adapted and somewhat recast to make it site specific from a diary originally written for My Left Wing
With the possible exception of Iraq, I don't think I've ever been in a situation where I've desperately wanted to be proven wrong in my predictions of disaster yet was utterly convinced I would be right as I have been with this Democratic Congress.
Casting a brief glance around the liberal blogosphere, it seems that this may be the final bill of divorce for many people and the Democratic party. For me, it was Alito. There have been many other candidates for "last straws" since then. It seems the Dems are determined to montly provide one to the disaffected. Many even on such a hardcore Democratic site as this seem fed up. (Whether they'll follow through on their disaffection is quite another matter. We'll see; forgive me for having my doubts regarding your sincerety in your fedupittude.) Even Glenn Greenwald, who always seems to know what to do, seems set rather adrift by this latest surrender.
Allow me now to take a moment to pin most of this blame for this fiasco squarely where it belongs: at the feet of the netroots.
41 House Democrats and 16 Senate Democrats voted to enable and endorse this latest power grab. Below are a list of the capitulators who received significant netroots money and/or cheerleading. (Thanks be to Meteor Blades for providing the master list I culled this one from)
House Members:
Jason Altmire (PA-4th)
Melissa Bean (IL-8th)
Christopher Carney (PA-10th)
Ben Chandler (KY-6th)
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD-At large)
Nick Lampson (TX-22nd)
Jim Matheson (UT-2nd)
Earl Pomeroy (ND-At large)
Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23rd)
Gene Taylor (MS-4th)
Heath Shuler (NC-11th)
Senate Members:
Bob Casey (Pennsylvania)
Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota)
Mary Landrieu (Louisiana)
Claire McCaskill (Missouri)
Ken Salazar (Colorado)
Jim Webb (Virginia)
I admit I might be stretching the point in Landrieu's case, but I remember 2002 well enough to know there were many on the Internet rooting for her in the runoff.
So the netroots have happily enabled a quarter of the House capitulators and a third of those who currently disgrace the Senate. And even those darlings of the web who voted the right way, like Jon Tester, have been rather silent on the issue. (eugene has more on this in a diary on the recommended list right now, which much to my surprise; I didn't think dissent was tolerated here anymore. Maybe eugene is awesome enough to get a free pass--I certainly think he is. But I digress.) It's one thing to vote, it's another to lead.
What's my point? Simply this: I'm more than little irked at people bemoaning and wailing and gnashing their teeth at what was a totally predictable surrender. Folks: This is the logical end result of the "Any Democrat will do" strategy. This is the inevitable outcome of ignoring ideology entirely and focusing only on strategy. This is what will happen if the "D" that comes after a candidate's name is the only qualification looked for.
Do some of you now, maybe, get where those of us who don't see much real difference between Democrats and Republicans are coming from?
Perhaps if actual Democrats/progressives/liberals had been backed instead of simply running lemming like after anyone who talked a good game with the right party registration, this could've been avoided. Maybe not. Perhaps even probably not. Still, guys and gals in the netroots: Make no mistake, your complete, total and unquestioning willingness to open your wallets and donate your time to these wolves in sheeps clothing only emboldens them to run more of these corporatist fuckheads.
I hope you see that you have sown this whirlwind and now you've reaped it. That the "any Democrat is a good Democrat" strategy is not viable for success in bringing about real change. At best, all you'll be able to do is pat yourselves on the back that your candidate won. But when that candidate goes to Congress and votes like this, well....how exactly did that victory change anything? It didn't.
It's a singular and, truth be told, intensely amusing irony that this latest in a series of betrayls occured during a conference where a lot of those who have repeatedly snubbed and ignored you showed up to assure everyone how great the netroots is and all the important work they've been doing and how much they really do value you. This whole past weekend was just another exercise in the endless cycle of the Democratic party and their Internet supporters: endless platitudes followed by failure.
I really do wish I had something constructive to offer. But I don't. I see no hope for the future. What can change things? Violent revolution might, but I seriously doubt it. As much as that might appeal to me in some respects, I could probably fill a book as to why that will never, ever happen and a second book as why it wouldn't succeed anyway. Clearly electing Democrats doesn't work. So, what then? If trying to work outside the system is futile and trying to work inside the system is equally useless, it's pretty apparent to me that there is nothing that can be done.
Lest anyone try and throw the third party strawman at me, allow me to forestall them with this observation: While the two party system is rather obviously the root cause of most of the woes plaguing this country, I don't think a third party is the answer. There's any number of reasons, but it mostly boils down to this: three parties are only slightly better than two because there are far too many shades of political opinion and belief in this country for three parties to represent them any better than two do. In short we need either dozens of political parties or none.
My best advice: Do the things you love. Spend time with your family and friends. Enjoy what freedoms you have left. Eat good food. Have a lot of sex. Travel to beautiful spots.
In short, make the best of what you've got now, because it ain't ever gonna get better.