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Kythas wrote:I work with a guy who's at least as liberal - if not more so - than Nancy Pelosi. To put it in perspective, his browser home page is MoveOn.org and he gets his news exclusively from The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Real Time with Bill Mahr, MSNBC, and The Huffington Post. He is absolutely convinced that the Dems lost so bad because:

1. The Obama Administration failed to properly communicate to the American people what their successes were and how those successes benefit them.
2. The Obama Administration and the Democrats in Congress compromised too much with Republicans over the last two years.

My jaw just about dropped when he mentioned #2.

And like any good Liberal, if you asked him for a single example of where the compromise with the Republicans occured, he will tell you that you were being nitpicky, right?

Kythas wrote:I work with a guy who's at least as liberal - if not more so - than Nancy Pelosi. To put it in perspective, his browser home page is MoveOn.org and he gets his news exclusively from The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Real Time with Bill Mahr, MSNBC, and The Huffington Post. He is absolutely convinced that the Dems lost so bad because:

1. The Obama Administration failed to properly communicate to the American people what their successes were and how those successes benefit them.
2. The Obama Administration and the Democrats in Congress compromised too much with Republicans over the last two years.

My jaw just about dropped when he mentioned #2.

That seems in line with the thinking that I read in that article.

It is true that Democrats have had a historical problem with getting people to the polls, but if their biggest focus is spending 2 years on mobilizing people then I think it is reasonable to believe that they could do so. Especially if they get innovative on encouragements and they get polling locations in a lot more of the places their voters tend to be. These voters will many of them be first-time voters and will not be wise to the fact that they're being used as pawns in a game.

The key is how to educate the public, provide critical thinking and clear explanations on how these things they're voting on are actually going to affect them and their lives... how to cram 13 years of education into two years of extracurricular tutoring from people who don't care, and many of whom don't have the luxury of time to care about theories and politics when they have to address the here and now.

I don't see the Republicans doing anything on this topic. It seems that they're complacent and feeling prideful. Pride goeth before the fall.

RHENRIKSEN wrote:Heck, instead of a poll tax, how about a competency tax? [...] It'd be nice to see voters have to demonstrate the most basic understanding of government

Ask for $5 as a "poll tax", but only count votes from people who refuse to pay it. You could even give everyone who did pay their $5 back after "voting".

Kythas wrote:I work with a guy who's at least as liberal - if not more so - than Nancy Pelosi. To put it in perspective [...] he gets his news exclusively from The Daily Show, The Colbert Report [...]

That's where I get all my TV news from, too. It's too depressing to watch without some laughs thrown in.

Hoi Polloi wrote: The key is how to educate the public, provide critical thinking and clear explanations on how these things they're voting on are actually going to affect them and their lives... how to cram 13 years of education into two years of extracurricular tutoring from people who don't care, and many of whom don't have the luxury of time to care about theories and politics when they have to address the here and now.

I don't see the Republicans doing anything on this topic. It seems that they're complacent and feeling prideful. Pride goeth before the fall.

I hope that you are wrong. From what I've heard the GOP leaders say so far, they have acknowledged that the election results were NOT about people's trust in the Republican party but the lack of trust in the Dems. Much of the Tea Party group hated what the Republicans had done as much as what the Democrats were doing. I also don't sense complacency but only time will prove or disprove that.

chasfm11 wrote:

Hoi Polloi wrote: The key is how to educate the public, provide critical thinking and clear explanations on how these things they're voting on are actually going to affect them and their lives... how to cram 13 years of education into two years of extracurricular tutoring from people who don't care, and many of whom don't have the luxury of time to care about theories and politics when they have to address the here and now.

I don't see the Republicans doing anything on this topic. It seems that they're complacent and feeling prideful. Pride goeth before the fall.

I hope that you are wrong. From what I've heard the GOP leaders say so far, they have acknowledged that the election results were NOT about people's trust in the Republican party but the lack of trust in the Dems. Much of the Tea Party group hated what the Republicans had done as much as what the Democrats were doing. I also don't sense complacency but only time will prove or disprove that.

While the Republicans in-fight with the Tea Partiers, it seems to me that they're ignoring the non-voters who are eligible to vote that the Democrats are targeting.

don't forget that with so many state houses and governors offices being turned over to Republicans there is a real advantage to be had after the 2010 census. Guess which party will have the opportunity to redraw the voting district lines for several years to come? We really have a complex system, by original design, but it works.


surv

1. The Obama Administration failed to properly communicate to the American people what their successes were and how those successes benefit them.
2. The Obama Administration and the Democrats in Congress compromised too much with Republicans over the last two years.

I don't believe your friend sincerely believes that at all, nor do I believe the Amerikan Leninist party believes it either.

IMO, he is doing what so many liberals do, simply following the propagandist party line due to the lack of intestinal fortitude required to admit mistakes and/or failure.

Kythas wrote:I work with a guy who's at least as liberal - if not more so - than Nancy Pelosi. To put it in perspective, his browser home page is MoveOn.org and he gets his news exclusively from The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Real Time with Bill Mahr, MSNBC, and The Huffington Post. He is absolutely convinced that the Dems lost so bad because:

1. The Obama Administration failed to properly communicate to the American people what their successes were and how those successes benefit them.
2. The Obama Administration and the Democrats in Congress compromised too much with Republicans over the last two years.

My jaw just about dropped when he mentioned #2.

I would have explained to the co-worker that there is a large percentage of Americans that do not define success the same way that Obama, Pelosi and the like define success. So explaining them is a waste of time.

For item 2 I would simply remind him of two arguably effective Presidents that did not have a captive congress, Reagan and Clinton. Despite how we may feel about them from the left or the right, both were "successful" Presidents that made many compromises.