The party must change its ways.

[Jirel]

A little while ago, Kamala Harris posted

Thanks to Senate Republicans, 17 million people will lose their health care.

Thanks to Senate Republicans, rural hospitals will close.

Thanks to Senate Republicans, three million Americans, including veterans and seniors, will lose food assistance.

Thanks to Senate Republicans, families will see their energy bills go up by $400 a year.

Senate Republicans are doing all of this and more — hurting working people across our nation — in order to pay for $1 trillion in tax cuts for billionaires.

There is still time to stop this bill before it passes in the House. Call 202-224-3121 and tell your representative to vote no.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19MJVm3SML/?

Ok. Thanks for the sentiment, and the very tardy call to action after the Senate already screwed America. However:

- Where were the political posts from every Dem senator and congressperson urging a common course of political action coordinated by them/the party for all readers?

- Where was that vaunted ActBlue machine, which could have been used to mobilize (without asking for money) the Democratic base for not just days, but weeks? I can tell you that I’ve received more fundraising spam texts today, business as usual, but no urgent messages, and no calls to action…

- Where have the Dem “emeritus” politicians been, when they could have been organizing everything from phone calling to faxing to Capitol Hill visits to street actions? Gee, I see Bill Clinton came out to endorse disgraced Cuomo, but action organizing? Crickets.

This is why people have lost faith in the party. Our politicians could be real leaders, organizing on their massive soapboxes. We only see that from a handful, like AOC, Warren, Sanders (oops, not even a Dem). Instead, it’s just business as usual.

Folks, it must change. There will be no blue wave at the midterms unless the party and Dem leadership gets is collective backside out in the streets to truly organize and do damage to fascism.

[Hornedfrog2000]

1. Theyre all doing well

Their massive checks still hit their bank accounts. Free healthcare, etc. I assume after about 10 years in politics you start to forget what being normal was like.

[Initech]

7. I used to wonder how the French Revolution happened. I get it now

We badly need a revolution in this country, and the fascist fucks and greedy billionaires need to be thrown in the dumpster where they belong!

[mcar]

2. Yeah, let's blame Democrats for this

and give Rs a pass.

[Jirel]

4. Putting your head in the sand won't help.

* Reads a post pointing out our party’s glaring failure to do more, which it easily could have.

* Decides to deflect the sense of unease by claiming it’s giving the fascists a pass.

Yep, that doesn’t work. It’s not working in the halls of congress, and it’s not persuasive here. We can, and we must, do more. The party itself must do much more, or continue losing credibility.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

10. Every time

[senseandsensibility]

3. I know you'll get heat for this

but I agree. And you are not just bashing. You offered concrete suggestions that I think are valid as well. Now is the time to plan for midterms and set the narrative. Letting this opportunity go to waste would be the real crime. You know the R propaganda machine, supported by the corporate media will be out in full force. We need all hands-on deck 24/7 to counter that.

[Oopsie Daisy]

5. Oh good... another useless "let's shit on Democrats" post. Woo-hoo!

Rather than putting the blame where it belongs, I fail to see what good purpose is served by denigrating and dividing the party and perpetuating the myths and amplifying the lies that the Democrats are lazy, corrupt, inept, uncaring, etc etc.

You do know that the Democratic party is the ONLY party that can stop this Republican madness. Not the greens, not the independents, not the People's, not the No Labels... ONLY the Democrats. These efforts to drive people away from the Democratic party or to "punish" the party only serves to benefit the GOP. Weakening the Democratic party with nonstop attacks serves no good purpose.

[Jirel]

12. Another Dem who doesn't get the assignment.

Half the blame lands squarely on the Democratic Party.

Failure to put PARTY RESOURCES to necessary organizing.

Failure of some of its members to accept ANY criticism or accountability for what could’ve/should’ve/would’ve been done if the party had been organizing in more inportant ways than just courting money for candidates, as it has done historically from time to time.

Failure of its leadership and party workers and volunteers to come out swinging, which could *change* the media narrative about a disorganized party sitting on its hands.

Failure to see past the whiny “OMG, I’m being criticized” to “Well crap, I could’ve been doing better - how about I change how I act?”

If the Democratic Party can’t get its act together and take back both houses and a ton of local and state leadership this midterm, guess what? At its most opportune moment to GO DO SOMETHING USEFUL and get easy votes through demonstrating competence and leadership, it will have utterly failed the assignment. Then people might as well start looking to socialists, greens, or whoever. The only leg up the Democratic Party has on them, if it fails that assignment, is the inertia of having more public officeholders still in seats than the competition. Size, tools, history, and fundraising capacity mean nothing if the Party can’t overturn an actual UNPOPULAR AND GROWING MORE UNPOPULAR BY THE DAY fascist minority under those conditions.

Your attitude is exactly the arrogant attitude that the Dems are the only option, when WE have failed to prevent this murderous disaster and may well lose the entire war unless we are very, VERY careful, bold, and strategic.

[Oopsie Daisy]

13. Nope.

[SoFlaBro]

21. No and no again. This is a fucking hit piece on the Democratic platform and politicians.

[Passages]

6. Yes.

Some do not believe candidates are responsible for their losses.

[markodochartaigh]

8. I agree that on the streets action is most important now.

But that does take some money.

I will say that I get about 50 fund raising emails a day, and that is after unsubscribing to dozens of campaigns. I get emails from candidates I have never heard of from states to which I have never been. The last couple of months I'm getting texts and phone calls, I'm not sure how my number got out there, maybe one of the dozens of petitions I sign a week (Yes, dozens. I get probably two hundred but I just delete most). I get about half a dozen spam phone calls a day that aren't political, even on the no-call list everyone in Florida gets those. But I'm getting a half dozen political calls and texts a day. My voicemail is useless, my email would be useless if not for thirty minutes a day deleting and unsubscribing, now I wonder if my texting will become useless. And the ironic thing, I no longer have any money to donate. My working days are over. I'm curious though, do kids these days really like getting dozens of texts, calls, and emails from random candidates every day?

[Grim Chieftain]

9. I am a baby boomer and a Democrat since birth

Our party has been one of grace and compassion. We tend to be benevolent, and that's a good thing. But with this cruel, lawless, evil Republican party perhaps we need a new tactic - fierce, aggressive, occasionally combative? I don't know, friends. I am truly at wits end. I read DU daily and read and listen to the news...but what we're doing isn't working. This is a critical point in our nation's history. It hurts beyond words to see what is happening to a country I once loved.

[Tree Lady]

19. I agree, good guys aren't used to fighting

We like to discuss peaceful ways to compromise.

But with the insanity that has taken over the Republican Party there is no peaceful way forward. They are coming out as the strong ones, evil strong ones but strong. We are looking weaker and weaker as we try old patterns that don't work.

[Grim Chieftain]

20. Well said

I could not agree more. These are serious times, and the old strategies aren't working. God help us.

[bob4460]

11. Corporate Democrats are the problem

they vote with moneyed interest and keep the progressive wing from taking over control of the democratic party.

[Jirel]

15. Then they should be dealt with, no?

Told to get with the program and fight, or get out, no? Just as the GOP did to non-MAGAts?

Primaried if they won’t, right?

We have the ability to handle this as a Party, rather than mistaking nice manners for effective strategy, correct?

[Xavier Breath]

14. Amen.

[betsuni]

17. Here we go. Mommy, why don't those mean old yucky Dems stop Republicans?

Oh no, Republicans proving there's zero Both Sides so must start shitting on Democrats!

[Quiet Em]

18. Tardy call to action?

All of this was on the ballot in November.

Almost every Democrat I actively follow has been very vocal on the harm in this bill. I love AOC. I like Warren and Sanders, too. But they are not the only Democrats fighting back. Maybe they are just the ones you follow.