Lately, we have all seen a great deal of antagonism. There's anger from the supporters of each Democratic candidate against each other. There's anger against Bush (and plenty of it). There's anger against greedy corporations. There's anger against old-fashioned news organizations. Most of the diaries I have been reading have been based around attacking what is perceived as negative or promoting a position based on what it's not.
My friends, this is not what the Democratic party is for.
Forgive me a moment if what I say seems self-evident. Sometimes when we take an idea for granted, we lose sight of what it really means. I am proud to be a registered Democrat, because I know the Democratic Party is a progressive party. I am here because all of us are united in our support of progressive policies. Lately, with all of the focus on primaries and winning elections, it's easy to lose track of what progressive means.
Progressive politics is not about fighting our enemies. Fighting enemies means that we get down in the mud with them and letting our opponents influence the terms of battle. Fighting means no quarter. Fighting means destruction for both sides. There's no progress there for either side.
Progressive politics is not about enforcing ideological purity. We are Democrats. We are liberals. Remember, liberal shares the same root as liberty. If we truly mean it when we say that we are liberals, we must respect each other's opinions. We must recognize and appreciate each other's differences. Far too often, I've seen people say that someone "shouldn't be posting here" or "is a Republican plant" or using some other slur to disregard someone else's right to speak here. Friends, it DOES NOT MATTER if someone agrees with you. Each of us is different, with a different background and different opinions. That diversity makes us strong.
Progressive politics is about progress. Far too often, I think we have focused on what needs to be fixed instead of where we can improve. This is a subtle change in framing, but it generates a powerful distinction. We don't need to fix inequality, we need to promote equality. We don't need to roll back government excesses, we need to improve freedom. This distinction is critically important because it holds the key to future successes for the Democratic party. Indeed, it seems to me that this explains much of Barack Obama's appeal to independents. Not everyone believes that corporations are greedy and are diminishing the quality of life for average Americans, but most everyone agrees that equality is desirable. Not everyone believes that the Bush Administration has trampled on our civil rights, but most everyone agrees that liberty is desirable.
By shifting the focus from the negative to the positive, we present a future to which we can aspire. By tolerating a diversity of opinions, we encourage independents to join our movement. By living up to progressive, liberal ideals, we will have greater opportunity to make our vision a reality.