Disgruntled Democrats

Be careful what you wish for, goes the old saying. The compliment in politics that applies today is: Be careful what you promise. A Democratic congressional majority plus the presidency is a wonderful thing, but only if you use the power to implement policies you pledged to enact.

I heard a lot about this during my Washington Journal appearance earlier today. You can watch it here. Suffice it to say that "disgruntled" is being polite. We talked a lot about health care, though I don't think Harry Reid will appreciate I suggested he should take his cues from Rep. Alan Grayson; with Afghanistan and Pakistan, something I got into the discussion as well. The hate mail coming in is a hoot.

Byron York wrote recently about how Democrats are feeling, even if he doesn't fully understand it: that the power new media wields no longer makes us the "Internet fringe," but has manifested because we now reflect the feelings of Democrats across this country.

The feud is entertaining for the media, but the Democrats face a very real problem: Dissatisfaction with the party has spread beyond the Internet fringe. Recent Gallup polling shows that Congress' job approval among Democrats plunged in September, from 54 percent to 36 percent -- an 18-point drop in the course of a single month.

There simply can't be that many people in pajamas. Mainstream, non-progressive, non-pajama Democrats are now decidedly unhappy with the performance of their leaders in Congress. The presence of unbeatable Democratic majorities -- 256 Democrats in the House and 60 in the Senate, backed up by a Democratic president -- has made rank-and-file Democrats less, rather than more, satisfied.

That's because the Democratic majority and Pres. Obama are not delivering on promises and pledges through the power we gave them.

Many insider Democratic types think that having a majority is the goal when it's just a beginning. And once you decide that compromise is the way to keep your job you forget to actually do your job. That's not an exact quote from Pres. Josiah Bartlett of the West Wing, but it's the same sentiment.

The annoyance reached critical mass when Pres. Obama underestimated and allowed Sarah Palin's "death panel" squeal to monopolize the summer, with the tea party brawlers the next to hit, until the White House finally figured out they'd better strike back.

However, when the public weighed in on health care supporting the public option overwhelming, and leaders of the Democratic Party from Obama to Reid to the Democratic caucus were unwilling to take the reigns and run with it, the annoyance bubbled over with progressive and online activists taking over the leadership role themselves.

There's a reason people elected Democrats. To get something done. The sad fact is that they have not delivered tangible results on very key issues even with the majority they were handed starting with health care, but also ending the Iraq war. Then there is DADT, closing Gitmo, and on and on, with Afghanistan now seen as Obama's Iraq, as it becomes more and more unpopular.

Another real issue, on which the Huffington Post has led, is Obama's bailouts coupled with the stories of continuing record bonuses, Treasury's complicity in lack of financial transparency, and what is seen as wholesale looting of the American taxpayers' wallet with no job growth in sight.

We worked to get this majority and the Democrats in charge of using it are screwing up badly. It's no secret. People are pissed.

And while I appreciate very much the power of Obama's speeches, the latest given at a $30,000 a plate DNC fundraiser, though you could pay much less to attend a reception and hear the speech, which listed his accomplishments along with red meat partisan rhetoric. It came after visiting New Orleans, which is still a mess four years later, with Obama telling the crowd he couldn't write a check to help them out, because of the U.S. Constitution and Congress.

If you can bail out the banks, Mr. President, you can sure as hell bail out New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama, where people's lives are still in limbo.

So let's get one thing straight. It's not our anger that will sink the Democratic majority, contrary to what Byron York writes. It's that if the Democratic majority and Pres. Obama don't listen to us they will have not only ignored the people who gave them the power, but in turning away from what we want will doom Democrats to lose it.

Taylor Marsh, with podcasts available on iTunes.

Follow Taylor Marsh on Twitter: www.twitter.com/taylormarsh

Comments

[randyjet]

Obama did NOT promise to end the war in Afganistan, in fact he said that he would concentrate on it and wind down Iraq. He also said that he would INCREASE the US military by at least 100,000 troops. I would suggest that folks READ what his campaign web site had. There was NO promise to end DADT either, nor to support gay marriage. He adopted Clinton's health care plan late in the campaign which was NOT a plan for universal coverage. It simply openned up the government employees plan to those who wished to buy into it, just as Kerry had proposed in his campaign.

I fully support more troops into Afganistan and making that a priority. The only thing he has not come through on is to close Gitmo, but he is working on that now. Democrats will never win again if we have a pacifist position as some folks do. So far all I have seen is that many Democrats appear to be against ANY use of military force at any time or place, and hate the military, guns, and meat eaters. If this is the prevailing view of us, we will lose big time in the future. By advocating the buy into the government health care plan, Obama DID in a backhanded way support a public option for health care reform, and if this does not happen, I can guarntee that I will not be supporting Democrats next election.

[Jannsmoor]

Let's see, more troops in Afghanistan. Secretary of Defense Gates has already made it clear more troops may be counter-productive. The more presence Americans have, the more we are resented as an occupying force.

What exactly would be your strategy for more troops. Are we going to war with the Pashtun majority in the area? If so, how much money and how many lives are you willing to lose? Did you read the article which pointed out the military estimates it costs $400 to deliver one gallon of gasoline to where it's needed and the Marines use 800,000 gallons per day at a cost of $320 million per day, just to get the gasoline where it's needed for the marines. Again, what are you willing to sacrifice - medicare, social security, education?

Our government and the media completely failed to do a cost-benefit analysis for the Iraq war and now we learn it will cost us $3 trillion. Wouldn't it be nice to have that money back now that the Wall Street Profiteers have crashed the world's economy? If we spend $3 trillion in Afghanistan where will we get the money to bail out our economy next time?

[ezet22]

The rebel left needs to chill out.

[HSmith]

IN A DEMOCRACY THIS BIG, IT TAKES MORE THAN 10 MONTHS TIME TO TURN THE SHIP. 2 WARS, A FINANCIAL COLLAPSE AND A LUNATIC POLITICAL AND NETWORK OPOSITION DOESN'T MAKE FOR WARP SPEED CHANGES....I ASK THIS, IN THIS 24/7 POLITICAL FIRESTORM CAN ANYONE FIND ANY MAJOR MISTAKES THAT JEOPARDIZE THE PROGRESS OF "very key issues even with the majority they were handed starting with health care, but also ending the Iraq war, DADT, closing Gitmo, climate change and on and on," SEEMS TO ME THE DEMOCRATS ARE STILL ON TRACK, THE TRAIN IS MOVING ABOUT 50 mph in a 65 mph zone.....BUT WHAT MAJOR POLICY INITATIVES HAVE FALLEN OFF THE ROAD????

[waiteman]

This is why Obama appears to be continuing the Bush agenda. 1) Expand a war by sending more troops(Afghanistan), 2) not closing Gitmo, 3) not leaving Iraq or even drawing down, 4) throw out the public option, 5) watch Wall Street make out like bandits off of taxpayer money, 6) when there is 10% unemployment and the best plan you can come up with is extend unemployment insurance, 7) watch senators like Lieberman, Baucus, Nelson, et al. pull the BS they are pulling without calling them on it, 8) not investigating the torture issue. You need to throw people a bone to show them you are doing something. That hasn't been done. What I see is a president enamored with the spot lite. Everything is a PR move. It is like watching a soap opera. There is a lot of action going on but every episode keeps leading into the next episode in which nothing ever concludes or gets resolved in order to build the suspense. If the train is moving it is not even close to going 50.

[fatmo]

This is exactly how I feel and explains why people like us are not donating our time or money now. We feel the Dems have left the Repubs still in charge and nothing is getting accomplished.

[CDarwin]

Very well said.

[stuporman]

"unbeatable Democratic majorities -- 256 Democrats in the House and 60 in the Senate, backed up by a Democratic president"...minus blue dogs, minus bipartisans equals an unbeatable majority in the house only. and since replacing a centrist on the supreme court with a moderate right winger leaves a conservative majority, the democrats still have a long way to go before they can wield power.

[BarryS]

I a disaffected democrat. I suspected that [almost] anyone electable would be convinced to be a warmonger-type because it makes them look macho. Even Hillary [who already was.] But, none of the othewr parts of the platform are getting done either.
How about allowing a filibuster and NO MORE WAR FUNDING undtil some of the other urgent business is complete. Tell McCain, all troops out tomorrow if "his" party filibusters health care, DADT & DOMA repeal and all the other reforms we voted in the democrats for. That's right NO MORE WAR MONEY will be considered until those others are done deal. If they want to make believe they are following precedent [rather than the bribes from the special interests] they can put it all in one bill. All or NOTHING. BTW, a congressional condemnation of the bigot judge in LA is long overdue. Obama should be on TV already saying that such bigotry is unbelievable. He should shun LA politicos totally until this is done. What an insult to him, and his family. In fact, he should require anyone wanting any contact with his administration to go on TV and condemn that bigotted judge before any meeting for any reason.

Action, lights, camera.

[WorkingClass]

You are correct Ms. Marsh. Actually, I think Obama has already split the party. A positive development in my opinion. The country needs a party to represent the working people. Obama and the Clinton Democrats represent the Oligarchy.