BS: Why the Democrats Lost

Subject: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: The Pooka
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 05:30 PM

Anyone who is serious about beating the Republicans should read this -- nerdily demographic, numbers-laden, and ideology-free through it may be. New York Times, Week in Review.

Time to Meet the Exurban Voter

November 10, 2002
By DAVID BROOKS

WASHINGTON

Ruy Teixeira and John B. Judis recently published a book
called "The Emerging Democratic Majority," which argues
that long-term demographic trends favor the Democratic
Party. The 2002 election results could be good news for the
authors. It seems that this emerging Democratic majority is
going to take a long time to emerge, and their book is
going to have an extra-long shelf life.

---

Lengthy non-music copy-paste article deleted. Please read it here at the original source.
Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 05:55 PM

Given the fact that there is less difference between the Democrats and Republicans than there is between a left-handed skunk and a dyslexic polecat, ask me if I care...

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 07:16 PM

Not more politcal crap, pleeeze! I am so sick of this!

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: Bobert
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 09:14 PM

The Democratic Party has been almost completely swallowed by the Republican Party which is owned lock, stock and barrel by the "ruling class" who own the means of production, the media and the leanding institutions who have the American worker's butt tied to the assembly line until he drops.

Like who cares if the "Democratic" party ever wins another election? I don't!

"Meet the new boss... Same as the old boss..."

Now, should the Democratic Perty tell the 70% of their members to get the heck out, go to the other side of the isle where Boss Hog's overseeers squat their fat butts and are willing to be a real minority party that has 25 Senators and 65 House members who will satnd up for the wroking man, then, yeah, eventually they can win, but not likely.

In the words of my ol' friend, Bruce Springsteen, "Sooner ot later it all comes down to money...."

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 09:46 PM

Already said what I've got to say on the subject in this thread. Give it a click.

Bruce

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Nov 02 - 11:53 PM

Sorcha may have a point. There's no problem with political discussion, but why do there have to be so many threads on the same damn subject?
Pooka and all Mudcatters are reminded that you're not supposed to post lengthy cut-and-paste non-music articles at Mudcat. If it's non-music, post a link, and summarize the article briefly in your own words.
Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: Troll
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 07:21 AM

The Democrats lost because they did not focus on one or two issues (the economy for example) but were totally fragmented in their messages to the voters and were, for want of a better term "whiney" when they spoke about what was happening in Washington.
The other reason is that they totally underestimated George Bush's skill as a poiltician. The man is NOT the dufus that everyone likes to paint him and he used that misconsception of his abilities with great skill.

troll

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: kendall
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 09:06 AM

Bush has done two intelligent things:
He has appointed people who ARE intelligent. And, he has diverted our attention away from his inability to deal with the economy. He tried his war on terrorism, smoking out Bin Laden and all; that didn't bear fruit, so, he wrapped himself in the flag and got a majority of knuckle draggers AND COWARDLY DEMOCRATS to follow. And, my party let him do it because they lack the balls to stand up and say "Show me a REAL enemy, and I'm with you, otherwise, deal with 36% rise in unemployment, the thievery in the stock market, restore the faith of Americans in its government." If you can't do that, then shut up.

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 09:21 AM

Kendall for President in 2004!

But why wait? Impeach Bush and Cheney now!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: The Pooka
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 10:54 AM

Joe Offer: OK. Sorry.

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: The Pooka
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 11:05 AM

Joe Offer: Whiney Weasely Flimsy Excuse Addendum: Buried in my own elections-administration work, I didn't realize there had been so many post-election political BS threads. Thought (still think) the NYTimes piece worth reading re the demography-is-destiny angle. Can't win just by ranting. Gotta get them Exurbs. / Future, will *try* to back off the BS & *will* avoid the lengthy cutpaste. / But, re summarizing things 'in my own words': careful what you ask for, Joe....:)
-- Pasty Pooky

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: M.Ted
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 12:20 PM

The problem with links to non-music newspapers articles. Joe, is that after one or two weeks, you can no longer access them, so that if there is a long discussion, after two weeks, the discussion will be there, but the subject of the discussion won't--given that the non-music article is is on a non-music thread anyway, is it really that much of a problem to have it included in the thread?

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 12:27 PM

Excellent summations by both kendall and troll!

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: Kim C
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 12:28 PM

'Cause more people who voted wanted to vote for someone else. If everyone who was registered to vote actually voted, or if people actually voted FOR the person they wanted to win, instead of AGAINST the person they wanted to lose, the outcomes might be very different indeed.

I encourage everyone, right here, right now, to vote for the person they want to win, regardless of that person's party affiliation. If you want to change the system, it's going to have to start there.

Kendall, if you run for President, I'll vote for you. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: DougR
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 12:30 PM

Joe, my friend:

I'm a bit confused. The long post was deleted in this thread, but have you taken a look at the one in "Courage of Convictions" thread? It's a doozy! I realize you or the other elves cannot read each and every thread but there should be some consistency don't you think? Or am I missing something?

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: The Pooka
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 12:48 PM

DougR, a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds. (Hobbes? Hobbes' goblins?? Hobbitses' *elves*??? Orcs, bedad.) Doan' worry 'bout it. Hobbes was nasty, brutish & short; and he probably didn't say it anyway. / Personally, I think Jim Traficante, running for re-election from a jail cell, had the Courage of his Convictions...but I believe that Threadstarter's long post was 'in his own words'. (Wasn't it?)

Sign me up for Campaign Cap'n Kendall '04. Now then, we need some geographic balance on the ticket. Who's here from Vermont?

Kim C, I agree. / But sometimes ya can't stand any of 'em. NPR, election morning: "California voters must decide which candidate for Governor is less repugnant to them." (Noses clothespinned, they selected Gray Davis --- barely.) / Here's a fact too: if, say, half of the unregistered-but-eligible voting-age population would REGISTER, and then Vote -- Democrats & liberals would gain a lot. Given the demographics of said population. I say "half" because anything approaching "all" is just not gonna happen.

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: The Pooka
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 01:23 PM

And now that I'm on a Roll (said the hotdog pook): Come all ye mobile mudcatters an' listen to me song. When you move your residence to a different state, OR to a different town or county WITHIN your state, make it a high priority to check quickly on what you need to do, and WHEN, to TRANSFER YOUR VOTER REGISTRATON THERE.

This varies plenty from state to state -- in my CT if it's even an intrastate move to a different Town you must (technically) re-register as a brand-new voter there -- but the common denominator in *most* places is, you have to DO something, by a pre-election DEADLINE. And if you COULD HAVE done it, given your relocation date, but DIDN'T: Tough! You can't vote! (Yeahyeahyeah, you know your rights, what about the Constitution, you can't be disfranchised by us election bureaucrats, etc. & so forth. Guess what? Yes you can.)

If I had a dollar for every non-voter who's roared at me over the phone in the last 27 years because s/he missed the deadline (which here has changed from 30 days before election to 21 to 14 and it makes no difference) & it's all my fault since h/she only moved in 3 years ago & I never came over to his house with the form & by God she's going to vote (& guess wot? he ain't) --- well, you see the point.

No, "provisional ballots" under the new federal voting law don't change this. They are not the same thing as abolishing deadlines, or requiring election-day registration (which some states do have -- but even *they* have pre-election "books closed" periods, to produce the polling-place lists).

OK, so it's a gummint drone's Rant. (Gummint rat's Drone?:)/ But just remember to register promptly, or check out the local rules anyway, when you move, OK? It's not "automatic". **Nothing** is "automatic"; think about it. / We don't have spy satellites following you around y'know. / Well. Not that we can talk about...mmWA-ha-haaaa...

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:04 PM

Here's a Canadian vote of confidence for kendall for president! I suggest running as an independent, since there is no hope that any major party will back such an honest and straightforward platform as yours, kendall.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Why the Democrats Lost
From: DougR
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 05:53 PM

I dunno, L.H., I think Kendall would be more at home as a candidate for the Green Party. They could use a good one too! Bobert could be his campaign manager (only problem with that though is Bobert wants to be president too).

DougR