Suck It Up And Roll It Out

Eugene Robinson has some damn good advice for the Dems in 2010:

After rising from the ashes of 2008 by uniting in opposition to anything Obama and the Democrats tried to do, Republicans are defined more by the word "no" than by anything else. They have a rallying cry but not a program. Are the populist, Tea Party types really going to accept the fat-cat economic philosophy of the GOP congressional leadership? Is "drill, baby, drill" a viable energy strategy after the BP disaster? Is Sen. Lindsey Graham the voice of the party on Afghanistan, or is Michael Steele?

That's a lot for Democrats to work with. I happen to believe that Obama and his party have established a remarkable record of achievement. Many Americans do not agree, however, and the thing for Democrats to do is not to sulk and feel mis-understood but to go out and change people's minds.

Democrats need to get over themselves. And then they need to get busy. 

And this goes back directly to the White House messaging shop.  Where is it?  Who's in charge of it?  Where are the commercials and the pressers and the "We're #1" giant foam fingers?  Yes, the Bush spin machine was a bit overbearing ("Mission Accomplished", anyone?) but they did not lack enthusiasm in playing the game.  The White house seems content to let stand the merits of their own accomplishments, which is great if you're writing a doctoral thesis for Poli Sci but not so great if you're trying to not lose the House to the likes of Michele Bachmann and Virginia Foxx.

Look at Harry Reid.  (Yes, I'm using Harry Reid as a positive example.)  He's pounded Sharron Angle on "Here's what I have done for Nevada and the country, and here is what Sharron Angle would have done if she were Senator."  As a result he's up seven points now in five weeks.  We need that on a national scale, on a massive level.

Here's what we have accomplished.  Here's what the Republicans would have done instead.  Do you want to go back to that?  Hit them on that, time and time and time and time again.  Make them believe what you did is good and is helping, because right now the only message people are hearing is that of the loudest fringe in the Republican minority calling Obama a socialist...so much so that the label is sticking with a majority of Americans.

Dems, you're losing the message war.  Go out there and fix that.