How can the Democrats be losing?
The GOP's track record is unblemished: they have stymied anything that could help the average person. They have blocked extension of unemployment benefits; they have made cruel inroads on women's rights; they have blocked meaningful immigration reform; they have kissed the hindquarters of the wealthy and corporate interests so eagerly and so often, they need Chapstick.
How many low-wage workers have been hurt by the Republican intransigence on raising the minimum wage? How many women have lost their only access to healthcare because of sanctimonious Republicans who put their religion (or what they claim to be their religion) in the one place it is Constitutionally prohibited?
The Republicans shut down the government and they are the real reason that the United States' credit rating got cut.
Is it that the Koch's money is so effective? Is it that the American electorate is so mind-bogglingly stupid that it doesn't even know when it's getting screwed? Or is it because we have persuaded ourselves that we are underdogs in a battle of the bucks?
Not a day goes by but I get at least a half-dozen pleas for money from the Democratic Party, Emily's list, ActBlue and the rest. They're all "doom 'n gloom" tales of fighting rearguard actions against the evil Koch/McConnell/Boehner empire. They want me to send money to help the President fight the Republican lawsuit or impeachment, though, for the life of me, I can't see where a donation would be needed, or even useful, in that cause. The same with the barrage of petitions: Does anyone really think the Republicans are going to be swayed by a petition? Really?
In the polls, everyone focuses on the President. But the polls show Obama has a higher approval rating than the Republicans. The Democrats also have a higher approval rating than the Republicans and both have higher approval ratings than the Tea Party.
So what happened?
We let the GOP take control of the discussion. We let non-issues like Benghazi dominate the news. We have failed to take the battle to them, using money as an excuse. We've been so busy preaching to the choir that we forgot the congregation.
We're going to collect lots of money; stir up the grass roots and try to get out the vote.
But we should be giving the voters something to vote for instead of just something to vote against.
Boehner and the boys are upset about the President's use of his lawful powers? Show that those executive orders helped Americans and question why the Republican Party would be against actions that improve the lot of real citizens.
It's not hard to make the Republicans look bad: they do it all the time. But we've let them get away with it.
I don't know what it will take to persuade those making the strategy for the Democrats to look at what's really happening and reexamine their tactics. But it's time somebody up there remembered that the best defense is a good offense.