Democratic Purity

[Kosmos Mariner]

To those few progressive purists who are now jumping off the Wesley Clark bandwagon, I ask you this. Will you intensely scrutinize your candidates on other indicators of liberal purity, like you are now with Clark? As you gleefully torch the American flag in a glorious blaze of free speach, will you protect the right to bear arms with such zealous fervor? Will you march with your candidate to the bitter end, protecting the right for there to be guns a plenty, guns for all, guns in every adult led houdehold?! The NRA smiles upon your candidate, Flaggers smile upon you, long live the South! Purity is for losers, common sense is key. I'll vote for Clark to get this country back on track for the vast majority of issues, and protest and lobby like hell to keep speach, and expression free. I will never own a gun, but support other people's constitutional right, as long as there are strict background checks, mandatory safety training, photo id, etc. Sensible positions will get us back to the Whitehouse, where we can reinstate and advance progressive ideas.


:dem:

[mikehiggins]

1. overly concerned

There are some loud (figuratively speaking) voices out there wailing and moaning over Clark's stand on the flag issue but I wouldn't be too overly concerned.

First of all, where are they going to go? Dean?

At the end of the day, when all the delegates are counted and Wes Clark is the nominee they'll see that the best chance for even having a flag to burn will be in supporting him. Otherwise, anyone who makes trouble after November 2003 will be looking at an all-expense paid trip to Guantanamo where they will be hosted by Marines.

Only an idiot would be blind to what is at stake here and I thought idiots were screened out of DU.

[Scott Lee]

2. Pragmatism alone? Be careful....

Although I share your revulsion at reliance on pure ideology, be careful not to step wholly onto the other slippery stone in the middle of the river, called pragamtism.

Here's how one historical figure thumbed his nose at principle:

"The question of the movement's inner organization is
one of expediency and not of principle." - Adolf Hitler

[redqueen]

3. Everyone decides based on their own ideas...

No one is perfect, and you would be hard pressed to find someone you agree with 100% of the time.

Everyone strikes a balance and supports the candidates they perceive as posessing the best qualities, and the fewest (or the least alarming) problems.

[sweetheart]

4. its not so simple

Some time in the wilderness can be healthy in politics... the reflection allows adaptation and change. Winning the presidency is worth not so much if the congress stays entirely puke coloured. With 39 governorships republican and the country gerrymandered to hell, the entire nation is gridlocked.

I agree Mr. Clark would be a great leader, but i support Dennis Kucinich because the party needs a dose of honest-voting for once. If clark becomes the candidate as is likely, then fine he'll get my runoff vote. No matter, as what is necessary are more liberal think tanks, more liberal media lobbies, writers and journalists... the machine that the repukes have used since the 70's to turn the country to puke is the very machine it will take to restore democracy... and it is a long haul, not just a single saving tactical vote.

We need to organize challenge on every square inch of political turf that no move they make goes unchallenged, and bit by bit, we need to make the liberal media really liberal. Despite the lovely simplicity of pretending the presidency is all that counts... what is really counting is that the left can no longer coast. Either we come to the war with our spears sharpened or we'll be driven off the battle field. This means speaking out and supporting all liberal causes and candidates as members of our extended family, and getting over individual egos, that whomever wins nominations, we have winning candidates for every seat in every level of office in every state... that is no simple task, and voting for clark is not a systemic solution. It may be indeed a good tactical lesser evil, but that is not the challenge... its not so simple... and if victory is to be had in that greater battle campaign, it will take years and maybe decades to reverse the pathetic decline it has taken the GOP 30 years to warm up... if it takes us 30 years to unwind it, we can drink a toast with our false teeth and smile while the young folks ask us how the GOP EVER got in power... sort of like how the british tories (republicans) are sooooooo out of power, they are not credible except as bush's british whores.

[Kosmos Mariner]

5. kick

eom


:dem:

[Bombtrack]

6. there is no such thing as progressive purity

It's an absurd notion. There is no progressive 10 commandments or patron saint of what is progressive.

Conservatism in a way does, because the republican party has pretty much defined it, socially and economically, because they have such a smaller tent than democrats.

[AnnabelLee]

7. Locking

Please see rule #2 here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=463744

2. The subject line of a discussion thread and the entire text of the message which starts the thread may not include profanity, excessive capitalization, or excessive punctuation. Inflammatory rhetoric should also be avoided.

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AnnabelLee
DU Moderator