2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Reticence created an enthuism gap [View all]JHan
(10,173 posts)Let's back track - what happened in 2010? I'll frame my argument in that context:
The President agreed to a bailout - if he hadn't, hundreds of thousands of people would have lost their jobs. His bailout was a catalyst for the Occupy Movement, which later gained momentum in 2011, but in 2010 Dems lost sight of the prize - keeping control of congress in liberal hands. This was a civics failure of epic proportions - an epic failure in understanding that the change they wanted could only happen through elected officials because issues like transparency, getting big money out of politics, ending tax loopholes that benefit large corporations and big players, union rights, tax increases on the rich, expanding healthcare, and spending on infrastructure, could only happen with Dem FDR majorities in the house. So Democrats abandoned Obama in 2010 - and what did the GOP do - set themselves up nicely for the next crop of mid terms.
We have to shoulder that blame.
It wasn't a secret that the DNC has byzantine electoral rules, which it broke to allow Sanders to run and , in that light, how come the irony of Sanders only remaining competitive because of caucuses is lost on his most virulent supporters?
And once again, the same nonsense is happening this year- Cory Booker is being raked over the coals because of his vote on a non-binding amendment that had a snowball's chance in hell of passing - even though he voted for the Wyden Amendment. I disagree with Cory occasionally but I wouldn't rake him over some inconsequential flawed amendment , regardless who the sponsors are... but we won't learn.
The GOP understands power so they win, we don't so we lose.