I was describing this community to a friend the other day, and in part, I said “holy moly, the NSA revelations have blown the top off this site.” And I’ve been here for 5 years, so I don’t think that’s hyperbole. I’ve seen the sux/rox battles ebb and flow, I’ve lived through the Obamacare threads, and the SS threads. I do admit I wasn’t here for the Hillary vs. Obama primary fight of 2008, and I hear that was pretty rugged. But at least it was about which Democrat we wanted.
The NSA thing is different to me, in that it has disenchanted so many, and not without reason, and in that it seems to have signaled a new phase here. And that is a phase that wants to argue whether Democrats are worth the fight, despite this site’s stated goal, to elect more and better Democrats. A phase that has seen more HRs simply for disagreement than I’ve seen in all my years here.
In short, as Buffalo Springfield said long ago:
There’s something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear
Follow me below the fold, if you haven’t been discouraged so far from doing so.
So let’s go with that for a minute. Let’s say that Kos’s stated goal is outmoded for today’s discussions. Let’s say that electing more and better Democrats isn’t going to do it. So what is? What is the better goal? Are we a site that’s just here to argue with each other, or are we a site that can claim to be actively involved? And if so, how?
I know these are hard questions, that’s why almost no one here asks them, and I’m probably crazy for being the one to do so. But I’ll blunder on anyway.
From my POV we’ve got just a couple of choices. We can work through the system, which is basically Kos’s premise here. Or, we can try to create a third way, a third party that we think will do what we want it to. Ha. Or, we can try to incite a revolution. If I’ve missed any options, please chime in.
Now for me, I like Kos’s idea that we work through the system and the Democratic party. I’m not a fan of multiple parties for reasons it would take a whole other diary to explain. I much prefer the option of run off voting, which is very little discussed here, but which I worked hard to make a reality in my town, and succeeded. Sure would like to see a lot more diaries about this.
And, I would also like to see a lot more diaries about who and which Democrats/progressives we should be considering for primaries in the upcoming mid terms, which are a blink away. Do we really have to wait till the topic of the mid terms is hot? There’s so many threats here about primarying this rep and that, but not many useful suggestions as to who we should support in this effort. Is it true that between elections we just argue, and when they're finally there, in front of our faces, we spring into action? I've heard this idea put forth from others who have been here longer than I, and maybe there's truth and wisdom in it. I honestly don't know. Maybe there's no way to get ahead of the curve in politics. Maybe there is. That's what I'd like to explore.
I’d like to see discussions about who we should support in the Wisconsin governor’s race against Walker. Who is possible, who can we find? Who can we give air time and money to here, before anyone else does? Who can we encourage?
I’d like to see the same discussions about who we can support in North Carolina, and Michigan and Ohio. If we want more progressives in government, how do we find them? We have folks here in every state that are pretty up to date w/what’s out there. What do they have to say? How can we support their knowledge and dig for more?
And to me, those are all arguments worth having if they lead to a consensus for action.
I have tried to do my little part here in suggesting active roles for this site. Twice actually. I won’t get into the first, as it was a time ago. But recently I followed up on an excellent diary from Kombema asking if this site wanted to support a “GotID” campaign. She got about 70 responses, I got about 30. Paltry stuff compared to any pie fight these days about Snowden and Greenwald.
Now I’m not saying I’m mad or disappointed that this community wasn’t all that interested in our idea---which only covered but a slice of the problem and may have not been enough people’s priority here. We cannot expect this site to take on every idea we put forth. It’s quite a drill just to have it up and running every day, and the priorities of the administration of this site are understandably going to take center stage. That’s just the way it is, and I’ve got no gripe with that. An no pout about it. If we want something on this site, when it comes to action Jackson, we’re going to have to speak loud and strong for it.
And I’m just wondering what that is. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with controversy and discussion and working it through. But it seems to me we do a lot of talking and arguing, and we’re not as effective on the action part.
From my POV, if we want to repeal the Patriot Act, we’ll have to do that through the system. And it won’t get done by tomorrow. You know, if it’s one thing I respect the republicans for, it’s their persistence. It’s taken them over three decades to do what they’ve done. From Johnson’s era of civil rights and the war on poverty, to the current success of the GOP today, covers A LOT of years. And patience.
And even though the GOP may have trouble getting a president elected, they are making huge inroads to everything we detest w/out having to do that. There’s been a lot of money, patience and persistence behind that, on everything from abortion to food stamps, to education, to, to, to, to and to.
So where are we at here? What are our goals and our aspirations and how are we thinking we’ll go about them?
And LOL, I would forbid any word about Snowden or Greenwald If I could, but I know I can’t. But please, if you dare, leave them out of this. Let’s make this about what this site could be, or can’t be.
And maybe it can’t be anything more than it is. Maybe that’s just the way it is here. We’re all doomed to endless arguments that get us no where. And even that is much more gloomy than the reality of what exists, just as it is. Because there will always be corners of this site that do SO much. And there’s a lot of good information here, as it is, and that’s not a bad thing either.
So I’m not about being a good brownie, or asking for what can’t happen. I’m just interested in what could happen, if we wanted it to.