Reply #17: NO ... we should not wait until the primaries to be heard [View All]

[welshTerrier2]

this "the base has its say during the primaries" is total bullshit ...

first of all, most Democrats never get a chance to participate in a meaningful primary ... most nominations are won after only several primaries have been held ... so the argument is absurd to begin with ...

but more importantly, waiting for 2 years, or 4 years, or 6 years until a primary rolls around is not my idea of good representation OR good politics ... the Party has an obligation to maintain an ongoing dialog with its members ... when key votes arise or it's time to write a platform document, ALL Democrats should have a real opportunity to participate ... most Democrats never see the platform ... they have no idea how it comes about ... they have no idea whether it's even adhered to by elected Democrats ...

the current "you can vote them out at election time" system has resulted in tens of millions of former Democrats who no longer vote at all ... how many times have you heard someone say "the only time I ever hear from THEM is when they're up for re-election ... and all they want is my money and my vote ... they never ask my opinion" ... the "wait until the next election" crowd has cost us millions of votes ...

it is time to do all we can to reform the Party and find a way to give a real voice on an ongoing basis to ALL Democrats ... waiting for the next election to be heard has not worked ... it's a very narrow and harmful view of the Party's base ...