So lately there has been an increased amount of obnoxiousness by so-called centrists and pragmatists on this site.
Ok, fine. I'm not going to rehash their arguments because all know it already. I'm also not going to rehash the arguments from folks like me (who think that Obama and most Democrats are shills for Wall Street/Big __) for the same reason.
No, no. Instead, we're calling a truce. Both sides have no choice buy to accept these terms in the end. The only difference between accepting them NOW vs accepting them later/as they come along is that... by accepting them now, we can be productive, get something done and maybe – JUST MAYBE! – even end up cleaning some of the rot out of the Democratic party in the process.
So here's how it's going to go down from this day forward (if you're all smart):
To the dissatisfied Democrats/liberals/progressives/whatever:
You will continue to do as you are for the next several months. Bitch, moan grouse and complain about the Dems. You have every reason to do so.
However, you will STOP bitching, moaning, grousing and otherwise complaining around the month ofFebruary in the year of 2012. You will do this whether you like it or not because this is how the cycle plays out. Around that time, it will be increasingly clear who our "villain" this fall will be. The Democratic propaganda machine (which, though not nearly as effective as the Republican propaganda machine, is still a propaganda machine) will crank itself into overdrive and President Obama, in spite of his still doing everything to make him seem like a moderate Republican from the 1990's, will seem like the love child of FDR and Bernie Sanders by comparison. In addition, Obama and the Democrats in general will be in Campaign Mode, and you WILL fall for it. Just like you always do.
BUT WHILE YOU ARE COMPLAINING, you will also take that negative energy and focus it on the shitty Democrats in the House and Senate enabling Obama to act like a moderate Republican. You will do this by attempting to primary these "bad democrats" or at least scare the hell out of them that they can't act like this anymore. This is the only weapon that you have to use against them that doesn't hurt you in the process.
To the moderate Dems/Obama supporters/so-called Pragmatists:
You may continue to report positively on Obama and the Democrats WHEN THEY DO SOMETHING THAT IS WORTHY OF PRAISE. However, there will be no more making excuses for poor deal making. There will be no more justifying things that are exceptionally conservative under the possibility that it could have been worse. THINGS CAN ALWAYS BE WORSE. NO SHIT.
You will instead direct your energy towards supporting people in the House and Senate who are doing what we all consider to be good work. Bernie Sanders, for example, is an easy one to point to. You will instead praise THEM because they are WORTHY of your cheer leading and praise.
You will do this because you damn well know it just eats you up inside and mauls your very soul to try and say that something like the Debt Ceiling compromise wasn't THAT bad and that Obama did the best he could. You will do this because you know that no matter how hard you try, you can't put glitter on shit and make it pretty. If you could, you'd have done so by now. Or at least made SOME progress, rather than losing every battle.
You will do this knowing that around February of 2012, the Dissatisfied Wing of the Democratic Party will suddenly be supporting Obama like he was the love child of BErnie Sanders and FDR.
Beginning in February, we will all join hands, join wallets and forget our differences. It will happen of it's own accord. Accepting this fact NOW, however, enables you to stop pissing in each other's faces just long enough to work together and primary some of the worst offenders in the House and Senate over the next few months.
Can you see why that is? It's very simple.
1) The Disgruntled Wing will be focusing it's anger on Democrats/corporate shills in the House and Senate. They will be focusing this anger by attempting to primary them and get someone to run who will hopefully better serve this country's overwhelming progressive interests.
2) The Happy Clappy Wing will be focusing it's happy-clappiness on truly progressive politicians, thereby giving strength and courage to others to run against the aforementioned corporate shills.
3)Regarding the "Obama Problem", all the complaining about him isn't going to matter one iota. Come February-ish, we'll have the Republican nominee for President and we will fear and hate him (and rightly so, given the current crop of vampires). Obama and the Dems will also be sounding a lot more like how we expect them to because, hey, it's election time again! All told, that will mean about 8 months of the entire progressive base being firmly on his side... and 8 months is obviously more than a lifetime in politics.
Therefore, criticizing Obama today means very, very little. In fact, it means so little that it means nothing at all, statistically speaking!
Give all that, you really have no choice but to accept this truce. Again, the difference between accepting and not accepting is that all that time and energy wasted complaining about each other could be spent... y'know... electing better Democrats.
So it's time to accept reality and start shooting our positive energy blasts and our negative energy blasts where they'll be most effective.