dagblog - Comments for "Congressman Alan Grayson Risking His Seat "

Dear Puh-leeze (that is how

Orlando — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:06:14 +0000

Dear Puh-leeze (that is how it's pronounced, right?),

Kindly have your snark-o-meter adjusted. I dislike Congressman Donnelly and the way he conducts his office and I wish the Democrats could clone one Alan Grayson for every state. In my opinion, there are very few left in Congress who carry out their duties in the spirit intended by the founders.

Yeah, this is satire, but

Michael Wolraich — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:28:57 +0000

In reply to I can't even believe I'm

Yeah, this is satire, but don't feel bad, you're not the only one. The stealth parody is indeed disgraceful. Bad Orlando!

I can't even believe I'm

Please — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:49:26 +0000

In reply to Congressman Alan Grayson Risking His Seat

I can't even believe I'm wasting my time responding to a foolish blog article like the one you're written above. All you succeed in doing is discussing the best means by which a public representative can maintain his seat. What scrap of good is it to hold a seat in congress if the policy you advocate is directed first and foremost at maintaining the seat you hold? There is no substance to this article. The success of a congressman is his or her ability to achieve legislation that is meaningful to the interests of the people who have elected you, NOT to see how long one can hold office. Your article doesn't even discuss the issues- only tactics! It's funny, because despite being so absolutely repulsed by the US political system as to be dangerously apathetic, I stumbled across this article only because I was so proud of Alan Grayson that I was looking for his email address in order to send him a personal email in which I intended not only to applaud his stances on numerous issues, but also his methods in promoting them.

Secondly, if the president doesn't need your representative's vote on the HCR bill, please describe a matter of legislation that you consider to be of greater importance. None exists. In the event of its success, the passage of meaningful healthcare reform would be the most significant and important legislation to occur in the USA in decades. But because our political system is so thoroughly corrupt that MEANINGFUL healthcare reform is now out of reach, I hope- for all of our sakes- that whatever watered-down version of healthcare reform they were eventually going to defecate into a bill will fail so that people might continue to be aware of what this government is actually doing to them. When will the president TRULY need the vote of your congressman? Maybe you will be able to come up with an example in 30 years, because as you've described- he's such a master of apathy in the office to which he's been elected that he should succeed only in maintaining office for the rest of his worthless life. You're a disgrace.

Donnelly voted in favor of

Orlando — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:55:04 +0000

In reply to Congressman Alan Grayson Risking His Seat

Donnelly voted in favor of the bill. Color me surprised.

He's still got a long way back to convince me to vote for him again.

And it's the crazy spectrum,

DF — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:34:45 +0000

In reply to I'm not convinced. While he

And it's the crazy spectrum, which looks less like a number line and more like a pom-pom.

It was a tad on the subtle

Michael Wolraich — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:28:59 +0000

In reply to Apparently you're not the

It was a tad on the subtle side. But I should have figured it out based on my familiarity with the positions of a blogger named Orlando.

Yeah, I love Grayson too.

Orlando — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:16:22 +0000

In reply to One huge flaw in this

Yeah, I love Grayson too. Donnelly, not so much. Perhaps you missed the snark.

There's no flaw in my argument (or at least not the one that you're suggesting). Donnelly is a Democrat. By definition that is left of center, so when he runs to the center, he's running to the right and/or voting with Republicans. If he'd rather run to the left when he's looking for the center, then he's in the wrong party.

See the comments below about

Nebton — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:14:00 +0000

In reply to One huge flaw in this

See the comments below about "satire".

One huge flaw in this

Haven — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:07:35 +0000

In reply to There can often be a fine

One huge flaw in this argument is the definition of "running to the center" as "vote with the Republicans as much as possible but once or twice, when it’s really important, he’ll be there for us". Why isn't it "vote with the Democrats as much as possible but once or twice, when it’s really important, he’ll vote Republican." Hmm? That's as centered a definition as yours.

I love seeing a Democrat with some spine. It's about time. If his district truly is 50/50, he will inspire the 50% Dems to get out the vote, as well as donate lots of small amounts that will offset corporate money. Once the corporate money sees that he is still strong, they will throw plenty of money his way in an attempt to buy some influence. That's what happened with Obama. At the beginning, and for quite a long time, the establishment/corporate money was with Hillary. Obama's team was running like a bake sale. The big guys were not interested in us. Only after he became a credible force did the big guys throw money his way. The same will happen with Grayson, and enough indies will tag along to help him win again and again.

Dems have to start inspiring those who voted for them to show up to vote a second time by actually getting done the things they promised to do, not by cowering to Republicans. That's part of why Deeds lost here in VA. Only the most diehard Dems would volunteer because we didn't want McD, but those formerly fired up Obama newbies saw Deeds as not worth spending an evening on the phones for. It turns out, they were right.

Getting on my soapbox, I'd

Nebton — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:03:35 +0000

In reply to Honestly, I think I might sit

Getting on my soapbox, I'd recommend voting 3rd party or doing a write-in, then. There will presumably be other things to vote for as well, so it doesn't take much effort to send the clearer message that the 3rd party vote sends. Make sure that your "3rd party" choice also indicates that the candidates are too conservative for you rather than not conservative enough. (Ideally, if you're doing a write-in, which is likely would it would require, you'd coordinate with other like-minded folk to make the message more consistent.)