Both parties failed the SOTU speech
Disclaimer: I didn't actually watch the SOTU. Both the sight and sound of Orange Hitler makes me physically ill.
So why did the Dems fail?
1) Joe Kennedy? Really? Even the Dem mouthpieces WashPost and CNN scratched their heads over that one.
CNN points out that he fails if your pitch is Identity Politics.
WashPost points out that a Kennedy, no matter what his age, is still a throwback to an era that few are old enough to remember. That's not forward looking.
Then there is the fact that Kennedy is simply not a standout politician.
He's not exceptional at speaking or leading a grassroots movement of any kind.
2) The optics weren't good.
During the State of the Union speech on Tuesday evening, the American people saw a boisterous, self-confident, united Republican party rally around its president, while a defeated, grim, and moping Democratic party looked on powerlessly.
...The Democratic party, on the other hand, showed it had learned nothing from the 2016 defeat and still has no idea how to deal with Trump and the Republican hegemony. Not only did their members of Congress sit there defeated and moping, often not even applauding policies that were, or should be, in their own platform.
It takes a special kind of incompetence to stand next to Donald and fail at the optics.
1) The Donald failed to, but unlike the Dems, who failed while trying, The Donald failed while thinking he was winning. In fact, it was the primary message of his speech.
Trump's SOTU address cardinal sin just happened to be the cardinal sin that Obama and Hillary were guilty of in 2016 - he talked about the economy of the 1% as if it was everyone's economy.
“Since the election, we have created 2.4 million new jobs, including 200,000 new jobs in manufacturing alone.”
“After years of wage stagnation, we are finally seeing rising wages.”"The stock market has smashed one record after another, gaining $8 trillion in value. That is great news for Americans' 401k, retirement, pension, and college savings accounts."
Trump's base will eat this stuff up with a spoon, just like Obama's base loved to hear Obama brag about how great the economy was doing.
We aren't talking about anyone's partisan base because they are generally close-minded morons that are beyond hope.
What we need to look at are the independent voters, especially those in the Rust Belt. Those voters listened to Obama and Hillary telling them how great the economy was and then listened to candidate Trump tell how horrible the economy was, and then they voted for Trump.
Do you think that in the past year that anything has significantly changed for those voters? A year in which 82 percent of the money generated last year went to the richest 1 percent?
Do you think they are being inundated with good paying jobs?
Do you think those voters are feeling good about the stock portfolios that they don't have?
The Donald sounded a whole bunch like the wealthy elites that working class people are disgusted with. Like the Dems, he doesn't appear to be aware of his failure, and thus will keep repeating his mistake.
Comments
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The oligarchs are so afraid of losing control of the party that Dems had to trot out an actual oligarch to make sure the right things get said (and the 'wrong' things don't get said).
Mike Taylor
He's not Hitler
He's the American Mussolini. Il Douche.
" In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and is generally considered to have been a bad move. -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy "
I read somewhere that
Mussolini was an educated man though, a school teacher I think? Trump doesn't even read. And I think we know at least Hitler read as he managed to crank out a book, bad as it is. Trump is the purely American version - arrogant and loudly and proudly ignorant. Just my opinion, YMMV.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
@boriscleto
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
Well, if we're going full fascist....
I'm hoping for the Italian model. With such uniforms, who could resist arrest?
/s
(Edit) I should note though that the Carabinieri are very pleasant when asked for directions. They won't shoot you.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
I too prefer
to wear blackshirts over brownshirts. But redshirts are best.
I like the line you quoted...
"the American people saw a boisterous, self-confident, united Republican party rally around its president, while a defeated, grim, and moping Democratic party looked on powerlessly."
I think the Republican party is so "self-confident" because they understand that the Dems have painted themselves in a corner. Unlike the Republicans who listen to their party...the Dems do not. Like Jimmy Dore says "Yes, the Dems are great at resistance...resisting YOU". The Dems CAN'T listen to their constituents because they are bought and paid for like prize Xmas turkeys. The Repubs CAN listen to their stupid-ass constituents because they have no idea that they are being manipulated by the all-powerful shadow government...and as long as Trump is gonna make "Merica great agin for me and my family, I'm all in selling my ass down the river." I even heard someone say "They don't want the government to give them healthcare"...now THAT'S some real time stupid.
The Dem's hands are tied,(and the Republicans know it) they can't give us progressive policies because then they will lose their donors, and they don't want that to happen because they got kinda used to rolling in all that dough...so they sit...and look miserable...and do nothing.
Well done is better than well said-Ben Franklin
It's worse than that.
It's worse than that. As Jimmy Dore correctly pointed out last night, the Dems gave Chump nearly as many standing ovations as the ReThugs did.
From the viewpoint of a progressive mid-1970s Democrat from a continuously loyal State, the only Democrat in that room was Randy Brice, who's running against
Eddie MunsterPaul Ryan for Congress. And I'm glad I didn't have to be him last night, for reasons Jimmy Dore ant team made altogether too obvious. (Randy Brice is an actual progressive working-class man, running as such.)Everybody else was ReThugs, and should be so treated.
The preceding Comment would have gotten me the Bojo over on Daily Kos.....
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Well, for old times sake then...
Here's a virtual thumbs down from me. I'm sure we can get a few others to pile on and have you virtual bojo'd.
Ahhh yes, a trip down memory lane. Oh how I don't miss that place.
A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard
D's are owned by the R's, the D's either don't care or
to stupid.
https://www.thenation.com/article/gop-donors-and-k-street-fuel-third-way...
http://americablog.com/2010/08/koch-industries-gave-funding-to-the-dlc-a...
D's are owned by the R's, I imagine the Walton's started it w/our
favorite family the fucking clintons.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-02-01/walton-benioff-join-b...
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
I think it's more accurate to say...
...That Democrats and Republicans are both owned by Libertarians. Sure, the Libertarians might run their own candidate but at the end of the day, they own the Uniparty does what they want anyway. That's how it's been since David Koch failed in his bid for Libertarian VP. The Kochs figured that if they couldn't win political office, they'd buy it instead, so here we are.
As for Libertarian voters? They have what they want now, lock, stock and barrel. There may as well be no government because other than corporate ordered plunder for the military, the whole thing has been rendered inert from federal to local and the market rules all, unchecked, just as they wanted.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
Yep tptb have total control, the govt is rendered useless
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
After the coup against FDR failed
the PTB started working on dismantling the new deal and as you stated the Kochs have funded both parties and anyone who is against single payer and the other issues that progressives want. I didn't know that they funded the DNc, but I'm not surprised by this. Clinton picked up the issues that Reagan and Bush 1 couldn't get passed. Welfare reform, the crime bill and deregulation of the banks were all republican wet dreams and it took a democrat to get them passed. Then Obama put a cheery face on the wars, bank bailouts and the other legislation he passed while refusing to do anything to help main stream Americans. His approval ratings should be in the toilet, yet they are very high. And still anyone critical of democrats are told to stfu.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
This is exactly what the msm wants us to believe
my gut tells me it's quite different though.
The people are fed up with all the bullshit, they just
don't know how to fight back.
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
Excellent comment
You're right about how many republican voters don't want universal health care because they think it's socialism which is what they have been told by republicans. They are against unions because they demand better pay, but they don't realize that the unions gave us a 40 hour work week and vacation and sick leave. They are also for the tax cuts because companies are job creators. It's amazing how they have voted against their interests for decades.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
His donors should scare the shit out of anybody.
[video:https://youtu.be/MxXCCWfWXlw]
On the plus side: His voting record is also mostly shit.
https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/141275/joe-kennedy-iii#.WnJN8Z...
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
Joe Kennedy III
His voting record is almost all "Nay", when he bothers to vote at all.
No lie! https://votesmart.org/candidate/campaign-finance/141275/joe-kennedy-iii
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
I listened to Stein and Baraka's response instead.
Sure, I did have to sit through the pontificating man-baby with Jimmy Dore first, but their response was well worth the wait.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
The chilling punchline at the
The chilling punchline at the end of the guardian article.
|While Steve Bannon might not be a player in the White House any more, and the State of the Union was markedly low on populism, the Democratic party would do well to heed the words he spoke in an August 2017 interview: “The longer they talk about identity politics, I got ’em. I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity, and we go with economic nationalism, we can crush the Democrats.”|
HA HA
Eddie Munster...that's a good one!
Well done is better than well said-Ben Franklin
And now for the Bernie response:
https://www.facebook.com/don.debar/videos/10215891122656711/
Omigod Rusha!
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
Memo to Bernie:
Thanks for pointing this out
now then, I have two pieces of advice:
1. Don't be afraid to desert a sinking ship. In 2020 more people will vote for you running as a 3rd party candidate than as a Democrat. Period. Trust me, the D label is toxic - it has been for over a decade, it is now, and in 2020 it will be even more so.
2. Remove the word "Russia" from your vocabulary. No one who believes in "Russian interference" will ever vote for you, they will vote Fascist Republican or war hawk Democrat instead, and if you are not sabotaged again they will vote Fascist. Those of us who do not believe in the Russia fantasy are probably a minority, but even so those who do not care and are sick of hearing about it are an overwhelming majority.
There are 5 keys to success (I don't have to tell you this, but…) Intelligence, morality, public support, money, and violence. ("violence" is a catch-all word used to include voter suppression, media blackouts, and rigged voting machines as well as strategic plane crashes) You have popular support because people believe in your intelligence and moral integrity. Do not throw that away sounding like (ended because I cannot continue without being very rude)
On to Biden since 1973
This is a reality I have seen even before the 2016 elections.
By the time of the 2016 Democratic Convention, this was a certainty. During that convention, the Democrats lost in 2020.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Bernie either
(1) believes the Russia bull shit or (2) is suckling up to the Democratic party.
Either way, it is political suicide. The people do NOT care about the Russia hacking narrative. They care about putting food on the table and having their families cared for without having to go into bankruptcy by the slightest setback.
I am going to say one more things about why this Russia hacking narrative is to bad. By focusing on it, it makes the United States appear to be weak. Those pushing it do not focus upon solutions, but only focus upon ginning up the new cold war.
Our election systems have problems, most of which are easily correctable by requiring all voting on paper ballots that are hand counted in a public process. The problem with real election rigging (election fraud, not voter fraud) is the use of computerized tabulations run by privately owned software systems that can be manipulated by outside forces.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy