Let’s abandon the Democrats: Stop blaming Fox News and stop hoping Elizabeth Warren will save us

[JDPriestly]

258. You are right. If our current Democrats were winning elections and protecting the safety

net programs and all the things you admit that they and we need, then we on DU would not be complaining about the state of our Party.

The problem is that a loudmouth lunatic like Ted Cruz (and I could name a lot more just like him) gets elected, attracts his voters and motivates his voters to go to the polls while our milktoast, neither/nor Third Way Democratic candidates do not stir the hearts of voters, especially not the less committed voters who aren't on DU, enough to get out and vote for them.

That is not the fault of the left.

Who won in the last election? Franken for one. Other progressives won with him. Who lost? The more conservative candidates. True, the liberal candidates won in more liberal areas. But the job of the Democratic Party should be to build a liberal, progressive if you will, constituency.

We cannot, as a party, build a liberal, progressive constituency if our leadership is playing footsie with Wall Street cheats and gamblers and ignoring the daily struggles of small businesses and the Americans who work and make sure our country functions.

We Democrats do not have the option of just picking the least objectionable leaning rightward candidates. The voters who want right-wing or leaning right candidates get out and vote for Republicans.

The point we are trying to get across is that if you want to encourage Republicans to get out and vote for Republican candidates, you voice or agree with or acquiesce to the Republicans' arguments and viewpoints.

If you want to motivate Democrats to get out and vote, if you want to motivate the traditional Democratic constituency to get out and vote, you send messages that appeal to the beliefs and interests and ideals of Democratic voters. And Democrats believe and are interested in and want to hear about liberal, progressive, I suppose some establishment Democrats would say -- leftist (although there are very few DUers who would qualify as leftist by European or international standards) ideas.

That's just the way it is. Don't berate Democrats for not voting for candidates that lean toward and agree with the Republicans. Find candidates who are Democrats and who believe in the ideas that the Democratic rank and file believe in -- like taking care of the environment, like single-payer health insurance or at least a public option for those who want it, like strong public schools that educate each child according to that child's talents, needs and aspirations, etc.

I hope this will help you understand why we are unhappy with the way the Democratic Party funds and pushes mediocre, Republican-lite candidates who seem to be chosen because they appeal to the big, fat-cat donors. Democratic candidates get elected when they appeal to the middle class and poor Democratic voters.

Hey! Some people prefer ham to caviar. Personally, I've never even tasted caviar. And I bet most Democratic voters haven't.