4 Responses

1. Kaitlin Henry

   09|Nov|2009 1

   Buenos días.
   We’d like to think that most sane, reasonable Americans will look at the right-wing crazies and laugh them off, but it seems like a lot of people are finding some kind of energy and strength in it. It’s like an alternate-universe Obama campaign. The excitement (or, in the case of the right wing, hysteria) is drawing people in and mobilizing them.
   How it’ll play out in major elections has yet to be seen. I don’t think of the Glenn Becks as having any sort of legitimate political platform yet.

2. Kaitlin Henry

   09|Nov|2009 2

   Oh, and I’m just going to add that open threads are a great idea. I just wish the format of the blog allowed us to reply to specific comments. But we could always use the twitterific @ symbols to indicate who we’re arguing with in the meantime!

3. Joe Smith

   09|Nov|2009 3

   How do we handle the right wing as they go further from center? Same way they handled leftward retreat back in ‘04. Explanation (hopefully this is not too far off):

   - As the right imposed their agenda upon all, the left retreated further left nationally. We thus had Kerry and Edwards: Vietnam War veteran turned Vietnam war protester, pro-choice, pro-green tech, pro-left whatever pretty much.

   -The Right picked up on the moderate base and folk as credibility was granted to left positions (due to the past 4 years).

   -The key to how they pulled off that election was passion and a uniform conquest of the electorate. They were consistent, persistent, forceful, deathly accurate, and damn well successful. (and what annoyed me as a Freshman in high school was how were they able to get away with basically nonsense? Not just money, but the answer lies (both ways) in the belief and passion of these folk).

   So: we believe in what we fight for. We are no different from the Republican party in that we have some differences here in there on core positions. Yet we have all of our crosshairs on some high point. Hopefully, those who have the time are passionate about this (I’m working on a math & logic intensive degree, so I’m sort of strapped for time, I’m just writing this as I wake), and are willing to take action, compose their passion and focus it on victory.

   And as the Republicans proved over and over: the drive needs not to be based on pure truth, just belief; it does not need to be classy, and in fact finding a way to get moderates hooked and feel guilty if they follow anything other than the Democrats is a plus.

   However we drive, it needs the following: consistency, persistence, forcefulness, deathly accuracy, and damn certain success. If it does: 2010 is in our pocket.

4. NECS

   09|Nov|2009 4

   There are two stories that must be explained going into 2010.

   First, local/state elections. Last Tuesday that this environment is toxic at the state level due to unemployment, corruption and taxes at the State level. In Michigan, we are facing an economy somewhere is the abyss that is our economy. Republicans in Michigan seem to be taking the trend of the national GOP and attempting to apply it to there own situation.

   Hoekstra is tacking to the right – hard core. He may be attempting to “Scozzafava” any moderates in the running, which he very may well do. Mike Cox is the more establishment Republican (with baggage) that will face the meat grinder of conservatism.

   For Democrats, it is going to be important to balk national Democratic trends. Go populist… hard. If we capitalize on the Mike Bishop pro-loopholes, pro-rich doctors, pro-tax breaks for big biz policy we can be seen as the populist party the state needs. Hopefully the GOP eats itself and delivers a situation where we can swoop in.