2008 “Break their back, crush their spirits”
posted by on October 9 at 13:00 PM
A new, Obama’s-about-to-win-this-thing battle cry from Kos (with a shout out to eastside Congressional candidate Darcy Burner toward the end).
See, here’s the deal — we’re going to win the White House, we’re going to win big in the Senate, and we’re going to rack up big gains in the House. Republicans know this and are preparing for the worst. Now think of 2004 — we really thought Kerry was going to pull it off. Remember that? And remember how utterly devastated we were when Bush pulled it off? The pain was so much worse because we expected to win.So with conservatives bracing for the worse, they won’t experience the kind of pain we did. Not unless we deliver a defeat even worse than their worst nightmares. And I’ll be honest with you — I want them to hurt as much as we did. I want their spirits crushed, their backs broken.
So the way we do that is we deliver a defeat worse than they ever imagined. We do that by winning states that have no business turning Blue — like North Carolina, Georgia, Indiana, and so on — states that were easy Bush victories in 2004. We do that by electing a 60-seat supermajority in the Senate. We do that by defeating their leadership, like Mitch McConnell in the Senate. We do that by defeating their heroes, like wingnut go-to hero John Shadegg. We do that by making sure a record number of Americans reject conservative ideology, leaving it utterly discredited.
The day after the election, I want to see an electoral battlefield littered with defeated Republicans, their ranks demoralized, their treasury in heavy debt, and no real leadership to take the helm. I want a vacuum so complete, that a bloody leadership battle between the neocons, theocons, and corporate cons shakes the GOP to its core, and leaves it fractured and ill-equipped to stymie the progressive agenda, much less ramp up for an even bleaker (for them) 2010.
Guys, that’s why I don’t worry about complacency. We’re not out to win this thing. We’re out to crush them.
The rest is here.
Kos is right. Don't get out the brie and crackers yet. Push hard into red states, unseat leadership, contend everywhere, defeat Prop 8, help out in states that need it.
And let's not forget... They could use voter disenfranchisement and shady tactics to steal this election. It's not won until it's won.
While I'll be as happy for an Obama victory as a pig in, uh, lipstick - no one has won anything yet. The attitude being taken this week among those on DailyKos and other sites that I like to read is that we've already won. Which we haven't.
The author of this piece is right, Obama supporters have to fight like the Dickens in order to secure this victory. Perhaps, living in Florida, I've got a more skeptical view of how the votes get counted - but no one should assume anything just yet. There are some in the Republican party that are not only pure evil, but also very smart - and they'll stop at nothing to prevent Obama from taking office. We need to stop at nothing to make sure he gets there.
The time for celebrating will be on November 5th.
It's "leadership" like this that has fucked America. It's no longer about the issues or what's right or wrong, it's strident, unthinking ideology. There is no middle ground. No room for compromise or even critical thought. It has become nothing more than us versus them. The extremists on both sides have won and what that will ultimately mean is that we've all lost.
Great, question is, *what* are you going to do when you get elected? Because the last time people threw the Republicans out of power in Congress, Democrats did very little, stood by and let Bush have his way for the most part, and people were disappointed.
So crush them, sure, but also have a plan and an agenda of what exactly you're going to do to make things better.
The reason that we need to crush them is because they're wrong and they will destroy this country.
Sometimes the right is a necessary evil, I suppose. Anyhow, if you really want to "crush" the other side, I think you will find Obama dissapointingly inclusive.
@5
I'm disappointed as anyone about how the congress has acted but then again they didn't have a proper veto-proof majority.
@4 - I hear you, but no. We should always be thinking, holding our leaders accountable, and so on, but this doesn't fit into the mold that you're thinking of. Kos has been strident in calling out Democrats as well as Republicans on stuff like the FISA vote and the bailout bill. But what he's saying is, there's a time for talk, and there's a time for action. Democrats have been wringing their hands and ruminating for 8 years. We know what we want to do and why it's the right thing. Now is the time to do it.
Yeah, because that kind of attitude hasn't been responsible for every extremist backlash from Hitler to Bush Jr. By all means, crush them! Break their backs! It's not like they're our countrymen and women. It's not like we're all ultimately part of one nation, one people, with the same broad goals and interests.
Destroy them! Hang their bodies in the town square! They won't become even more radical in response! They'll know they're beaten! They'll start wearing natural fibers and driving hybrids! It'll happen! Yay!
I know that this "we are going to win" rhetoric scares the timid liberal/dem base, but frankly I find it refreshing that there is OPTIMISM coming from the donkeys instead of FEAR of failure.
Long way to go, many attacks still to come....but the result is the same. Obama wins.
DO NOT TEMPT THE GODS FOOLISH MORTALS!!!
@10 shut up.
You have your side. The GOP usually plays tough and goes for crushing defeats, but suddenly when shoe on other foot all of a sudden you're full of peace and amity and bullshit unity around the GOP program.
The GOP is going down big time because the whole free market thing is crashing down hard and people know under Dems the middle class does better. The GOP has never led us out of economic crisis and only knows how to make things worse. You'll be crushed because the usual scare tactics won't work.
Reading that gave me a boner.
PC -- You're a moron.
I'm a Democrat, I'll be voting Dems down the ticket, but I also know that Republicans are still citizens; they can still vote, they can still filibuster, they can still bring about investigations, smear campaigns and character assassinations. And if the Democrats get all Lord of the Flies now, the Republicans' constituency will support them when the Republicans start a political insurgency. If Democrats treat the Republican voters and their political agenda with respect during a time of victory, they'll keep their representatives honest down the line. If we blow it, we'll radicalize the Republican base and we'll be sorry down the line.
If you weren't such a shit-flinging little monkey, that'd be obvious to you.
For Washington state, crushing them and breaking their spirit means re-electing Governor Gregoire and electing Attorney General John Ladenburg, Land Commissioner Peter Goldmark, State Treasurer Jim McIntire, and Secretary of State Jason Osgood.
Otherwise it's just a bunch of rah-rah feel-good crap.
This is no time for "yeah, but" for any of these Democratic candidates. Anything good that you think Obama would bring us here would be opposed, undermined, and obstructed by Governor Dino Rossi.
You want to crush them and break their spirit, right here? Beat Rossi like a cheap rug, and beat the rest of them like the scurvy dogs that they are.
Yes one party system for the next 4o years, thats democracy in action.
Judah, we want to break their backs with votes. We want the republican party to reform into something better and more viable.
The people cautioning against too much of a thirst for blood and vengance have a point. Remember it's the blatant disdain the current Republican administration showed for those who disagreed with them that helped create and strengthen the liberal blogosphere, and made possible much of the grassroots level of support that will hopefully carry the Dems to a landslide victory this year. Let's win and win big, but once we've won if we concentrate on getting our own back we're just setting ourselves up for a backlash. Besides, the country's in too much trouble to worry about revenge.
I'm not saying we shouldn't push the social reform angle once Dems are in power right along with the economic reforms everyone is likely to admit we need, I'm just saying the jeering contempt for the other side is necessary for a group in the minority to keep their spirits up, but looks rather ugly on the ruling party (see: the Bush Administration).
The fight only begins when the election is won. If we don't provide answers and make things better for people, then it's all for nothing. And oh yes, demand that he puts liberals on the Supreme Court and all federal courts. Bring them back to protecting the average person instead of the Republican religious cabal of anti -freedom elite extremists.
I heard that eight years ago, Gore was where Obama is now in the polls. Cindy could be ordering an innauguration gown after all.
@18 is correct. In order to effect real, lasting, meaningful changes in the behavior of the GOP faithful, they first have to have their present world-view completely annihilated. Any psychologist (and military drill Sergeant) will tell you that obliterating established behavioral patterns is the first step toward re-shaping the mind to accept new ways of thinking and behaving.
Leaving the GOP with their party, platform, and socio-political perspective in complete and utter ruin, is the only way to effect any sort of positive change in them in the long-term.
See, B.A., we don't always have to
disagree.
Kos still amazes me, how much more of a prick he can be, every year, it gets worse. I am all for using strong tactics to win, but there is no point in being a bloviating asshole about it. Have some class, don't become like them. We will still win, and they will hate it, big win or lil one.
@21: Wrong. Gore was polling a deficit throughout most of the campaign and only had one momentary spike to 3% that lasted all of a month. At this time he was polling 10% lower than Obama. Gore would have had his pressed pants handed to him.
Obama currently is polling at 8 and climbing very slowly with 4 weeks to go. Dems have spent 5.5 weeks of the past 52 at or below 0 points leading. Given Fivethirtyeight's 90.7% chance of winning, I'd say this lines up perfectly.
Statistically, with a Bradley effect (something being strangely counter-acted by people like Glenn Beck saying "it's not racist to vote against Obama") and historic drops, the max Obama should or could drop is 7 points, still holding a 1% lead. If Obama is still leading by any appreciable margin next monday, it will carry over to a victory.
Unless something catastrophic happens.
Hopefully a crushing defeat will lead to the GOP finding their true conservative ideals, and stop just trying to win elections with wedge issues and hanging on to power for the money.
I see the Pat Buchanan wing of the GOP coming back into vogue, which wouldn't be such a terrible thing. I don't agree with Buchanan's views on a lot of things, but he's at least smart enough to offer reasons why he believes what he does. He knows that limited government also means restraint in foreign policy. Fiscal conservatism has been ejected from the current GOP, and that used to be their calling card.
A strong, coherent conservative movement would help liberals form reasonable policies. We've seen what happens when one party rolls over for the other, and when a party in power abandons their supposed ideals. We're foolish to think that Pelosi & crew wouldn't be just as stupid with unchecked power as Hastert & DeLay were.
Also, let's make sure that we all stay involved after the election. The work does not stop after November 4th. Let's show up with an active progressive coalition that is energized by the results of the election. That is, if all goes well.
I see, so no one "wins" elections any more, they "pull them off." But it's dollars to doughnuts that Mr Moulitsas will the the one first up on the morning after the election yelling about a 'mandate' if Mr Obama wins. I guess democracy is for rubes then?
Comments Closed
Comments are closed on this post.