As Democrats we do have the power. What we lack is leadership.

[flashman13]

[Bettie]

1. I find it interesting

that when Republicans are in the minority, they are able stop almost everything, but when Dems are in the minority, they can't seem to even slow anything down.

[Paladin]

2. I've noticed the same thing, over the years.

And I don't find it "interesting"---it's damn well infuriating.

[Bettie]

3. It is

but, people have been super sensitive about any criticism, no matter how mild, of Democratic leaders, so I hedged a little on my language.

Maybe they just aren't as good at leveraging the rules in their favor?

Of course, since Citizens United, money is the most important thing in politics and what large donors want drives far too many on both sides.

[Paladin]

5. Your hedging was a wise move.

I've learned that it doesn't take much in the way of critiquing Democratic officials and policies to get posts removed, here at DU. All of which is alright, as far as I'm concerned; it's made me refine and improve my comments.

[Marie Marie]

6. All of the above - ditto.

[flashman13]

10. We went through serious censorship here if you even remotely criticized Democrats before the election.

I and several others (you know who you are ) took a lot of heat from other posters on the DU site at that time. We also had numerous posts pulled for failure to get on the Joe Biden bandwagon. Kamala Harris could have been and should have been the President.

The inability of the party and the its leadership to heed the criticism is what got us into this mess.

[yellow dahlia]

20. I think the consultant class helped to get us into this mess.

I say - fire all the Democratic strategists.

[flashman13]

23. Sorry for my omission. Worrying about consulting with consultants is a big problem at the upper levels of the party.

Don't say anything until we have had a focus group scrub it down to meaningless pablum.

[yellow dahlia]

27. Exactly. "Meaningless pablum" - perfect.

[yellow dahlia]

18. Money in politics is the source of too much loyalty to something other than the citizenry.

[flashman13]

8. Roger that!

[yellow dahlia]

17. Agreed.

There are so many of the sarcastic illustrations that we use, like - the Democrats bring a pencil to a knife fight. A Teddy Bear to a Bazooka barrage. I have heard some creative ones over the years that I can't remember.

And here we are.

[SocialDemocrat61]

7. Yet Biden got a lot done

[Cha]

22. TY.. Pres Biden Accomplished a Lot.. he had HELP

from Our Dems!

Now it's all about Com[paling about Minority Leader Sen. Schumer and Minority LEADER Hakeem Jeffries.

[Bettie]

32. He did get a lot done

he was far better than I, personally, expected when I voted for him. I became a strong supporter of him, even though I disagreed with some of the things he said/did.

But, then, our party entirely abandoned him after that debate, when, frankly, with a firehose of lies going full blast in their face, it's kind of hard to figure out where to start, but that's immaterial. I expect that almost anyone would have been struck speechless, I mean, where do you even start when every word is a lie? But again, old news, not worth debating at this point.

Many people around here were only too happy to tear our very successful president down, there were plenty of anti-Biden posts after that and they were accepted as somehow "deserved".

So, having the vapors about even mild criticism of leadership rings rather hollow.

[yellow dahlia]

15. An important point.

[betsuni]

16. What did Republicans in the minority stop? Could you please give some examples?

[krawhitham]

31. Is what happens when one party cares about the American public and the other doesn't

[maxsolomon]

4. If you're not providing a synopsis of Schmidt's argument

then this should be in the Video forum.

[flashman13]

11. Why? So no one will see it? My purpose here is not to provide crib notes, but to present meaningful information.

Schmidt, Wilson, and a few others have the experience and credentials that entitle them to the largest audience possible.

[area51]

25. I have an older computer that doesn't do well with videos.

I appreciate it when people post a synopsis of a video.

[Cha]

21. Agree.. We've talkied about this. I'm not

the only one who doesn't like Vids.

Rhiannon in Cable News Clips posts Excellent Summaries.

[poli-junkie]

9. Schumer & Jeffries need

to threaten funding for 🧊

[flashman13]

13. That's a particularly good starting point.

[Quiet Em]

12. We have a really decent chance of picking up a few Senate seats

After we accomplish that in the 2026 midterms I would be ok with discussions on a different Democratic Leader in the Senate. Changing leadership right now won't accomplish anything. The Republicans control the Presidency, the Senate and the House. That's the problem.

Hakeem Jeffries has been a very effective and strong Leader in the House. He has the respect and support of House Democrats. There is no appetite or desire to replace him.

[SamuelTheThird]

14. Assuming elections even matter anymore...

[yellow dahlia]

19. The most important point, right now...IMHO.

[JI7]

24. How about Tim Walz ? Why is he not running for re-election ?

Has he not been a leader ?

[sunflowerseed]

28. Schumer is one of them!!

DINO!!

[Doodley]

29. Leadership needs to meet the moment. Example - remember the Ebola outbreak?

Two people in USA died from Ebola, and Republicans made it the top story, about Obama's competence, running up to the 2014 mid-terms, day after day, week after week. They seized on it and made it a crisis.

Contrast with how many voters are even aware of the multiple health crises being created by Trump and RFK? Three are dead from measles and it doesn't even get a mention. And what about all the other deaths now and projected from healthcare and research funding cuts?

IMO, the most basic thing leadership must do, in co-ordination with lawmakers, is communicate very clearly to reach as many people as possible what is happening in our country, with a sense of urgency, a sense of crisis, and at a level that will achieve media coverage and will scare the people into action.

[krawhitham]

30. Were taking Steve Schmidt's advice and talking points now, they guy who started this sH!T show with Palin, brilliant

[flashman13]

34. Point one: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Point two: He knows more about inside politics than anyone here

on this site. Point three: He has a deep knowledge and understanding of history. It's that; those who don't understand history are doomed to repeat history. Point four: He had nothing to do with choosing Palin. He was as surprised as the rest of us when it happened.

[flvegan]

33. No context, no clicks. Not blindly monetizing Steve "Sorry 'bout Roberts/Alito" Schmidt. n/t