Biden has had decades to think about how he would manage the transfer of power in multiple scenarios. I find his strategies to get around, thwart, and shame the "Republicans" (there should always be shock-quotes around this word when referring to the neofascist minions of their Dear Leader) to be a fascinating display of savvy political …
Biden has had decades to think about how he would manage the transfer of power in multiple scenarios. I find his strategies to get around, thwart, and shame the "Republicans" (there should always be shock-quotes around this word when referring to the neofascist minions of their Dear Leader) to be a fascinating display of savvy political maneuvering. What I wish is that the people supposedly on his side would shut up. The Democratic Party is proving that the parodies presented about the Dems are not parodies. I have been a Dem all my life and I come from generations of Dems. It makes me nuts that instead of letting him get on with planning how to recover from four years of devastation, fellow-Dems are screaming at him that they want a piece of the action. They've got it, for crying out loud. Let Joe and Kamala do what they need to do to get us back on track.
I find myself far more upset by the evident willingness of some people in the media, often the same people who wouldn't utter a peep of accurate criticism of Trump, to pile on Biden and make a big deal about his differences with the party's left side. They (not all of the media) show themselves to be hypocrites and cowards, now unafraid to do their jobs when the incoming President is a gentleman and a believer in the First Amendment.
I’m right there with you, Linda and others on this piece. To all fellow Dems, work on GA and then you have a chance to have a piece. Work on your Consistent Messaging at which you are consistently poor. Eliminate the word “socialism” from your messages and you may have a chance to unite the public will behind good ideas. ❤️🤍💙
I agree with everything you and others are saying. It is so frustrating to see the "circular firing squad" mentioned on this topic. What the Democrats have to do is try to analyze how it is that the Republicans have so many followers and are so successful in their aims (usually). No, most of what they do is abhorrent to us, but their strategy of, at least publicly, being in lockstep on their agenda and never revealing to their rivals the cracks that are in the foundation has been successful. With the Democrats, each faction criticizes the other in the press, like whiny adolescents.
I also agree with the person who said that we should stop using the term "socialist." This has been used as a dog whistle against us, and has been quite successful. State your aims, but refrain from using tags that most see as negative.
We have to present a unified front and thrash out our differences by compromising and supporting our central cause. Biden is doing an excellent job, under the most egregious circumstances, and his years of experience navigating these treacherous waters is serving him well. We should all help by turning down the background noise and supporting his efforts. You have hit the nail on the head, Linda - we got what we want - a Democratic president and fantastic VP - now let's unite to get the two remaining Senate seats so that we can end the mayhem!
I used to be a Dem Party animal. It is precisely because of what you've summarized here (and a great deal more) that I've distanced from the Party. The word "feckless" comes to mind. In a recent communication from a progressive org I generally support, there was a boilerplate letter recipients were asked to send to Real-POTUS-Elect Biden. It contained a list of demands, each of which arrogantly (IMO) began: "You must...!" Really? REALLY? Okay. I've made my point. Amen.
Linda, Deborah and Barbara, boy! I echo everything you said. Even when I was more involved with the Party, I always said Democrats had to be 'purer than Caesar's wife', because we were so good at the old circular firing squad behavior.
I am often reminded of Will Rogers' famous, "I'm not part of an organized political party; I'm a Democrat."
I left the Democratic Part 4 1/2 years ago. I couldn't take it anymore and was so ashamed of them. And I was particularly shocked before the election at the crass demands for money. I gave frequently and generously (and still am), and was hassled and taunted. Shameful.
There with you on the constant begging for money. Excuse me!? I have always donated to political campaigns for candidates I believed in, hoping that when they were elected, they would do the jobs we sent them to the legislature to do. What has happened instead is that they have become entrenched party politics, taking exorbitant salaries every year, and then turning around and begging for more money throughout their terms! Even when I write letters about things I'm concerned about, with a note at the end saying if it isn't possible to send a direct response on the topic, I'd rather have no response at all. What do I get? I get added to the mailing list for daily emails begging for more money. My spam filter catches most of them, but occasionally I open one hoping from the subject line that there will be real, useful information - not a one has not had the big DONATE button at the end. I'm sorry, but considering all the wealth concentrated in Congress, they've got a lot of nerve asking a retired community college adjunct instructor living on social security for a dime.
So true. I gave every few days for weeks leading upto the election. Now its morphed into mails about how Ossoff is gonna lose ..do something! I gave for a little while and now just annoyed. I wonder if this money is actually going to actblue or I am being conned. I see there is a transaction fee that I cant figure out where it goes.
SO bad. I have a weekly amount still going to Biden, but whenever I didn't respond to their latest request for money on text messages, I would get replies like, "Are you turning your back on Joe Biden?" I complained to a Democratic Precinct Chairwoman who just shrugged. My son-in-law sent close to 100,000 texts for Biden to 4 different states and says he can't believe what some of his fellow testers sent.
I was registered Dem for years in the past. Once even registered "Socialist" here in SoFlo with all those Cubans around me in 1982. However, I have been Independent "No Party Affiliation" for years, only registering Dem in 2016 to vote for Bernie in the closed FL primary. After he got sandbagged by the party, I went back to NPA.
That Will Rogers bit ("I'm not part of an organized party, I'm a Democrat") gets quoted ad nauseam. Maybe it was accurate when he said it, but I think those who quote it these days are missing an important point: that in some ways the Democratic Party is *too well organized*. Too many Dem organizations, from the national down to the state and local levels, are too turfy and resistant to any new blood and diversity they can't control. Those who are shut out or at least kept at arm's length have to shout to be heard at all, and the shouting often isn't all that constructive. (Whereupon the insiders say, as insiders inevitably do, "If only you'd stop shouting, we'd pay attention to you.")
After voting Democratic for decades -- like for a feminist there was an alternative? -- I finally registered as a Dem in January 2017 and got involved in my local Dem groups. Locally the Dems are fine: there's lots of interaction with Indivisible, the local NAACP, union locals, the League of Women Voters, etc., etc. At the state level? OMG. (I'm in MA. I know other states are doing better, but some are at least as bad.) Nationally, the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) has become notorious for blackballing any vendor who dares work for a candidate mounting a primary challenge to a Dem incumbent -- but this didn't stop the Democratic House leadership from supporting Rep. Joe Kennedy's primary challenge to Sen. Ed Markey in a year when plenty of us Dems wished we could be devoting more energy to down-ballot races and congressional races in other states. (I worked for Markey and am glad that he won handily.) The DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) made some dubious decisions about which Dems to back against GOP incumbents. And so on.
In short, *lack* of organization may be less a problem than hidebound, inflexible organizations. I know there are good people working hard to address this, but change comes very slowly and meanwhile frustration on the outside keeps mounting.
And I agree - the minute he puts his picks out there - no they arent good enough etc etc. Good grief, we finally got someone who actually knows how government works & why its necessary that it does!! Could we rest on our laurels briefly? After the last 4 years & the idiots installed in OUR government - honestly none of us ask for perfection - just actual working government. I realize that with Rs still possibly in power that will be a challenge but at least having intelligent, knowledgeable people doing the work - THATS an improvement right there. It sure as hell couldnt be worse than we've had for 4 years. Right?
There are numerous organizations I have supported that are sending around petitions asking people to sign and demanding that the Biden-Harris transition team adhere to whatever it is that they are claiming, as if they are resisting this. They are not resisting addressing so many of the pressing concerns but the moment they talk about something one portion of the Dem party doesn't "like" they get hammered. It's insane.
Biden has had decades to think about how he would manage the transfer of power in multiple scenarios. I find his strategies to get around, thwart, and shame the "Republicans" (there should always be shock-quotes around this word when referring to the neofascist minions of their Dear Leader) to be a fascinating display of savvy political maneuvering. What I wish is that the people supposedly on his side would shut up. The Democratic Party is proving that the parodies presented about the Dems are not parodies. I have been a Dem all my life and I come from generations of Dems. It makes me nuts that instead of letting him get on with planning how to recover from four years of devastation, fellow-Dems are screaming at him that they want a piece of the action. They've got it, for crying out loud. Let Joe and Kamala do what they need to do to get us back on track.
I find myself far more upset by the evident willingness of some people in the media, often the same people who wouldn't utter a peep of accurate criticism of Trump, to pile on Biden and make a big deal about his differences with the party's left side. They (not all of the media) show themselves to be hypocrites and cowards, now unafraid to do their jobs when the incoming President is a gentleman and a believer in the First Amendment.
The news and entertainment business is just as susceptible to cowardice and opportunism as any.
Invert news and entertainment and you've hit the problem.
I’m right there with you, Linda and others on this piece. To all fellow Dems, work on GA and then you have a chance to have a piece. Work on your Consistent Messaging at which you are consistently poor. Eliminate the word “socialism” from your messages and you may have a chance to unite the public will behind good ideas. ❤️🤍💙
I agree with everything you and others are saying. It is so frustrating to see the "circular firing squad" mentioned on this topic. What the Democrats have to do is try to analyze how it is that the Republicans have so many followers and are so successful in their aims (usually). No, most of what they do is abhorrent to us, but their strategy of, at least publicly, being in lockstep on their agenda and never revealing to their rivals the cracks that are in the foundation has been successful. With the Democrats, each faction criticizes the other in the press, like whiny adolescents.
I also agree with the person who said that we should stop using the term "socialist." This has been used as a dog whistle against us, and has been quite successful. State your aims, but refrain from using tags that most see as negative.
We have to present a unified front and thrash out our differences by compromising and supporting our central cause. Biden is doing an excellent job, under the most egregious circumstances, and his years of experience navigating these treacherous waters is serving him well. We should all help by turning down the background noise and supporting his efforts. You have hit the nail on the head, Linda - we got what we want - a Democratic president and fantastic VP - now let's unite to get the two remaining Senate seats so that we can end the mayhem!
I used to be a Dem Party animal. It is precisely because of what you've summarized here (and a great deal more) that I've distanced from the Party. The word "feckless" comes to mind. In a recent communication from a progressive org I generally support, there was a boilerplate letter recipients were asked to send to Real-POTUS-Elect Biden. It contained a list of demands, each of which arrogantly (IMO) began: "You must...!" Really? REALLY? Okay. I've made my point. Amen.
Linda, Deborah and Barbara, boy! I echo everything you said. Even when I was more involved with the Party, I always said Democrats had to be 'purer than Caesar's wife', because we were so good at the old circular firing squad behavior.
I am often reminded of Will Rogers' famous, "I'm not part of an organized political party; I'm a Democrat."
Oops. Beat me to it!
I left the Democratic Part 4 1/2 years ago. I couldn't take it anymore and was so ashamed of them. And I was particularly shocked before the election at the crass demands for money. I gave frequently and generously (and still am), and was hassled and taunted. Shameful.
There with you on the constant begging for money. Excuse me!? I have always donated to political campaigns for candidates I believed in, hoping that when they were elected, they would do the jobs we sent them to the legislature to do. What has happened instead is that they have become entrenched party politics, taking exorbitant salaries every year, and then turning around and begging for more money throughout their terms! Even when I write letters about things I'm concerned about, with a note at the end saying if it isn't possible to send a direct response on the topic, I'd rather have no response at all. What do I get? I get added to the mailing list for daily emails begging for more money. My spam filter catches most of them, but occasionally I open one hoping from the subject line that there will be real, useful information - not a one has not had the big DONATE button at the end. I'm sorry, but considering all the wealth concentrated in Congress, they've got a lot of nerve asking a retired community college adjunct instructor living on social security for a dime.
So true. I gave every few days for weeks leading upto the election. Now its morphed into mails about how Ossoff is gonna lose ..do something! I gave for a little while and now just annoyed. I wonder if this money is actually going to actblue or I am being conned. I see there is a transaction fee that I cant figure out where it goes.
SO bad. I have a weekly amount still going to Biden, but whenever I didn't respond to their latest request for money on text messages, I would get replies like, "Are you turning your back on Joe Biden?" I complained to a Democratic Precinct Chairwoman who just shrugged. My son-in-law sent close to 100,000 texts for Biden to 4 different states and says he can't believe what some of his fellow testers sent.
I was registered Dem for years in the past. Once even registered "Socialist" here in SoFlo with all those Cubans around me in 1982. However, I have been Independent "No Party Affiliation" for years, only registering Dem in 2016 to vote for Bernie in the closed FL primary. After he got sandbagged by the party, I went back to NPA.
2016 was a hot mess. It appears that Joe Biden may be the right person for this go-round. We live in hope!
YES!! Me, too.
That Will Rogers bit ("I'm not part of an organized party, I'm a Democrat") gets quoted ad nauseam. Maybe it was accurate when he said it, but I think those who quote it these days are missing an important point: that in some ways the Democratic Party is *too well organized*. Too many Dem organizations, from the national down to the state and local levels, are too turfy and resistant to any new blood and diversity they can't control. Those who are shut out or at least kept at arm's length have to shout to be heard at all, and the shouting often isn't all that constructive. (Whereupon the insiders say, as insiders inevitably do, "If only you'd stop shouting, we'd pay attention to you.")
After voting Democratic for decades -- like for a feminist there was an alternative? -- I finally registered as a Dem in January 2017 and got involved in my local Dem groups. Locally the Dems are fine: there's lots of interaction with Indivisible, the local NAACP, union locals, the League of Women Voters, etc., etc. At the state level? OMG. (I'm in MA. I know other states are doing better, but some are at least as bad.) Nationally, the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) has become notorious for blackballing any vendor who dares work for a candidate mounting a primary challenge to a Dem incumbent -- but this didn't stop the Democratic House leadership from supporting Rep. Joe Kennedy's primary challenge to Sen. Ed Markey in a year when plenty of us Dems wished we could be devoting more energy to down-ballot races and congressional races in other states. (I worked for Markey and am glad that he won handily.) The DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) made some dubious decisions about which Dems to back against GOP incumbents. And so on.
In short, *lack* of organization may be less a problem than hidebound, inflexible organizations. I know there are good people working hard to address this, but change comes very slowly and meanwhile frustration on the outside keeps mounting.
And I agree - the minute he puts his picks out there - no they arent good enough etc etc. Good grief, we finally got someone who actually knows how government works & why its necessary that it does!! Could we rest on our laurels briefly? After the last 4 years & the idiots installed in OUR government - honestly none of us ask for perfection - just actual working government. I realize that with Rs still possibly in power that will be a challenge but at least having intelligent, knowledgeable people doing the work - THATS an improvement right there. It sure as hell couldnt be worse than we've had for 4 years. Right?
Agreed. I believe Will Rogers said, "I'm not a member of an organized political party. I'm a Democrat."
What do you mean, they want a piece of the action?
There are numerous organizations I have supported that are sending around petitions asking people to sign and demanding that the Biden-Harris transition team adhere to whatever it is that they are claiming, as if they are resisting this. They are not resisting addressing so many of the pressing concerns but the moment they talk about something one portion of the Dem party doesn't "like" they get hammered. It's insane.
I don't even open them anymore. They go directly to trash.
Ugh. I can see that.
agreed