We have just taken precisely the beating we deserved to take; in fact, I'd say we're incredibly lucky to have held the losses where they are.
The reality is, Obama was elected to change things. Remember that? Remember change? Change the tone in Washington. Change how we do business. Fix health care. Turn the economy around. Deal with climate change.
Hope. Change. The future. A New America.
Two years later, we stood before the American people and were unable to name three things that we'd done to make their lives better. I wonder if some of our candidates could name one thing they did that had a major impact on their district.
I start this diary from a different perspective than most of you. I was a McCain voter. Before that, Bush and Bush and...well, basically, I was a Republican from the age of nine until about a year ago. I've published dozens of political editorials in support of the GOP and (what I thought was) their logical positions.
Skipping the what, why and how of the journey from right to left, please hear me when I say that what we (as a party and separately, as a movement) are doing is extremely unhelpful to the cause of creating an America that shares resources, provides a minimum standard of life for all citizens, and seeks peaceful resolution to conflict.
I have not only been on the other side -- I lived it for 20+ years -- and I guarantee you that, while a majority of citizens would prefer to live in a world with health care, clean water and education, they will not vote for it when it is designed the way we design it. They will not buy it when it is packaged the way we package it. And they will reject it every time they are scared by the other side into opposing it.
Before I lose the three people who have taken time to read this far, I think I'll dispense with the 10,000 words I had planned and just get on with it.
Let's start with the obvious admission: We have not had a new idea on how to solve a problem, progressively, in 40-50 years. Regardless of the issue, our answer is always the same -- take government money and pay for it. Education is a mess? Throw some money at it. Roads in disrepair? Money. Health care system is totally borked? Give me all your health care dollars and let Uncle Sam pay for it.
Now, maybe these are the right solutions. Maybe these are the wrong solutions. My point is, are these the only solutions? Because if all we are offering is the same shit we offered last election, and last president, and last decade and the one before that -- well, it's incredibly easy to get our ideas dismissed by half the country.
So, let's start with the assumption that we need some kind of new idea to at least rally around. Republicans have tax cuts for the filthy rich, and in some areas of the country, unabashed cultural ignorance (or conservatism, if you prefer). They don't half-ass these ideas. They all believe in them. They all vote for them. They are a machine.
What is our idea? It should be the very simple idea that government no longer belongs to the american people. Our main purpose of existence needs to be, very simply, that we will represent the interests of the average citizen. Not specific policies. Not specific results. Not "liberalism" or "progressivism" or any other easily shot target that plays well in 30% of the country and absolutely kills us everywhere south of new york.
LET'S BE THE PARTY OF THE PEOPLE AGAIN.
How? Start by demanding campaign reform. It's ridiculous that corporations can simply buy the candidates they want. Follow that up with election and voting reform: why should elections be determined and guarded by local governments, with a million different processes and procedures? Everyone should vote the same way in every district in every state. People can understand the idea of fairness...and it's pretty hard to argue against the idea.
Second, follow through and push for reforms in the way congress does business. It's ridiculous that states have the ability to gerrymander districts to maximize their party's electoral chances for a decade. That's unAmerican -- and we need a system to stop that.
Third, we need to get back on the FAIR TRADE bandwagon. Part of the reason why American companies cannot afford to offer health care and day care and other interesting benefits is because they are competing with companies paying 5 cents an hour in wages. Make the obvious argument that YOUR JOBS went overseas and only one party has an interest in bringing them back. This is such an obvious avenue to attack the Republican positions that I cannot believe it isn't used.
Fourth, there is no fourth. All the other things we would like to do -- universal health care, more socialized amenities (child care, education, etc), environmental concerns, etc -- are not going to happen so long as half the country is convinced we're evil "libruls" here to piss on their bible and abort their babies, nor will they pass even the Blues of congresses while corporate america can run ad after ad decrying the end of the fucking world.
Thanks for reading. I hope this helps.