What's clear is that Democratic Party messaging is woefully inadequate

[ljm2002]

12. My analysis is...

...the Republicans can state their message loud and clear, because the corporate moneybags they all report to like their message just fine. Therefore, they don't have to censor it, and they can be forceful.

The Democrats, on the other hand, would like to deliver a different message. Well, historically, they would -- not so sure about nowadays. Anyway, the corporate moneybags are not as enthusiastic about the traditional Democratic messages; therefore, the Democrats need to tone it down in order not to lose their donations.

The end result is that the Republicans appear to stand for something, while it is quite apparent to everyone that the Democrats are hedging. And these perceptions are not entirely wrong, not at all.

There are nuances. For example, the Republicans do have to lie -- they must lie to the people whose votes they seek, because in fact the people do not like their positions on a good number of issues, as is borne out in poll after poll. Unfortunately for all of us, the Republicans are good at lying about their positions, and they are also good at using social issues as wedge issues to divide us one against the other. The Democrats also have to lie -- they lie about supporting the issues that people care about -- they don't really support a lot of those issues as strongly as they claim to, because they too are suckling at the same teat as the Republicans, and have been ever since the Third Way made a bargain with the Devil to get corporate cash.

There is no party that is on the side of the people these days. They all think the corporate network is the only game in town, and the rest of us are chopped liver. We don't pay as well, you see. And hobnobbing with us little people just doesn't have the same cachet.

In other words, we're screwed. Even if a populist movement were to arise, chances are it would be of the right-leaning, fascist / racist stripe rather than a left-leaning, inclusive movement to better the situation for all of us. Occupy seems to be losing steam as a movement, more's the pity.

I wish I could offer good suggestions. I guess for me the bottom line is, it is deeper than a messaging problem. Until our party gets back to its populist roots, it will continue to flounder IMO.