You're Fired

What John said. (Though Jeebus knows I've been beating this issue into the ground with all my considerable might as well.)

You need to actually LEAD the country, you need to actually CONVINCE Americans that Bush is wrong and you are right. You can't just sit back, do nothing, and hope that the simple fact that you're right leads you to victory.

Yes, this. The Republicans have been in self-destruct mode for most of the past year, and much of the Democrats' strategy has been to watch the implosion. This has only been partially successful, as the Republicans already are preparing a reform strategy for the midterms. Yes, it's the depth of happy horseshit, but it plays to their base. They cater to their base. Imagine that. Not that the Democrats need to pander to the ANSWER faction of their base, but at least get up your hind legs and show the majority in the middle that you mean business.

Instead, they seem to think that if they just shut up and lie low, they'll ride out the Abramoff scandal. Screw that. If they have their own Duke Cunningham or Conrad Burns (which seems incredibly unlikely, but regardless), let 'em walk the plank. Show people you're serious and proactive about cleaning house.

In the meantime, fight over anything and everything. Why is Alito's confirmation a fait accompli? Why is Joe Biden grandstanding with a goddamned baseball cap? Why aren't any of these esteemed orators of the people calling Alito out as the authoritarian corporate stooge that he is?

They did so well on the issue of Social Security last year, too, or so it seemed. Perhaps it was really the sheer irredeemability of both Bush's non-plan and his amazingly poor marketing campaign that did it in. But giving them the benefit of the doubt, the Democrats should approach every issue thusly. Give no ground. Brook no compromise on the obvious issues. Flood the zone every Sunday, and treat Li'l Russ and Tweety and the rest of the morons as hostile.

Because right now, I'm starting to think that for the amount of fight I'm seeing out of the Democrats, I might as well go back to voting for Nader. It's time to push the old guard out and bring in some new blood. Buy Paul Hackett a house in Connecticut and run him against Joementum, if Joementum is not going to present a vigorous strategy.

Energy. Passion. Discipline. If the Democrats are going to regain control, that's how it's going to happen. Compromising on Alito's vote (or all the other major issues) is not what's going to do it.