Commentary: Does the Tea Party win in Wisconsin predict a grim future for Democrats?
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The Tea Party is a weed that spreads like Kudzu and if given the opportunity will choke the life out of everything it touches
The Democrats mounted a good fight, but it wasn’t enough to unseat Tea Party backed Republicans in Wisconsin’s closely watched recall elections. Both parties received a lot of funding from sources all over the country, but Democrats just couldn’t pull it off and that doesn’t make the future look very bright for the liberal party.
The fact is, if the huge voter turnout, which included a large Democratic constituency, couldn’t pull this one off what will happen in 2012? Think for a moment back to 2004, when doubtless the worst president in the history of the country was re-elected by Jesus worshippers, dedicated Republicans all, as well as a lot of Independents. If George Bush, the ultimate sad sack, could do it, so can a Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann combination and that’s a scary thought indeed.
The country is in turmoil. We are embroiled in two wars, our economy is in ruins, and hope is elusive. During such troubled times God wins the day, and his believers are passionate about their faith and committed to their mission. One shouldn’t think that we can’t become a Tea Party driven theocracy; don’t believe it can’t happen here, because the seeds were sown in 2000-2008 and they are flourishing today, and trust me when I tell you that this is one weed that spreads like Kudzu. If not stopped it will choke the life out of everything it touches
In addition there is a segment known as the Hard Left Obama Haters who are expending a lot of passion and energy criticizing their own president when this energy could be better spent attacking the real enemy: the Tea Party. Unfortunately, they don’t see it that way, and are more than willing to watch the Democrats go down in flames in 2012 just so they can have their say. In this respect they are no different from the fanatics that populate the Right.
In closing the Wisconsin election is a mirror of things that could happen, as in the predictions of the Ghost of Christmas Future in Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. It is not too late to unite under a common flag, as they did in Wisconsin, and to recognize the very real threat posed by the Tea Party. The face is not that of Barack Obama and the Democrats, but of the Republicans and their Christian base.
Here’s the story:
(Newser) – The results of Wisconsin’s closely watched recall elections are in and the Democrats have failed to win control of the state Senate. Four of the six targeted Republican lawmakers have successfully defended their seats, while two seats have been picked up by Democrats, the AP reports. The Democrats needed to flip one more seat—and win two recall votes next week targeting their own lawmakers—to win a majority.
The recall move against Republicans was sparked by a backlash following Gov. Scott Walker’s move to strip public employees of many union rights. But some voters complained that the movement lost focus as groups from across the country poured money into the races. “This was all supposed to be about the workers’ rights. But that has not been brought up one time. It’s all been misleading, the attack ads, things like that,” complained a voter who decided to stick with his Republican senator. “The one reason they started this recall, they didn’t bring up once.”
Given the result of this election do you think the Democrats still have a chance in a nationwide match up or do you think the Tea Party has gained too much traction?
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Just remember though, now in WI the pubs only have a one vote majority. They will now have to work with the dems if they want to get anything done. It’s only the first step there, next up Snotty Wanker himself to be recalled.
Dave Schultz(moderate r) is now basically the de facto senate leader in WI, which will put little Fitz out of business for a time. I did a lot of phone banking in WI, last week, for the dems and nearly to a one, people were saying they were voting for the dems which is good. Is it bad we lost, hell yes it is but and a huge BUT the dems came within >< this time. Next time, those seats may very well be within reach. Pubs have had 30+ yrs getting people elected into dog catcher positions at local levels, we won't turn it around overnight. Anyhoo, you may now call me Pollyanna for life if you want, but I see this as step one of a journey to take back the country.
What he said.
She
My apologies. She, of course.
Some of the lessons I learned from being a democratic activist since I was thirteen are that republicans are loyal as all hell. They vote and they will vote republican unless their candidate is a child molestor or the like.
Anger and fear motivate more than any policy statement or plan regardless of how good plans or policies are.
I spent lots of time and energy registering voters that never voted and the ones that did me or someone else had to drag to the polls.
You can’t fight stupidity. You have to learn to exploit it as republicans have. Give an old lady on Social Security a sign that says tell government to keeps it’s hands off her Social Security and have her sit proudly in a lawn chair at a tea bagger rally. She’ll vote for the very people that want to take Social Security away from her cause they’re “mad” like she is at “government.”
When Democratic leadership accepts these truths and learns to exploit the ignorant by getting them pissed at republicans that want to slash the very programs that keep them in their homes and being able to spend their golden years in good health in their homes and visiting their grandchildren, by the way whose education funding republicans want to slash also, then we can take back our Nation from the clutches of the cheneyites Kochs.
Or we can fight amongst ourselves because this guy wasn’t progressive enough or that guy made a deal we didn’t like.
We can’t save the country by losing elections. Look at how quickly so many people forgot the mess Bush left and his ilk are working to prevent Obama and the Democrats from fixing.
Mike, We can’t possibly “win” against the Tea Party conservatives so long as we simply demonize them, call them names, tell each other they’re stupid and predict ultimate doom with catchy phrases like “… trust me when I tell you that this is one weed that spreads like Kudzu. If not stopped it will choke the life out of everything it touches.”
You post sheds no light on the real issues that motivated the MAJORITY of voters to back the Republican’s in this virtually insane multi-million dollar recall election.
The stupidity of this recall passes all understanding. Even if we had won all six seats in dispute we were never, ever going to repeal a single law or statute.
Where we (and 99% of the MSNBC/Ed Schultz zealots) make our mistake is failing to analyze and understand the motives, logic (yes, logic) and priorities of our opposition.
I have two steadfast beliefs. 1.) People are generally not stupid. 2.) People will vote.
When we make the politically fatal mistake of calling them stupid, we automatically lose every battle. Why? Because we eliminate the need to understand what motivates them, what they believe, what they hope for and what they fear.
I mean no offense to you here, but I offer these thoughts as I believe our time is better spent understanding conservatives rather than marginalizing them.
P.S. By the way, Mike, has anyone every convinced you to change your mind in an argument by calling you stupid, a sad sack, ignorant, brainwashed or a Kudzu?
What I love about this place is people can speak freely. No one is trying to put on airs and act like they’re the New York Times or the Washington Post. It’s just normal folk over here speaking their peace and suffering from no illusions of grandeur as do so many blog participants. Mr. Mad calling the Tea Baggers what they are is what I want to hear, because that’s what they are. Mr. Mad saying that Dubya was a sad sack is true, and I want truth over here. As to people not being stupid: Look at 2004!
Bob,
The motives of are opposition and the logic are two different questions.
Most people do not understand politics and very few even understand the anatomy of human thought.
They may not be stupid, but they are uninformed when they go to the polls.
What motivated people to back four of the Republicans was marketing, advertising, whatever you want to call it.
I agree that calling the Tea Party stupid would never change their minds for several reasons, not least among them, they are not stupid.
They are applying a political strategy to achieve their goals, and I see no reason to believe that preserving the American economy is among them.
How does losing two of your legislative seats get interpreted into a “win?”
There were six seats in contention and the Republicans hung on to four of them. I call that a win.
The fact that there was a recall in the first place is a win. Losing 33.3% of what is yours is a loss, jackson, by anyone’s math. Why not look at it like this; the Tea Party has already generated enough ill-will to cause a recall election in Wisconsin, lost a third of the seats in contention, and show no signs of budging an inch from the failing platform that caused the ill-will in the first place. They will continue to drag us all as far down the road to ruin as we can be dragged, and a year from November, the whole Party will be ripe for ouster.