Warlike metaphors seem to lend themselves to discussion of politics. We speak of "battling" for this cause or that, or "fighting" for the common man. We have "wars" on poverty and drugs. Attack ads "take a shot" at the opposition. Et cetera, et cetera.
These metaphors tend to gloss over the nasty nature of both warfare and politics. "War is hell", to quote General Sherman. Politics can be very personal, and losers are sometimes devastated by the loss.
When we romanticize politics, we raise expectations that cannot be fulfilled by such a nasty business. Just as armies marching off to war can look magnificent, and those in favor of the war tend to emphasize the glorious cause, so politicians try to make politics look better than it is, and to promise more than they can deliver.
More below the fold.
The romantic view of politics looks something like this:
- the scene at the end of "Two Towers" where Theoden and Aragorn charge down from the Hornburg, while Gandalf and Eomer charge down from the rising sun, with the result that Saruman's army is utterly defeated.
In this view, all we need is to elect the right people one time, fight one or two glorious battles, and our cause is eternally victorious.
The reality looks more like this:

It's muddy. It's smelly. And gains are measured in yards, or if you're lucky a few miles. And then the enemy digs some new trenches, and you move into their trenches, and you start all over again.
The cause, then, of being a progressive is an lifelong war. And you can quit any time you want. There is no formal penalty for desertion, or going over to the enemy. And every time you gain, there is the chance you will lose it again next year in the counterattack.
For example, Newt Gingrich is calling on all conservatives to run on a platform of repealing HC. So, even if we somehow get a good bill, don't worry - they plan on undoing it at their earliest convenience.
And you may recall George Bush the younger trying to privatize Social Security - which would have worked out so well when the market crashed.
And the ongoing calls to eliminate public schools.
And on, and on, and on.
Why would anyone agree to serve in the progressive army? The pay is terrible, you get assaulted with the poison gas that emanates from Rush Limbaugh's lips, the Congressional system is rigged against you, the MSM treats you like a naive child, and the corporations have more money to corrupt the system than you can even imagine.
I can't answer that question for you. You have to find your own answer. Let me tell you what motivates me, though:
I have children. I want them to have jobs. I want them to have health insurance. I want them to live in a world that is habitable, not overheated by greenhouse gases.
I believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The guy who spoke of the evil of loving wealth, and called on us to help the least among us. BTW, He's got the same name as the guy who is all worried about people's sex lives, but I don't think the two ever met.
I believe in America. The country that used to stand for something, at least in its better moments. For fighting fascism; for treating even our enemies with a measure of decency; for freedom. Yeah, I know about the slaves, and the Indians, and the meddling in the third world. We have our hideous black marks. But we also have a democracy 233 years old, and a whole list of places where we sincerely tried to help, and we have often been found doing the right thing, even if it was by accident.
And I will not give up without a fight.