The Rude Pundit: Note to Democrats: We Have to See You Fight, Even If It's a Losing Cause

[babylonsister]

https://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2024/12/note-to-democrats-we-have-to-see-you.html

The Rude Pundit
Proudly lowering the level of political discourse
12/01/2024
Note to Democrats: We Have to See You Fight, Even If It's a Losing Cause


snip//

What Democrats are missing right now is that we, the base, desperately need to see them out there fighting. Yes, there has been some strong condemnation of Trump's alarming parade of criminals, predators, freaks, and con artists as nominees to cabinet and other offices. But that's not enough to rally us because lemme tell you something, Democratic leadership, we're hurting. We're watching as the cases against Trump for genuinely serious crimes (like, you know, leading a coup and stealing top secret documents) disappear. We're watching as the other cases are ground down in proceedings that will likely end with dismissal. We're waiting for the Biden administration to go into overdrive for not just judicial appointments, but for things like renewal of Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of migrants.

But even that's not enough. One of the things that Republicans did successfully when they were out of power was fight and fight, even if they were losing battles, like the constant effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act. And I know you're tired, Democrats in office. God, we voters are, too. But we're angry, and you're giving us nothing to focus our anger and our desire to resist.

Right now, I'd love to see some Hail Mary passes from the Biden administration. I want to see him grant blanket immunity to every migrant who has applied for asylum and to pardon all the Dreamers and give them a path to citizenship. I want to see him try one more time to come up with a way to do away with student loan debt. I want him to commute the sentences of every federal prisoner on death row so that Trump can't come in and start executions again.

And I want to see Democrats go for it on whether or not Trump is ineligible to take office under the 14th Amendment's prohibition on anyone having committed insurrection from being president.

snip//

Even on a symbolic level, I want to see the groveling before Trump to stop. No Democrat should go to the inauguration. By going, you are ignoring his lies, and you might believe you are honoring the American tradition of peaceful transfer of power, but you're actually giving aid and comfort to someone who ended that tradition. You're forgiving a criminal who has show no remorse and you're abandoning everything that Democrats have fought against for the last decade. And for what? For the hope that he maybe won't set a Kash Patel-led FBI after you for having opposed him? For a moment of his idiot hordes not inundating your offices with death threats? Being decent to indecent people is a fool's game.

Because, see, right now it seems like Democrats aren't fighting. It seems like they've surrendered. And that sucks because the rest of us out here in the trenches haven't.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Co-sign this

And in TOTAL.agreement on the Inauguration. Do not sit up there out of politeness and applaud a rapist traitor.

[dalton99a]

5. +1

[Lunabell]

4. Buhbye!

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

12. Oops I misunderstood your post, never mind

[El-Capitan]

6. As Bill Clinton said of potential Democratic Party defectors, "Where are they going to go?"

Gonna vote Green?

Gonna vote Republican?

Gonna stay home?

[haele]

63. They stay home.

And blame the Democrats for not appearing to hold to a "red line" or actually fight for their policies.

The media against 'boring' democracy doesn't help, but members of our own party making knee-jerk stupid statements over petty inter party politics while trivializing or ignoring the other party or issues that actually affect real people are what really kills us and turns otherwise reasonable voters off.

Haele

[Lunabell]

3. Preach!

I'm tired of capitulating to those lying, hateful shit mongers!! You can't play nice with bullies!!

[NotHardly]

47. THIS right here

[oldmanlynn]

7. Send messages to the Democratic Party and whitehouse

I would ask the Democratic party themselves at this link

https://democrats.org/contact-us/

Or whitehouse at

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/share/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

[Bettie]

67. I don't have enough money for them

to listen to me.

And I don't live in a swing state.

[OldBaldy1701E]

73. Hear Hear!

https://i.postimg.cc/qR4k85hw/temp-Imagez-TDx9-G.avif

[Magoo48]

77. Be seen and heard, everywhere, alone or in groups, especially out in the community supporting grassroots organizing

If there’s a march, be up front. Openly resist, in public, share ways for people to resist. Tell the public what you need from us, who to boycott, who to demean, have some creative ideas. If you don’t want to take action, stay out of the way, or better yet, resign.

[OldBaldy1701E]

78. Yep! (n/t)

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

8. Not sure what you mean by "fight" I want to see leadership that recognizes the gravity of the situation and

is laying the groundwork for being strong, visible opposition govt using every tool at its disposal - starting with,a s suggested in Atlantic - to proactively pardon everyone involved in legal proceedings or likely retribution targets. WE DO NOT NEED any more wallowing in allt he coulda woulda shoulda. All the things we supposedly did wrong and supposedly have to do better - good grief do we even know theres gonna be a 2028 election? I like to think so, but hat is in the distant future and we have more immediate concerns. Oh, they might start working on this question - how do we we counteract propaganda and disinformation (which IMHO was the #1 factor in loss of election and which will only get worse.) And worse case sceneario -what do we do if fact-based communications go down?

[DENVERPOPS]

71. In my opinion

the Dems have lacked serious leadership for years.......

[niyad]

9. Spot on, as ever, RP.

[TRHST82]

10. The biggest problem with the party is not "identity politics or" policy related.

It's the lack of crafty, ruthless fighters.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

14. I would agree with this - AND , its kind of an existential dilemma in that we have traditionally been

the ethical, fact-based communicators - so how do we deal with an overpowering barrage of propaganda and disinformation, which imho was the overriding factor in last election, all the lies and outrageous offensive verbiage that totally dominated even the more centrist and progressive media.

[hadEnuf]

24. Agree 100%. However, we should have been dealing with the right-wing propaganda media takeover decades ago.

And I would take Musk seriously about buying MSNBC and/or CNN. Those are the last cable channels that are a holdout for any type of critical Trump coverage. (I say CNN with a grain of salt)

America didn't brainwash itself. The right-wing has fully understood the power of the airwaves. We seem to have forgotten.

Now here we are.

[moonscape]

31. Agree - CNN is hardly perfect but

at least it has Jim Acosta and isn’t Newsmax

[Cirsium]

53. We always settle

We settle for so little, grateful for the few crumbs that fall off of the table.

"At least we aren't Republicans!" has been the main pitch from the party leadership over the last few decades. That is not sufficient. It is like poorly performing fire fighters saying "at least we aren't arsonists!"

[Wicked Blue]

30. The power of the press belongs to those who own it

[malthaussen]

35. Exactly. And another thing...

... DJT polled more votes in 2024 than he did in 2020. Now, maybe I'm being an elitist snob, but I don't think many of his 70-million plus faithful read the New York Times or the Washington Post. Or watch any mainstream media except Fox. So the supine submission of the media is not relevant to the numbers who voted for DJT, but might be quite relevant to those who were not motivated to vote for the Democrats. And perhaps this is what should be concentrated on: ignore the RW radicals as a lost cause, but try to motivate the disenchanted who didn't bother to show up this time.

-- Mal

[HUAJIAO]

38. Get the people who run the TOYOTA PR. They seem to be doing OK

[orangecrush]

20. NAILED IT

The Democratic party needs to divorce Ruth and become Ruthless, or we will cease to exist.

[spanone]

11. K&R

[dalton99a]

13. Democrats should fight to win elections, not purity medals or sainthood

Change comes from POWER.

[SocialDemocrat61]

59. Exactly

Well said

[Hotler]

15. Stop playing gentlemanly politics and showing political niceties. The repugs wrote the book on being shitty

in the House and Senate, all we have to do is start giving them a dose of their own play book. I think with the death of democracy it's okay for once to be mean assholes on the floor.

And I agree that no Dems should attend the inauguration. I wouldn't show up just to keep me and my family from becoming political prisoners on National TV.

[dalton99a]

18. +1.

[Wicked Blue]

43. I'm not sure it would be SAFE for Democrats to attend the inauguration

The opposition includes many violent thugs who would love to physically attack the nearest Democrats

[Botany]

16. Too late Lee

The other side has won their coup, our elections are complete shams, they have
The House, The Senate, the Supreme Court, the White House, the media, Russia,
and powerful forces such as the Fossil Fuel Industries & billionaire shits who think
they should control everything. Meanwhile salt water is working its way north up the
Mississippi, up the Delaware River to almost Philadelphia, and the salt water is killing
100s of acres of the cedar forests in New Jersey too.

Trump has also promised a Kristallnacht on day one.

[Kid Berwyn]

29. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

By William Shakespeare (from Henry V, spoken by King Henry)

TIME TO BE THE TIGERS. FOR CHANGE AND FOR A CHANGE.

[HUAJIAO]

39. This hits the nail on the head and is SOOOO timely.

[bluemom]

17. You've nailed it!

I’ve been thinking along these lines since the election. I’ve asked my senators to be proactive with minimal success, and contacted Harris/Walz campaign with the same.
I look around at those of us who voted Harris and realize there’s a lot of anger, fear and sorrow and I’m hoping desperately that someone will step up and act like a leader to address the looming shitstorm.
(Where’s a Franklin or Jefferson when we need one?) Someone needs to stand up and speak out to our members, there needs to be plans for how to protect our institutions. Why do the Dems, by and large, retreat to near invisibility? Are they afraid to cross Trump? It’s time to find their inner courage.

[Cthulu on call]

19. And attack the right without mercy

They show no quarter, they should be given none in return. Attacks on the federalist soceity and sources of funding like the Bradley foundation are at the heart of the snake.
It's been a concerted effort for decades to crush the middle and working classes to put all the power in the hands of the wealthy.

[Bettie]

68. Heck, just shining a bright light on them

will help a lot. Don't let them stay in the shadows, make sure everyone knows where this is all coming from.

[SpankMe]

21. "Being decent to indecent people is a fool's game."

Hear, hear.

I agree strongly with everything except boycotting the inauguration. That'll really get us labeled as sore losers and crybabies. That's what Trump did at Biden's inaugural, and it was a bad look. Even for Trump.

Instead, we should go while wearing pins and temporary tattoos supporting gay people, trans rights, abortion rights, etc. That's part of engaging the opposition. Occasionally stand and turn our backs to the Orange Asshole ® during right-wing applause lines. (You know his speech won't be a unifying one, but rather will be a bashing of the left and everything he and the new GOP are opposed to.)

[Kaleva]

22. We the base voted and will continue to vote

The base isn't the problem. We showed up.

The problem is with those on the perimeter, those who lean Dem, who decided to sit this one out or maybe even voted 3rd party or for Trump.

[Oopsie Daisy]

23. Indeed... I see this mistake often. The "base" will always vote for Democrats *

* and "base" is not synonymous with "the most far-left voters who seek perfection, or else they'll vote Green!"

The "base" are loyal Democrats. I find it offensive that the "Rude Pundit" thinks that votes from "the base" are conditional and transactional.

Yeah-yeah, I know his shtick is to ruffle-feathers... but seriously... fuck that guy.

[Kaleva]

55. I'm pretty sure every DUer voted for Harris

and every other down ballot Dem. We didn't have to be pressured, persuaded, etc. to do so. We do this every election.

[Oopsie Daisy]

70. We absolutely did! Thus making his message and premise all the more insulting.

[Lancero]

34. Get rid of the people on the perimeter, guess what? The people behind them are now on the perimeter.

The people on the perimeter that we're attacking for their... disloyalty, they used to have people standing in front of them. I wonder, what happened to them?

[Kaleva]

57. Who is attacking them?

The base is solid and unwavering. The problem is with the perimeter as we can't win with the base alone. We have to convince those on the peripherity to go to the polls and vote D. We couldn't do it this election and the reasons why will be debated for some time.

[Lancero]

60. "The problem is with those on the perimeter"

You directly branded them as the problem, yet don't see how that can be considered an attack?

It's less of an attack now that you've expanded upon those comments, but still... "The problem is with the perimeter". Rather than lead with the problem being our failure to appeal to the perimeter, it's their failure for either not seeing or accepting our appeal.

[Lunabell]

62. I could be considered on the perimeter.

I am definitely an economic lefty progressive and stay a Democrat because of the umbrella. The the knowledge that progressives have been branded with the commie, socialist, anti-capitalism, dirty hippie label by both Democrats and Republicans keeps other political parties from making headway.

None of that is true, but it sells.

[AllyCat]

25. Sister, can I agree with this. We need to see ANY kind of a fight.

We need something the media can't ignore.

Biden pardoning Hunter gave me a breath of hope in a bleak, bleak landscape of fascism coming our way. We need something that shows we have a point in fighting. I'm not feeling much hope right now and not seeing anything from other than maybe Schiff and Newsom about how we can stand up.

[HUAJIAO]

41. And Jamie Raskin I would say. And a few others Jasmine Love me some Jasmine!!!

[AllyCat]

46. Yes, you are right. They have both been outspoken.

AOC too.

I am just dumbstruck at world leaders and others just capitulating to him in advance. People I know who are democrats saying "well, it won't be that bad because we agree with getting additives out of food" and other such nonsense.

Cannot believe this is where we are and that Americans decided they were done with democracy and voted this raging, demented lunatic into the wH AGAIN!

[HUAJIAO]

56. On the money !!!!!!!!!!!

[Ligyron]

64. Maybe they didn't.

I find it difficult to believe so many Americans are fine with lies and downright disgusting behavior like sexual assaults, picking on the less fortunate and dishonoring our brave soldiers. Could so many have sunk that low?

Or is there perhaps another explanation for Trump's "win"?

[dchill]

26. K&R - there's nothing to add.

[the_liberal_grandpa]

27. Reach across the aisle?

That has been the Democrats biggest problem since I started voting in 1972. They play nice when the other side is playing to win.

Dems can go back to playing nice when the playing field gets leveled but until then they need to take the gloves off and at least go down fighting

Stop cow-towing to repubs who do not respect you.

I donated to several campaigns this year but in the next election I will only donate to candidates who fight to win. And I will donate ZERO to any candidate that uses the phrase "Reach across the aisle"

[Wicked Blue]

40. Reach across the aisle and punch them

[CapnSteve]

28. I am a yellow dog democrat. I am used to defeat. I will fight on.

From the space opera "Firefly":

“May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.”

- Malcolm Reynolds.

[malthaussen]

32. Pretty subdued for Rude.

Not one four-letter word in the post.

I think he has a point. It is impossibly schizoid to spend the entire campaign (which lasted four full years) screaming about how the enemy will destroy democracy and then, when that enemy wins, shrug your shoulders and say "oh, well, them's the breaks. Let's just act like everything's normal, then." If there were people who felt that the Democrats constant warnings that the sky is falling were overplayed (and I believe there were), then now that the sky has actually fallen, the Democrats need to acknowledge the fact, in words and deed. There are a number of things Mr Biden could do, in his official capacity as President, which might help mitigate the disaster -- but I expect him to do none of them, except pardon his own son of a crime he admittedly committed -- and try to "peacefully transfer" in the best traditions of the bureaucrat who lacks the imagination to see that extraordinary times call for extraordinary actions.

And that is the crux, IMO. If the Democrats truly believe that the times are extraordinary, and it's not just rhetoric, then they should fucking well act like it. I am feeling more and more like this is all a game of "Who's in and who's out" to the Democratic leadership, the frivolous activities of a group who is just about as far removed from their constituents as their colleagues across the aisle. They frankly haven't shown me much to contradict that impression.

-- Mal

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

36. I cant be the only one who has been pondering the possibility of

Pres. Biden leading insurrection and refusing to transition power over the fascists. Supreme Court sez it's OK right????????

[malthaussen]

37. I like Joe, but he lacks the character to pull something like that, IMO.

Furthermore, how is that different from what DJT tried in 2021?

-- Mal

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

50. It is different - the rules have changed. Per Supreme Court now OK for a sitting prez to do whatever

the heck they want. Not necessarily saying this should be done... just that ... it could be. Although if pressed, Im sure they would come up with some lame reason why this green light to do anything applies only to Repub presidents and not Dem.

[malthaussen]

52. The rules have changed, but the players have not.

I doubt that Joe will be more daring than pardoning his own son. Which, strictly speaking, he shouldn't have done anyway, but he's allowed a human moment.

-- Mal

[nuxvomica]

33. They can use the Section 3 disibility on others as well

It specifies that the disability to hold federal office also applies to those who provide "aid or comfort" to the insurrectionists. The prospective UN ambassador, Elise Stefanik, appeared on Meet the Press and described the insurrectionists as "hostages". That should be brought up in her confirmation hearing.

[karin_sj]

42. Nailed it!

He is 100 percent correct. I've been feeling the same way. I'm sickened to see all of this crap ignored and even normalized by people I used to have faith in.

[Initech]

44. Amen! We can't just let Fuckface and his Project 2025 bullshit steamroll us!

I refuse to kowtow to the Heritage Foundation, they are a terrorist organization. They are the enemy from within.

[Justice matters.]

45. Question about the Presidential pardons by the millions.

Do all the beneficiaries have to "accept" them? (Or not?)

If the answer is Yes, how can millions of people effectively "accept" them in two months?

Thanks.

If the answer is No, then it's all realistically good!

(No matter if the "new" mad king can or can't undo them "dicktatorially" as he pleases on day 1.)

[Wild blueberry]

48. We are now the OPPOSITION party

Let's roll.

Regret that I can rec this only once.

[ZonkerHarris]

49. This will never happen. We don't know how to fight anymore. Too many corporate interests infesting the party.

[wendyb-NC]

51. Well said

[GoreWon2000]

54. The don't fight back Dems abandoned Al Gore and surrendered in 2000

They couldn't abandon Al Gore fast enough in his fight to have the uncounted Florida votes counted, as Florida law required, btw, to go hide in their cushy, ivory Washington towers. Maybe if the uncounted Florida votes had been the votes of wealthy white, anglo male, large dem campaign contributors instead of low income African-American women, the don't fight back dems might've decided to fight. Instead the don't fight back dems have been bowing to the anti-democracy GOP ever since.

[SocialDemocrat61]

58. Sorry just don't agree with this

First, I’m sick and tired of some random pundit and commentator setting their own criteria of what Democrats should do and then denouncing them if they don’t do what they demanded.

Second, when a party is in the minority, it needs to pick its battles. Don’t waste political capital just to make a point.

[mac56]

61. Yup

[betsuni]

65. Why assume Democrats aren't doing anything ? Why not think for yourself instead of waiting for Mommy and

Daddy to tell you what to do? Usual whining about Democrats not fighting, need to be rallied. Grow up. Stop being weak. Life goes on until you die. The fucking whining...

[ThePartyThatListens]

66. I agree

Fight, fight, fight!

[SWBTATTReg]

69. Personally, I don't want to see a democratic 'leader' (or most of them, not all). I am greatly disappointed, and I

expected more out of the Biden administration (and to be fair, there was a lot), but still. I'm vastly disappointed.

Maybe it's time for a whole new revamp of those at the top of the Democratic leadership. Get rid of the old, and bring in the new. Bring in new blood, bring in new people, from top to bottom.

Another thing...I don't want someone that is rather old. Not pointing fingers, but I want the newer generation to step up. It's time, especially now, when we got everything handed to us in the last election, not in a good way.

[stage left]

72. No it should not be business as usual

and yes, no Democrat should go to the inaguration of a tyrant and a felon. "Do not go gentle into that good night. Fight, fight against the dying of the light!"

[NowsTheTime]

74. If you want one more reason, how about individual psychological well being?

.....I've had way more than enough ...
.....sick and tired of being nice when the other side skirts every rule they can

[bluestateboomer]

75. Yes just

YES!!!!!

[Klarkashton]

76. WE need to see YOU ... Fuck that shit.

[Passages]

79. Seems obvious one major problem is that they're not reacting that way

because they don't think that way....unfortunately.


Right now, I'd love to see some Hail Mary passes from the Biden administration. I want to see him grant blanket immunity to every migrant who has applied for asylum and to pardon all the Dreamers and give them a path to citizenship. I want to see him try one more time to come up with a way to do away with student loan debt. I want him to commute the sentences of every federal prisoner on death row so that Trump can't come in and start executions again.