My two cents, which, before the collapse of the stock-market, was worth much more.
*****
When I first got to the left-o-sphere in the summer of 2004 I remember watching as our opponents taunted us with the fact that everyone we supported in elections lost.
"0-19" was the taunt. "Don't bother with them, they're 0-19!"
But then came the 2006 midterms and the 2008 election and we were "0-19" no longer.
And yet... we still have yet to get one fucking thing actually done.
Iraq War... not yet. FISA... nope. Torture... Lieberman (recently)... drilling... even impeachment (for some).
I can't, honestly, think of one legislative victory this community can tally on the "good gals" side.
And, I, for one, worry its because we're increasingly seen as the FAR left.
Look, its easy to play the victim and to decide that every member of Congress is tone deaf and elitist and clubby and all the "them vs. us" arguments that make the enemization of our Representatives possible, but logic and statistics suggest that its more likely that SOME responsibility lies with our strategy.
I believe (<--- note only one asshat's opinion) we've (insomuch as there is a "we") been unable to translate our election success (where they need us for money and votes and foot-soldiers) into having a voice in governance because we increasingly seem to only have one methodology for communication... fury.</p>
THEY don't want to deal with us for governance because THEY don't relish an angry mob with flaming keyboards calling them bigots and racists and homophobes and sell-outs and incompetent.
Now, I can hear the counter argument bubbling up, "FUCK THEM! THEY WORK FOR US!" but the verb in that statement (the verb that is not FUCK) is WORK and they're not WORKING for us.
It appears to be a fallacy that we can get THEM to capitulate through constantly brow-beating.
THEY are avoiding us because they simply do not think that we -- the FAR LEFT -- can be reasoned with.
THEY believe, and somewhat rightly so, that we are much more interested in clinging to our self-righteous fury then in being able to manage our disappointments and seeking compromise so they show up when its time for the cash or the grass-roots jolt of energy and then disappear when it comes time to legislate.
THEY believe we are the extremists, no more "reality based" than those at Little Green Footfungus because every slight seems to wipe away YEARS of good governance on issues we care about.
We (again with that we) MUST learn to find a voice of Progressive Moderation, which both stays true to our belief, but also learns how to lobby without brass-knuckles, because the whole "withhold the money and votes" threat only ends up hurting us more than them.
Sure, once in a very blue moon Al Wynn gets a swift kick in the primary from Donna Edwards, but more often then not incumbents win and live to vote anew.
I get it... I get it... blogging is a medium that feeds on heat... and typed words... silence being this form's death knell, but it is dismaying to increasingly open my browser to witness a march toward the fringe, especially because each step away only increases the tendency to shout even louder.