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Ted King wrote:
Part of me thinks that maybe it would be better to just let the right wing of the Republican party (like Walker) have their way - they will be either be proven to be right and things will get substantially better and I'll have to reevaluate my views, or as I suspect, they would be proven to be very wrong and we can finally put them behind us once and for all. But it makes me sick to think of what I'm convinced now will be a LOT of unnecessary suffering if the right wing Republicans get their way.
I've been thinking this for the last 4 years.
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Ombligo wrote:
What is annoying is it really boils down to the simple fact that the Dems can't run a campaign for sh*t.
The Republicans approach an election like a campaign - professionally with clear goals and a clear message. If the GOP wanted too, they could run the exact same candidate as the Dems, with the same exact platform and likely get that candidate elected.
The Dems tend to approach an election as a cause; they get passionate and emotional. They in-fight over stuff that doesn't matter.. the message gets lost.
That is ultimately what happened in Wisconsin. The Dems Party establishiment started arguing with themselves and forgot about the voters. There is a very good chance that is what will happen in the presidential campaign.
The Dems need to steal a page from the GOP strategy plan; they need to hire the best political consultants they can (ideally away from the GOP). Then they need to get out of the way and let those consultants run the campaign. The goal is to win the election, if that isn't accomplished then nothing else can be.
The problem with democratic campaigns is that the party is so diverse it's hard to move as one unit. The Republican party is far more homogeneous making campaigns much, much easier.
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Pam-
You would think that. but that is also not the case. Both parties have been badly infected with fringe elements over time. Democrats react to detailed political issues like a classic 'herd of cats' react to a box of cat toys. Republicans act a bit more like a pack of dogs, but there have been a number of mutts in the party that act more like squirrels.
The Democratic party was less so in 2008... the herd of cats all wanted an end to Republican Party control, so they voted alike. The Republican party was also less so in 2010.. the herd of cats was under the sway of a large meowy straggle haired tea drinking mutt, and voted alike.
In this election the Democratic cats are busy arguing about detailed issues. And the Republicans ? Well, the squirrels are loose in the kennel, and the party seems to be spending most of its time chasing its own tail.
Black-
The Democratic candidate conceded the election last night. The fat lady done sung.
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Good for the people of Wisconson! And perhaps this is a lesson for all of us that exit polls are bogus. The Tampa Tribune headline reads "Walker survives recall election". As if, in today's divisive times, an 11 point advantage was not a decisive win.
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Who let Dakota back in?
If I told you kids once, I've told you a thousand times! When you go out, close the damn door behind you!!
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They think they like what Walker did. Time is going to prove me correct about his legerdemain. What people don't realize is that accounting chicanery is what caused state pensions to appear to swamp the budget boat, when in fact it was kicking the pension can down the road that has caused this. Sooner or later, when things are still effed up and there's no pensions to blame, this will all be seen as a massive con with the actual intention of union busting not budget balancing.
But Republicans ARE easier to herd because they buy into these memes lock, stock and barrel. They still think "trickle down" works! HA ha.
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I think of the Walker win in simple pocketbook terms.
What was the end result of Walker's efforts in pocketbook terms? Require public employees to contribute to their pension and health care premiums. This has already long been a reality for most everyone else. It's easy to see why it might be tough to motivate the general public to really get excited about defending fringe benefits they don't have access to.
The MEANS by which Walker accomplished this is dubious in principle for those who lean left, but pocketbook tends to trump principle, especially for those who sit in the middle ideologically.
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The Koch brothers must be delighted with their investment.
