Remember how the right wingers ran ads saying how bad the democrats would be in 2004? Remember how they threatened you with taxes and troubles, how they smeared. If you're happy with the candidates they supported, then vote for them. But if you know now that their attacks supported candidates who have made things worse, including blocking funding for health care for children and keeping a bad war going-- then vote for the people they are attacking-- and know that their ads are built on half truths and lies. Fool you once and it's their fault. Get fooled again, and you have only yourself to blame.
There's more. We know that in many districts where right wing incumbents are retiring, no replacement candidates have arisen yet. And in many close call districts where Dems won in 2006, no opposition candidates have come forward. Why? They're waiting to see how local races go. If the local Republicans do well, that will encourage stronger candidates to come forward, candidates who have to give up more, who have more to lose, if they run.
If the local Dems wiin, then they send a message that it does not look good for Republicans in the district. It will discourage the strongest candidates. So... I asked a local dem party leader yesterday if the National was supporting local county candidates, in the county where Patrick Murphy lost. Yes, Murphy won his election because of a handful of pockets of his district in Philly and Montgomery countiers.
You would think the DNC would have the sense to support some of the local county candidates, to set the stage for next year, helping local dems win in Bucks county, to intimidate the strongest candidates on the right from running. Nope, not the invertebrate dems at the national level. No spines, and it's looking more and more like, not much in the way of brains either. They may even be dumb enough to think that the Dems won in 2006 because of what they stood for, rather than total disgust with the right wing war party.
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The problems we're seeing in Washington didn't start in Washington DC. They started locally and local politics is where the cleanup must begin. That means cleaning out a whole lot of politicians who have been going along to get along. It's time to throw a huge mass of incumbents out-- both Republican and Democrat-- particularly those who we've seen don't have the guts to face the tough choices necessary to get us out of Iraq, to care for children's health, to re-instate the constitutional protections thrown out by panic-stricken legislators afraid to stand up for democracy (FISA.)
The elections in November will probably have a very light turnout. The next few weeks will be important-- opportunities for you to do all you can to get absent ballots filled in, get voters registered and then do all you can to get out the vote. If you haven't yet, get in touch with your local organizers and get involved. Wear out some shoe leather.
The elections in November will probably have a very light turnout. The next few weeks will be important-- opportunities for you to do all you can to get absent ballots filled in, get voters registered and then do all you can to get out the vote. If you haven't yet, get in touch with your local organizers and get involved. Wear out some shoe leather.
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