I am taking the time to write more about the healthcare debate. At the outset I am extremely unhappy with how the debate has unfolded. First of all I have to admit that I am one of the most moderate posters here on this board, but I've come to reluctantly admit that the Blue Dogs have become a problem for the Party here.
More beneath the fold.
First of all, of all people, I know that districts like OK-2, ID-1, AL-2, MS-1, AL-5, MD-1, and other heavily Republican districts aren't going to elect the likes of Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, Dennis Kuchinich, and Jim McDermott. So I'm not advocating for the vindictive elimination of those Democrats via primaries that result in the nomination of unelectable candidates. A 10+% McCain district just isn't going to elect a Democrat better suited for San Francisco.
What I do have a problem with, however, is how the Blue Dogs openly undermine the party. They not only express their opposition, but they do everything possible to weaken the Leadership and the President. What I am advocating now is for targeted primary challenges. I think that some of the Blue Dogs need primary challenges. But again we need to have targeted primary challenges.
For example OK-2 is a district that elects Dan Boren, who has not been that supportive. A Barbara Lee isn't going to win there. However, there may be other local elected Democrats there who could run. Again I don't mind a conservative Democrat, but I do mind one who constantly goes out of his/her way to undermine the national Party and the President. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, while being moderate Republicans, never went out of their way to undermine Bush the way that these Democrats go after Obama. What people should do here is identify Democratic state senators and other local offices who, while being moderate to conservative, would be better replacements. That way the outcome of having an unelectable replacement is less likely.
The next point is to begin looking for people who can run for very obscure offices within these districts. At the very local level voters in a dark red or blue area may be willing to consider someone of the opposite party for an obscure municipal office because they vote people over party at that level. Offices like school board, register of wills, sheriff, county clerk, DA, and other obscure municipal positions are the backbench for higher positions. Furthermore changes at the local level are easier and successful elected office holders can then parlay those successes to higher levels of government. Also it may be necessary to reform the local county Democratic Parties that may be moribund. That way, over time, it may be possible to make those dark red areas pink to light red. Eventually, in the long term, it sets the groundwork for better Democrats even if they are more conservative than what most people here want.
Overall even I'm starting to understand the problem that Blue Dogs have become. Even liberal Republicans like Rudy Giulanni never went out of their way to undermine the GOP the way that the Democrats do. I'm now willing to support some very limited primary challenges with Democrats who are more loyal.
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Now I have to take another direction. I am angry at President Obama for handling the healthcare debate. At the beginning he made one very bad mistake: he failed to come out clearly and state what he wanted. From the beginning there has been no clear unifying goal for this plan from the White House. Obama never came on on TV and said something to the effect of:
My administration's goal is to extend the public option to all Americans. Or something like: my goal is to enact single-payer healthcare.
Instead several committees have been creating dueling proposals with no clear unifying theme. I blame Obama for not effectively developing a clear goal. That's one of the reasons why, though not necessarily the only one, we are having problems passing anything.
But those are my thoughts.