"Why I'm Not A Democrat," and why guys like this SHOULD be

[DFW]

This is a fascinating first-person story of a Reagan Republican who evolved, saw the intellectual and emotional deterioration of his party, and should have been a prime candidate to join us and speak at rallies and even conventions, but isn't there yet. No one has to agree with him as to why he remains an independent, but this is worth reading for the sole reason that this man is intelligent, not a typical frothing at the mouth mindless right-winger, and gives an accurate indication of why "independent" does not exclusively mean someone who thinks Bernie Sanders walks on water.

http://billmoyers.com/story/im-not-democrat/#.WVhwpJUgY3w.facebook

Bill Moyers does us a great service in giving us a peek into the mindset of someone that is looking to join us, but hasn't seen that last deal clincher, and for once coming from the right instead of the left. This does NOT mean we should be making an effort to reach out rightward, but it DOES provide a window into the mentality of people that are looking in our direction, but haven't yet found what they are looking for.

[Dustlawyer]

1. There is some truth in what he says, but there are some Democratic policies out there that

he ignores, probably because they spend money (ACA for one). We have become reactionary to Republicans because what they put out is sooo bad! The money "out there" has a lot of strings attached and there is the feeling that we need every penny to counter the Republican money machine.

[Skidmore]

2. Money should only be accepted with a clear statement

from a candidate that independence based on information is his/her choice. Then that person should act according in office. I detest the game of loyalty pledges on all sides. Reminds me of McCarthy and creates lazy jingoistic political operators.

[DFW]

4. We need money, but to counter the Republican money machine

We need it to counter their propaganda machine. They have a free (to them) 24/7 propaganda machine in Fox "News." We have nothing of the sort. Our tenuous counterpart, MSNBC, is slipping just a little further rightward every day, and a full time media blast to hold up the ridiculous right to the light has fallen to the likes of Stephen Colbert. When he does a more credible job of making the Republicans look ridiculous than someone like Chris Hayes, then we are missing the boat somewhere.

[rurallib]

3. OK - I have some rambling thoughts on this

The way I see it there are a couple of things that no one seems to talk about.

The first is that Republicans are ideologically driven. Even among those who can't express it would probably say one thing they like about Republicans is that they stand for something. It is almost like a religion. They have tenets of belief that these days do not change no matter what, even though they seldom practice these tenets.

Many of these tenets are based on the myth of a history that has been peddled in the US. Such as every person must stand on their own without any help - name me one person who really does that?
- We are special and unique in the Creator's eyes (and so is every one of the 5000 or so religions) and God watches out for us.
- Our duty is liberty around the world
- We deserve to take other people's oil, tin, gas, whatever and pay almost nothing for it. (back to the we are special)
- We bow to no one. Others bow to us. We are the chosen ones
- taxes are bad, period
- wealth is a sign of favor from a higher power

Just a list off the top of my head. The point is they have beliefs that are almost like a religion. And like most religions most of the ministers mouth the mantra but seldom practice it. But they are more than willing to push onto others.

And much like a religion a person is indoctrinated into it, thus taking deep into their being. It becomes a part of them. As such it is not given up easily. And even those who do leave a specific religion do not easily jump into another competing religion.

So Bartlett may not believe in the tenets anymore, but he is not ready to jump to a competitor.

So like a religion, they find as much fault or even more with all the other religions while still holding a special place in their hearts for their old home religion.

And the Democrats simply do not fill the quasi religious status that many are looking for. While Democrats do have an ideology it tends to be secular and practical rather than sort of religious.

Plus like many religious type organizations, republicans have put a lot of effort into propaganda. Not only stories that glorify their leaders (Saint Ronnie) and tenets, but also vilify their enemies the Democrats. Thus while a person may break with the Republicans, it is an entirely different concept to cross over to the hated, hated Democrats.

And there is always hope that the Republicans will see the error of their ways and once more go back to what the person sees as what were its roots.

[DFW]

5. I can't agree with all of that.

Because Bartlett doesn't believe in the tenets any more, he says he IS ready to jump to a competitor. He is looking for something we may not be able (or want) to offer him, but he IS looking. I think the trouble is, he is looking for a Democratic leader with the charisma of Bill Clinton or Obama and the wiles of LBJ. I'm not sure you can have both.

I think Bartlett is pretty much done with the Republicans. He is pragmatic enough to realize that the souls they have sold cannot be bought back again, and he wants to keep his, even if he isn't ready to align it with ours.

Bartlett has not only broken with the Republicans. He is the guy in the car dealership waiting for right salesman to come over and talk to him. The trouble is, he wants someone with the passion of Bernie Sanders and the people skills of Joe Biden, and we have no such figureheads at the moment.

[rurallib]

6. I wouldn't say you disagree

seems to me like we are on the same wavelength.

I wasn't so much talking about Bartlett in particular but a generic Republican that no longer lines up with his party, but just can't make the leap.

No one is the 'average' and everyone moves along a divorce from their past at their own pace and land in their own place. Some do take a leap to a competitor, some eventually return to their old confines.

For some reason Bartlett's story triggered in me the many stories I have heard of people losing the religion that their parents indoctrinated them in, including my own story. I had never realized how similar the situations were.

Bartlett will land where he lands. My guess is that there is still residual distrust, scorn and thoughts that Democrats are lesser people. This paragraph really shows that to me:

"Of much more importance in terms of my reluctance to join the Democratic Party is that the party doesn’t really seem to stand for anything other than opposition to the GOP. Admittedly, just about everything the Republicans are doing deserves to be opposed. But the Democrats also need a positive agenda of their own. I remember thinking late in the 2016 campaign that I could not name a single policy proposal Hillary Clinton had put forward. I knew they existed — 10 point plans to fix various problems that were probably well thought through, but all of the points were small-bore and impossible to summarize easily. You had to go to her website and dig them out because they never appeared in any of her commercials or interviews. "

With the media ignoring Clinton in their almost unanimous chasing of crazy Trump last fall, yes it was hard to ferret out the Democratic platform. But it could be found and found to be very positive with only a bit of effort.

The "Democrats have no plans, ideology et al." is once more our media pushing a Republican meme. It is a meme that is easily repeatable and gives cover for those who really don't want to delve into finding things.


Sorry to get so verbose.

Have a Happy 4th!

[DFW]

10. Agreed that Bartlett could have found Hillary's positions with a minimum of effort

At least he didn't buy into the "corporatist oligarch" sloganeering. And he does appear to have figured out where the country is better off. We do need eloquent voices from the former right in the tent as well as the dedicated left. They can reach, and possible even bring in, an undecided audience that we can't--or at least can't until they can be persuaded to listen one time to what we have to say.

[rurallib]

13. We also desperately need some media -

if we had the media that was prevalent in the Nixon days we'd have more than a fighting chance.

The almost 98% corporate media that very blatantly cheers for the right pretty much squashes any chance for liberal or progressive ideas seeing the light of day. Or if they do they are delivered with derision.

NPR bends over backwards to make sure they are not seen as left leaning so now for the most part they always make sure to have RW spokespeople on for every issue, but not necessarily left wing spoksers.

I worked like crazy in my area to purchase or start radio stations, but could find no interest and finally family concerns removed me from that. Pretty much all our radio and TV in my area is extreme RW. So are most of the papers. I feel like I am in the old Soviet Union sometimes.

So Bartlett and others are pretty much forced to make an effort or fall back on the Republican meme that "Democrats don't have any ideas."

[WinkyDink]

7. I. Don't. Care. (Deputy U. S. Marshall Gerard) He was a moron greed-head, aka "Reagan Republican."

He can STHU now, if he can't read a Party Platform.

[Wounded Bear]

8. Meh, same shit I've been hearing for decades...

"I'm an Independent."

Bullshit. The vast majority of "Independents" I've encountered--especially the "ex-Repubs"--still vote Repub. They keep crying out to "give me something to vote for" when it's already laid out before them. Lame cries to "lead me" do nothing. Be the leader you claim you want to follow. There are plenty of leaders on the left out there. But, much like the Repubs reacted to Pres Obama, you can't lead people who refuse to cooperate and work with you. Repubs have no true leadership, because they don't believe in it. They have bosses and rulers. The typical Repub in authority couldn't lead a latrine detail.

SSDD. The piece mentioned is more of the same bullshit. "I need a leader, but nobody will lead me to where I want to go." Boo-fucking-hoo.

[WinkyDink]

9. If helping the least of us isn't sufficient, there is no message that will resound.

[DFW]

11. I don't think this guy voted R in the last election.

He doesn't say he needs a leader. He says we do. There's a difference.

[Wounded Bear]

15. And it doesn't say he voted D either...

I'm not against leaders emerging, I'm all for it. But I'm really strong in my feeling that leaders should emerge organically from the group they want to lead, not come in and usurp power from the outside.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. A big, fat K&R!

And off to the Greatest Page!



Happy Fourth, my dear DFW.......to you and your lovely wife. Hope your luggage got there, finally!

[KTM]

14. Good article, thanks for posting !