The Wisconsin progressive movement is full of heroes. People who stood up for their beliefs and actually did something other than come on Dkos and other sites and whine, complain and attack democratic supporters. They engaged the true enemy, the tea party and the right wing. The faux progressives during that same period spent their energy helping tear down fellow democrats.
These so called progressives here on Dkos claim exclusivity to being progressive and liberals. They claim that to support the current administration, you cant be progressive. What a totalitarian stance, sounds just like the tea party on the other end who hijacked the republican party. These faux progressives now want to either hijack the democratic party or force democrats to abandon the party simply because the democratic party doesn't do everything exactly the way they want it done. Reality be dammed.
Wisconsin proves we live in a very divided country. It proves that there are still many who vote against their own interests. Otherwise there wouldn't be a single republican in elected office anywhere across the country. After months of demonstration, organizing and recall efforts the best we did was get 3 of 7 seats if you count last weeks victory. This was a great accomplishment by true progressives in Wisconsin. They are to be admired. The faux progressives here championed Wisconsin as some turning point. The goal was to win control of the senate to undo Walkers anti union legislation, not just win 3 seats. The faux progressives fooled themselves into thinking that we were going to win the majority of those seats even though we couldn't do it during the 08 campaign when Obama couldn't win those counties, i guess by magic or something. I wish we could have, i stood by watching till the bitter end. But unlike the faux progressives who believe things are as they say they are, i am grounded in reality. I knew it was a tough thing to do.
These faux progressives in my opinion fall into three categories. They are either right wing moles stirring up trouble. Extremists who are so inflexible they are cousins to their tea party counter points on the right. Or true progressives who have been sucked in to the negativity by the moles and the extremists. I'm not telling real progressives not to go against the administration when they do stupid things. They are within their right to challenge them. I do all the time. Its when you stoop to calling others Obama bots or any other bullshit you decide to throw out there because we disagree with how to get progressive policy implemented in this country. You guys think it is possible to ram that progressive policy down the throat of all Americans. Just like the tea party wants to ram their policy down our throats. Some of us believe there is a different approach, one where the benefits of the progressive policy is explained and demonstrated getting more of those Americans who vote against their own interests to support it.
You cant just force your ideas on people, that’s what the teabaggers do. You have to educate them so they can see they are being manipulated by corporate interests to vote against whats best for them. We have to show them that our ideas are better for them, not force them when they have been brainwashed for so long by right wing corporate interests. It is a process that takes time, it doesn’t happen overnight.
The republican party is wholly owned by corporation and the rich. The Democrats are not far behind. we cannot allow further entrenching of corporate/rich interests in the democratic party. We must fight back, unfortunately we are too busy fighting each other. If we all got together and demanded public financing of all political campaigns we could get special interests out of the game. Then politicians can vote for their constituents needs not their corporate overlords interests. But it is easier to blame the Dems for having to work within the system that exists than attempting to change that system.
I wanted Bush and his cronies jailed, I wanted a public option, I want Guantanamo closed, the wars ended now, the rich to pay their fair share and all that stuff. But I understand we don’t live in a progressive nirvana yet. To get those things will take time regardless of how many polls you cite or how you may think this is a majority progressive country. The truth on the ground is we are more evenly divided than many faux progressives and their polls think. Dissent all you want, its your right and duty. Stop enabling the right wing to continue to dominate. Stop calling people traitors, Obama bots or whatever other crap. You guys aren't focusing your energy correctly. We should be shaping public opinion in a concerted effort. Not beating up Democratic supporters because you aren’t happy with everything they do. It is a long haul game, lets change the narrative effectively and for the long term to our side. Calling me an Obama bot isn't going to achieve anything. Other than making me go on a rant and tell you to go fuck yourself. After all I’m human and can only take so much. Lets get back into the fight, not fight each other. The true enemies are the right wing and their corporate masters.