Well... I suppose this diary has been a long time coming. We've needed something like this for a long time now.... but I guess today's events were the catalyst.
Let me apologize in advance for any typos, today's events have me pissed off enough to not only write a diary in the first place, but to do so on my cell rather than wait until I get home to my real keyboard.
So follow me over the fold and into the grim future.
Gentlepersons of the Democratic party, it would seem that we've been shown which way the wind blows. I very much have to agree with Kos here, we've been deliberately kicked in the teeth. The party leadership knows full well that it doesn't matter what they do... they can take the base vote for granted.
Anyone who has noticed my posts during the primary season and election will realize that I am entirely unsuprised by this outcome. I will simply acknowledge this and move on. 'I told you so' is not the point of this diary. While I suppose there would be some level of grim satisfaction in a diary like that, it wouldn't be terribly productive.
So let me instead simply say this. Those of us who have said that we will never see change in the Democratic party until our leaders have the fear of unemployment driven into their black little hearts have been conclusively proven to be right. We held our noses and voted like good little drones this time, same as the rest of you... so recriminations would be just a bit pointless, not to mention hypocritical.
We were, however, right. I say this not as an 'I told you so,' but rather as an establishment of credibility.
What needs to happen next is that we need to send a reminder to our elected officials of who they work for. They need to know fear. The solution here is simple:
Replace every last fuckin one of them.
They've decided that they don't need the base. They've decided that the netroots movement is unimportant. It's time to show them just how terribly mistaken they are. It's time for change. Most of us voted for Change. Now we've seen the message of change for what it is: a cynical tool to gain votes, with no belief behind it.
They don't want change, but we do... and we have the votes.
Honestly it's actually a good thing that this has happened now. We have two years to work with. Now, we're going to have to discuss strategy here. We're also going to have to establish roles. Our strength is in our numbers and in our purpose, but our weakness is our lack of focus. All politics are local. We need to remember this. I'm royally pissed off at Reid, but I'm going to have to steel myself and let someone local deal with him. This will not be easy... but I'll have to do it. Wyden is my problem, and I'll take what help I can get.
They sold change they have no intention of delivering.
It's time to make them live up to their campaign.