The catch phrase "more and better Democrats" has been around here for a long time (Internet centuries). I'd suggest that reversing the order better represents our present time frame. We need to work to see better and more Democrats.
Better, from now until the primary. In my case, that's February; your case may be different. Especially if there is a vulnerable incumbent Republican in your district or close to you, you need to make an effort to see that his opponent is someone you don't have to hold your nose to support. Where there is a Democratic incumbent of less than sterling character, you have to make an analysis.
More, and "More" after the jump.
Better, from now until the primary. Especially if there is a vulnerable incumbent Republican in your district or close to you, you need to make an effort to see that his opponent is someone you don't have to hold your nose to support. Where there is a Democratic incumbent of less than sterling character, you have to make an analysis. I spent much of the winter before last working to replace one of the least progressive Democrats in Illinois, Dan Lipinski. He had a record of support for President Bush which was -- if not of Republican proportions -- much higher than any other Democrat in the state.
OTOH, I'd never work a primary against Melissa Bean. Whether she or Lipinski are the most conservative Democrat from Illinois depends on who is doing the evaluation. Her district is not all that far away. The difference is that she is a conservative Democrat representing a conservative district. Lipinski is a conservative Democrat representing a Democratic district, much less conservative than he is in many ways.
From the primary on, it's time to work to elect more Democrats. (I certainly wouldn't want to deter anybody from working for the defeat of a Republican right now. It depends on your situation.)
Some posters have said, in essence, "Those claiming to be Democrats have an obligation to vote the way I want. Until they do, I'm going to go on strike and not help those who do vote the way I want. That will show them." Except, in fact, it doesn't show them. Holding your breath until you turn blue in the face is a wonderful way to scare your parents, but your parents love you. Damn few politicians do.
Several points need to be considered.
- You can choose -- unless you live in the middle of North Dakota or some similar isolated locale -- which Democrats to campaign for. If you think Smith doesn't deserve your support, work in the Jones campaign. If you contribute money, you have even more choice.
- While Republican discipline guarantees that most of them vote against every progressive measure, damn few conservative Democrats are anywhere near that bad. Notice that the Blue Dog caucus decided that they couldn't hold their members against the Public Option. If we had another score of conservative Democrats instead of Republicans, any number of issues would get four or five more votes. They wouldn't be the same four or five, but they would be there.
- Republican office holders are afraid of the teabaggers. They are less afraid of us. If they were more afraid of us, we might see more defections from their "party of NO" stance. And working to replace them with any sort of Democrat is our only means to scare them.