I didn't watch the speech last night so maybe I'm missing something

[senseandsensibility]

Last edited Wed Mar 5, 2025, 04:28 PM - Edit history (1)

but from following it here on DU, it seems that Al Green was "kicked out" by Mike Johnson for heckling trump. And it seems that Elizabeth Warren was called a racial slur by trump from the podium, all on live TV.

And yet, the Dems in attendance did not leave with Green to show support, nor did they leave when Warren was smeared from the podium. That is incomprehensible to me.


I sincerely hope the Democrats learn from this experience. Unity is a powerful weapon. I called for a boycott of this ridiculous clown show for weeks before the event. That would have shown unity. It would have been a powerful signal that this administration is dangerous. It would have been seen as strong and dignified. AND it would have demanded attention from the media.

Unfortunately, our party looks fractured and confused because members took several different approaches to this "speech." Some protested with signs, some heckled, some boycotted, some, like Mark Warner, seemed determined to treat the situation like a normal SOTU.

One thing I learned in my experience in organized labor is that unity and simplicity of action are superpowers. Strong, unified actions are almost always respected when they are justified. Democratic leaders can demand respect in this way, and they should.

[mr715]

1. Simplicity.

Have a message so sharp the opposition doesn't know they're bleeding.

Do not have multiple messages - each addition "attack" increases the chance that the target realizes they are, in fact, a target.

Cut like a razor.

[erodriguez]

16. What message other than this is fine were the Dems projecting?

[mr715]

39. "This is fine"

and we're angry about a lot.

Those messages bump.

[erodriguez]

40. That's my point.

One person stood up and showed his anger.

But when he was ejected, most dems seemed fine with it.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. What would you have them do?

Hold a rally outside the Capitol with a banner saying "We're not watching Krasnov"?

[senseandsensibility]

5. It's a boycott

Their lack of presence is the point. It's never been done before by either party. It speaks volumes by itself. And of course, a press conference ahead of time with everyone attending and a clear statement of the reasons for the boycott would garner a lot of attention.

[progressoid]

8. Sure.

Norms are over. Why play by their rules.

[orangecrush]

19. A better plan

Than the one that didn't have.

[erodriguez]

23. The should have just walked out

When asked why, they could say they had enough of the lies and the disrespect in their own house.

That's simple. It would have been effective.
And it would have shown solidarity.

[Magoo48]

42. Yes, sounds infinitely preferable.

[Scrivener7]

3. "Unity and simplicity of action." PERFECT.

[leftstreet]

4. DURec

[Nanjeanne]

6. They also didn't leave when Trump called Biden the worst President ever. Or when he denigrated

Democrats sitting in front of him.

. "I look at the Democrats in front of me and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud,” Trump said. “I could find a cure to the most devastating disease, a disease that would wipe out entire nations or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history, or the stoppage of crime to the lowest levels ever recorded, and these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements.”

Republicans erupted in big belly laughs. Dems sat.

Re Biden he said his administration inherited “an economic nightmare” from the Biden administration. “Joe Biden’s insane and very dangerous open border policies – they are now strongly embedded in our country but we are getting them out and getting them out fast,” Trump said, referring to migrants who entered the country illegally.

He gets away with being a bully because he gets away with being a bully.

[senseandsensibility]

9. Thank you for those details

So it was even worse than I thought, in other words. Of course anyone could have seen this coming, which is why I advocated so strongly for a boycott.

[Harker]

34. I can think of several things he could say that would make me very happy.

He'll never say any of them, though.

[ibegurpard]

7. Yep

Al Greene gets mocked and hung out to dry. They should have all walked out EN MASSE. That would have made a dramatic and undeniable statement.
A missed opportunity for solidarity and we are left sniping with each other because of it.

[hannah]

13. And another

Thread bashing Democrats. It is so disheartening. The media does it all day. I come here and it is the same thing. Form a resistance. A democracy Dee Party . Throw out some ideas, but the constant negativity is useless.

[erodriguez]

17. I really think the idea here is that Dems need new leadershipm

The old ways don't work.

[ZRB]

36. It's a 24/7 Dem trashathon here lately

[MayReasonRule]

10. You Said That Quite Diplomatically...

IF you would like to expound in greater emotive detail...

Come and visit me over at Blue Sky...

There's plenty of us DU'ers over there...

And you'll be able to express those things over there that we do not express here, out of respect for this forum.

Over there I'm We Are Stardust We Are Golden

[FirstLight]

33. I just followed you...

firstlight70.bsky.social

Dealing with the power outage in a snowstorm since 7:00 a.m. . At least I got my gas fireplace working without the fan so I can sit in front of it.

[MayReasonRule]

46. Dang, Right On Y'all... I'm Looking Ya' Up On Blue Sky Right Now...

Dig your pic!

[SheilaAnn]

11. I wonder if Pelosi's sitting with the do nothing crowd,if she had anything to do with it. nt

[senseandsensibility]

14. I saw her sitting with Hoyer

before it started, chatting. I wonder what they were talking about.

[Mosby]

25. The camera cuts to her were pretty bad.

Everytime the camera cut to her she looked like she was trying to strangle that cane to death. I know about her hip replacement but she was sitting, and shouldn't have had that cane in the picture in the first place.

[madamesilverspurs]

24. I don't understand your point.

Pelosi is still recovering from hip surgery, she's in no shape to jump up and walk out. For some of us, her continuing and determined presence is ALWAYS a welcome encouragement to do the right thing.


.

[Silent Type]

12. We need a Democratic Plan 2026/2028, yesterday.

[Figarosmom]

15. You mean left with Green

Not johnson don't you?

[senseandsensibility]

18. That does make more sense

Thanks. Speaking of which, Johnson's smarmy expression during the whole thing was stomach churning. I'm still glad I didn't watch, but I saw a bit of it on the replays and he looked obnoxious throughout.

[Figarosmom]

47. Yeah he is a smirking monkey isnt he

[Cha]

21. Exactly..

[maxsolomon]

20. He's been calling Warren "Pochahontas" for years.

He also called Biden stupid. Everyone's inured to it at this point.

Johnson used House procedure to remove Green. It is available to any Dem SOTH, should there ever be one again.

[senseandsensibility]

28. I'm not inured to it

and I refuse to buy into that normalization BS. I don't think Dem leadership is either. They are in a powerful position to show how off the rails it is for a POTUS to use such smears from the podium during an official speech. Acting like it is no big deal is not a good strategy.

[maxsolomon]

31. Is that your line in the sand, then?

He calls her Pocahontas for the 500th time, they should walk out of the Fake SOTU en masse?

He won't stop. He'll always double down, because he's a fucking sociopathic asshole.

[senseandsensibility]

43. Oh my line in the sand was crossed LONG ago

my friend. That's why I was calling for a boycott of this dog and pony show for the last couple of weeks. Instead of asking in a snide way, I will ask you politely because I would really like to know: what is your line in the sand? When would you call for more targeted action?

[maxsolomon]

45. Snide is what I've got left.

"Targeted Action" for insulting speech in the House and Senate by the duly elected POTUS? I don't know that I have a line in the sand on that one.

My current line in the sand for Legislating is the CR that needs to be passed before March 15th. It's one place where the Dems have actual power to extract concessions from the Repukes. They should not pre-emptively cave.

[orangecrush]

22. K&R

[JustAnotherGen]

26. It might be too late to learn

[senseandsensibility]

27. Regardless of what some seem to think

I want to be constructive and as positive as I can be when I comment about Democratic strategies. I sincerely think that last night was a learning opportunity for them. I believe it was an opportunity to improve their future response. Experience is a powerful teacher for everyone, and I think last night was a good opportunity in that regard.

[Farmer-Rick]

37. I agree, we are seeing a shock reaction

It's a shock to normal people to see their democracy crumble to pieces so easily. What the Dems did last night is a small start. What were the Dems doing before....not much. I think half are scared pedo Trump will have them locked up or killed and the other half thinks this is politics as usual.

It's the shock doctrine in action. The shock of what has happened to our democracy in such a short period of time has them frozen in inaction. It's a common reaction to economic shock but it also happens with governmental coups and military occupation. Naomi Kline wrote a book about it but she was focused on economic shock. But it gives clues to social responses to rapid destabilizing change.

The majority want their stable democracy back but it takes a lot to stop a huge carrier and turn her around as compared to a swift war ship or a submarine. There is a moment in time when that huge ship is almost dead in the water following a long slow down. Then it starts to turn and move forward. I'm hoping this is the point where it turns around.

[senseandsensibility]

48. I was trying to get that across too

Last edited Thu Mar 6, 2025, 03:22 PM - Edit history (1)

Maybe last night wasn't optimal, but it could be a learning experience which leads to a turning point. I guess my decades as a teacher lead me to see things in that light.

[Baron2024]

29. A Missed Opportunity

The Democrats at some point should have just walked out, as some have suggested. As far as criticizing Democrats-- if there was a stronger plan, there would be no need to criticize. I do not think that there has been any sort of unified game plan. You have individual members that are doing good things (Crockett, Murphy, Raskin, AOC, and others) but there has been no strong unified strategy or clear plan from the top. Sorry, but it is true. If we can't point out places where Dems can improve, we will lose. I hope that we will eventually prevail, though.

[Blues Heron]

30. They should have walked out

[Lars39]

32. He also called them all "radical left lunatics" while pointing at them.

[Joinfortmill]

38. This not the time to be polite. It is the time to be powerful

[calimary]

41. Well maybe when enough of 'em finally wake up?

I don’t want to wait for that, though. For all these years faith I have in our Dems now, it may never happen. They’re more intimidated than I’ve ever seen them, and I’ve been keeping track for decades by now.

[senseandsensibility]

44. I sometimes want to give in to despair too

I get where you're coming from. Maybe I try to be constructive as a coping mechanism.

[Martin Eden]

49. I wanted them all to attend, and stand up when the POtuS entered the room

Turn their backs on him as he walked down the aisle, then walk out en masse when he reached the podium.

[Meowmee]

50. Yes that did all happen

I only saw about the last 30 minutes maybe where he called Warren "Pocahontas", said she wanted the war in Ukraine to go on, and more, and a bunch of other crazy shit. I missed the part where Al Green was thrown out etc. From what I understand he stood up and demanded an answer for why medicaid was being cut. I hope I can see that somewhere. My brother saw that I think, he got so nauseated he stopped watching and I took over later even though I had not planned to. I hear elunatic was there too, I didn't see that.

The cameras were never on D when I was watching, as far as I could tell, only on Warren briefly at that moment. It seemed planned except for Al Green obviously. I don't know who was filming it. Other D did leave as well, that was not shown and some were holding signs etc. That was not shown either although someone posted a pic here so maybe it was earlier or someone took photographs.

I thought they should not have gone at all, just boycott it and hold town halls etc. or even a demonstration. I understand that many will feel otherwise, because someone had to be there to witness it. But certainly walking out all together would have made more of a statement imo. Or heckling it one by one until there was no one left. At least that would have taken time away from all the lies and disgusting crap etc.

By the way, I switched from a local channel, to cnn and then to msnbc to see if the fact that d were not being shown was due to the channel but it wasn't, they all appeared to have the same view. But Rachel and others at msnbc mentioned that other other d had walked out etc. and did fact checking.

*Updating: Here is a video from CNN of Al Green being thrown out. I am surprised orange psycho actually shut his trap during that. I couldn't hear what AG was saying.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/04/politics/video/rep-al-green-interrupts-trump-address-congress-digvid

[claudette]

51. I am so

Disappointed. We may not win this battle if so few will fight for us