I know. You're feeling outraged by this betrayal of Democratic values by the leaders of our party, from stem to stern. How can we move so quickly from power to irrelevance? Simple: they play hardball, and we don't. Period.
So, how do we persuade our leaders that they should be playing hardball?
Simple, we don't.
We need to take back power.
In order to control a party, you need to be feared, and you need to be disciplined. That's how the Reaganites took over, it's how the Tea Party got power in excess to there numbers.
There is a successful model in front of us: The Tea Party. Something we all considered, in our cynicism, to be an innefectual hoax. Annoying, laughable, fake. We were wrong.
In order to control a party, you need to be feared, and you need to be disciplined. That's how the Reaganites took over, it's how the Tea Party got power in excess to their numbers.
So, if you choose to call your Congressperson, this is what you say:
Enough is enough. You vote for this bill, you get primaried. Not some token primary opposition; full blown political assault.
And then if your Congressperson votes for the bill, you deliver what you promised:
Hell.
It's time to take our party back. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Maybe the best way to get our leaders to play hardball is to play hardball with them.
Oh, and by the way, Obama gets primaried too. As Enabler in Chief.