I have operated under the assumption that winning elections would be the answer

[Cary]

It seems "conservatives" have not gotten my memo. They get more ridiculous, and they are as in the way of progress as they have ever been.

Clearly we have to keep winning elections but I am beginning to think that just isn't enough. Unfortunately "conservatives" have powerful interests who don't care how much they spend on their propaganda, or how little that ends up buying them. They continue to double down and their obstruction is killing us.

Winning elections isn't enough. It is time to up the ante, I think. But how?

[NightWatcher]

1. I'm bad. I say let the bastards win and then the people will see what it's like

Then by the time the next election rolls around, people will have seen the error in their ways and put adults back in charge.

[Lasher]

4. That hasn't worked out in the past.

GWB, together with his Bush league lapdog GOP Congress, was Saint Ronnie on steroids. He left the country in financial chaos and his party was discredited. To be polite about it, we didn't capitalize on the clear failure of their neoliberal economic policies. I don't see how that would play out any differently, with the current proliferation of of New Democrats in national politics.

[NightWatcher]

6. The RWNJ's are running further to the right and are being obstructionists

Nothing will get done or passed unless certain Dems stand up or get replaced (Harry Reid). It's just going to be nastier each and every year while the fundies at home think the teahadists are doing a good thing.

[Cary]

9. I don't think so.

What was the cost of the Bush Administration? How much more of that do you suppose we can afford?

[Savannahmann]

2. Ah but there is the rub.

Every Conservative in Congress claims that they too won an election. So their justification is that their constituents sent them to represent the conservative cause.

[clarice]

3. I hear you...but

Isn't a congresspersons job to relay the feelings of his/her constituents?

[Life Long Dem]

5. Include midterm elections too

Winning the House and Senate as well as the Presidential election would/could/should be the answer. If that's not enough then you would be right that winning elections is not enough.

[leveymg]

7. Triple effective corporate tax rates on large businesses, tax wealth directly, public fund elections

There's the payback we've been wanting.

[Cary]

8. Not interested in payback.

I'm interested in good government and progress.

It's a pity that more Americans aren't really interested in those things but hey, the average IQ is 100. Right? That means half the population isn't all that bright.

[leveymg]

10. Payback can be good government. Progress, certainly.

My dog is smart enough to grasp these solutions. Payback is part of the took kit, and she knows how to do it. Maybe, she should vote.

[LeftInTX]

11. They control a lot of state govts

And of course, the HoR.
The Senate filibuster sucks. I partly blame Harry Reid on that one.

They've got the money. They've got Fox News.

The HoR has been dominated by Rs since 1994 with the exception of 2006-10.

They have a feeling of entitlement and they need to lose consistently to finally knock themselves down a few notches.

They were like this with Clinton too.

If they keep losing, they will eventually wither away, but as long as they think they've got a good chance to totally dominate the country in the near future, as they did with GWB, they will keep at it.

[Quantess]

12. (((Cary)))

This lie... It's such a tragic thing to confront.

I have no advice or words of comfort. I feel your pain, on this topic.

[Cary]

13. Well Quantess not much I can tell you either

But like Hell if I'm going to give up. They double down, I triple down.

[Hekate]

14. How? WE have to have long-term goals and a long-term plan and indefatigable footsoldiers

Which is what the RW has. They have been working at this for at least 30 years.

We, on the other hand, have displayed the attention span of your average gnat.

We hang out making jokes by quoting a long-dead cowboy humorist from the Roosevelt Era about how we don't belong to any organized party because we are Democrats. Personally, I no longer find that amusing. Because the other side is laughing -- and they are winning.

We, in our blissful ignorance of the consequences, insist on running third party candidates for national office. Same thing with reviling Blue Dogs from districts so red that no liberal will ever under any circumstances get elected to the Senate or the House. It's not cute any more.

I invite all comers to come up with our own long-term goals, long-term plans, and indefatigable footsoldiers for the next 30 years. I hear there's a guy from Hawai'i who did just that. Any takers?

Hekate