sophiaserpentia: (Default)
[personal profile] sophiaserpentia
My gosh, but the Democrats completely messed up the DADT repeal, didn't they? There's theoretically a chance it could be voted on again next week but... I would be utterly shocked. They put it off, put it off, put it off, and now it's too late, the Republicans are going to sweep in November and it will be at least 10 years before we have another shot at DADT.

ENDA is not even on the horizon, apparently. I haven't heard it mentioned in a long time. And the DOMA repeal? Doubt it was ever even seriously considered.

It's safe to say the Dems have completely disheartened the GLBT community at this point, and we're big enough to swing some districts. Most of the credit for gay rights victories this year actually go to Republicans.

Frakkin' cowards. They are about to get beat by the tea party... the tea party, the modern Know-Nothing ultra-philistine iconoclasts who on a normal year would be the fringe weirdos who get a brief mention on the local news for showing up in colonial America costumes on election day.

The moral of the story? Don't compromise. I'm a pretty firm believer in this. I mean, sometimes it's okay to let go, to pick your battles sparingly, but generally you should try to exchange A for B as long as A and B are each things that someone fully wants. If you take A and cut it in half and offer that in exchange for half of B, you satisfy no one, and there is no victory to proclaim.

Also, a little bit of populism would have gone a long way.

Date: 2010-09-22 08:11 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kellcrow7.livejournal.com
Pig fuckers.

Date: 2010-09-22 02:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lassiter.livejournal.com

I remain at least partially convinced that the entire thing is scripted in advance. Obama is now blaming the economic crisis on Social Security and Medicare! I think he was picked (like Nixon and China) to be the guy who finally destroys what remains of the social safety net after Clinton's horrid depredations. Democrats are now hired to do this by the economic rulers because it limits the protests and diffuses the anger.

Date: 2010-09-22 05:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com
It's interesting that the current Dem leadership will have the effect of introducing a new generation of American voters to the idea that voting and campaigning and being an activist is a complete waste of time.

Date: 2010-09-22 04:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] darksumomo.livejournal.com
An observation from, of all people, davidfrum on Twitter.

RT @ggreenwald: More proof of my longtime thesis, Repub pols fear the GOP base; Dem pols hate the Dem base. <a href="http://is.gd/eblpZ:>http://is.gd/eblpZ</a></blockquote>

Date: 2010-09-22 05:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com
I don't know if I would say "hate." I would say "don't give a whit about." They don't see themselves as working for the people who vote for them; they work for the people who contribute to their campaigns.

Date: 2010-09-22 09:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] legolastn.livejournal.com
40% of the US identifies as conservative
40% identifies as moderate
20% identifies as liberal
Because of this imbalance, this creates a different dynamic for Repubs and Dems with their "base." Repubs only have to keep the most conservative 11% of the moderates. Dems have to keep the most liberal 31% of the moderates. So most of the time Dems treat the "base" as moderates, not liberals - they actually need a greater % of moderates than liberals to win.

Still, for someone who is supposed to be a great orator Obama seems to be either unwilling or unable to "dog whistle" to progressives (as Paul Krugman calls it), whereas Republicans are great at doing this with conservatives.

Date: 2010-09-24 04:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ankh-f-n-khonsu.livejournal.com
<3 @Ggreenwald.

Date: 2010-09-22 09:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] legolastn.livejournal.com
I dunno, is the lesson don't compromise or that there wasn't enough compromise in this case? The supposed breakdown in the plan to break the filibuster with Republican votes was Reid's unwillingness to allow a vote on Republican amendments to the bill. Some commentators I've read seem to think Reid deliberately sabotaged the vote by taking this line. I've seen contrary opinions as well but I wouldn't put it past him, frankly.

Date: 2010-09-22 10:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com
Actually, Rachel Maddow was reporting last night that Reid did agree to allow votes on Republican amendments. In fact, she debunked several of their claims for supporting the filibuster. She also reported that the Obama Administration has been continuing to actively enforce for two years a policy they vowed to repeal as part of a quid pro quo for certain Republican votes that turned into betrayal.

Date: 2010-09-23 12:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] legolastn.livejournal.com
Thanks for the info, I'll have to try to find the time to watch her piece online.

Date: 2010-09-23 12:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] orb2069.livejournal.com
If this follows the same script the Republicans use, they'll drag it out and inch it forward at every election in an attempt to get asses into voting booths - I mean how long has it taken the GOP to even mention repealing Row vs. Wade? Even when they had control of the media, presidency, house, senate, and were ramming crooked midnight spending and redistricting bills through so fast the media never even noticed?

I don't know what to think of the tea party - It seems kinda like the djinn - Once you've pulled every crazy you can find out of the woodwork and not only introduced them to each other, but encouraged them to form cells? I think even the GOP is eventually going to regret this. I know the rest of us probably will.

Personally, this season, I have the choice between a Democratic career pol I don't actually mind (Adler: Voted Yes for the Hate Crimes expansion, eliminating the death penalty, for the good parts of the health care bill and against the dumber amendments - though there's some stuff I disagree with) vs. a GOP backed ex-football player who magically seems to have a shitton of money to spend on attack ads. I've seen how this little trick plays out for GOP folks: The national party manages their campaign and fund raising for them, then they vote line or the party yanks their machine and support the very second they fall out of line, effectively throwing them to the wolves.

Date: 2010-09-23 03:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com
I think the GOP is already starting to regret it. Although... did you catch the lovely bit of theater last weekend where a bunch of GOP talking heads lambasted Karl Rove? I think this is actually Rove's idea. He knows the public associates him with Dubya whom they still hate, so what better move for the GOP than to be seen shunning the vestiges of Dubya Republicanism?

Date: 2010-09-23 12:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xephyr.livejournal.com
FWIW, there's this Alvin McEwen essay that basically says that this was a small thing compared to the overall advances made the last few years.

And there is also the observation that no one had any intention of pushing DADT repeal through congress since the change was already being expected to come through the courts, so this was just a theatrical effort to remind everyone that GOP would rather defund the entire military than help lgbt servicemen.

Date: 2010-09-24 04:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ankh-f-n-khonsu.livejournal.com
Ewe, populism. What a violent political orientation.

Re. compromise, are you familiar with the work of Gramsci?

Profile

sophiaserpentia: (Default)
sophiaserpentia

December 2021

S M T W T F S
   1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930 31 

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 19th, 2025 08:18 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios