Make room Friedman Unit (FU), yesterday we witnessed the birth of another political unit—the Kos Unit (KU). As I understand it, it is a unit for political change measured as a decade. According to Kos, as we move through several KUs we get closer to our goal.
In Kos’s condescending post yesterday,
http://www.dailykos.com/... he berated his readers for thinking short-term as just for a moment the curtain of political reality was pulled back. What we saw was that Kos’s "Crashing the Gates" is a metaphor for beating your head against the wall—long-term (several Kos Units).
I take Kos’s prediction at face value, that using his "Crashing the Gate" strategy, we may defeat the "corporatist...compromised, ... corrupt... conservatives" several decades from now. In his view, it won’t happen in one, two or seemingly three Kos Units.
While not wanting to put words in his mouth, think about it, Kossacks have been at it for the better part of one KU during which enthusiasm has been at its zenith. Look at the money raised and candidates fielded! But can you imagine the same level of Kossack zeal in the third or fourth KU, say in the 2042 presidential election when the "corporatist...compromised, ... corrupt... conservatives" have not yet been defeated? Isn’t that the very definition of the status quo?
I guess for Kos, this "decades" long battle represents job security... but is the KU prescription a viable answer or something anyone here envisioned?
There is a much more rational approach, it is called political change. It can happen relatively quickly. We have two candidates running for office, Kucinich and Gavel that represent political change. I am sure we could field more candidates dedicated to mainstream issues like ending the war, corporate responsibility, public financing of elections, national health insurance, ending our dependence on foreign oil, global warming etc.
Instead under the Kos plan, we turn to status quo/media generated candidates able to raise the mega-millions from the very "corporatist" he denounces. Worst, in the next couple of Kos Units, we are told to fund and field any reasonable candidate that will put a D behind their name. Kos has the nerve to speak of "deadwood" in Washington, as he rallies his troops around new "deadwood" candidates he labels "progressives." Webb and Tester come to mind (two decent status quo Senators). Of course those two conservatives are not going to vote to end the war. How odd to think otherwise.
I suppose once Unit 1 and Unit 2 are complete (2020), we will spend the next couple of Kos Units trying to get the new "deadwood" out of office where they have inevitably voted for a conservative/status quo agenda thereby generating great wrath from the Kossacks. We all know how hard it is to defeat an incumbent. You can see why Kos’s strategy will take several KUs to implement.
I guess the first decade was about organization and taking control of Congress. While we got very enthused about that goal, it seems the main purpose there was to play defense in case another Supreme Court judge dies. With a Democratic legislative majority we could theoretically block a Scalia/Thomas type, but Roberts would probably get through—right? But let’s face it, the Supreme Court is filled with crazy-conservative to moderate (in the Republican sense) Justices some of them put there by Democrats. Is that a worthy goal for the first decade? But there was a bit more.
Remember the wonderful PR stunt with Pelosi’s "First 100 Days." It is business as usual folks. Have we stopped this administration’s agenda in any meaningful way? Wiretapping: check. Torture: check. Loss of civil liberties: check. Iraq War: check. Corporate control of politics: check. I guess not. I guess the "deadwood" is everywhere.
The Blue Dogs and conservative "Democrats" (future "deadwood") are going to side with their Republican brethren all too often. That is the reality and for Kos to be schooling anyone at this point is ludicrous. "Buck up" says Kos... I say, clam up and rethink your message. I can’t stop laughing at the prescription for "decades" of work to bring about change.
Kos acts as though liberal Democratic philosophy has not been mainstream for a very long time. Kos doesn’t need to worry that "every word I've ever written about this being a long-term battle means zero" because the coalition started with the New Deal not with Kos. Wow, his ego has grown. It is only recently that the coalition frayed. About the same time that Democrats stopped standing on principles and finding leaders that we could rally behind. You know, when the super-strategist took over and massive amounts of corporate money took control of the process.
It must be hard work to think about backing an existing candidate and set of principles that will bring change or starting a new party.
For example, Kos loves to attack Kucinich on a personal level in an attempt to downplay Kucinich’s platform for real change. Kucinich spent yesterday giving a speech on the floor of Congress that goes to the heart of corporate control of our political system and the war: http://kucinich.house.gov/...
Tell me again why we wouldn’t support a candidate that speaks truth to power? It doesn’t have to be Kucinich, but his platform will bring change well before several KUs pass.
I can imagine loyal Kossacks will attack this post for various reasons. I leave them to languish in limbo lurching from one KU to the next. You see, some love the political game, raising money, fielding candidates, being a broker and of course winning. Yesterday in response to Kos’s post, some saw through this, because for the strategist ending the war is not a moral issue it is only about how to get more Democrats elected. Every important issue is viewed through that lens. These strategists are really into the game!
Kos’s site is a great venue for venting and for many, exercising their writing skills. I read it because there are many informative posts. But if you are looking for political change, not unending Kos Units, then look elsewhere. The core issues progressive and liberals stand for are mainstream issues; we just need a candidate that is willing to carry the banner. I don’t care if that is a Democrat or an Independent.