Don't get too excited, I'm just tossing an idea out there.
I have written many poor diaries and I think one or two good ones and I think this may be my third.
I usually start by saying something about who I am or how I view politics or the world depending on the context and this one will be no different....
I am a moderate Democrat, I believe that our representatives main job is to get things done. I make an assumption based on being a human that they will not always get what they want and I am okay with that, as I rarely get all that I want or even close.
That being said I'm asking some of the more prolific Obama hat....(*just kidding). I mean progressive voters to really entertain an idea.
I believe my view of the political process and how things should move forward puts me at odds with a lot of progressives but if there is one political principle that I can't see giving up ever, it would be that....I don't vote for Republicans.
Aside from that I am flexible or am at least willing to consider that the vast majority of my principles can't be applied to another human being.
Which brings me to a larger point that I would like to be considered by people who may give a damn.
I don't think what happened to the GOP with regards to being taken over by the far right wing of their party can happen among democrats.
This is what got me thinking about it again yesterday. There was some debate about the accuracy of the poll numbers and the wording and the source and all that but I think that much of that was about going through the stages of grief.
It basically said what I have believed for a long time, that the Democratic Party as a whole is a party of , moderates, moderates liberals, and liberal liberals. Due to the fact that we are a party of extreme racial diversity compared to the GOP, there will always be a limit to how liberal the party can be.
From where I sit a good chunk of minorities stick with the democratic party because of percieved and real racism from the GOP. Not a very glowing recommendation of the democratic party but it is what it is. If you take a look at minority progress over the past 50 years, you could easily say things are better, but with a trajectory that is always lower and slower you would have to understand some cynicism.
Where does that leave us? To me(meaning it's my opinion) it leaves us with a diverse party a democratic party that is filled with moderates because the alternative is so very poor. Under these circumstances I think it is easy for the "minority" to get rolled because the moderates don't really have much of a choice to make. The choice is between moderation or conservatism and in that case the policy will almost always move to the right. Does that make sense? It does to me and I suspect it does to many moderates.
It's like having a bucket of warm water and only adding cold water to that bucket, the water will only get colder. I would like to have the option to warm that water up...
There are always going to be people in the middle, always and we tend to call them independents for the purposes of an election but I don't think that is an accurate measure of how many people acutally sit in the middle. I believe the number of people in the middle sits somewhere between 40% and 60%, depending on the moof of the country.
Up to this point in time I think progressives have been satisfied with a somewhat parasitic relationship with the DNC(I know it's a dig). The DNC is a powerful fundraising source that can attract millions and millions of dollars for candidates and causes and if you want your issues heard then you go where the money is if you want to win.
Over the past three years, I believe that the uprising of the tea party, citizens united, and the overwhelming and often annoying(my opinion again) opposition to Obama and moderate policies in general from both sides has created an opportunity for pregressives to flex their muscle in an independent, effective, and non-punitive way.
The non-punitive is important because they still need people in the middle and they do have to negotiate, you just do, so it's best to be cordial about it.
Anywho...please consider forming a separate and unassociated political party under a banner other than the democratic party. You're already in the minority, and you aren't going force people to see things your way if they don't feel compelled and right now we don't feel compelled, trust me, otherwise you'd have these debates you don't think we are, like single payer for example.
Give me a reason to want to deal with you. Saying bad things about Obama or even writing critical diaries about him for the past three years valid or not (think about that, three years of disappointment and still he is sitting pretty good as far as approval ratings go) isn't going to sway me. What are you going to do to change the debate?
Right now, moderates are in the drivers seat or you are in the passenger seat because of your own choices.
Some things to consider.
Could a progressive party raise 50 million dollars?
Could a progressive party convince established progressives to run under their banner?
Is it worth it in these times to mold a party that has been happy to be a party of moderation for X years?
I just don't see a progressive movement having much muscle over the long term if they choose to stay inside of the DNC. Even if I would remain a moderate and be open to compromise as I am now, I know that the country would respond positively to an additional option.
Something to think about I guess, flame away.
* sorta