Reply #22: just going along [View All]

[welshTerrier2]

i hope there can be an honest discussion in this thread without all the usual name-calling ... wouldn't it be nice, just for a change, if we could just share our thoughts without making personal attacks on those who disagree ...

so, in that spirit, here are my thoughts on the intra-party squabbling ...

first, do we all agree that every single Democrat, regardless of left, right or center, should have a very real opportunity to have their voice heard ... i would like to see reforms in the party that put much greater emphasis on making the party more democratic than it is ... does anyone have a problem with that?

second, there are many in the party who do not feel represented ... only as an example and not to argue the specific issue, i saw a poll taken last year that said 56% of Democrats think we should withdraw from Iraq even prior to "stabilizing" the country ... the point is NOT whether you agree or disagree with this majority ... the point is that most of our elected Democratic representatives do not agree with the majority in their own party ... is this acceptable? it's made worse by the fact that there is very little opportunity for most of us to speak with our representatives in regular, public forums ... perhaps if we could hear the details of their thinking, we might become more supportive ... perhaps if they could hear from many of us, they might become more supportive of how we see things ... the distance, especially with most Senators, between them and their constituencies is very unhealthy for democracy ... do you agree this situation needs to change?

third, absent improved dialog between constituents and their elected reps, deep differences fester ... that's where many are today ... many, and i include myself, do not believe the party represents us and we believe we are the majority especially on issues like Iraq ... again, the point isn't whether we are right or wrong, the point is that we feel unwelcomed in the party except, of course, for our campaign work, our campaign funds and our votes ... we do NOT feel our ideas are welcomed ...

so, what are we to do ... what i did last year was abandon my deepest beliefs to fight for Democrats ... i worked very hard for the Party last year and donated some serious money ... while i criticized Kerry intensely on DU (Iraq), i never did so when talking to undecided voters or republicans ... while I was only supporting Kerry as an ABB voter, I made forceful arguments in support of his candidacy when it counted ... i did not argue that i was only supporting Kerry because bush is hideous when speaking to uncommitted voters ...

but that was last year ... and what happened ?? did the Party show any appreciation for the support it received "from the left"? no ... they didn't ... was there a new unity formed so that those on "the left" would have a better opportunity to share their ideas and find some common ground and compromise ... no ... there wasn't ... and so what message did that support send? i'm afraid it did nothing but reinforce the idea that the left has nowhere else to go and that most of us, even if we complain, will ultimately just go along no matter what the direction of the party is ...

well, folks, let me say as clearly as i can, I AM DONE WITH THAT ... no matter what views are presented by those who are apparently more content with the party than i am, it does not make any sense to me to be asked to support candidates who don't agree with my views on major issues ... let's say that again ... it does not make any sense to me to be asked to support candidates who don't agree with my views on major issues ...

so, if you want to make arguments to me that i should support the ultimate Democratic nominee regardless of their views, take that into account ... tell me how i can make sense out of what you're saying ... because right now, it sounds like the height of madness to me ...

finally, and i want to be very clear on this point, this is not some kind of argument for purity or any of the other condescending terms used to suggest each Democrat does not have the right to determine whether a candidate does or doesn't represent their views ... this is not about purity ... i've said nothing about an unwillingness to be flexible or find some common ground ... when voters feel abandoned by their own party; when they feel the party doesn't represent them on key issues; when they feel they really don't have a say, i believe the party runs a risk by not reaching out to these voters ...

and something like 50% (is that about right?) of voting age Americans don't even vote ... so we not only have a problem with those Democrats who feel disenfranchised, we have evidence of tens of millions of others who apparently feel the same way ... demanding loyalty to the party, regardless of where it stands, is clearly not an effective political strategy ...

and it doesn't have to be this way ...