Much ado about the direction of democratic politics has been debated the last few days on this site. This has primarily stemmed from a couple of intense issues that often pit radical against liberal against centrist against moderately conservative. The fact is really pretty simple the left has won this war! Let me rephrase that. We haven't so much it as much as the moderate/right faction of the Democratic Party has lost it.
The inflammatory nature of the title might suggest that I have a desire to sit back and gloat, but that is not the truth at all. Instead I simply desire to offer and in depth explanation for my thesis. I believe it to be sound.
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First of all, after September 11, 2001 the liberal wing of the party was just as mortified by the tragedy as anyone in America. However, many of us felt saturation bombing two nations with depleted uranium and stripping the Constitution without any national debate, let alone Congressional debate were torrid decisions on the part of a political super power. However,
we were told to grin and bear it through the midterms. We did!
After a solid ass-whooping in 2002, many of us found our way to the various primary campaigns of the Democratic contenders. I don't really want ceaseless flames about who should have won that little war, because it was Kerry. He kicked ass and we were told to grin and bear it until the election. We didn't! What did we do? As soon as the primaries were over we flooded the Kerry campaign with a huge pant load of cash and volunteers. So many volunteer requests came in that they couldn't process them fast enough. Most of us supported Kerry with all of our hearts, souls, and minds!
There were many discussions last Summer and early Fall on this very blog encouraging the liberal wing of the party to shut our traps about whatever misgivings we might have about Senator Kerry and the many down ticket candidates. For the most part we did. After the convention, DKos became a safe-haven for Democratic Party cheerleading for ninety five percent of the community. Regardless of where a candidate stood on CORE DEMOCRATIC VALUES the community offered him or her pass. Longtime DKos community members with low, low numbers would get flamed to hell for merely criticizing the position of home state candidates. A few people with numbers below 100 left the community for good because the ability to dissent on DKos was all but gone during that period. Kos himself even justified the flaming of dissenters. It was ugly. The Liberals had been silenced. We let the centrists run the show because we wanted to win as much as anyone.
Election 2004: If you have seen the documentary about Air America, the scene of the broadcast studios on the night of the election pretty much sums up the mood here at DKos. Obviously, I include everyone in that statement, regardless of their leanings. That was a horrible night. Tabby of beagleandtabby had died a few nights before the election (I now have two more lovely tabbies). Between her passing and the election, I fell into rather lengthy depression. Many others suffered as well I have noticed. Once commonplace handles from the past are gone. Many trusted users only post occasionally now. I have only just recently become a TU again. However, sometime around January, I sensed that the community was finding its feet again with a collection of new and old members. We were being reborn.
So now here we are. Six months out from the last election. Bush is flailing on Social Security privatization. Tom Delay is fighting for his political life, as is John Bolton. Both the Terry Shiavo and "Justice Sunday" made for television media events exploded in the faces of the Republican leadership. While the Nuclear Option might pass, it will not increase the popularity of the Grand Old Party and its members.
What is the difference now? Did elected Democrats get tactically smarter? Did Republicans get dumber? Did the media start doing its job? Absolutely not. The difference is that the leadership of the party is now bolstered by an energized liberal blogosphere and widely syndicated progressive radio personalities. We are disseminating information in such a manner that was not happening two, four and six years ago. The landscape has changed rapidly. Information is the enemy of the GOP and we now have means to move it. People are witnessing an authentic alternative to the agenda of the right and making the best choice. It is happening all over America. Not just in so called blue states.
The facts are clear. The party centrists and conservatives have failed the party for the last three election cycles with catastrophic results. Meanwhile, the liberals are at the least holding their own and at best pushing issues into the forefront in order to fight the onslaught of the current Republican agenda. Goodness, if Brad Carson can't win in Oklahoma then no conservative Democrat will. If you get any more to the right of him you start heading deep into GOP territory. Perhaps the strategy of offering the people a real choice is not such a bad idea after all.
Finally, I agree that the Democratic Party has a big tent, however you agree to uphold certain core principles when you get involved. If you don't know what those core principles are then you need to learn them. If you don't believe in all of those principles internally (I don't) you still support them, because they are about the rights of the people, not your personal or your religious beliefs.
I'd rather lose with Barbara Boxer than win with Zell Miller!
Lately the pattern has been winning with Boxers and losing with Millers.
P.S. It is not that I am stupid. I am just a shitty editor.