what happens to the party if we don't make gains in 2006 or 2008?

if can't regain control of the house, senate OR white house- particularly after what cheneyco, the repukes and dlc-ers have wrought, do we remain a viable party, or do we splinter and see the rise of a new political organization to replace them?
or do we keep on pluggin', and hope/wait for the day when the electorate sees the light...?

........the electorate sees the light...?

good thing I'll still be able to get DU from overseas to find out how that works out.

and I'll be sure not to let the door hit me on the ass.

how long do you stay with a sinking ship?

await us, as the French did in WW2 for us Americans, to come and FREE them from the Facists and their grip on POWER.

If we don't do it this time....we could be going down a long dark road.....

Can it sustain credibility among its more capable, current thinkers when a third of its base is comprised of moon-howling Christofacists?

When the capable moderates wish for a clean slate from Cheney, Rice, Bush, Rumsfeld, et al, they will more vociferously demand representation within their party.

When the nutcase fundies see that they're just being used, only this time by Allen or Brownback or THE CAT BUTCHER, their impulse will be to split and run someone of their own -- very possibly Brownback if he does not get the nomination.

Should Democrats do well in 06 I think several of the more moderate Republicans may consider switching parties to Independents or Dems. The last year and a half or so of a Bush administration would do them little good as Republicans.

Most analysts believe that if the Dems don't flip the House, they'll come perilously close, and that a likely 2 or 3 seat pickup in the Senate is also within reach.

If the economy should worsen and Iraq not improve, we could flip both chambers and go on to a smashing win in 08.

I suppose we should consider what you ask to be prepared to face reality if what you proposed actually happens. Some of my friends say that a democracy should have more than just two competing parties. Maybe we would splinter off into the Independents and the Libertarians? Maybe we would all be forced to have lobotomies and made to join the GOP. Our country might just achieve the 'One Party System' the Repubs so passionately want. We can do away with the pretense of voting and have the Supreme Court appoint another Bush family member after each one expires while in office. The rich will become the greedy super-class they want to be. They can stop wasting money on public education and make sure none of the uppity poor folks receive any education...especially history. Then we can be POOR and IGNORANT.:sarcasm:

in the vote counting system.

fight or live in misery until you die.

I hpope that doesn't happen, but something has to wake up the political leadership in this country.

IMO if the Democrats don't take successful advantage of the current morass and malaise -- and the public's dissatisfaction with the GOP CONsrvatives -- it'll be the party's own damn fault.

It will mean the end of the Democrats of the last 20 or 30 years, when they moved away from being a clearly liberal -- MAINSTREAM -- party to being tepid imitations of Republicans.

I hope they recognize that they need to become aggressively progressive/liberal and populist soon enough to be able to offer the public a real alternative to Corporate Prostitute Politics. IMO, if Democrats will stand up to challenge the real core problem of consolidation of wealth and power, they can win over enough fed-up moderates and conservatives to achieve electoral victory.

But if they just offer a grey version of the same-old-same-old yet again, they'll either lose or be stuck in gridlock with the GOP.

1) The voting system is completely corrupt and we have lost the ability to remove the Republicans from power through the vote.

2) The Democratic party is so ineffective and/or corrupt that it has ceased to be any kind of meaningful entity in America, or

3) Both.

that being the case, we could be in for red-country rule for a very long time.

http://wrestlingwithtruth.blogspot.com/2006/03/why-do-liberals-have-fewer-children.html

fully involved in a coup that has become permanent until some countervailing force overthrows the regime.

from 1954-1980 and that the Democrats controlled the House from 1954-1994--40 straight years. The Senate alternated between the Dems and Reps between 1980-1994--with GOP holding the Senate from 80-86 and Dems from 86-94. So while it's a bummer if we didn't gain one or both houses in '06 and '08--it doesn't mean the Democrats aren't a viable party. The GOP elected presidents in many of the years that Dems controlled congress.

I will forever change my affiliation to Independant.

There is no excuse for not taking it back in 2006 and 2008. If they can't do that, they don't deserve my support.

although here in illinois, no official party designation is required- you don't have to register as anything.
BUT- after 2008, i will no longer donate to, or volunteer for, anyone or anything affiliated with the democratic party.

it will continue to be the fake "bad guy" in the political equivalent of pro rasslin"!

:evilfrown:

The next election has been handed on a silver platter to the democrats. Even the leadership we have now couldn't screw this one up.

At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

without ever winning an actual presidential election.

in other countries, see which one I want to live in. }(
I'm fine with leaving if americans are so stupid to keep electing such cheats, liars and warmongers to office. Buh-bye!

i'd start with new zealand, if'n i was you...