appease the bullies on the other side. Regardless, their psychosis would have done them no good without the filibuster.
Let's direct our energy to discussing what to do about our own party.
I just wanted to say thanks for the Lennie. Tower of Song has long been my favourite Cohen track. Who writes lyrics like that anymore? Jesus...who ever wrote lyrics like that?
You got it exactly right Mr. Glass. Most likely the Don't-Vote-Purity-Patrol did not affect the elections in 2010 (there really aren't enough of them despite the deafening noise they make with their skreeing) but they sure as fuck didn't help anything and I'm really sick and tired of their anguish and despair over not getting all their ponies.
DeistPaladin,
You want things fixed? Quitcherbitchin' and DO SOMETHING.
You are the problem, not them.
@deist
If you were surprised to get "aw, c'mon guys" but expected "yes we can" then you really weren't paying attention.
@Marindenver
I agree we need to be realistic and sometimes vote the lesser evil but don't make light of liberal frustration. We don't want ponies. We want representatives that won't cave in at the drop of a hat. Right now, I'd be delighted with a hardline moderate party instead of the milquetoast moderate party.
@Damian
As I see it, the first step is a proper diagnosis (the "bitchin" you refer to). We have a Democrat Party that is drifting rightward, chasing after the elusive "center".
The second step is something I'm open to suggestions on. These suggested actions need to be more helpful than "buck up" and "stop whining" (great moment in leadership prior to the elections of 2010). Let's put real ideas on the table.
@Blader
You got me there. I was suffering from wishful thinking in 2008. I think I can be excused after the ordeal of the W years. I'd sobered up by 2012 but voted for Obama anyway and encouraged everyone else to do so. In 2008, it was "yes we can". In 2012, it was "lesser evil, whatya gonna do".
Damian is drinking some Frank Luntz KoolAid ... the term is "Democratic" party.
Just saying.
Anon @9:24, I assume you meant DeistPaladin is doing so, given that he's the one that said it.
Oh, and DP? Your right-wing-ism is showing.
But there's hope. You're here. I suggest you listen to the guy who runs this fucking site since he's already given you those suggestions you ask for. If you were paying attention rather than looking for your next chance to chant the Both Sideser mantra you'd know that.
@Damian
What are you babbling about?
@Damian: The idea that any criticism of the Democratic Party as it currently operates (AKA "Hey, let's just keep doing what isn't working and what has never worked!") is the same as the Both Siderism of the Beltway media, really is co-dependent Kool-Aid drinking of the rankest sort. Seriously.
@Mister Roboto
Ah, Damian's an Obama-bot. That explains it.
Before anyone flies off the handle, no, DG is not one. I use that label with reservation and it means something very specific.
An Obama-bot is someone who holds Obama above any criticism and will accuse any critic of being a traitor to the liberal cause or caucusing with the right wing.
To the O-bot, Obama is perfect, virtually an angel, and any time he fails, it's only because we didn't love or support him enough. Any liberals who are disappointed are just whiny brats who didn't get their pet unicorn that Obama never promised. And they're traitors. And they're secretly allied with the right wing.
DG, if I've understood him correctly, is just practical. He's willing to criticize Obama (*gasp*). Obama has spent too much energy trying to reason with unreasonable people. That said, the voters have two choices and the GOP needs to be kept out of power, no matter how disappointing Dems may be. It's a view I share.
I'd just like to have a serious discussion about what we can do about it without shrill O-bots accusing me of treason to the liberal cause.
@DeistPaladin
This post may not add much to the discussion, but just express how I feel about this issue.
I was pretty much yelled once by the host of a chat (where I've met DG on Saturdays) because I called Obama "Cave In Chief". He went ape-shit on me with "Tell that to those that..." And I'm sorry, didn't want to be a nuisance either, but the fact is that he has caved more than once trying to get that bipartisan agreement utopia. I find it annoying when people either go to the extreme of comparing Obama with Hitler or the oh-so-loyal O-bots go around being, well, robots. It often frustrates me to find anything that is not so biased against one side or the other, I want to get myself educated but, I can't trust just anyone. Nothing will change my opinion of the teabaggers, they are freaking lunatics, anything I read about or by them depresses me. That said, I have a hard time trying to educate myself to have an informed opinion about the Dem's and the non-lunatic Rep's
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