February 26, 2018
E-Mail to Markos Moulitsas
This is an email I sent to Daily Kos creator Markos Moulitsas on January 20. It was in response to his December 26 post
about Democrats and their strategy for the 2018 mid-terms. He struck a nerve with me when he said, "That also means staying clear of some of the GOP’s hottest buttons, including gun control."In light of the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and the growing support for gun control that followed, I thought my e-mail was prescient and wanted to post it.
Markos hasn't respond.
I've been reading Daily Kos for years. Great site.
I usually agree with you but you wrote something three weeks ago that really struck a nerve with me. A bad nerve. It was in your December 26 post when you said, "That also means (Democrats) staying clear of some of the GOP’s hottest buttons, including gun control." I couldn't believe it.
For more than two decades, Democrats have not only gone out of their way to "stay clear" of gun control, but instead tried and appease the gun nuts. All the time. They have hunting photo-ops and brag about all the guns they own. It's infuriating. And when Democrats are forced to talk about guns, in a debate for instance, they immediately put themselves on the defensive by beginning their remarks with, "I support hunters...I'm a hunter myself...I support Second Amendment rights..." That's even more infuriating (when was the last time a pro-life Republican walked on egg shells on abortion and tried to appease the pro-choice side by saying, "I support a woman's right to choose"?).
What good has all this appeasing and "staying away from gun control" done for Democrats? Other than Obama winning twice, Democrats got destroyed in the 2010, 2014 and 2016 elections, congressionally and at the state level. Al Gore, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton all went out of their way to avoid guns and what good did it do them?
You're always saying that Democrats do better at the polls when they run as Democrats. In fact, one of the things I like about you is that you blast Democrats for not being Democrats. And here you are telling Democrats not to be Democrats.
How come when it comes to GLBT issues, minimum wage and DACA, there would be no holding you back if a Democrat "stayed clear" of those issues. But when it comes to guns, you want Democrats to "stay clear" of it. Why is that? What? GLBT issues don't rile up Republican voters?
Yes, I know gun control is a loser issue for Democrats, as insane as that is. But that's because Democrats got spooked after the 1990s Brady Bill and abandoned the issue entirely. And that allowed the NRA to control the narrative and intimidate the pro-gun control side into silence. So that's the answer? Avoid the issue and allow the maniacs to control it?
Strong national gun control shouldn't be an issue at all because we should already have it. It's insane that we don't, and even more insane that the insane side is the one that's prevailing, overwhelmingly, despite all this daily bloodshed. The issue is upside down. But that happened because Democrats "stayed clear" of the issue for 25 years (okay, the electorate isn't all that bright, but that's another story). How is the issue supposed to turn right side up when Democrats should continue to "stay clear" of it?
Again, what has all this walking on egg shells, appeasement and flat out abandonment on guns and gun control done for Democrats all these years?
We need anger on guns from Democrats, and I mean real anger. The placating and appeasement has to stop. They need to tell these gun nuts how selfish they are and where to stick there guns and their hijacked and redefined Second Amendment. Yea, really. It's about time someone did.
If Donald Trump could alienate more than a third of the electorate and still win, with Republicans keeping control of Congress in the process, there's no reason why Democrats can't anger the gun nuts and win by motivating their own base.
In Virginia, the boyfriend of the newscaster who was shot and killed on live TV ran for a Virginia legislative seat and won by talking about gun control.
So no, don't avoid the issue. On the contrary, turn it into one. Use it to put Republicans on the defensive for a change. Remember, it was Karl Rove's strategy to go after opponents on their strength. Well?
The problem is Democrats. They're colossal wimps and so stupid they couldn't argue themselves out of a wet paper bag. So they don't have a clue how to argue it and take the issue back. They're so intimidated by the NRA, and locked into avoiding the issue because it is a political loser, that it would never even occur to them to try and take it back and turn it into the obvious political winner is should be.
But "staying clear" of gun control wasn't the answer in 2000, 2004, 2010, 2014 or 2016. And it wasn't the answer when Democrats were losing over 1,000 state legislative seats while Obama was President.
I still can't believe you said that about guns. Makes me think your account was hacked and someone else wrote it.
Regarding your other point in your post about making the 2018 mid-terms about Republicans and not Trump; I agree but only to a point and not for the reason you gave.
Just look at the 2017 electoral results around the country - Donald Trump was on the ballot. So I'm surprised that you said Democrats should run against Republicans and not Trump. Democrats need to go after both.
A big mistake the Democrats made at the 2016 convention was that they only attacked Trump. I kept waiting for someone to attack the GOP. Hard. But no one did. Even during the campaign, Clinton and the Democrats never said a word about what Republicans have done to the country (Obamacare sabotage, shutting the government down, blocking an unprecedented number of Executive and Judaical Presidential nominees, etc.). This is how stupid Democrats are, they never even thought of it!
But now that Trump is president, it's different. I get what you're saying, that attacking Trump would motivate his voters. But again, look at Virginia in November, not exactly a dark blue state. Democrats fielded a candidate in almost every district. That never happened before. And it wasn't because of Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. It was because of Donald Trump. And Democrats won big because of him.
I agree that Democrats should go after Republicans. But not because going after Trump would increase turnout among Trump voters, but because Democrats never go after Republicans. So they have to go after Trump as well for the same reason Clinton and the Democrats should have also gone after Republicans in 2016 (and 2017 and 2018). Your book is titled, "45 Ways to Fight Trump." But not during the mid-terms?
The problem with what you said about guns, and Trump, goes at the heart of what's wrong with politics. There's not a single politician on either side who explains why they think they're right and the other side wrong. Each side has their talking points and they stick to them. You'd expect that from Republicans because they couldn't be more wrong about everything. So all they have are their talking points, and a base that gobbles it up. But Democrats are right the issues. But they never explain and never call out Republicans on their mountain of lies, hypocrisy and disastrous record. Never.
So if Democrats think they're right on guns and how horrible Trump and the Republican Party is, then stop spewing talking points and tell us why. Show some anger and incredulousness and use the power of persuasion. Remember that? This country desperately needs a slap upside the head because we keep electing Republicans. But good luck with that because it has never occurred to Democrats that that's what they should be doing. Even after the 2016 disaster. Also, Democrats have to stop putting themselves on the defensive and put Republicans on the defensive instead. But good luck with that one too.
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