Color Me Confused About the Dems Unveiled Plan to Proceed Forward

[peggysue2]

This is in response to Babylonsister's Op on the Dem's newly released plan to go forward. Originally, I wrote it as a response to the thread but then it got too long as I became increasingly angry.

Have these same Democratic consultants checked the headlines about Senator Sander's cross-country rallies? Have they taken stock of the excitement the man inspired wherever he went. And before anyone mistakes me for a Bernie fan-girl, let me inform you:

I am not.

I've never voted for Bernie Sanders, never screamed his name in public places, but . . .

This 83-year old man crossed the country with a message of economic equality and unity and purpose. He excoriated Trump and his Flying Monkey Brigade who are hell-bent on the destroying the country, then turning the tattered remains over to Putin. The Fighting the Oligarchy Tour was a huge success, attracting overflow crowds because people are having their lives ripped apart and are desperate for answers and leadership.

AOC, who I once thought was a flash in the pan, has proven her mettle and repeatedly speaks to the necessity of knowing the law and fighting back. Tom Homan hates the woman because she's educating immigrants regarding their rights. She's said under no certain terms that the Democratic Party's responsibility is to block and delay every single move by Republicans, Elon Mush and Trump because . .. their aim is the destruction of the government of the United States.

She's not ready to play nice and simply roll over for traitors.

Jasmine Crockett is in the face of MAGA every damn day electrifying her constituents and a broad swath of Americans with her feisty resistance.

There are more on the List of Fighters. I am not damning the Democratic Party, en masse. But these frigging consultants and know-everything pundits are leading us to national ruin.

What Trump and Elon Musk are doing is wildly unpopular but they're so arrogant they think they can get away with cutting the lifelines of a majority of Americans without any significant blowback. According to these pundits and consultants that's exactly what we should all be doing: close our eyes, let the disaster roll over us and hope it will all go away. And, oh yes, dump the Left.

Nonsense.

Tomorrow night will be a huge test for our Democratic representatives. If at the SOTU, our representatives act as if this is Business as Usual?

They'll be kissing our country and future away, not to mention their own jobs. Decorum and middle-of-the-road approaches are weak sauce against an existential threat. We're fighting for our lives here. For the love of God, act like it!!

Joe Biden frequently talked about the approaching 'inflection point'.

This is it. Right now, in the moment, we either hang together regardless of where we are on the political compass. Or we will definitely all hang separately.

[Think. Again.]

1. Suggesting we strengthen the Left by pushing our party to the right...

...is obviously a rightwing attempt to sabotage and weaken our Left party.

[peggysue2]

3. Exactly. Think Again

If the Democratic Party can do outreach to former Republicans, Never-Trumpers and Neo-Cons, we should certainly be embracing our own left flank.

Right now, it's members on the left who are breaking through the fascist noise machine and endless propaganda. Allow them to do that, cheer them for their efforts and get out of the damn way!

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. It is not "The Dems" Plan. It is a centrist faction of Dems

The framing was very misleading. For the most part these Dems align with the "Third Way" movement in general. That's the force behind trying to get Joe Manchin to run last time as an Independent candidate for President.

These "Dems", not surprisingly, think the Democratic Party is currently too leftist to win elections.

[peggysue2]

6. I hope to God you're correct, Tom

Because this 'unveiling' made me so angry I could spit nails.

[Think. Again.]

14. Or...

...or they are rightwing operatives.

[themaguffin]

4. I don't trust that this reporting is reality. The group mentioned sounds more like consultants then leadership. But...

...I know that Dem consultants clearly have sway and leadership was mentioned, but I just can't tell from this reporting if this is really the formal way forward or just a meeting of various Dems.

[peggysue2]

10. I share your mistrust, Maguffin, of the consultant class.

They've led us astray too many times. If our Democratic leadership comes out and refutes the message, I will gladly confess that I fell for another propaganda piece.

If not? I'll remain enraged.

[W_HAMILTON]

5. Sanders is good at having big rallies, but not so good at getting his attendees to vote.

And -- sadly -- if excitement by young voters at rallies equated to votes/electoral wins, we'd have President Harris in the White House right now and we wouldn't be living through this nightmare administration.

[peggysue2]

9. Bernie Sanders can and has pushed the message of oligarchs capturing the country

In order to get votes, Dems must push through the noise and propaganda from the fascist right. Otherwise, that's all the public hears--endless disinformation.

Right now, people on the left are doing that. Personally, I think the rest of us need to support and applaud their efforts.

Courage is contagious. So is anger.

[yellow dahlia]

11. Exactly. Dems need to use the various strengh they have in different members.

[W_HAMILTON]

21. You can't push through the rightwing-dominated media and social media in this country.

No one has successfully done so.

And Sanders may have pushed that message, but what good has it done? He's been giving the same speech for decades and yet we are closer to an oligarchy today than ever before. Lots of Democrats are pushing the right message, but it doesn't matter when the voters continue to believe lies and ignore our warnings.

[peggysue2]

24. I agree with the media aspect of your response, Hamilton.

The right wing has dominated the social media platforms and the legacy media has rolled on its belly for the extremists. I even agree that Bernie Sanders' message is hardly new; he's been pushing the same message forever.

The difference with Sanders and AOC and others on the left at the moment is that they are out there hitting the ground, pressing the flesh and sounding the alarm to people who are actually beginning to get it. Sanders didn't simply waltz through Blue states. He took his message directly to Midwestern GOP districts and attracted thousands of worried voters, the vast majority of whom voted for Trump in 2024.

AOC isn't simply blasting her immigrant information on TikTok. She's going into immigrant communities, listening to their concerns and informing people of their rights under current law.

My point is instead of relying on a broadcast method, Sanders, AOC and others are focusing on the local, the intimate, the personal approach. They're reaching out to people where they live, then listening and informing.

I think we need more of this approach to have any chance at all.

As I said in my original OP, if an 83-year old man can stomp across 4-5 states in record speed meeting with and speaking to people where they live, there's no reason why other Democratic Reps can't do the same.

[Scrivener7]

7. The article says:

A large group of Democrats—consultants, campaign staffers, elected officials, and party leaders—gathered in Loudoun County, Virginia for a brief retreat in early February to identify the party’s weaknesses and chart a path forward, according to Politico.

I really hope that means it's not anything official. But even if it isn't, those people have lost their damn minds.

What is so hard about just getting a damn PR firm? And put Pete in charge of the project. He's not busy right now.

[peggysue2]

19. I'm really hoping this is not the official stance, as well Scrivenar

Because it would be disastrous if, indeed, it was.

I've had plenty of complaints about the left in the past, actions or stances I felt were off the mark and counterproductive. But this isn't one of those times. The left is not taking a Susan Sarandon position: Sit back, left it all burn down and a worker's paradise will rise from the ashes.

Germany's left tried that as Hitler rose to power. Didn't work out well for them or Germany as a whole.

Sanders, AOC, Crockett and others are actively engaged in counteracting the endless MAGA Noise Machine and the unlawful governmental heist in progress.

And yes, Pete Buttigieg is an excellent communicator. He'd be a terrific asset to any and all efforts forward.

[Scrivener7]

20. Yes, yes, yes AND yes!!!

[betsuni]

22. That's a think tank. Third Way. Obviously not official. It's a think tank and not the Democratic Party.

For some reason this has to be repeated over and over and over and over and still insinuations Third Way is the policy of the Democratic Party. People need to stop listening to anti-Democratic disinformation.

[jalan48]

8. The neo liberal wet dream is for the Bush/Cheney Republicans to join forces with the Centrist Democrats.

This new coalition will further weaken the left in hopes of stopping fascism. Harris tried this with Liz Cheney, how'd that work out for us? Meanwhile Rome is burning.

[leftstreet]

15. +1

[betsuni]

23. Who are the neoliberals having the dream? You're calling Harris a neoliberal? What do you mean by that?

[yellow dahlia]

12. I am going to thave to go find babylonsister's OP.

Last edited Mon Mar 3, 2025, 01:03 PM - Edit history (1)

But I can tell you already, it sounds like I'm going to have some opinions also.

I hope this group you reference doesn't think they are going to lead the way. Yeh - lead the way right off the cliff.

[gab13by13]

13. Do these "consultants" understand

there is no such thing as Magat lite.

I am looking into joining Indivisible, they push hard for town halls which I believe is the first step to saving our democracy.

Wish that Congressional Democrats had gotten unified and instead of staying home for the SOTU, gone out and everyone do a town hall Tuesday. Right now the Magat party fears town halls.

[Think. Again.]

16. Harris tried hard to "Unify" the Leftwing electorate...

....we just don't seem to understand the importance of that.

[gab13by13]

17. Harris won the election.

The swing states are full of anomalies. Even when Reagan was elected Democrats flipped numerous red districts to blue. The odds of Harris not flipping a single red district to blue is super-overwhelming, near impossible.

Check to see if you are putting your ballot into an ES&S tabulator. Magats did get caught hacking into them.

[Think. Again.]

18. I absolutely agree.