Sunday, January 13, 2008

Can The Dems Cash In?

Memo to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid:

If you continue to persist in attempting to back into a national mandate for change, both in Congress and in the White House, we Democratic progressives are going to go down in flames - and we shall get a Supreme Court which gleefully drives the final nails into the coffin containing our Constitution and our cherished democratic way of life.

In an article entitled: "Can the Dems cash in?", which appears in today's L A Times Opinion section, Robert Kuttner writes:
Many economic forecasters are predicting an election-year recession - seemingly a windfall for the opposition party. Yet it's not at all clear that the Democrats will pin the economic distress squarely on the policies of the Republican administration or offer a politically convincing alternative to them. ... One of the most misleading clichés of politics is the advice that when your opponent is doing himself in, just get out of the way. Democrats will not win a resounding mandate by backing into the presidency. In the absence of truly big ideas that promise change at more than a rhetorical level, voters are just as likely to back the candidate who offers tax cuts.
(My emphasis added.)

Why in the world does the Democratic leadership remain so timid and fearful? Do they dare not speak the truth about the multitude of lies, distortions, and manipulations foisted upon our nation by the clever Republicans because they are complicit with the Republicans? Do they feel guilty and responsible for the widespread destruction of America's Constitutionally guaranteed values, goals, and (former) way of life which has been visited upon our nation these past seven years under the Republicans because they (the Dems) have spent the last seven years trying to "go along to get along"?

What can we voters do to inject integrity and courage into their seemingly absent spines?

I am angry, frustrated, and despairing that this dysfunctional so-called "strategy" espoused by Pelosi-Reid is being allowed to continue one more day. When are Democrats going to rouse themselves from their stupor and cry out: "Enough is Enough"?

Let me share an example of how the Democrats might try to think "outside of the box" in order to offer more thoughtful alternatives, encourage a national dialogue and better educate and inform the nation's voters.

How about a national campaign of "Straight Talk" of our own in which "The Facts, Ma'm, ,just The Facts..." are clearly laid out for the Body Politic to see and understand.

Rather than additional Democratic "Debates", why not have nationally televised "Brain-stormiing Discussions" in which, for example, one subject is addressed in an evening by all of the candidates. The goal would be to lay out the problems we face in each area of concern and then to hear each candidate's thoughts and proposals for addressing that evening's topic. Perhaps each candidate could speak for no longer than ten minutes.

Programs could begin with a clear factual statement of where we find ourselves today with regard to the evening's selected topic. Perhaps a national snail mail-email combination could identify three areas that are of the greatest concern to we voters. I might suggest that the three most pressing issues facing our nation are the economy, healthcare, and energy independence.

Don't anybody tell me, "Give it up, Emily. Impossible. Never gunna happen. This is only a pipe dream."