Now before I begin, not one but two confessions! First, I am all too well aware that most of my American visitors here at D&N, Bob is the exception that proves the rule, are Republican supporters and they will not be the slightest bit interested in any news concerning the Dems. Second, I'm not too interested either but I am concerned that there have not been eruptions within the Democratic party to find out how and why they lost an election to a fairground barker like 'The Donald'. As far as I can judge, the Dem apparatchiks believe they fought a superb election and the only reason they lost was because so many of the redneck rubes were too thick to appreciate the, er, 'very fine qualities' of the dumpy, little crook they ran as a candidate - yeeeees, quite! Ever since they have not ceased to offload offal onto what they call the 'deplorables' whilst seeming to forget that those very same 'deplorables' are actually voters - again, yeeees, quite! In other words, rather like the less-than-delectable 'HillBilly', they seem to be suffering with mega-entitlement syndrome!
I worry about that because whilst I am a Right-winger by instinct there are aspects of the current Republican party I find quite worrying and they do not rest solely on the 'yuuuuge' shoulders of 'The Donald' and no democratic country can run properly without a sensible, functioning opposition party - as we are finding out 'over here'! So it was with some relief that I read that the new boss of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has fired every single staff member whilst he vets them all and recruits new people. His name is Tom Perez, although perhaps he should be renamed as Hercules because the top of the Democratic party resembles the Augean stables of mythology. I have no idea whether or not Mr. Perez is up to the job, in fact, I have no idea about almost any aspect of American politics these days, but if he succeeds in rooting out the Clinton crime family and the swivel-eyed 'Obama fanatics then I will be pleased withal!
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-28/dnc-asks-entire-staff-resignation-letters
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/vernon/100913
nothing nice about tp at all. I cannot find the article I would prefer to post... maybe later... but the man is a snake
Posted by: missred | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 16:32
Good luck with that...
100% agree with your post by the way, except that the GOP is not much to write home about quite honestly, and a few hundred thousand votes either way, and it would be them needing to do some cleaning, and in fact they should anyway.
Trouble is the American right is divided between the tea party tendency with which we UK based libertarians would tend to agree on almost everything and the creationist religious nuts with whom we wouldn't. And they find it hard to co-exist.
Politics being so polarised and tribalist nowdays the problem is only getting worse.
And that's about the limit of my understanding of the situation on the other side of the herring pond
Posted by: Cuffleyburgers | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 16:35
Those Augean Stables will fill up again with the same by product. The direction that party is heading, the only one open to it now, will see to it. The Clinton faction and Obama faction will have most of the testicles well in hand behind the scenes. Tom Perez is just the face of who the party is and will be.
On the other side, the Rs transitioned well in the RNC. They must accommodate many factions in the party, which can be frustrating, but it is a sign of some health. The lady in charge- Rona Romney McDaniel, is the face of the Rs and is a hybrid of a northeastern moderate and a midwestern conservative. Personally I can do without a northeastern anything too close to leadership, but she is it.
Posted by: Whitewall | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 18:12
Eh Whitewall?
You got any "pull" with that there Miss Rona Romney McDaniel?
If you do would you Puhleese! - ask her to Cease & Desist sending me all the mail? My registration down at the Clerk's office plainly shows I've registered my party affiliation as ... INDEPENDENT!
***
On a sidenote David, up above in your initial sentences you've, "... Bob is the exception that proves the rule ..."
Perhaps a better phrasing might be, 'Bob is the exception that TESTS the rule.'
Posted by: JK | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 18:26
JK, nope, sorry. I get as much misdelivered mail for my neighbor up the road as I do the RNC. I don't care for them...too, what's the word---Republican. I prefer blood in the eye close quarters street fighters instead of these coat and tie ladies and gents. Oh, the neighbor up the road is an 82 year old "New Deal Red" as my Dad used to say.
Posted by: Whitewall | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 19:01
David and JK, you're both right.
The Democrats deserved to lose to a carnival barker, who is at least a sincere conman. Instead of having the courage to stand for progressive politics and liberal principles Democrats became "me too" Republicans, especially under the Clintons. While you wingers might find the party of FDR, JFK and LBJ something akin to the party of Satan, it had values and stood for something other than trying to find the "golden mean" according to triangulating, Clinton/Gore insipidness. The one true thing Trump has said since the election is that Hillary campaigned in the wrong states and got little enthusiasm. Obama was somewhere between, but his personal popularity didn't necessarily translate into Democratic party popularity. Perez is from the establishment part of the party and will also inspire few. The good news for Democrats is that in large part the party is building from the ground up.
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Cuffleyburgers, you underestimate the Republican party factions. There are also libertarians unlike the European variety as well as the business, neocon (war and empire), economic, moderate and even liberal (Rockefeller Republican) wings (though the liberals have shrunk to a hand full). There are also now Trump Republicans though no one, including any of them, has an idea what they stand for except populist nationalism.
Posted by: Bob | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 19:44
Or Whitewall, as we say around these parts ... "Drop Cord Democrats."
(As you might know/recall, more toward my region than your's I think ... my Mountain Region of Arkansas didn't get electricity until ... well where I am, 1960 thereabouts. My Momma's kin-side, 1963. Heck Papaw and Mamaw didn't even get an indoor privy until lessee, how old was I[?] oh yeah, 1966.
And they owed it all to that nice Mister Franklin D. with whom otherwise they enjoyed nothing whatsoever in common - other than his name appearing atop the WWII War-Dead monument in the corner of the courtsquare. ... And maybe whatever dimes they had in their pocketchange (depending on whether many of 'em had switched out their Confederate scrip.
But that's what we INDEPENDENTS calls 'em at this point - "Drop-Cord Democrats.")
Posted by: JK | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 19:45
Bob?
I'm supposing you're *somewhat unfamiliar* with a certain distinction as you're using "Rockefeller Republican"?
Bear in mind there's hillbillies afflicting D&N.
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=122
Posted by: JK | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 19:55
David,
Just for the record, I am not a Republican. I have always been and will continue to be, an unaffiliated independent voter. I vote for the candidate who better (or less badly) represents what I believe will be good for my country, my state, and/or my local community (in that priority order). I do not vote for third-party candidates who have no chance of winning (which is a wasted vote in my opinion).
Prior to September 11, 2001, I had always voted for Democrats. Back then, I considered myself a traditional liberal. After 9/11, I have always voted for Republicans. I now consider myself a conservative, though I do not subscribe to all the platform issues of the Republican Party, nor do I reject all of the platform issues of the Democrat Party.
Posted by: TheBigHenry | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 21:31
JK,
Thanks for the link. I'd heard of Winthrop, but never had a clear idea about what he represented. Nelson was more typical of the Eastern establishment, liberal GOP the Goldwaterites rebelled against.
Posted by: Bob | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 21:47
"Drop cord Democrats" and with electric tape around the cut places I assume?
Henry, what a jumbled mess we all are! I remember there used to be plenty of "Blue Dog" Democrats but no more. That's a shame. Those kind have no home.
Bob, FDR, JFK and LBJ are not the party of Satin. Marx maybe. Now LBJ...Satin. Until Obama maybe the overall most destructive President of the post Civil War nation for the damage done in office and the damage done for decades after.
Posted by: Whitewall | Wednesday, 29 March 2017 at 21:48
WW,
When I was in high school, The Five Satins were an American doo-wop group, best known for their 1956 million-selling song, "In the Still of the Night."
I had no idea that LBJ was one of them! :)
Posted by: TheBigHenry | Thursday, 30 March 2017 at 00:19
Henry...damn! Sometimes the devil jumps on my keyboard at the worst moments! I sing that song in my mind quite often, as well as some others. LBJ might have been a "roadie" for the group? Another song that repeats in my head is Ernie Ford's "16 Tons". I don't know why.
Posted by: Whitewall | Thursday, 30 March 2017 at 00:37
WW,
By the "devil", do mean Satan? :) Another one of my favorite "Oldies but goodies".Posted by: TheBigHenry | Thursday, 30 March 2017 at 01:31
Henry-- devil, satan, scratch etc. Around here they are the same. Now you know that tune is going to play in my head all tonight and tomorrow?
Posted by: Whitewall | Thursday, 30 March 2017 at 03:13
I know how that goes, Robert. It happens to me a lot, too.
Posted by: TheBigHenry | Thursday, 30 March 2017 at 06:24
It doesn't really matter if the Republicans get their act together or not because we are in the age of Trumpism. After Donald's 8 years the Americans will get their first female president - Ivanka.
Posted by: backofanenvelope | Thursday, 30 March 2017 at 09:30
BOE, who knows, we may refer to her as Queen Ivanka by then. Better than Queen Chelsea.
Henry, I loaded "16 Tons" all night long, well, about 12 anyway. The "walking boss" told me I was too old to do any more. He ain't wrong.
Posted by: Whitewall | Thursday, 30 March 2017 at 11:54
Whitewall, Your accusation is silly. Marx has had virtually no influence on American politics or policy.
What damage do you think LBJ did? If you're referring to letting the Vietnam War get out of control I'd have some sympathy. However, Eisenhower made the initial moves toward the war by meddling in internal politics to bring Ngo Dinh Diem to power and lining up the military to stop the specious "Domino Theory". Have you ever read a history book?
By the way, satin sheets bring back some good memories, thank you.
Posted by: Bob | Thursday, 30 March 2017 at 17:41