Why Does The Dem Leadership Keep Scolding Their Base?

[Me.]

Frankly this approach is a mystery to me. Words like complaining, whining, get over it, sulking...and so forth ...are negative. You don't hear them telling tea baggers, birthers, Cons or blue dogs referred to in such disrespectful ways. How do these constant scolds have anything but a negative effect? I just can't understand the thinking behind this.

How about, for a change, we need you, without you we wouldn't be in office in the first place?

[independent_voter]

1. i've never received that treatment from anyone who respected my legitimate interests

in any situation, ever

[AlabamaLibrul]

3. Oh, buck up!

In all seriousness, I think that the answer to any implied question that can be pulled from your statement, is clearly answered in the statement.

[Jamastiene]

2. To appeal to the right wing.

It is just another part of that suck up to the right wingers strategy that is not working. Yet, they continue to do it. That is the mystery to me; why they keep doing it when it is clearly not working.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Attacking the Left is a highlight of 3rd Way, Neo-lib, po9litics.

It worked for Tony Blair and Bill Clinton and Obama thinks it will work for him.

[DirkGently]

31. Probably the best guess. That or just a poor, ineffective response to criticism.

[mod mom]

46. It's part of their power struggle, which I believe they'd rather lose to the GOP

then let Progressive take control of the party (or even share power)

[vi5]

6. Because we keep letting them...

Because they know we'll be back pulling the lever time and again for them. They know every 2-4 years when they come crying to us and shouting that the sky is falling because Republicans may take control of Senate/The House/The White House works every single damn time. We are suckers and we keep falling for it. We've allowed the entire make up of our government to shift drastically right, right along with the GOP.

[bobbolink]

8. Sadly, I have to agree with you. Some of us have drawn the line, finally.

Uhoh... here come the vilifications... "How DARE she say that!!"

[Kablooie]

38. Drawn the line to ... what? Green Party candidate? Stop voting?

The only viable choices right now are R and D.
Anything else is an empty protest vote that has no real effect except to your personal conscience.

Only if a strong alternative forms, (like the Tea Party but in the opposite extreme? Yuk.), will you be able to draw a line.

[metapunditedgy]

56. I've just drawn an imaginary line in my head, because as you point out,

it's mathematically impossible that any real alternative could exist, ever.

[bobbolink]

63. Go ahead, hit me again... maybe if you abuse me enough you will convince me.

Goddamn it, I have said this so many times, and yet none of you are able to listen enough or have enough heart to GET IT....

This administration didn't just ignore us poor people, which we fully expected... it has kicked us to the curb and made things even worse.

I know that doesn't matter to you one bit. Maybe you even think it is funny.

Maybe deaths give you a thrill.

But don't expect your sermons to make us see it YOUR way... you steadfastly refuse to give a shit about us.

You dealt this mess, now deal with it.

[metapunditedgy]

57. And dollars are more important than votes, in reality. That's the real message. n/t

[Nite Owl]

7. The strategy is very Republican

in its authoritarianism. It's like they are playing the daddy role and telling the kids to shape up or we'll see what happens. It may work with a conservative mindset but liberals don't accept it, we aren't looking for the daddy figure.
Anyone who thought it was Rahm pulling the strings is wrong, this is Obama, the one we didn't see when we elected him. He doesn't want our help, just our vote, if he wanted our help he wouldn't be in this fix in the first place but he has refused to give an inch to the left.

[robdogbucky]

18. As I mentioned in one of the other threads...

"in its authoritarianism. It's like they are playing the daddy role and telling the kids to shape up or we'll see what happens..."


This is the second oldest game in the world, it is the protection racket ruse:


"If you don't do as I say, you will be sorry."

"Do as I say, not as I do," etc. type of thing.


Seems desperate to me, like what happens when a guy on a date fucks up and doesn't want her to stomp off mad vowing never to go out again. The battered wife syndrome magnified on the national political circus stage.


Getting real old




I'm quite sick of it actually, and it appears it is the only card they have left. Pitiful





rdb

[treestar]

60. We keep hearing about how the Rs "get everything they want"

because they are so "tough." Now if the leadership adopts that hailed strategy, it's too mean and the poor liberals can't take it?

[ThomWV]

9. Because its easier to scold the base than it is to do their job

[Luciferous]

12. Bingo. If they had actually been doing what we put them there to do

they wouldn't have to call us names and tell us to quit sulking/whining.

[stray cat]

13. I thought there were other voters in the country besides the self-defined base

isn't this a democracy where we all get one vote?

[golddigger]

10. Because they think we're little children

and we should be happy for whatever crumbs we get.

[femrap]

44. Plus they'd have to stand

up for women's rights...like Choice and Equal Pay....and these corporate-bought boyz aren't gonna do that.

To be frank, it's funny how the repugnants treat their women with respect...of course, those repugnant women pretty much do as they're told.

I guess the Lefty Women are more Freedom Oriented...they rather like Liberty and the Pursuit of their own Happiness. Damn those freedom-loving women.

I don't want crumbs. I want a big piece of pie...banana cream pie, in fact. No pony, just a piece of pie!

edit for typo.

[stray cat]

11. Why do members of the base claim ownership of the president and congress?

as if they are only children? The base never elects an national leader by itself - they only throw elections

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. So let me get this straight

you agree with scolding major sections of the base, like Unions, and Teachers....

Third way much?

[Me.]

19. That's True

But without them they wouldn't be elected because the base are the ones willing to do the GOTV heavy lifting and, are willing to put their money where their mouths are.

[treestar]

61. Yes, and demand that they be attended to first

as a reward. That's hardly community spirit. What's liberal about working for a candidate just to get a specific result? Especially out of a system that includes Congress. It's dumb and childish.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Because the dems hate their base

and the republicans fear their base.

Yes, that explanation makes a lot of sense, and no, not mine. One of the talking heads on the tv. A blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

[area51]

49. +1

And it's interesting to see some DU'ers defend the attacks; talk about Stockholm Syndrome. :eyes:

[closeupready]

16. Because they know that the right-wing fights back, so they abuse the base/kick the cat.

n/t

[TransitJohn]

17. Because our lack of enthusiasm is jeopardizing their corporate gravytrain.

If we were supportive enough that it was reflected in the polls, there wouldn't be scolding. Strange the disconnect that they have...they NEVER attribute our lack of enthusiasm to their actions. "Why do you have to expect us to do our jobs??? Quit whining and get out the vote!!!!"

[golddigger]

21. !!!

:thumbsup:

[spanone]

20. i don't feel the least bit scolded.

[Hello_Kitty]

22. Joe Biden dissed the base for "whining" after he defended the teabaggers

He said the baggers had "legitimate anger" or something like that. He's not the only Dem adding insult to injury by kissing teabagger butt while trashing liberals.

[lamp_shade]

23. Because they're acting like spoiled whiney children perhaps?

[KittyWampus]

25. the spoiled whiney children are the reactionary screamers who spend every day looking for something

to be offended by.

[WeekendWarrior]

27. +1

[TransitJohn]

28. delete

sorry, thought I was posting somewhere else.

[KittyWampus]

24. Why do some DU'ers obsess over crap like 8 year-olds in the school cafeteria

saying "OMG! Guess what X said about Y!!!"

[Me.]

33. Because They Keep Doing It

And taking issue with a lack of respect is not acting like an 8 year old

[BzaDem]

64. They are only doing so to a small subset of the base that has unreasonable expectations.

Not the whole base.

[metapunditedgy]

58. That's the "In Defense of Bullies" rhetoric. Why do people scream when I punch them? n/t

[WeekendWarrior]

26. Because they need scolding?

Just a thought.

I don't think there's any excuse for not voting. I don't think there's any excuse for letting the Republicans take power. Voting isn't a right, it's a duty. But if you're happy with the tea bagger vision for the U.S., by all means, sit this one out.

[kentuck]

29. It's like when you were in school...

and somebody was misbehaving in class. The teacher would call out the students in the next row, who were not misbehaving but it got the attention of who she wanted to take notice.

Calling out the liberal base, the White House hopes to get the attention of those that are actually "misbehaving".

[bvar22]

30. If the Democratic Leadership....

..would just ONCE look to The Left and say something like, "I hear your voices, and there is good reason to be disappointed in our performance, but I WILL promise The FDR Left that you WILL have a seat at the table in the next two years IF you turn out FOR The Democrats One More Time.
.
.
.
That would be enough for me, but for some reason, the Party Leadership thinks it is smarter to create a HUGE Vacuum and open animosity on The Left. :shrug:


"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone

[philly_bob]

32. +1000

[BrklynLiberal]

36. Gads.. I miss Paul Wellstone. I would have LOVED to have heard HIS voice during the recent

DC crapfest.

[xchrom]

34. i'm not part of the base for a neo-liberal admin -- so the admin can whine all they want. nt

[BlueIris]

35. They keep trying to scapegoat us as the problem, because it's

easier than owning up to their own sorry political failures. It's also easier than acknowledging what the real problem is here (ie; Washington.)

[BrklynLiberal]

37. +1000

There is a very painful irony in knowing that the repukes, even if they did think it, would never crap out loud on their base.

As David Frum..I think..said.."The repukes fear their base. The Democrats hate their base."

[hughee99]

39. It's the "listen up, you fuckwits" strategy.

It's usually used by the party in power in attempt to get votes from their base after not delivering on promises from the last campaign. Some repukes have tried this before as well, though I don't recall it ever being to the extent that we're seeing it now.

It's twin, the "any vote not for us is a vote for them" comes along with it. So staying home is the same as voting for the other party.

You know what I really liked about the '08 campaign was that Democrats were giving us a reason to vote FOR them. I'm sorry to see they're moving away from that strategy, I thought it was a winner.

[txaslftist]

54. The funny thing is that over the past 2 years...

a vote for "us" might as well have been a vote for "them".

[Kablooie]

40. According to Rachel...

the strategy recommended for Democrats is to look as much like Republicans as you can.

I am really baffled at this.

If I were a middle of the road voter that could be swayed either way I'd vote for the person
who seemed to hold the stronger convictions. If someone were toadying to the opposition
I'd scratch them off my list.

[QC]

41. It's pre-emptive blame for what they think is coming next month.

Either way, they win: if they lose one or both houses of Congress, it's because the dirty fucking hippies were too busy whining to vote, and if they in it is proof of their strategic brilliance in chewing out their own voters.

[UTUSN]

42. Because the self-proclaimed "base" keeps threatening not to vote or vote 3rd party?!1

I've voted for all Dem nominees for decades quite apart from my preferences in primaries and have voted for everybody from "war" Dems to "peace" Dems and everybody in between and have never presumed to be a proprietary "base." The only kind of catering-to I have ever gotten were pleas for money, not solicitations after my well-being or what I might want.

And, frankly, I have seen more than one generation of new voters who swept in with fervor for a particular new candidate or issue and jumped the line, so to speak, while those in line were assumed to be D-listers, so to speak.

[yodermon]

43. They are buying into the CW that says the mushy-middle thinks Dems are too liberal

so they publicly push back against the liberal wing, to burnish their credentials with "independents".
They think that's where the votes are, not the "disenchanted liberals".

They don't understand that on *actual issues* that mushy-middle is actually more left-of-center. These ordinary, mostly-non-political folks have been bamboozled by FOX NEWS to blame all of their woes on Democrats & Democratic policies, and if you're dissatisfied, hey you might just be a teabagger.

This is how Dems in power are accounting for the tilted playing field; unfortunately i think it's counterproductive.

[Romulox]

45. It plays well to focus groups in conservative "battle ground" states. nt

[JNelson6563]

47. Oh be grateful!

It gives you something to bitch about.

[MadHound]

48. Because they have little else to use in GOTV

After all, the economy is still in the tank, jobs are still scarce, illegal, immoral wars are still raging, and the Dems failed to back legislation that the majority of people were in favor of.

[WinkyDink]

50. To keep corporate cash coming in.

[LWolf]

51. To further distance the party from the left.

I think the mainstream party is working to become the new Republican party, relegating the old republican party to the insane.

It's taking advantage of the fact that there isn't currently a threat from the left, so where else will we go?

Frankly, I think this is going to prove to be a major error. Not enough republicans and right-wing assholes have overcome their automatic aversion to "Democratic" and "Democrats" to embrace the new Democratic Party to make up for those who are lost as they party abandons them in its quest to out-republican republicans.

That's an awful sentence construction, but hopefully you can pull my point out of it.

[TonyMontana]

52. Trying to win "independents"

It's simple. They know the base is going to vote for them regardless. It's the so called "independents" that they're trying to win over. These are the people who don't really pay attention, who aren't really political people, but vote based on emotion rather than ideology.

The GOP do a very good job at marketing "liberal = evil" to these people. The Democrats are distancing themselves from the base for this reason.

[txaslftist]

53. Why are we their base?

Might be a better question.

[The Second Stone]

55. We've been bad, very bad and we need to be punished

And spanked. I hope that Loretta Sanchez personally spanks me.

[treestar]

59. They don't say it to teabaggers because they don't need it

They don't do that. When is the last time a teabagger whines they are staying home because Bush and the R Congress didn't get them all they wanted? They keep at it even when down, you have to give them that.

Some people are capable of taking criticism as well as giving it too, perhaps the leaders are appealing to the person who says, "yeah, I've been carping but they're right, now is the time to cut that and get to work."

[emulatorloo]

62. This thread is so two-weeks ago.

Any "scolding" that was done was aimed at people who want to sit this election out. People who want to sit home while Republicans win are not the Democratic Base.

[USArmyParatrooper]

65. They Don't.

That's just the latest "angle", or narrative if you will, that the drama-happy media has drummed up to persue soap opera ratings. It's also a favorite narrative of those who want the Republicans to win. Such would include Repubs (obviously) and self proclaimed Liberals who have such a severe case of Obama Derangement Syndrome they quietly want the Republicans to win so they can make a "point."

Unfortunately some people just swallow headlines and twisted paraphrasing with actually going to the complete transcript or video to see for themselves in full context. Just because an editorial, blog or forum post sticks something in your mouth doesn't mean you have to swallow it.