Politics and life in general is filled with cycles. Every two years we choose who is going to represent us in the House. Twice every six years, on different cycles, we choose who is going to represent us in the Senate. And once every four years we choose who is going to represent us as the President of the United States. Before we chose any of those representatives, different groups come together to chose who is going represent their collective aspirations in the elections that we us make the choices of who our representatives for the above mentioned offices.
There is another cycle that often coincides with the election cycles here on DKos and many other places. That is the decision to forgo civility and respect that others might have different priorities and other factors in how they decide who best represents them. That rather than trying to convince with dialogue as to why their priorities should be adopted by others, they decide to bully and disrupt conversations of those they do not agree with.
Over the next few months the DKos community will have to decide. Whether they want to be a place where conversations on the future decisions people will make in deciding who they will select to represent themselves in House, Senate and the Presidential elections will occur with civility, warmth and understanding. That though we may have different ideas on how best to accomplish them or priorities on the sequence that they need to be accomplished in. But at the end we have a common set of goals. Or will we allow bullies to disrupt the dialogues using intimidation tactics and attempts to derail the conversations by sowing discord and antipathy.
There is a group that has repeatedly shown that they are not interested in dialogue or conversation. They espouse that bullying tactics of intimidation, disruption and uncontrolled anger are the methodology best suited to achieve their goals. They are planning on coming here to force theirs and only their choices to be discussed. Any diaries that they do not approve of are to be disrupted so that no meaningful conversation can be made within.
These are the very same tactics that the Tea Party Republicans have been using. Some would argue they have been successful. If you are only looking in the short term, there may be a valid argument made to that effect. However, the future is not short term. The tactics the Tea Party has used is already starting turn on them. In a span of slightly more than two years they have gone from having the general public being sympathetic to their cause and supporting election of Tea Party approved candidates for office. To being reviled and only those that are part of the Tea Party itself espousing any support for the group.
All accomplishments that the Tea Party have managed produce are in the process of being dismantled. Their politicians are being recalled. Populist movements to reverse them are strengthening with each passing day. At the current pace, in two more years nearly every one of their legislative successes will be stricken. In the meantime, legislation they are trying to stop, such as "Gay Marriage", universal access to Health Care and the strengthening of the Labor Rights is gaining momentum. Not despite their opposition but because of it. So why would any sane person want to emulate such an obvious long term losing strategy.
This group further plans to do the same within the Democratic Party. After fostering as much division as they can within the local and national Primaries. They plan to split off and run as third party candidates to prevent as many Democratic Party victories as possible. They plan to use th Scozzafava model similar to what allowed Representative Bill Owens to win his race. Poisoning as many races that the Democratic Party should not have to waste resources upon. They also plan on doing the same in the Presidential election.
Then, at the moment they are expected to stand before the American people and recite the words the party establishment has directed them to say - “I throw my support to the President of the United States, Barack Obama!” - they state instead...
..."throw my support to neither this party nor the other - but to us, the American people - and I encourage you to volunteer, work, and vote for ______."
On that line would be the name of the NPA’s endorsed general election candidate. It may be an Independent or a member of a third party, but whomever it is, they will have to pledge publicly to uphold the Unified Progressive Platform now being crafted by NPA volunteers, in order to gain our endorsement.
Such an outcome would give Republicans complete power. Meaning that Medicare and Medicaid would be over. Even more tax cuts to the wealthy. Probable war with Iran. And Social Security would be gutted with all of its money given to Wall Street.
There would be little to no capabilities for the Democrats or anyone else from stopping them. As can be seen from the nigh universal Republican push for the Ryan Budget in the face of almost total opposition of it from the public. As can be seen by the acts of Republican governors and legislatures in Florida, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. Once they have filibuster proof majorities, their masks drop off and they will enact everything they can to dismantle every safety net and support of the middle class and poor. There will be little to stop their excesses or racism and religious fundamentalism.
It is likely that public will recoil at that point and attempt to remove them from power as quickly as possible. However, the damage will be done. It takes years to get social programs up and running and decades for their effects to be realized, but only a couple of months to be completely dismantled. How many people will be permanently harmed, possibly dead, because a few malcontents are not happy that progress is not being made fast enough.
Some of their supporters are already here and have been active in their agenda of disruption and bullying. Every day they are becoming more blatant in their actions. The time where the DKos community must decide if it is still a community that is here to "elect more and better Democrats." Or one that supports FDL and the NPA in destroying it from within.