What the Hell does it take to convince America the Republican Party is inept, self serving, and a

bunch of greedy dudes and dudettes?

Ya would think 8 years of Bush woulda done it...

or their track record of pouting shouting obstructionism....their bully traits, their stance on climate change, etc

Why is it they cling to Wasila mooselady and her lipton bagsZ?

or Newt the loser?

or Rush the real leader of the GOP?

or Beck the cultist?

Where are their ideas to help fix the Nation/Planet?

Who is in Charge of the GOP? it ain't Bush as it normally happens to ex presidents...he ain;t shit these daze

it ain't cheney who does not warrant a cap C?

How is it they still exist given their utter failure on every level???

pouty shouty blame game...

They impede our pursuit of Happiness with a passion/obssession

paper and shrug!!!!

The power of the Republican party is directly related to the failure of the Democrats to present a coherent and robust alternative.

Yes, you would think that 8 years of Bush would have "done it" - wake Democrats up. But it apparently has not, as we see Reaganism promoted right here everyday on every issue.

You cannot out-Republican the Republicans - unless, of course the plan is to replace the Republican party and become the main conservative party in the country.

The reason that the Republicans are getting weirder and weirder - Plain, tea baggers, et al - is because there is less and less room over there on the right where they can differentiate themselves from the Democrats.

The Republican party is in trouble, and if people merely seek to discredit the brand name and don't care about public policy, then that is a win for them.

I don't think libertarianism under the Democratic brand name is an improvement over libertarianism under the Republican brand name, myself. But many do.

the reason the Dems don't "present a coherent and robust alternative" is that they have no media access. Period.

So if the Democrats did have media access, they would suddenly develop a coherent and robust alternative? I think that if there were a coherent and robust alternative, media access would be less of an issue. I do not hear Democrats in person at the precinct level talking about any coherent and robust alternative. I don't see it here.

and it would not be overrun with fascist propaganda like it is now. Feingold/Merkley/Boxer would actually get their plans broadcast. the "Center" would not be halfway between Obama and Beck, it would be halfway between Obama and Kucinich. You would get saturation coverage of cheney's crimes and cowardice, of Bush's drunkeness and stupidity, of Gingrinch's adultery, Beck's mental illness and arrest for rape, and Palin's corruption as governor.

As I said below, this political paradigm in the US will change the day after Big Media is wiped out, and not before.

Edit: as for local dems no knowing what the "big plan" is, a glance at the topics should tell you that a LOT of Dems are addicted to hate radio and Cabal News.

I talk directly to many of the national political leaders, where else should I go to hear this robust coherent alternative you say the media is suppressing?

What I hear from Levin, Granholm, Stabenow, and many others and their staffers is that we need to go slow, we need to be cautious, we need to reach across the aisle, we need to consider Republican ideas, we need to be practical, we need to be realistic, these things take time, we don't have the votes, etc.

Do you rally believe that were it up to the Democratic party leadership, "we would get saturation coverage of cheney's crimes and cowardice, of Bush's drunkeness and stupidity, of Gingrinch's adultery, Beck's mental illness and arrest for rape, and Palin's corruption as governor??"

And if we were hearing that, is that what you would call a "robust and coherent alternative?" Sounds like petty partisan politics to me.

Heaven forbid we engage in that.

Your post inadvertently exposes the quandary we are in. In one paragraph you complain that from Levin, Granholm, and Stabenow we get too much appeasement. Then at the end you say that engaging in partisan politics is not the answer. Please clarify this for us.

The Repukes want to destroy us, from the president right down to your local precinct. I personally don't think that crafting a coherent message will change the dynamic. What will, is discrediting these sociopathic killers and removing them from the public dialog.

Finally, since you believe that the Repukes' advantage is due not to a one-sided media, but to their "robust, coherent plan", please tell me what that plan is, besides to destroy everyone who calls himself/herself a Dem.

I wish it were so simple as "the Repukes want to destroy us" and that all we need to do is vote them out of office.

The general public knows that is not true.

I will consider that a concession. I will give you one more try.

"The Repukes want to destroy us" is not true? On what planet do you reside? I want to move there. The general public believes that Obama was born in Kenya. If you agree with the general public, it is you, not the Dems, who are out of touch (with reality).

I repeat, do you want the MI Dems to appease, or play partisan politics? You denigrated BOTH in the previous post.

Since it's the Repukes' superior coherent message and not there complete media monopoly that is such a thundering success, tell me what it is.

I must have missed what you are trying to talk about.

I just can't make heads or tails of this post. Sorry.

You are saying that the choice is between appeasement, or playing partisan politics. That I must ask for one or the other, but not both?

How about neither? How about fighting for the working class people?

they only select sources such as FOX news, Limbaugh, Beck, Palin, preachers and various other channels of voodoo information. No real evidence about anything is allowed to enter their minds.

our educational system and make it harder and harder for people to go to college.

With an educated populace, they would be toast. Sadly, we're going the other way.

with current conditions all to apparent...this has got to be reversed

Bully traits is exactly what they use. My husband and I were just saying that today.And like every bully I know they became "victims" the minute you call them on something.
Rand Paul, Sarah Palin...the media is picking on me....

..........and the Republicans are "their team." And people don't care whether it's good for the country or not, they just want "their team" to win so they can go in to work the next day, puff out their chests, and brag, "We won, so neener neener neener." I've seen people adopt positions because they're Republican positions despite the fact that they directly contradict what they believe in their own personal lives, or what's best for themselves (because disagreement makes you disloyal, remember?) Actually, I see this happening with shocking regularity. How many "Young Republicans" do YOU know who were out getting drunk and chasing skirts on Saturday night, and then found out that the Republican Party was for "family values" and started preaching the evils of doing that exact thing?

Here's the worst example. I have a friend who in all other respects is a great person, but is a rabid right-wing, Rush-listening shill for the Republican Party. At the time of this conversation, he was a high school teacher (he's since gone back to school hoping to become a college professor--because we all know how much Republicans like college professors, right?), and we were talking on the phone the night after a state-wide vote. Among the many issues on the ballot was a levy issue for HIS SCHOOL. He asked me if I voted for this and that, and I answered him, then I half-jokingly asked him if he voted for his school levy. He asked me if I did, and I said yes, I ALWAYS vote to support education. He told me he voted AGAINST his own school's levy. I asked him why and his answer was, "My taxes are high enough." I about fell over. Not only was this school notorious for voting down levies, and had gotten to the point where they were about to start making DRASTIC cuts (forget all the extracurriculars, this school was talking about cutting busing, as well as firing some of the teachers with the least amount of seniority--of which MY FRIEND WAS ONE!!!)

I always knew that most Republicans voted that way even though it was directly against their own best interests, but I just figured most of them were too dumb to realize it. This guy actually voted to cut his own throat.........KNOWINGLY. Because he valued his ideology over his own well-being.

It's "my team, right or wrong." These idiots actually root for "wins" and "losses" like the Republican Party is their favorite sporting team. It would be funny if it weren't so sad. AND if they weren't dragging the entire country down with them.

we will return to democracy. It is going to be very, very ugly, but it's either that, or it will continue to to worsen.

when weighed against bleeding heart liberals who want to take away from the rich and give to the lazy poor people. Tack on the things they embrace and champion Religion, guns, social conservative values, strong national defense (america is the greatest country eva' and is always right, everybody else betta watch out). Republicans also often use fear and blame to help get the argument on their side when compared to actual logic and rational ideas that make sense over appealing to your baser feelings. As for the facts they twist them to blame someone like the Democrats, the economy is falling apart oh that is the fault of the lazy people who screwed up when banks gave them money etc. Americans are out of jobs, that is the government's fault for taxing businesses here so much that they sent jobs overseas, or immigrants are taking my job, etc.

When it comes down to all those things you are going to have people who run from Democrats and towards Republicans and vice versa.

They are like WEEDS...hard to root out and they keep sprouting everywhere...damn it all to hell

no more, no less. As soon as the media tree is aggressively pruned, we can recover. OTOH, no media decimation, no recovery.

inept, self-serving, greedy fucks. The Republican Party makes them feel right at home.

They continue to believe the lies spewed forth from Fux Nooze and Hate Radio.

Trash Your TV, immediately.

After a few weeks, brain cells would rewire and new thoughts can enter and new memories form.

Otherwise, it's ABCNNBCBSFixedNoiseNutwork 24/7 for National Mind Control.

PS: Good to read you, opihi! How are Tommi and the Crew?

MeSelf, I was thinking the R's have a heavy dose of THE STOCKHOLM SYNDROME....They have fallen in love with their Masters/Kidnappers

I don't see how this answers the OP question in the least.

:wtf:

By me: Too much power, i.e. money, in the hands of too few -- the top 400 families plus some international connections. These people co-opt our corporations (where they reside), then our media and our government (government officials and policies). And, this leaves us ineffective to fight them and even to know about them.

Even if we successfully fight this blockade: Convincing will still take time.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=433

we need a National Rehab effort to address the sickness that is the R's Base

BTW: Your link probably did not work as you wished, it goes to the GDP lobby page, not a thread.

I think our PUBbies are wholly owned by our top rich folk, owned along with our media and politicians. This explains everything.

The media may get out a story, but it won't be continued, it'll just drop down the memory hole where the journalist can join it.

A politician might get tread on an issue, but he will be labeled a nut, a socialist, ... and not be given air time.

A company might do right by its employees and by our country, but it will not get the big connections, and can disappear by being purchased.

It all stems from large money institutions and the love of money instead of the love of each other.

but its their Base and its reluctence to confront Reality/Sanity/Truth

This rejection reveals a weakness in all efforts to improve our collective lot

Okay, they're reluctant. So, you give up?

Did you come up with a better idea?

rescue effort

the carrot and stick method perhaps?

A National Civics Promotion???

Something needs to be done to help those people who languish in mental prisons known as Conservate Orgs

I'll attempt to discuss the civics program idea. If my idea of the problem is correct, the ultra-rich would squash any commercial made that was too good, and would allow one only if they felt it would fail. Lose-lose for us. So, I don't see that idea working.

You?

and funded by private donations...

focusing on a National Civic up grading thingy... this can be implemented w/o too much cost asnd resources...

Aloha ahiahi. Aloha 'auinalā to you, I think.

Rights (upsetting the "America is by definition GREAT AND GOOD" racist applecart); and the mainstream churches entered politics, the Catholic Church to decry abortion rights (supported by a majority of Democrats), and the Mega-churches to begin preaching that God wants Americans to accumulate wealth.

So unjust invasive wars and greed became sanctioned by the messengers of God on Earth, and the struggle for human rights became fair-game for bullies and even assassins.

In sum, people like Republicanism because it gives them respectable cover for their worst instincts.

is bad for him.

The Republicans stroke all the anti-social guilty pleasures and frame them as virtues. Racism, sexism, homophobia, envy, meanness, fearfulness. Do you really think these people will give up their dealer?

:shrug:

nt

It's getting more frustrating by the day to witness it. Historically, Democrats in power are better for the economy and the society in general; yet we get the least amount of time to do the most good. Republicans continually fuck things up, and are given longer times in power, and reelected to those positions after fairly short respites of Democratic rule.

A Democratic politician gets caught at something (scandal, crime etc) and it's all over the news, endlessly looped and held aloft as a glowing example of Democratic corruption. A Republican does it, and it's regarded as a forgettable aberration, not typical of an otherwise "moral and forthright" party.

Republicans still have a reputation as the "party of prosperity" while the Democrats are the ones who will "raise your taxes and steal your stuff". Yet, the facts say otherwise:



I'm getting mighty tired of this. I cannot figure out why this dynamic not only remains, but is replayed so effortlessly.

You think that might help?

Even better, they could stop doing the same things to us that the republiks do, kind of like, I don't know, some sort of opposing organization?

:applause:

The redneck truck drivers don't want to listen to the limousine liberals and vise-versa.

Those pictures of Al Gore and his private jets or John Kerry and his limousines, as well as their monster mansions, made a big impression on all those Chevy and Toyota driving janitors, technicians, mechanics and farmers, especially outside of the urban zones.

The rich Republicans have been enablers for wealth and growth and rich Democrats have been demanding that you share it with others.

If it's a just a question of which multi-millionaire you want telling you how to live, a lot of people prefer: none of the above.

Apart from that, it's a question of who signs your paycheck, the government or a private business?

another good one..