I have been feeling depressed and frustrated about the divisions on the left. The whole "herding cats" metaphor has been something that I have been seeing a lot of--some dedicated folks trying hard to organize a bunch of squabbling, cranky leftists who stake out their own territories and don't like to share.
Saturday and today have given me more hope. On Saturday I brought together people from various progressive organizations and together we came up with enthusiasm and ideas to win the mayor's race for Freddy Ferrer. There has been too much apathy in NYC, too hard to get activists together. I think people are starting to get tired of Republican rule and realize that Bloomberg is part of that Republican hegemony. Finally, the grassroots of NYC are starting to get active in a big, coordinated way. Suddenly I feel more hopeful.
Then today I happened to be at the right places at the right time to meet Freddy Ferrer twice. First I made it from work to Union Square to meet Freddy as he walked neighborhoods with Howard Dean. Then, in the evening, I got a call from another one of my political connections telling me that Freddy as he walked my neighborhood in Brooklyn with Chuck Schumer. Freddy recognized me, and my wife assured him I wasn't stalking him. Freddy seemed genuinely thankful for my taking the time to be with him twice in one day.
Several things struck me about today. First off, what really struck me about Howard Dean, Freddy Ferrer and Chuck Schumer is ALL of them seemed to genuinely LIKE meeting the public. They were warm, relaxed, friendly and nice. Freddy and Chuck hammed it up outside a Falafel shop that has a statue of an ancient Egyptian god outside. They went in and out of shops meeting people and talking. Now, Freddy was not my first choice and I had some reservations about him. And I have had my problems with Chuck Schumer as well that makes it a little hard for me to vote for him. BUT...today I liked both these men as well as good old Dr. Dean, who I always liked. The public responded to these guys, and I realized that was how a grassroots candidate can win on a shoestring. Meet the public and be nice! I watched Anthony Weiner pull up from last to second place in the primary by doing just that--getting out in the neighborhoods and meeting people with a relaxed smile. Ferrer is using a potentially winning and cheap strategy--make friends with the voters.
What else struck me was the unity that the Democrats are showing. Today I was shoulder to shoulder with Howard Dean, Chuck Schumer, Letitia James, Yvette Clarke and a couple of others, all of whom came out for Freddy Ferrer. Those who know these people know that they represent diversity--diversity of ethnicity as well as of ideas. They represent moderates and leftists. They represent Jewish, white and black ethnicities all coming out for a Hispanic candidate. The coalition building around Ferrer include progressive organizations like Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Democracy for NYC, New Democratic Majority, etc. as well as the traditional Democratic clubs. All of Freddy's rivals in the primary stood with him right after the primary, and I know at least one of them is campaigning for Ferrer. The day after the primary was decided for certain, John Kerry and Howard Dean each endorsed him and urged their supporters to donate.
I am watching a gradual unification of the Democratic Party around its candidate in NYC. Sure there are some outliers like the Vellones. But suddenly I am seeing the diverse ends of the party, who have been having so much trouble getting along for so long now, coming together and forming a more unified front against Republican domination of this nation.
Don't get me wrong. There are problems, there are cracks, there are traitors like the Vellones...and Vito Lopez. There are still squabbles and doubts. But...this is the most promising sign I have seen of the party getting over its petty squabbles and realizing that to survive, to succeed, we must be a coalition.
The primaries are the time to fight about our philosophical differences. The general elections are the times to work our collective ass off to elect the Democratic candidate that the voters chose in the primaries. Right now, right here in NYC, that means pushing damned hard to elect Freddy Ferrer for mayor--a New Yorker who cares about ALL New Yorkers.
To quote Norm Seigel, one of NYC's most progressive voices, "It's a no brainer: we work to elect Freddy Ferrer."