Tired of being "Hippy Punched"? Tired of being ignored? Discounted? Told to "SHUT UP"? Sitting at the little table? Taken for granted? Blamed for us losing the Congress in 2010? Threatened that you'll be the reason we now have President Perry to contend with?
I've tried saying that maybe all that frustration and energy should be directed at Republicans who've put us in this position rather than at fellow Democrats who want the same things you want, only at a slower pace perhaps. But that didn't seem to work and only seemed to throw the dust storm even higher. My apologies for contributing to the ongoing Meta-Melee. That wasn't my intention.
So I have a alternate suggestion.
Why not take all that passion, all that frustration, and RUN WITH IT.
Gotta Tea Bagger Representative in your district? Challenge them. Got a ConservaDem Capitulator? Primary Them.
Don't think you'll be able to find the funds? Well, Richard Trumka just started a SuperPac for the AFL/CIO, who do you think they're going to support? Anti-Union Tea Baggers?
Or might they be willing to put their support behind YOU, if you've got the goods.
I'm just saying...
Talk and talk and talk and theory and arguments on the internet are one thing. Actually putting that talk into action is another. If you truly think you can do better than the current crop of Democrats, if you think you can do better than Obama and Pelosi and Reid have done so far against the Wingnut Tea-Publicans.
GO FOR IT.
We did this before. In 2006, led by Howard Dean, Democrats ran a 50-State Strategy. I remember it well. We had almost 50 different Iraq Veterans running for Congress. People like Tammy Duckworth a helicopter pilot who lost both legs in a crash.
She didn't win in 2006, but she hasn't gone away. She is now Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the VA.
See, virtue is sometimes rewarded.
And I seem to recall that we took control of Congress that year. Hmm.
If we truly want to change the Democratic Party to be better, and by extension change the nation to be better - getting out and fighting for it, but pardon the hoary old phrase - becoming the Change we need is the way to do it.
And if we have to fight the Centrist Left to do it. Do it where it matters.
At the Election Booth. Everyone listens to you when you WIN.
Just my thoughts.
Vyan
Update:If you can't run yourself, then maybe you can find a progressive you can support and put your energy behind them. If National Office is too much, maybe State or Local Office is where you need to focus. Rather than always complaining about the Democratic Party's weakness, maybe we need to infiltrate the party and make it stronger. Change it from the inside rather than constantly throwing rotten fruit at it from the outside. You can't "Punch the Hippie" when the Hippie is your boss, you're colleague, your candidate. It's got to be better than tearing each other apart over and over.
12:02 PM PT: okay guys I'm out shopping at whole foods right now so I can't respond to everything, dictating this on my android phone. my intention in the diary isn't to say that people shouldn't be speaking to our representatives. I think running against them speaks louder than anything else could.
12:15 PM PT: I won't be back for a few more hours. tweet me any comments that need responses right now with a link.