Wednesday, February 10, 2010

How to Win Come November

It's been nearly a month since I wrote about the appalling idiocy of the Democratic Party and the mainstream media not to notice that the loss of the senate seat held for decades by Ted Kennedy was above all else because of the failure to provide health care reform, despite holding large majorities in both the house and senate. In the meantime, the President has once again started talking about "bipartisanship," and "listening to ideas from both sides of the political spectrum," as if the Repugnantcans hadn't just spent the last year showing that they are completely unwilling to participate in the process, except to sabotage it.
Now I see that several so-called blue-dog Democrats are starting to shift even further to the right on important issues. How can so many supposedly smart people be so incredibly stupid. Do they really think that voters who lean to the right, will pick them over someone they see as an actual republican candidate? If a voter wants a conservative, he's not gonna pick a Republican-light Democrat. The issue isn't that the Democratic party is leaning too far to the left. The issue is that they are not leaning far enough to the left. If the Democrats, and especially those from poor southern states don't wise up and deliver REAL health care reform that provides health care for, let's face it, predominately their constituents, there is going to be a bloodbath come November.
If the Democrats want to hold the house and senate and even strengthen thier position in both then here is what they need to do.
  1. Drop the filibuster altogether or at least weaken significantly so the Repugnantcans can't rule the senate with a 41 to 59 "majority." Some ways to weaken it are either lower the number of votes needed for cloture to 55, or force individuals wish to filibuster to actually do it, to stand and talk without a break.
  2. Dump Joe Lieberman right now. Kick him out of the caucus and strip him of his committee leadership positions. He is not helping in any way. He's laughing at you, and everyone knows it.
  3. Stop coddling he blue-dogs. If they want to act Rebugnantcan-light, then ignore them and pass strong bills with a simple majority.
  4. Pass a REAL health care reform bill, that doesn't cater to the health insurance lobby nor to the pharmaceutical lobby. Hint: call it Medicare for all, something CLEAR and UNDERSTANDABLE. Insurance companies are not the answer, they are the problem. Oh, and remove the collective bargaining restrictions from medicare part D.
  5. Pay for it by raising taxes on the top tax brackets to Reagan Era rates. SAY that the rates are the same ones Reagan asked for.
  6. Re-establish the rules put in place by Franklin Roosevelt that stopped banks from gambling recklessly with OUR money.
  7. Break up any banks that are "too big to fail."
  8. LEARN FROM HISTORY. Say what you are doing. Say it first and say it a lot. Put it into simple terms that are easy to understand. If you don't the Republicans will and they will lie through their teeth to make it look like you are screwing the very people you are trying to help.
This is not hard and it's not rocket science. The Democratic base is HUGE, but they need to believe that getting out to vote will matter. The Rebugnantcans know this. It's why tjhey work so hard to suppress the vote. Energize the base by showing them you will actually work for them and get things done.

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