The Democrats' Political Suicide - Explains EXACTLY why the Democratic Party has become

[whereisjustice]

irrelevant to the middle class and below. For those who know the truths below are self-evident, KEEP UP THE FIGHT against the right wing DNC and Third Way! We see what they have created and it is a giant fucking mess.

One, alienate your core constituencies. That includes reneging on a pledge to help the trade unions; launch a campaign of vilification against school teachers -- from kindergarten through college; attack civil liberties protections; commit to reductions in Social Security and Medicare; stiff the environmentalists. In short, do to them in a calculated way what a Republican president would do instinctively.

Two, curry favor with your party's traditional enemies: Wall Street, Big Pharma, the Christian Right, the energy and industrial agriculture trusts. That has the dual effect of blunting your message and blurring your image while emboldening the objects of your favors to demand even more.

Three, permit the Republicans in Congress to exploit to the fullest their irresponsible tactics by never denouncing them for what they are or moving to challenge them on their own electoral turf. As a corollary, go along with the coy designation of the Tea Party controlled radical reactionary Republican Party as self-styled "conservatives."

Four, enable the Republicans to shape public discourse by monopolizing the airways and media. Democratic silence, timidity, defensiveness and evasion have given the Republicans the free run of the playing field. On this score, the party's leadership has been abject -- the president above all. Endless visits to daytime TV shows to schmooze about nothing in particular undercut respect for the presidency, neutralize the advantage of the incumbency and motivate the public to tune out or denigrate important messages. Mr. Obama seems oblivious to the obvious truth that most of the country stopped paying attention to what he says years ago.

(...)

What next? The first signs are discouraging. The noises coming out of the punditocracy, think tanks, media and the Clinton entourage suggest that the same blinkered views that have brought the Democratic Party low are being reinforced. Some of this phenomenon can be understood as sheer intellectual laziness among the inbred Washington elites. Some expresses the self-interest of those who long have reconciled themselves to a status quo that has placed them among the country's privileged and keeps threats to their sinecures at a distance. This is not the age of conviction or empathy. The psychology of cognitive dissonance reinforces these dispositions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-brenner/democrats-political-suicide_b_6133762.html
Michael Brenner - Senior Fellow the Center for Transatlantic Relations, SAIS-Johns Hopkins (Washington, D.C.) Author of numerous books, and over 60 articles and published papers. Recent works on American foreign policy and the Middle East are "Fear & Dread In The Middle East", and "Democracy Promotion & Islam". He also has written "Nuclear Power and Non-Proliferation" (Cambridge University Press) and "The Politics of International Monetary Reform" for the Center For International Affairs at Harvard. His work has appeared in major journals in the United States and Europe, such as Europe’s World, European Affairs, World Politics, Comparative Politics, Foreign Policy, International Studies Quarterly, International Affairs, Survival, Politique Etrangere, and Internationale Politik. Directed funded research projects with colleagues at leading universities and institutes in Britain, France, Germany and Italy, including the Sorbonne, Bonn University, King’s College – London, and Universita di Firenze. Invited lecturer at major universities and institute in the United States and abroad, including Georgetown University, UCLA, the National Defense University, the State Department, Sorbonne, Ecole des Sciences Politiques, Royal Institute of International Affairs, International Institute of Strategic Studies, University of London, German Council on Foreign Relations, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Italian Institute of International Affairs. Previous teaching and research appointments at Cornell, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Brookings Institution, University of California – San Diego, and Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the National Defense University.

[belzabubba333]

1. enable the Republicans to shape public discourse by monopolizing the airways and media.

enable the Republicans to shape public discourse by monopolizing the airways and media. Democratic silence, timidity, defensiveness and evasion have given the Republicans the free run of the playing field. On this score, the party's leadership has been abject --
then
people vote for democratic policies then elect the very person who has said these things wont happen or stay home b/c of one lame excuse after another

[world wide wally]

2. Never discuss actual issues and how they effect people during a political campaign

[2banon]

3. and so it goes...

excerpting concluding paragraphs:

There are few signs that any significant slice of Democratic Party elites have the motivation, conviction and intestinal fortitude to break out of their self-induced coma. The harsh truth is that the gumption to take on the arduous task of creating a new political frame of reference in the country is in short supply. It is far easier to think in terms of personal career, to concentrate on the political maneuvers that might keep you in office or get you into a higher office. That clearly is the outlook of Hillary Clinton.

Last Thursday, her camp heralded the connection being made with the famed Austin public relations wizard who produced the slogan "Don't Mess With Texas."

It is this kind of puerile attitude that has the Democratic Party sinking beneath the waves -- dragging with it the decent country that the party did so much to create.

We are witnessing a great contest that will determine the American destiny for generations to come. One side is mobilized for total war. The other isn't even sure that the battle is engaged. The latter's supposed champion expends his energy in the neutral no-man's land searching blindly for common ground. He positions himself thus because he is a pacifist at heart -- and because he sees some virtue to parts of the opponent's creed.

Can the outcome be in doubt?

(bold emphasis mine)

[sabrina 1]

29. I think it's pretty clear that the last part of the last sentence there is why they don't fight:

because he sees some virtue to parts of the opponent's creed.

They are complicit. All you have to do is read the Third Way/DLC own declarations of their plans for the Dem Party. All working out very well for the real bosses, many of whom are on the Third Way's Board of Directers, Wall St Bankers and CEOs.

It was a brilliant plan when you think of it, IF your goals were to accumulate as much money and power as you and your buddies can. FIRST buy the most likely party to agree with your goals, so you can push legislation that is favorable to your goals. That worked but not totally, so then move into the opposition party, trash Liberals, attack the Left and the policies of FDR that created safety nets for the people, buy more politicians, claim to be for equal rights for women, Gays and other minorities, issues that don't much matter one way or the other to them, unless they threaten the bottom line somehow, and start taking over at least half of the other party.

Who wouldn't love to take over most of the Government in order to gain control over it for the purpose of getting everything you want?

They appear to have completed their plans. Now we have DEMS putting SS 'on the deficit table'. Voting for forever war, refusing to prosecute Wall St and War criminals, purging the Dem Party of Liberals and replacing them with the Center, whatever that means.

The only good thing is now we know who they are and what they are doing. What to do about it is the question, maybe it's too late.

[2banon]

34. I've been watching this death march since the 90's

2 decades and longer actually. I keep thinkin' and sayin' , it can't get much worse before the people rise up.. Occupation happened, that was the first sign but dismal failure in terms of broad movement. However, a success at some things that's pretty much under the radar. And kudos for that.

don't know how much worse things will have to be, but apparently we're not there yet.

:shaking head:

[aspirant]

44. Grab a shovel

Wasn't it the so-called dems that had a big hand in squashing Occupy? Surprise,surprise now the local police have armored tanks and fighter jets. Will we have to dig tunnels like the Gaza Strip Palestinians to wage protests?

[RiverLover]

47. +1

[Eleanors38]

56. Recurring theme: No opposition. nt

[n2doc]

4. Nearly half of Americans will now live in states under total GOP control

While the GOP is likely to control 54 percent of all Senate seats and 56 percent (or so) of the House come January, it also will now control more than two-thirds of state legislative chambers across the country -- as in nearly seven in 10. And given Republicans also won at least 31 governorships, they are basically in control of the state government in 24 states. That could soon hit 25if they win the still-undetermined governor's race in Alaska.

(Worth clarifying: These numbers include Nebraska, which technically has a nonpartisan, unicameral legislature but is, for all intents and purposes, a GOP-controlled state.)

The Democrats, meanwhile, control just six states, with a seventh likely to come when the Vermont legislature picks Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) as the winner of last week's closer-than-expected election, in which neither candidate attained the necessary 50 percent.

That 24-6 split is actually significantly bigger than it was after 2010, when Republicans emerged from that wave election with complete control of 21 states, to Democrats' 11 -- about a two-to-one advantage, versus today's four-to-one edge.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/11/11/nearly-half-of-americans-now-live-in-states-under-total-gop-control/

If the trend continues we will have a one party nation.

[BrotherIvan]

6. And the GOP could have been dead and buried in 2008!

But they had to resurrect them for "bipartisanship." ARRRRRGH.

[sabrina 1]

40. It was never going to happen. We were scammed. Anyone who doesn't get that by now, doesn't want to.

But the voters get it. They just don't know what to do about it, because the Machievellian plan is so brilliant, voters are left with few choices. Either stay home, not an option for many people, or vote for the 'lesser evil' knowing that all you'll get at best, is crumbs to keep alive the notion that we actually live in a democracy. And the takeover continues, either way.

[aspirant]

45. Stop counting sheep

This post is on the money, Wall Street that is. Get rid of these repubs in sheep's clothing. Issues are always changing but aren't there any national values we can run on in every state?

[turbinetree]

14. REINFORCEMENT

This was discussed by Rachel Maddow last week on her show, but she put it a different format same basic conclusion, there are 3,650 or so legislative bodies in this country that are solely republican, ie, school boards, house and state senate seats, water boards, the list goes on and on and also federal elected and we has democrats need to get back to the Howard Dean model

[Chathamization]

17. State legislatures get ignored as we throw them to the Republican wolves. Most people seem to be

unaware that they're even on the ballot - "why should they vote? neither candidate..." There are usually a ton of candidates in each election, and if people are fine with letting creationists control high school science classes because they're disappointed with Democrats in the Senate - well, then their ignorance and apathy is screwing us over as a country.

[truedelphi]

37. Here in Calif., a citizen's initiative that we voters passed allows for only two names!!

Any office that is considered "non partisan" in nature can only have the names of the two candidates that garnered the most votes in the Primary.

The offices that this applies to are the Governorship, lt governorship, State Comptroller, and every office except the State Superintendent of Schools.

Also, there is no where on the ballot to do any write in's - except in this past election for the State Superintendent of Schools.

The President and Vice President are considered partisan offices, so in 2016 voters will have the ability to pass on the Two Top Party Candidates, should they wish, and vote for an Independent, Green Party person etc.

I actually voted for this piece of crap initiative, believing it applied to the top two names of each party in existence, and not overall to the top two names. Ads misled me. (Much as how people last Tuesday voted out Prop 45, which would have been very beneficial in preventing Big Health Insurers from raising rates on health insurance, but the Big Monied Crowd had so many TV ads about it being a force from Hell that would have destroyed ObamaCare, that voters rejected it.

[Chathamization]

38. Ugh, yeah, the infamous "jungle primary." That's going to cause damage damage. Any

chance of getting rid of it anytime soon?

[truedelphi]

53. If I remember the various stuff I read about it over the weekend -

Both Big Parties have tried to stop it in court. I guess they don't like it, because for some of the more obscure offices on the ballot, only the political wonks know whether the names on the ballot are a Democratic name or a Republican name. (In addition to only allowing for the top two names for the "non-partisan posts, the candidate can't specify which Political Party they belong to!)

So far the courts ahve not un-done it. And I don't know of any way to get it undone, except to have an opposing initiative on the ballot. The State Constitution here bans the legislature from doing anything about any initiative, so it has to come from the voters.

[Guaguacoa]

22. That map shows IL as blue, a repub won governor.

https://www.google.com/search?q=il+governor+republican&gws_rd=ssl

Ah, I guess it probably means total gop control and not just governorship. My mistake. Still bad enough.

[RiverLover]

48. Yep, it's a fracking shame. Illinois can now join Ohio & others in the carnage.

[jwirr]

32. MN is split? How so?

[scarletwoman]

39. Our state house has gone back to GOP control. nt

[jwirr]

41. Okay I guess I was not seeing that as the kind of problem that others may see. We have had that

before and managed to get things done. But maybe this bunch learned some things from the teabaggers. Hope not.

[2banon]

35. the problem is way beyond this red state/blue state meme

that's the point of the op.

[PatrickforO]

5. The psychology of cognitive dissonance has worked like a charm for the plutocrats.

Low voter turnout, anti-intellectualism and apathy are behavior changes the American people have made to 'compensate' for the dissonance caused by reductions in programs that help us and the gradual erosion of our civil rights.

Hey, our incomes have stagnated, but we LOVE our jobs!

We shouldn't be in these wars, but we LOVE our troops!

The NSA spies on everything we do or say, but we LOVE being 'safe' from terrorists!

Our civil rights have eroded to the point where they are nearly gone, but we LOVE our freedom!

We are stressed out, dead tired, and seldom have enough, yet we LOVE living in this 'exceptional' nation!


Yep. Hey who are you voting for on the Voice?

[2banon]

36. so true!

[MoonchildCA]

7. And if you have any political successes...

...do not flaunt them in public, especially before an election.

[ms liberty]

8. K&R - a great analysis. Thanks for posting! n/t

[msongs]

9. campaign as democrats and govern like republicans nt

[pscot]

18. They barely bother to campaign as Democrats any more

[Mr. Mustard]

10. AND few will discuss this.....

In my opinion it is because if all this is true then the problems seem insurmountable, with climate change and eco-system collapse heading towards us like a freight-train. The clock is ticking and we've never really had THAT to contend with.

We know the oligarchs, the religiously insane, the pathetic tea party and the keepers of the gate - the Republicans are going all in on feudalism, raping the earth no matter what but at least we had Democrats.

Well, now we have this sinking feeling, this gaining horrible knowledge that the Democratic party is too small to overcome the system, and they have to play the game to be in the system.

I don't want to give up my life and go underground to begin the battle against the plutocracy but....it looks like that is what has to happen because the bottom line is this:

If we don't stop the economic caste system, end unfettered capitalism and change the economic model of consumption, more, more more then we'll exhaust our finite resources.

That is the problem, knowing the herculean challenges of taking power away from Wall. St. the corporations and from those who think the rapture, or the end of the world is GOOD.

After amazing spirited efforts, we had the Senate, the U.S. House and the Presidency and nothing really has changed. I am not necessarily blaming Dems, I am saying they are too insignificant these days to break up the cabals.

That is the problem, we know it - and running around like good doobies, making calls, voting, marching and donating money we can't afford to spend has become almost pitiful.

Someone, anyone tell me and us how in the world, if we elect you that you will BE ABLE to break up the banks, give us single payer where we are not required to do business with private health insurance pricks who add no value to the product or system.

Someone, tell me how if I spend another two years of my life working hard for you, that YOU will find a way to break the system's grip on us.

Finally, someone tell me HOW you can change it where the U.S. Congress does not make the rules about money, which they receive.

That is in my opinion the underlying problem and you won't hear it much because...........if you do speak out, you will be blackballed and ruined.

[KT2000]

16. Excellent post

This is what we need to communicate to our Democratic politicians. Would you mind if I sent this to my two Democratic senators and congressman?

[Octafish]

58. ''To get along, you got to go along.'' -- Speaker Sam

Which is how we got to be where we are.



Left to Right: The late U.S. Senators Richard Byrd, Richard Nixon, Prescott Bush Sr.

PS: Great post, Mr. Mustard. Every word.

[pansypoo53219]

11. BUTBUTBUT wall street most control BOTH parties. wall street wants is that way.

of wall street, by wall street, FOR wall street. can you say incest? make sure somebody from goldman sux holds the fed.

[SansACause]

12. I think this is how Hilary could lose in the primary again.

If we had a candidate who stood up to Republican nonsense and campaigned on Democratic values, they would easily win the primary. Maybe they'd lose in the general, but at least they'd turn the base out to vote, unlike last week, when every Democratic candidate basically campaigned as Republican-lite.

[Central Scruitinizer]

26. OK Let's look at the prospects

Elizabeth Warren, personally I see her work in the Senate to be crucial to progressive causes, it is just not her turn, more mileage at political fights will serve us all and she supports Hillary.
Joe Biden, Say it ain't so, can you even picture him running on your parameters?
John Kerry, I'd love to support him, but I'm certain he would end up Republican lite.

Are there any possible dark horses who could oppose Hillary? Is there any hope? (sorry

She is our best low down and dirty political knife fighter since maybe Johnson. I think Dems are foolish not to bet on the favorite. I don't trust her, I don't trust whatever RW either but Hillary is on our team.

Bottom line, if we lose 2016, it is because Democratic leadership yet again snached defeat from the jaws of victory.(see 2014)

[SansACause]

30. Martin O'Malley

He's my personal favorite, but no clear indication he's running in 2016. I'd also look at him as a possible VP.

You point out another problem with the Republicans running most of the country: no solid Democratic candidates. It'd almost have to be a Senator because there are not really any Governor choices other than O'Malley.

[kelly1mm]

31. O'Malley's stock has taken a tumble due to his Lt Gov. losing the MD Gov. race. As

a Marylander, I would pin that on 3 things, only one of which you can blame O'Malley for:

1) Midterm voter drop-off
2) Brown sucked as a candidate and having him be the point man for the ACA exchange backfired
3) Private sector business is fleeing MD to VA in droves due to a perception of high taxes and diminishing quality of the schools.

[jen63]

51. Sherrod Brown n/t

[aspirant]

42. wave bye bye

Is there a simple concise list of Dem values? Can we get all dem candidates to sign a pledge(maybe stronger) with breaking that pledge means automatic expulsion from the party?

[The Wizard]

13. Not to mention

taking the public option (fall back position to Medicare for all) off the table at the onset of debating the Affordable Healthcare Act. Talk about alienating the base.

[DFW]

15. Five guesses as to whose comment this was:

"The slumbering messageless Dems may be forced to confront their fecklessness."

[pscot]

19. No elected Democrat

[DFW]

23. He is very much a Democrat and has certainly held elective office

A very respected Democrat in some circles, actually, including here on DU

[pscot]

24. Dr. Dean?

[DFW]

25. Good guess.

It was indeed Howard.

[Central Scruitinizer]

27. But his girly scream automatically negates him

Why are Americans so easily led to hate wherever the zeitgeist aims their attention?

[DFW]

54. That's a question for the ages

I've known Howard for almost 15 years, and he is hardly someone who is best characterized by some techno-enhanced scream.

[bbgrunt]

20. k and r. all of this.

[democrank]

21. Read it and weep.

The truth in this article is heartbreaking to me as it most certainly is to all the old Democrats I know who have watched in disbelief at what our party has become.

All the DLCers and Third Wavers have proven to me is that they will support just about anything as long as they think they can win, even if those positions go against long-held Democratic principles. It`s kind of like supporting Michael Vick back in the day. Forget the fact that he ran dog fights where dogs were maimed and killed.That wasn`t important. What was important was the fact that he was a quarterback who could help his team win.

I am thankful every day when I read posts by DU Democrats who actually stand for something more than a sell-out, temporary win.

[pa28]

28. Facing the truth about our loss of majority party status is difficult but the truth is here.

The fact is we've failed to act in our historic role as a counterweight to big business and capital. Instead of building a government to work in the public interest we're working to merge government with business in the interest of business.

Highly rec'd

[grahamhgreen]

33. Eaten from the inside by Trojan horses.

[aspirant]

43. Wolfie here, wolfie there

I agree. We have to be extremely naive to not think that we have been had by our own. Putting out repub-like candidates and then blaming the voters for not turning out is so ingenious it's laughable. This is what they wanted in the first place, re-pub victories. These are infiltrated repubs masquerading as dems. When they've whittled us down into a completely divided party then they can proudly announce they have had a change of heart and the repub party is their new home. This big tent lets all the wolves and double agents work from the inside to blow us up.

[6000eliot]

46. How does a typical midterm election result amount to "political suicide?"

We'll have the presidency and the Senate back in 2016.

[aspirant]

49. That's only if we give the people what they want.

[whereisjustice]

50. Because DNC and Dem Party hacks won't read the essay where this is clearly explained. eom

[treestar]

52. +1 there's a ton of hyperbole

Discussion on another thread showed Nixon had it worse with a Democratic Congress even stronger than the next R one.

[hifiguy]

55. The ongoing move further and further to the right

as was well described in the OP is political suicide. The institutional Democratic Party is now slightly to the right of where the pre-Reagan Repigs were. There is no longer any meaningful choice.

Mass spying on Americans? Both parties support it.
Handing the internet to corporations? Both parties support it.
Austerity for the masses? Both parties support it.
Cutting social safety nets? Both parties support it.
Corporatists in the cabinet? Both parties support it.
Tolling our interstate highways? Both parties support it.
Corporate education policy? Both parties support it.
Bank bailouts? Both parties support it.
Ignoring the trillions stashed overseas? Both parties support it.
Trans-Pacific Job/Wage Killing Secret Agreement? Both parties support it.
TISA corporate overlord agreement? Both parties support it.
Drilling and fracking? Both parties support it.
Wars on medical marijuana instead of corrupt banks? Both parties support it.
Deregulation of the food industry? Both parties support it.
GMO's? Both parties support it.
Privatization of the TVA? Both parties support it.
Immunity for telecoms? Both parties support it.
"Looking forward" and letting war criminals off the hook? Both parties support it.
Deciding torturers are patriots? Both parties support it.
Militarized police and assaults on protesters? Both parties support it.
Indefinite detention? Both parties support it.
Drone wars and kill lists? Both parties support it.
Targeting of journalists and whistleblowers? Both parties support it.
Private prisons replacing public prisons? Both parties support it.
Unions? Both parties view them with contempt.
Trillion dollar increase in nuclear weapons. Both parties support it.
New war in Iraq. Both parties support it.
New war in Syria. Both parties support it.
Carpet bombing of captive population in Gaza. Both parties support it.

[Odin2005]

57. The DLC has commited sedition against the Democratic Party.

THE THIRD WAY WANTS US TO FAIL.