Read the following piece by Lee Stranahan, understand his valid points and then completely disregard what he believes is an ultimate solution which in practice is flawed and unworkable. While it is true that Democrats have been completely inept at either commanding the political narrative of their fairly substantive accomplishments given that we are still in the beginning stages of an Oligarchical society, they are orders of magnitude better than the best the Republicans have to offer.
Incremental steps towards a real safety net of Medicare For All and Financial reform was the only way it was going to get through Congress given our corrupt Democrats and Republicans. The weight of beneficial policies and programs for the middleclass going forward however incremental makes it more difficult to reverse the longer they are in effect with yet more incremental changes. The changes made thus far are too early in their infancy and as such reverting back to a Republican government can remove those positive changes without any major negative political cost to the GOP
Democrats, Progressives, & the Left Wing must remain strong, vigilant, and active. That said, we must be pragmatic and use our heads. We must elect the best we have and work in primaries to get those that really reflect America’s real ideals for the next election.
—–
My Book: As I See It: Class Warfare The Only Resort To Right Wing Doom
Book’s Webpage: http://books.egbertowillies.com – Twitter: http://twitter.com/egbertowillies
It’s fitting that Halloween and Election Day are only a few days apart. Both days use the iconography of fear to help gain treats and both leave a sort of sickening aftertaste.
The Republicans definitely don’t deserve to win this election season but it’s clear that the Democrats absolutely deserve to lose. The fact that the GOP is poised to win the House and will clean the Democrats clock in the Governor’s races should be a big, fat warning to the Democrats that they have screwed up badly and should try to stand for something that people actually want to vote for. Instead, Democratic leaders want to blame the base for apathy.
Not voting can be apathetic and cynical but so can voting. For many of us, the best option seems to be to not play in the rigged game. Yes, yes, I’ve heard the clichés — if you don’t vote you can’t complain and all that other nonsense. Truth is, voting is just one form of political action. Writing and speaking against a corrupt system is another one. Running for office is another. Protests are another.
The Democrats and the Republicans want to point fingers at each other and hope you don’t see the real systemic problems that neither party actually wants to fix.
When Barack Obama was elected there was a moment there were it seemed like the Democrats might actually stand for something and buld long term political success. Obama won because he was different and not part of the same tired political machine that people like McCain and Hillary Clinton both represented. He vowed reform of the lobbying system that has kept real change from happening.
As soon as the election was over, however, it became clear that we might as well have elected another corporate friendly Clinton. Obama packed the White House with some of the worst remnants of the Clinton administration and has fought to preserve the Clinton legacy on things like the Defense of Marriage act and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The corporations and big banks could breathe a sigh of relief…and start bankrolling Republicans for the next election cycle.
Now all the Democrats have left to sell themselves is fear. They can’t or won’t run on their record of accomplishments. They know they Obama hasn’t lived up to his promise and that’s largely the fault of Democrats. So, they pull out the last refuge of the intellectually bankrupt – scare tactics. The fund raising emails popping into my email inbox multiple times a day are almost 100% fear.
Forget whether it’s right or wrong – fear is bad choice of tactics for the Democratic party. Yes, fear is the Republican’s primary tactic have but there’s a reason that Democratic voters aren’t Republicans voters.
Take common sense issues like gay rights or marijuana legalization and look at the nature of the arguments against them; all fear. Tha’s no accident — it’s the way it HAS to be. When you’re arguing against things that are natural, that’s the only real rhetorical tactic.
"Whoa! That dude loves another dude and wants to spend his life with him? Ummm, that will cause a moral slide and destroy military cohesion!"
"Hey! An adult wants to chill out and smoke that plant that nobody has ever overdosed on? Errr, that will lead to a moral slide and harm our children!"
Lee Stranahan: Why The Democrats Deserve To Lose
