There are two overarching megaissues that, it seems to me, allow the shitstorm to swirl unabated.

[Stinky The Clown]

Campaign finance reform.

An out of control, malevolent media.

I think if these were fixed, our system of governance would return to more democratic ways. Unfortunately, I think we have a better chance at real socialized medicine than we do at fixing either of these.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. If nothing else, those would be two great places to start.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. I think if just one of them were fixed we'd be on the road to better times

[rhett o rick]

3. I agree completely Stinky. Sorry to say. Not a chance to fix either I am afraid. nm

[quakerboy]

4. So what do we do?

[Lorien]

6. We could organize action through the DU activist corps (is it still there?) to tell

our reps that we want campaign finance bills and a return of the fairness doctrine. But that would mean taking ACTION, not just posting on this board. Without a leader on TV telling people what to do the outlook isn't good.

[tavalon]

7. Do you really think we only hang out on this board?

We are the activist corp of the Democratic party, otherwise known as the fucking retards. We call, we write, we used to volunteer for campaigns, including President Obama's. We also post to a political message board to keep ourselves somewhat sane. This is the pressure release valve, nothing more.

[Lorien]

13. I've been here a long time, I've tried to organize many an action

but only the same tiny handful ever respond. Just look at how many responses this OP got. Yes, MANY (but not all) DUers just hang out on this board and kvetch. If it takes more than two clicks of their mouse to "do" something they'll pass. I sincerely wish this weren't the case, but historically our party has been terribly disorganized. Having no unified message or ideology hasn't helped.

[rhett o rick]

10. We keep fighting. Be active in local Demo organizations. Work with an organization

outside the Party, like PDA, DFA, or moveon, to get progressives elected. DO NOT SUPPORT THE DLC,DCCC,DNC as these are arms of the Democratic Party machine that spits on progressives.

Keep the email, letter and phone call pressure on current Congress-critters.

The Frank Factor has some ideas also.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. They get to the "good" ones elected. My Congressman ran as an anti-war progressive and he is

truly a rock and roll star, John Hall.

When he got to DC, Rahm got his claws into him the first day he arrived. John was one of the members of the Progressive Caucus who voted no on the resolution to get out of Afghanistan and he has voted to fund both wars. I would bet even money that he's going to vote yes for the pos health insurance bill.

It is also odd that John ran virtually unopposed the last times and had ads on tv almost 24/7...... this was a GOP district before he won it.

[Lorien]

5. Yep, though the problems with the media started with the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine

and I know, I know-the post Reagan Dems think that breaking up the media will solve it all and the Fairness Docrine-as Rush Limbaugh has explained to them-curbs free speech. Nonsense to both. Breaking up the media, though a fine thing to do, will just lead to DIFFERENT conservative corporate fat cats owning it. There are plenty of banks, but none of them are regulating themselves.

As for free speech, let's make it simple: with the fairness Doctrine the right, left and middle all had microphones. Now only the right and center right hold megaphones; the left doesn''t even have a platform to speak from.

These are the two major issues, but until the corporate media TELLS people that they are issues no one will pay attention to either. and we all know how soon that will happen.

[MrScorpio]

8. Right on, Clown My Man

Right on

[starroute]

9. You can't fix just one because they're completely entangled

Campaigns used to be relatively cheap when it was just a matter of some lapel buttons and ads in the local newspapers. But starting around the time of the Kennedy-Nixon debates, television came to be perceived as the the overriding factor in determining elections.

And television ads are ridiculously expensive -- meaning that candidates have to raise obscene amounts of money. That very little can get done in an election year because they've got their eyes on fundraising and not offending potential donors. And that corporate money has been more and more able to buy elections.

It also means that the media themselves have been handed an unseemly amount of power to make or break candidates -- leading to their current arrogance and politicization.

And it's set us up for the hideous effects of Citizens United.

But nothing can be done without attacking the problem at the root -- and that root is the power of television itself to determine elections.

[hvn_nbr_2]

11. Bingo and bingo! nt

[GoCubsGo]

12. Exactly right.

Both, but especially the media need to be fixed. If it were used to educate people, instead of brainwashing them with lie after lie, this country would be in fine shape. Unfortunately, our out-of-control media is owned by the same people who own our politicians, so I don't expect improvements on either of them any time soon.