In Case You Missed This... 'Don't Soul-Search. Stiffen Your Backbone.' - Bill de Blasio/HuffPo

[WillyT]

Be sure to read the whole piece.



Don't Soul-Search. Stiffen Your Backbone.
Bill de Blasio 109th Mayor of New York City - HuffPo
Posted: 11/12/2014 10:00 am EST Updated: 11/12/2014 10:00 am EST

To working people, it showed Democratic weakness -- a weak commitment to the change desperately sought by struggling families, and a weak alternative to a Republican philosophy that has held America back.

Bold, progressive ideas win elections.

Just ask Senator Al Franken, who has fought fearlessly to rein in Wall Street, and won by a larger margin on Tuesday than President Obama did in Minnesota in 2012.

Or Senator Jeff Merkley, who never backed away from his support for Obamacare -- a federal program that is already working to reduce income inequality, and promises to do more to address the inequality crisis than anything out of Washington in generations. Merkley won re-election in Oregon by six points more than Obama won that state in 2012.

Then there's Governor Jerry Brown, who cruised to re-election after championing -- and winning -- a millionaire's tax that dedicated funding to California's public schools.

And don't forget Governor Dan Malloy -- who was written off by so many in his re-election bid in Connecticut. Malloy raised taxes so he could invest more in education each year (at a time when other Governors were slashing education to close yawning budget gaps). Malloy passed earned sick time and a minimum wage hike. And in his re-election bid, he proudly stood alongside President Obama.

Malloy not only lived to tell about it on Tuesday, he increased his margin of victory in a rematch with his 2010 Republican opponent.

Critics will point to competitive Senate races in Kentucky, Arkansas, and North Carolina as places where such progressive policies would all but ensure Democrats' defeat.

Our question is: how would they know?

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-de-blasio/midterms-democrats-dont-soul-search_b_6141732.html?utm_hp_ref=yahoo&ir=Yahoo

[DonCoquixote]

1. or as Joe Hill said it

"don't mourn, Organize."

[Segami]

2. Well, we campaigned in the opposite direction in those states and

it 'ensured' that Democrats went down in defeat.

[think]

3. "But we've tried it the Washington way time and time again "

It's time for a bold, new approach -- with campaign messages that are rooted in local concerns and core party principles; ideas that are morally just, intellectually honest, and sound public policy. In other words, a campaign plan that gives voters some credit, and has a real chance of success at the polls.

bingo....

[sabrina 1]

6. The Party would have to WANT that. I don't think they don't KNOW these things, it's just that the

agenda of the Party Leadership is different from that of the voters and has been for several decades now.

Until we acknowledge that, we can't even begin to address how to implement true, Democratic policies. To assume they 'just don't know' means, we are starting from a wrong premise.

[Enthusiast]

8. They already know.

That is what the influence of the DLC and Third Way is all about, implementing things the voters, the rank and file Democrats around the nation, do not want. And they proceed as if they just don't happen to understand they are going against the wishes of the people. La la la, we're so dumb.

[sabrina 1]

12. And than when they lose, they BLAME THE VOTERS! I am still waiting for the Leadership to

speak to the voters about the fact that they voted on ISSUES, a message that could not be more clear was sent to them this time, 'we want Progressive issues, we have no faith that you will work for them/us, so we are doing it ourselves'.

What should happen now is that the Party Leadership should address the people, apologize for not listening before, ask THEM who they would like to see run for office, and begin the work of winning back some of the confidence they have clearly lost.

But that won't happen. Because as you say, the Third Way/DLC is in charge, and they are authoritarians who despise the voters, as 'dumb who don't know what's good for them' and especially despise the Left.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. Um, didn't DeBlasio support Cuomo against Teachout?

He could have used a stiffer spine during that race...

[WillyT]

5. Yeah... I Hear Ya...

Doesn't mean the piece isn't worth a look.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. +1000

We fight, we win!

[Enthusiast]

9. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

Wake up, people!

[vi5]

10. Good piece

I'm surprised he could get his lips off of Cuomo's posterior long enough to write it.

[Scuba]

11. "How would they know?" Bingo!!!

[ReRe]

13. K&R

A steel backbone, is exactly what Democrats need. The backbone that Deval Patrick spoke of at the Dem Convention in Charlotte. I DVDed the convention and reran Deval Patrick and Jennifer Granholm's speeches over and over.

Chris Hayes had de Blasio on his show a few nights ago (probably Wed night, same day this article pub.) He's right... we need to go to the people. Take up the people's issues. When the right wing of the Democratic Party ridicules you, remember: They have nothing but names to call you, just like the right wing Republicans. They'll call you a populist, a socialist, a communist. They'll call you names you've never heard before, names that don't even make any sense, names that are truly laughable.

We all need to purchase little models of anatomical spines. Backbones. We need to sit these backbone models on our desks and let them remind us each and everyday to stand up and be strong.

And when names start flying around, put in your virtual ear plugs in.

[WillyT]

14. + 1,000,000,000... What You Said !!!

[demwing]

15. Kicked & Rec'd /nt