Liberal activist blames 'weak Democratic leaders' for historic losses
(CNN) - A leading liberal activist blamed "weak Democratic leaders" for the historic losses dealt to a Democratic Party that was able to maintain control of Congress for only four years.
"What the average voter saw of Democrats was weak, watered-down change - and weak Democratic leaders who cut deals with the very Wall Street banks and insurance companies they are supposed to be fighting," Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said in a statement.
Green said Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold, who lost his re-election bid Tuesday, was "dragged down in a national rejection of Democratic Party weakness."
"Progressives will be stepping up and insisting that the Democratic Party be bolder, not weaker," Green added, saying his group's mission is now to "save the Democratic Party from its own incredible weakness that savaged Democratic candidates in 2010."
Reid and Pelosi were the worst leaders the Democrats could have. Period. They had no backbone to stand up to the GOP and get things done. You don't compromise, you don't deal. You put your progressive agenda out and fight for it. You don't play nice and want to be friends. Its politics.
That's a tempting hypothosis, but if that is correct why did Feingold loose but Harry Reid win?
Liberals lost because when Americans decide between extreme Left and extreme Right, extreme Right always wins. Has nothing to do with their leaders.
Look at Obama, the smooth mack daddy of the Left. He is teflon, but just about every one that supported his leftist nonsense has been bounced out of office.
Please, please, please, force your Democratic PArty to tilt leftward... PLEASE!
This person is delusional if they think this was because of "weakness." This was about people being frustrated with too much too soon. No matter personal views, any person who lives in the real world will know that the Far left couldn't deliver the votes for their version of the stimulus package or the health care bill. This kind of polarization is the same as the Radicals influences in the Tea Party.
No genius, voters rejected the progressive power grab, can't you see? But yea, just keep going farther Left so we can get rid of the lot of you.
This idiot doesn't get it! It was that very far left agenda that was being shoved down the American people's throats that got them thrown out of Washington! Goes to show how out of touch they really are.
I'm not sure I agree with this assessment. The economy played the principal role and history favors big changes in the mid-terms when one party holds all three seats of government. However, that said, I certainly hope the Democrats will buckle down and be Democrats. Most of the conservative Dems lost their senate bids. It doesn't do any good to try to appease voters by straddling the fence...voters want their politicians to show some backbone...Barney Frank speaks his mind and he was returned. We need more like him.
Hold on this is a gift horse !
Now the GOP will have to lead in the House , take responsibility and action rather then just being obstructionists. They will have to deal with two costly wars they started that nearly bankrupted this great country !
Giants beat Texas in 5 games! Did you see G Bush Juniors face ? California is Champion tonight !
So many positive, historic things have been accomplished by President Obama and the Democrats these last two years – and they have been far too quiet about it.
In contrast, the GOP has a full-time, 24-hour infotainment outlet in Fox, which day after day after day after day spreads fear, lies, hatred and division, convincing average (albeit dimwitted) Americans to vote against their own self-interest.
If our country can't get it together to reject the Republicans and their tried-and-failed policies, then we deserve to turn into a third-world nation.
Democrats need to do a better job at definining themselves and not letting Republicans define the Democrats. This is where Democrats are weak. At this point Republicans can come up with any outlandish, complete fabrication about what Democrats do or don't do and their Republican followers believe it without question. This election is the perfect opportunity for Democrats to turn things around and take control of their own political futures and continue the work to bring us out of the hole that was started due to the failure of the Republican philosophy.
Or, perhaps it was a rejection of the ultra-left nonsense of the last 4 years? Nah, it couldn't be that... In case Mr. Green didn't notice, it was the blue-dogs in moderate or conservative districts who used to be able to stand up to their party leadership, but have lately begun to march in lock-step with Pelosi who were kicked out this time around. People don't vote for Republicans because the Democrats aren't liberal enough for their taste... It's time Mr. Green accepted the reality that most Americans don't share his ultra-left leanings and today Americans let that be known.
Great. I hope more and more pressure hits Obama from people just like Adam Green, The more he insists on governing from the extreme left the more likely Republicans will continue to make gains. People like Green will destroy their own party. Power to him and the Democratic CNN for putting pressure on Obama to be an ideologue. Go for it, guys.
Obama bent too much to accomodate Baucus, Lieberman, Lincoln, Landrieu, Ben Nelson and Evan Bayh during the healthcare debate. That was his biggest mistake. He had no ability to command their attention. Not letting public option leave alone universal govt run healthcare come to the table was his fault. And now the country is playing for it. Obama talked about Bold Change, but he displayed no signs of being bold and taking on these guys and exposing them in the public. He thought that he was walking the path which would lead the country to less polarization but look how polarized we are. If he had only exposed these guys openly, the country would unite to defeat the common enemy – in this corporations and their cronies in congress.
Idealogues never accept facts. They just keep shouting their old, failed mantras.
Do you take into account that the Green Party, who pretends to be progressive, and is probably funded by the Republican Party cost us a Senate Seat iin ILL.?
Conservatives haven't had any leaders to speak of in well over a decade, and the liberals are complaining that their leaders are weak. How ironic.
Just out of curiosity, what was "historic" about losing one half of one branch of Government?
"Progressives will be stepping up and insisting that the Democratic Party be bolder, not weaker," Green added, saying his group's mission is now to "save the Democratic Party from its own incredible weakness that savaged Democratic candidates in 2010."
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What?What Planet is he from?
What Country is he referring to?
This Green guy makes everything Glenn Beck says make so much sense, it's scary.
And if that's the case, then BObama should just walk away from this Presidency,
because if his puppet masters force him further to the Left the Democratic Party
will be gone forever...It would be the best Christmas present ever to the Republican Party.
Yes, it is 100% True that the Democrats have proved over the past several years to be totally Gutless, and not at all interested in what the People Want OR Need for them to get for us, such as:
1. Single Payer Universal Health Care. This we NEED, but CROOKED & Gutless Dems left us in 37th Place in the World, in Health Care, and steadily sinking LOWER, without SP UHC!
2. We need to establish a "Department of Peace", and use it to bring an END to our Country's Bullying, and Imperialism and Fascism, things that the USSR used to have a Monopoly on, now WE Do! 200 Countries in the World HATE us for our Continuous Wars & Murdering that we Perpetually do for PROFIT, not to Protect ourselves!
3. We need to Greatly Expand the use of Solar, Wind, Hydrogen, Water, Geothermal and Laser Fusion Energy Technologies, since we are almost in LAST Place in the World in actually Rolling OUT these "Futuristic" forms of Future Looking Technology, which will also prevent a Global Disaster of magnificent proportions from happening!
And I blame democrats for not giving a FUCK to get out to teh polls and keeping the Republicans out. DONT YOU FUCKTARDS DARE GIVE A SHIT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, BECAUSE IT'S YOUR FAULT THAT THE PARTY OF NO IS BACK IN POWER!
I guess you mean that if it took 18 months to pass republicanized health care you wouldn't agree that Obama rammed it down their throat.
What brought the losses was the overreach of Obama's liberal agenda... most Americans tend to be more conservative... So in the framework of a poor economy, the liberals pushing a social agenda (health care, etc) against the will of the majority was a train wreck waiting to happen. The voters don't want to be taught why politicians know better than us... we want you to represent us!
Indeed. Too much time was spent over the last two years trying to bring the obstructionist GOP into the fold, to actually contribute to the governing of our nation. We tried too hard to reach across the aisle and find common ground with an entity only focused on the destruction of the Democrats, and in the process, we lost much of what we might have gained. Our leaders must be VOCAL- explain what we need to do and why we need to do it. We have a little to learn from the GOP: they've created a massive misinformation scheme that panders to the lowest, basest human behavior (xenophobia, greed and fear) and does it effectively. We must echo these efforts, but with the positive message that we carry and benevolence behind us. It amazes me that Americans continue to fall for the GOPs message, and that they fail to understand how they are being manipulated. Of course, I know the GOP and what they will do: they have thankfully been given just enough rope to hang themselves, and I think they will sabotage themselves quite expertly once people realize that what is good for corporations and the wealthy is not good for the remainder of us.
I agree with you 100% – and if Obama doesn't find some backbone he'll be out in 2012 – dang bunch of limp weak losers!
Exactly correct. Obama spent far to much time and political capital trying to appease the obstructionists... eerily reminiscent of Neville Chamberlain...