Of course, like most, I am angry at the war, at the bogus reasons we are there; at the faux prez, "the decider" who got us there; at the lack of health care; at indecent, immoral wages as a result of the corporate fascist state running government.
But this is where I differ....
Some people here are blaming the congress and I blame us; the people. This is a result of three decades of the same old crap that started with Reagan.
This past year I was involved with trying to get a democratic candidate elected here. I failed. We failed. Partly because of the republican majority here but also partly because of the disengaged democrats, the angry anti war gang, and the "independents." So when I read here, in the angry rhetoric, "to hell with the dems" I am not voting, or becoming and independent, and when I read "they are all the same", there is a bit of deja vu.
When my somewhat centrist candidate was running, as the volunteer coordinator I was reaching out to get other groups to support us. At an anti-war demonstration, I was totally and utterly rebuked. The leaders did not like my candidate because he was NOT for getting the troups out IMMEDIATELY; his view was it had to be done in a more organized way. But regardless, here is what left me scratching my head: the "anti war" coalition would not support my candidate (who is pro choice; for universal healthcare; for a right to join a union, for an increase in minimum wage; etc etc etc) despite the fact that everyone of his potential opponents were right wing, religious zealots, Bush worshippers, pro voucher wingnuts.
So I don't get it. After reading "Crashing the Gate" it made sense to me; we, the progressives need to support candidates for more than ONE reason. My candidate lost DESPITE the fact that his opponent ended up being the most right wing, Bush loving zealot possible.
So WHO won? The "anti war" people who resented a dem candidate who did not follow their mandate? Instead they get a rubber stamp republican who votes WITH BUSH every time.
Now I read, angry "destroy the dems" rhetoric here? So what is the alternative? Drop out and give the thugs and another three decades to do their damage?
Of course I would have loved to see us handing the neocons defeat but WE, the people, DID NOT vote in a real majority. WE, the people, have allowed this to happen. In cities like mine, the progressives CANNOT win without the "anti war" contingent, without the pro choice people, without the gay/lesbian support; without the environmentalists support. In a country that has for three decades has given power to the rich, corporatists neocons, why are people surprised it will take more than one election to get back what rightly belongs to the people? And yet my sense is that many here are done. Many here think that because we have did not take back ALL the power, we should quit.
This has been totally disgusting to read; instead of resolve to actually CHANGE things, this discussion has become about quitting.
American can say goodbye to democracy for sure if progressives refuse to continue to battle the corporatists because the first time out they did not get their way.
If true progressives are represented here with the "I quit" temper tantrums, then I guess I am not a true progressive.
In the end, I want a congress, an executive branch, a judicial branch "of the people, by the people and for the people." What so many people did in the 80's was give into their own greed, and allow the thugs to take power and CHANGE THE RULES because so many people were ignorant and easily duped by spin. We have to win back power and CHANGE the RULES back. If progressives drop out because of one issue (the war), we are back to square one. UNTIL we have a true majority, until we have a congress that has as many "moderate republican" as "moderate democrats" we are still in a battle. 2006 was a START but there is no way it was a mandate. While 70% of the people want out of Iraq, many of them do no agree with how to accomplish that. Many of the dems elected in 2006 were NOT progressives....they were centrist and while here at kos we may not agree with them 100% I did think most of us understood that the "centrists" were a far better start than more of the same old right wing, rubber stamp thugs. But apparently I was wrong.
I needed to vent too! I have put up with too many people for too long who bitch and moan and complain about their representatives; about the government but ask them to work to change things and suddenly "they are way too busy." I have listened for years to bitching about our union leadership but if I ask them to get involved, be a representative, go to meetings, learn the issues, suddenly they are too busy.
I am NOT saying people here are like that. Obviously people posting here care passionately. But we have to get others to care enough to DO SOMETHING. We cannot fight the kind of power the right wing has taken without truly changing the face of our government. As long as the right wing LITERALLY owns/controls the media, they OWN the government. As long as the progressives remain ONE ISSUE voters, we cannot win back our government.
I know will probably be trashed here I am truly angered that we have reverted back to the same old, same old temper tantrum, one issue mentality.