As June ends, it is clear in a number of ways that Barack Obama represents the center of the Democratic Party. This is true in ways we may desire (the fundraising model of the campaign is now that of the DNC) and in ways we may not desire (the candidate's recent policy statements on FISA and gun control appear to run counter to earlier statements that won him support from many people).
Taken as a whole, though, I argue that we can take comfort in the fact that Obama now represents the center of the party, and that this move has the potential of making the party -- and its leader -- more progressive. I'll explain why after the jump.
I'm new here, though I've lurked around DailyKos since last September or so. So I thought I'd actually make myself an account and get around to posting some things I found interesting. :)
So I'm a regular Facebook user, right? It's pretty unfortunate at times, but even more so when I occasionally advise Mrs. Clinton to drop her bid and stop dragging the party into the dirt.
This usually causes some kind of outrage by delusional Hillary supporters and/or outraged feminists who would rather see the party die just because the nominee in November doesn't have a vagina. (No offense any sensible feminists here...I'm a very strong supporter of the feminist movement, and as well, forgive my crudeness.)
So, how was my latest endeavor with the delusional Clinton supporters? Well, to my surprise, it wasn't a die hard feminist upset with Clinton's loss after loss, it was a man who blatantly said that the 'DLC is the new DNC' and that 'He'd vote for a Liberal Republican over a Liberal Democrat any day...'
By all rational measures, she is now finished, "toast," in the inimitable word of the New York Post. Just try telling that to her, or that hidebound husband of hers, Bill Clinton.
But what if that is not the end of her in this election cycle? The race for the Democratic Party nomination may be over but what prevents her from launching a third party bid for the presidency?http://palimpsest.net
Do you wonder why Jeremiah Wright and the Weathermen keep being inserted into this primary?
Bruce Shapiro columnist for The Nation has a theory. He argues that this powerful/dangerous tactic of resentment and "left baiting"... risks the Democratic soul for short term election success.
Shapiro sees this as a throwback to the birth of the DLC {Democratic Leadership Council} ... with Bill Clinton and Joseph Lieberman as founding members ... which stood for the idea that Democrats must invoke Reagan Democrat strategy...winning by evoking division rather than evoking unity. He further describes an Al Gore connection to the Willie Horton ad.
Listen to what Bruce has to say, takes 10 minutes.
http://www.abc.net.au/... Bruce is a weekly guest on Late Night Live, broadcast and podcast from Radio National (Australia)
The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) was established as a Code Sec. 501(c)(4) social welfare organization in 1985 by Democrats including Bill Clinton. It received the status sought from the IRS on February 7, 1986.
The IRS revoked the DLC's tax-exempt status in 2002 for the years 1997-1999 on the grounds that the DLC provided too much of a private benefit to Democratic officials though its support of them in those years. This cost the DLC $20,000 in taxes and refunds, which the DLC sued to have refunded. This spring it won at the District Court level. It is not known at this time if the IRS will appeal the ruling.
You know, I've spent quite a bit of the last few years trying to figure out how in the world the Democratic Party, the party that so many think of as the Party of the common people, can so often lose elections to an opponent Party that is obviously not only in the pocket of Big Business, but is so clearly opposed to the concept of a government of, for, and by the People. I mean really, if democratic government is the collective will of the governed, how can the Republicans Party, which trumpets the diminishing of the power of the governed, ever win any election? Who would vote for them? And more importantly, how do Democrats lose to them?
I believe the answer lies in the following article I stumbled upon...
I once courted this woman and I thought I adored her. I stood up for her, I financially supported her. But one day, I met somebody else. This person made me feel better about myself and my world. Let me tell you: the sky was bluer, the grass was…well, you know how it can be.
So, I broke off my old relationship as gently as I could. “It’s not you, it’s me,” I said. And that was the truth; I had outgrown her.
After a short denial period, she started to plea for me to come back. After that didn’t work she cried. Then came the badmouthing. And when that didn’t work, she even suggested that I could keep this new relationship on the side as long as she remained my number one. But I was resolute. And then she clenched her jaw, her pupils dialated, her face turned crimson. The subtext of her words was, “If I can’t have you, no one else will!”
I turned and walked away. And then she tried to dismantle my new relationship.
But this woman wasn’t a lover. Actually, I only met her twice...and briefly. I never kissed her; I did shake her hand.
(Cross-posted at The Field, which, thanks to you, is back.)
Just when I thought we might get through at least one primary eve in which nobody cried, when the tears are so real that they must be hid, the whole superdelegate world cries with you.
And tonight, here on The Field, it is my great honor to present to you Julie London, in the role of the American people, to sing this special tune to the Democratic Leadership Council and those that still clinged to them... until now.
Back in 1874, cartoonist Thomas Nast came up with the donkey as the symbol of the Democratic Party. And now that symbol is being torn apart slowly and agonizingly. Recently, I read an article in the Nation magazine about this very subject. The author, John Nichols, sees the progressives within the Democratic Party as the very soul of the party and that it is slowly losing its soul.
It seems that the DNC is doing an excellent job at motivating the masses to get out and participate in this election cycle. Grassroots activist have done there job well, Obama and Clinton are pretty much in statistical dead heat as Super Tuesday approaches. That, to me, shows that the all is progressing well.
Al From's worst nightmare is John Edwards in the White House.
It's already bad enough that Edwards is driving much of the policy debate, pushing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama towards a more progressive agenda.
But if Edwards were to win the Democratic nomination and ride his populist message to the presidency, his campaign would betray the false premise of From's Democratic Leadership Council: that only centrist, pro-business Democrats can win.
If you are one of the handful of Democrats who thinks that the labor standards in the Peru agreement are good enough, then you're in good company - with the Chamber of Commerce.
Here's what U.S. Chamber had to stay in a press statement:
"Over the course of these negotiations, legitimate concerns have been expressed about how addressing labor issues in trade agreements could affect U.S. federal and state labor laws. However, we are encouraged by assurances that the labor provisions cannot be read to require compliance with ILO Conventions."
Back in August, I watched (along with many of us, I'm sure) Kos debate Harold Ford on Meet the Press. I took offense at Harold Ford perpetuating the Fox News line that antisemites abound on DailyKos:
But, but, Markos, in all fairness, your site has posted awful things about Jewish-Americans. Your site...You--now you have a site up about...something about Cindy Sheehan, she uses it as a--she has a heavy presence there in talking about her run against...
I was appalled that Harold Ford used Bill O'Reilly talking points today on Meet The Press in his "debate" with Markos Moulitsas. He accused DailyKos of posting hateful remarks about Jewish-Americans. This is so far from the truth. As a "leader" of the DLC, please ask Harold Ford to apologize for those remarks.
Al From's worst nightmare is John Edwards in the White House.
