Comments on: Once again, a Democrat tries to sell out the party to an audience that isn’t listening http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 04:59:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Why I still hate Democrats —SO MUCH— at PunkAssBlog.com http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/comment-page-1/#comment-47155 Why I still hate Democrats —SO MUCH— at PunkAssBlog.com Sun, 05 Aug 2007 13:00:26 +0000 http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/#comment-47155 [...] But this isn’t about Bush, really, is it? This is about the Democrats continuing to court a segment of society that will never, ever vote for them — the warmongers. Even the article above casually notes this simple and obvious truth: The House Democratic leadership had severe reservations about the proposal, which explicitly authorizes government eavesdropping on e-mail messages and telephone calls originating overseas but routed through the United States, and an overwhelming majority of Democrats opposed it. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker, said the measure “does violence to the Constitution of the United States.” [...] [...] But this isn’t about Bush, really, is it? This is about the Democrats continuing to court a segment of society that will never, ever vote for them — the warmongers. Even the article above casually notes this simple and obvious truth: The House Democratic leadership had severe reservations about the proposal, which explicitly authorizes government eavesdropping on e-mail messages and telephone calls originating overseas but routed through the United States, and an overwhelming majority of Democrats opposed it. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker, said the measure “does violence to the Constitution of the United States.” [...]

]]> By: Lemme see here… still a topsy-turvy world full of oppression? [Scans NRO] Yup. at PunkAssBlog.com http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/comment-page-1/#comment-36962 Lemme see here… still a topsy-turvy world full of oppression? [Scans NRO] Yup. at PunkAssBlog.com Tue, 06 Feb 2007 23:27:10 +0000 http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/#comment-36962 [...] I think the Republicans are desperate to reverse this bold hire by the Edwards campaign because they’re terrified Democrats are about to awaken the slumbering giant of liberalism on the political landscape. We’ve discussed the enormous popularity of liberal ideas many times in this space. If the Democrats decide to embrace real liberal political thought again, Republicans won’t be able to hang back and wait for the Dems to paint themselves into their typical bland, uncompelling corner. And that’ll make it much harder for Republicans to win elections. [...] [...] I think the Republicans are desperate to reverse this bold hire by the Edwards campaign because they’re terrified Democrats are about to awaken the slumbering giant of liberalism on the political landscape. We’ve discussed the enormous popularity of liberal ideas many times in this space. If the Democrats decide to embrace real liberal political thought again, Republicans won’t be able to hang back and wait for the Dems to paint themselves into their typical bland, uncompelling corner. And that’ll make it much harder for Republicans to win elections. [...]

]]> By: Republican candidates see Dubya shooting himself in the foot, ask for bigger gun and more bullets at PunkAssBlog.com http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/comment-page-1/#comment-36693 Republican candidates see Dubya shooting himself in the foot, ask for bigger gun and more bullets at PunkAssBlog.com Fri, 26 Jan 2007 05:45:02 +0000 http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/#comment-36693 [...] Few Democrats have yet to wise up to the enormous popularity of liberal ideas. Several of them continue to talk tough about possible future military/anti-terror efforts despite our national discontent over war. But at least they aren’t talking of “expanding freedom” these days. It’s not much to hang or hats on, but it may be our saving grace in 2008. [...] [...] Few Democrats have yet to wise up to the enormous popularity of liberal ideas. Several of them continue to talk tough about possible future military/anti-terror efforts despite our national discontent over war. But at least they aren’t talking of “expanding freedom” these days. It’s not much to hang or hats on, but it may be our saving grace in 2008. [...]

]]> By: Pelosi drinks GOP kool-aid, spits it at us in her opening remarks at PunkAssBlog.com http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/comment-page-1/#comment-27926 Pelosi drinks GOP kool-aid, spits it at us in her opening remarks at PunkAssBlog.com Thu, 04 Jan 2007 21:18:06 +0000 http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/#comment-27926 [...] Why don’t the Democrats understand that while some swing voters may have gone Dem based on Bush’s wartime incompetence, the vast majority of Americans consider issues like health care and the environment to be of equal or greater importance? [...] [...] Why don’t the Democrats understand that while some swing voters may have gone Dem based on Bush’s wartime incompetence, the vast majority of Americans consider issues like health care and the environment to be of equal or greater importance? [...]

]]> By: Making 2007 the year of the liberal: Part II at PunkAssBlog.com http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/comment-page-1/#comment-12865 Making 2007 the year of the liberal: Part II at PunkAssBlog.com Mon, 06 Nov 2006 04:19:30 +0000 http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/#comment-12865 [...] Yesterday I explained why I believe we need a group dedicated to promoting liberalism to voters and the Democratic party alike. A quick recap: —Liberal ideas are already extremely popular. Overwhelmingly, Americans want environmental reform, health care coverage for all, and transparent governance. —The language of liberalism gives voters a shorthand way to describe a unified platform of those issues to politicians. —Unfortunately, identifying with “liberalism” has been criminalized. Most people shrink from the word. —Any politician who attempts to address those popular issues will be tagged with the unpopular liberal label. —Thus, if we want politicians to address the issues that matter to us, we must make liberal a good word and not a bad one. —If they want to achieve long-term political success, Democratic politicians must stop embracing the conservative talking points of security and terrorism and create their own agenda. —The surest bet of all would be to adopt strong positions on the popular issues above: environmental reform, health care coverage for all, and transparent governance. —To do so, Democrats will have to reclaim the word liberal, both to express to voters what they stand for and to prevent that label from crippling their initiatives. [...] [...] Yesterday I explained why I believe we need a group dedicated to promoting liberalism to voters and the Democratic party alike. A quick recap: —Liberal ideas are already extremely popular. Overwhelmingly, Americans want environmental reform, health care coverage for all, and transparent governance. —The language of liberalism gives voters a shorthand way to describe a unified platform of those issues to politicians. —Unfortunately, identifying with “liberalism” has been criminalized. Most people shrink from the word. —Any politician who attempts to address those popular issues will be tagged with the unpopular liberal label. —Thus, if we want politicians to address the issues that matter to us, we must make liberal a good word and not a bad one. —If they want to achieve long-term political success, Democratic politicians must stop embracing the conservative talking points of security and terrorism and create their own agenda. —The surest bet of all would be to adopt strong positions on the popular issues above: environmental reform, health care coverage for all, and transparent governance. —To do so, Democrats will have to reclaim the word liberal, both to express to voters what they stand for and to prevent that label from crippling their initiatives. [...]

]]> By: junk science http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/comment-page-1/#comment-10817 junk science Wed, 11 Oct 2006 17:53:56 +0000 http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/#comment-10817 It doesn't, however, make a whole lot of difference if one of the candidates is stealing votes. It doesn’t, however, make a whole lot of difference if one of the candidates is stealing votes.

]]> By: Bertie http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/comment-page-1/#comment-10796 Bertie Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:52:24 +0000 http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/#comment-10796 Even at a purely tactical level, wrapping liberalism in libertarian window dressing isn't going to buy very much. Libertarians are extremely overrepresented on the internet and in the social circles in which bloggers and their readers move. That tends to make people like us think there are lots more of them than there really are. Furthermore, the fact that we know libertarians personally and are friends with them makes us tend to overestimate how easily we may convert them to our side. I suspect that they are just as hard to reach as social conservatives -- they may grumble at conservatives, but they <i>hate</i> liberals. And at least trying to convert a few traditional conservatives has an electoral point -- Marc's experiences with his family a few posts below not withstanding. Traditional conservatives are extremely <i>underrepresented</i> on the internet, and there are tons of them out there in real life; just getting a few of them to cast a protest vote our way or, more likely, sit one out makes a huge difference in a 49-49 type country. Even at a purely tactical level, wrapping liberalism in libertarian window dressing isn’t going to buy very much.

Libertarians are extremely overrepresented on the internet and in the social circles in which bloggers and their readers move. That tends to make people like us think there are lots more of them than there really are. Furthermore, the fact that we know libertarians personally and are friends with them makes us tend to overestimate how easily we may convert them to our side. I suspect that they are just as hard to reach as social conservatives — they may grumble at conservatives, but they hate liberals.

And at least trying to convert a few traditional conservatives has an electoral point — Marc’s experiences with his family a few posts below not withstanding. Traditional conservatives are extremely underrepresented on the internet, and there are tons of them out there in real life; just getting a few of them to cast a protest vote our way or, more likely, sit one out makes a huge difference in a 49-49 type country.

]]> By: junk science http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/comment-page-1/#comment-10765 junk science Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:47:41 +0000 http://punkassblog.com/2006/10/10/once-again-democrats-try-to-sell-out-the-party-to-an-audience-that-isnt-listening/#comment-10765 <i>I realize that people don’t want to believe this, but business has to deal with one very simple fact: on its own, business cannot force anyone to buy its products. Microsoft can’t make you buy Windows, or Office, or any of their other products if you don’t want to do so. Even if they have a monopoly, they can’t make you buy their products.</i> Yes, and if you don't like the idea of supporting sweatshops, you can start sewing your own clothes or going naked. It's depressing that people defend libertarianism outside of freshman economics classes. I realize that people don’t want to believe this, but business has to deal with one very simple fact: on its own, business cannot force anyone to buy its products. Microsoft can’t make you buy Windows, or Office, or any of their other products if you don’t want to do so. Even if they have a monopoly, they can’t make you buy their products.

Yes, and if you don’t like the idea of supporting sweatshops, you can start sewing your own clothes or going naked.

It’s depressing that people defend libertarianism outside of freshman economics classes.

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