Reply #43: elaborate? [View All]

[Two Americas]

Me? :)

I would like to see Edwards make a stronger connection between poverty, unbridled greed, corporate domination, how right wing propaganda has fooled people about this and how Democrats have gone along with their framing of the issues, and the decline in our freedom and well-being.

The people strongly support regulation of the corporate monster for the benefit of the public - overwhelmingly so. There is more consensus on that issue than on any other issue. There is no reason to be afraid of it. There is no reason to be afraid to be real Democrats. We can stop the compromising and back-pedaling and temporizing, and the public will support us.

All of our social and economic and political problems are caused by economic injustice and inequality. That is as true today as it ever was, and taking a strong stand on this is what the Democratic party has traditionally done, and that is what has always brought the party its greatest electoral success as well.

There is a very strong case to be made here, and people need to have the dots connected for them. Of course, no politician can get too far ahead of their support. In a democracy, politicians represent us, they are not dictators (although we are now running that risk) and they are not gurus or spiritual leaders (although many people are seeking that.)
That is where we come in. We must give them something of substance to represent. We must let them know that we have their backs, and that if they will fight for us we will fight for them.

By the way, I read people saying "oh this is just a little Internet board, and no one pays attention and it doesn't have any effect on anything." That is a lie. That is part of a general effort to limit and suppress participation and to take away the voice of the people so that a small group of upscale and very reactionary people can control the debate and the direction of the party. If what we say doesn't matter, why is so much time and effort put into creating such an uproar that we can't be heard above the din?

People here say "so and so is electable, so we should talk about their candidacy" and "so and so has no chance, so we should stop talking about them" or "those ideas are not popular so we shouldn't consider them" or "the people are voting for conservatives, that is the way it is and we must adjust to that reality."

That is all highly suppressive and turns the political process backwards. Who gets elected, what ideas are popular, are a function of what we talk about, not the other way around. If all we ever talk about is what is, we will never get to what could be. How people vote is a product of the discussion, If we make the discussion be about how people vote, we are putting the cart before the horse and we are buttressing and promoting the status quo– the exact opposite of “change.”

Speak out for what is right and it will become popular. Support the politicians who are telling the truth and they will become electable. That is democracy.