General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Democratic Party is a Big Tent [View all]Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)Yes, if we can get some conservaDems to vote for a progressive candidate, that's good, because that makes it more likely that the progressive will defeat the Republican.
The problem is that what we have to do to get the "Independent Centrists" on board also has the effect of alienating some of the people whom we need but whose needs you're downplaying. Those people will perceive, correctly, that the Democrat, even if elected, won't be a strong voice for the things they care about, so they're less motivated to show up and vote.
I agree with you that the mediocre Democrat is still likely to be an improvement over the troglodyte Republican. Many people won't see it that way, though. If you pull the tent 20 feet to the right to accommodate the voters you're focusing on, you may well find that some people standing over on the left have now been left outside.
I completely agree with you about the futility of third-party politics. These disputes should be fought out in Democratic primaries.