Democratic Values

Math (0.00 / 0)

Math doesn't seem to be a Republican strong point.  Some Democrats can't add either.

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by: mevansnh @ Mon Sep 27, 2010 at 09:50:30 AM UTC

Some math, (0.00 / 0)

like adding up campaign donations, they don't have any problem with.  The math involved in economics beyond their own pocketbooks, however, is more difficult for them.  
So are things like figuring out that in the longer run we all do better if we make sure the rising tide raises all the boats, now that is really difficult, especially when you can't see past the next campaign or the next bonus.  
Never am sure exactly how people like this deal with things like children and grandchildren, however.  We used to be so proud in this country of making sure our children had better lives than we do.  How you can not work on climate change and maintain that you are doing that I don't know.  Figuring out the math that says if we don't get the economy going again, all the cutting spending in attempts to reign in the deficit (caused by them!) will be futile, that's apparently beyond them.
But they don't think that basic intellectual abilities are necessary for elected officials anyway.  (See support for O'Donnell in Delaware, for example.)

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by: Lucy Edwards @ Mon Sep 27, 2010 at 11:09:40 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

5 Weeks Out Polls Reveal a Surge of Support for Democrats (4.00 / 2)

side note: NYSE had it's best September since 1939-optimism rules the 'street' right now...

http://www.politicususa.com/en...

New polls released in Kentucky, Nevada, and California show that Democrats are making a big comeback in each state, and the tide may be turning against the GOP. In Kentucky Rand Paul has blown a 15 point lead in less than a month. In Nevada, Harry Reid is up by 5 points on Sharron Angle, and in California the Democrats in both the gubernatorial and the Senate races now lead.

The most interesting case is in Kentucky where Rand Paul has seen a 15 point lead evaporate in less than three weeks. During the first week of September, Paul lead state attorney general Jack Conway 55%-40%, in the Courier-Journal/WHAS 11 Bluegrass Poll, but that lead has complete vanished as Paul still leads 49%-47% with 4% undecided. The race is now within the margin of error, which means that it is a dead heat. What appears to have happened is that women are now tuning in and paying attention, and coming home to the Democrats. In the earlier September poll, Conway only had a 3 point lead with women, but that lead has since ballooned to 16 points. Paul has also seen his lead over Conway drop by 16 points among those who make $50,000 or more.

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Mon Sep 27, 2010 at 12:43:04 PM UTC

Generally agree, but (0.00 / 0)

One quibble re: this.

Right now it looks like someone polls on an issue and then candidates back the most popular result regardless whether this is best for the county.

If you feel that way, it should be familiar. I had that feeling pretty frequently from 1993 to 2000.

Of course that feeling was preferable to the ones I had from 2001 to 2007, but let's not revise history.

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by: JimC @ Mon Sep 27, 2010 at 13:48:18 PM UTC

Excellent Comments, Mike (4.00 / 1)

If we take the fight to "them," show the Republicans and their "Pledges" for what they are, and make the case for OUR vision, OUR ideas, OUR "hope," we can win this one.  

The electorate isn't any different today than in 2008.  American voters are still looking for candidates who offer something for their future.  We need not explain or defend what we've done, nor say "things could be worse."  We have to say what we're going to do, and how things can get better.

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Mon Sep 27, 2010 at 13:50:45 PM UTC

As almost always (0.00 / 0)

Atrios nails it.

Marker

A frustrating thing is that the administration doesn't say, "we'd like to do this but we got the best we can do," instead they say "what we did was awesome." The result is that they don't even come across as advocates for the more liberal (and quite often the more popular) position.

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by: JimC @ Mon Sep 27, 2010 at 16:00:28 PM UTC

women are coming home to the Democrats. (4.00 / 1)

Per the clipped story above, the recent rise in Democratic fortunes is tied directly to the fact that

women are now tuning in and paying attention, and coming home to the Democrats.

Where are men's heads at? Women get it,thank God. Their very rights are in jeopardy whenever someone pulls the levers for the Republicans. Men should realize that when women are at risk so are they.  

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Mon Sep 27, 2010 at 18:04:41 PM UTC

There's a great scene (4.00 / 2)

from 'The West Wing' where the senior staffers are looking over some polling numbers.  The position they support is polling low among the population.  Their pollsters tell them to stop talking about it, you'll make yourselves look bad.

Then the smart pollster tells the truth:

"They say tone the rhetoric down.  I say turn it up!  It's polling low because you haven't convinced them yet!"

If we run from the truth, if we are scared to tote the success of the Administration and the Democratic Congress, then we hand the GOP the victory.  

We need to tell our friends and families, neighbors and coworkers the TRUTH.  Without the stimulus, the unemployment rate would be through the roof.  Without aid to States and school districts, thousands of teachers and public employees would be out of work, and the services that the unemployed so desperately need will be unavailable to the public.  Without Health Care Reform we continue allow private companies (!), not doctors to make our health care choices.

The Republicans want to solve our economic problems by putting more power back into the hands of those who destroyed the economy in the first place.  They want to put our social security into the stock market, the financial entity in which our retirees have already lost thousands of dollars each!  They want to continue the Bush tax cuts for the super-rich, money that can be spent on another plane or to pay down the national debt and help stimulate the economy.

These are the messages that we need to be promoting.  Which party better captures the vision of America that a majority of Americans have?  The Democrats of course!  

So like Joey Lucas tells Josh, Sam, and Toby,

"The polls are low because haven't convinced them yet!"  Let's turn the rhetoric up!

"He who loves correction, loves knowledge.  He who hates reproof is stupid." - Proverbs 12:1

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by: jdblanch @ Tue Sep 28, 2010 at 02:10:22 AM UTC

Good Points About That West Wing Episode... (4.00 / 1)

...one of my favorite shows of all time.  

I'd just add that instead of just playing "defense" on what we've done, we should keep emphasizing our vision and our continued journey toward "hope."  We should hit home that we want even more health care, that we want to fund education to a higher level -- that it's an investment in our kids -- and that we have even more ideas for putting people back to work.

I don't think we can just use the messages of "it could be worse," or "it will get better someday."  We have to challenge ourselves, and the voters, to do better, to do more.  We need to turn our rhetoric up with new ideas, not bash Washington nor just defend what we've done so far there or in Concord.  

The Republicans have come up with their backward Pledge To America.  We need to be clear about our Vision For America's Future.

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Tue Sep 28, 2010 at 02:28:46 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Great Scene (4.00 / 1)

Great comment!  You couldn't be more right.  We should be active and present our position and not reactive.

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by: ProfessorMike @ Tue Sep 28, 2010 at 16:07:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]