Today's front page diary about the potential democratic nomination of Hillary Clinton for president has demonstrated the ideological rift between two competing factions of the democratic party. As seen in the diary, there is a deep division between these two groups, and this debate has only served to highlight those deep divisions rather than unify us going into the Midterms elections of 2014, an absolutely pivotal election cycle not only for democrats, but for the future of the country.
In this vein, I propose a truce between the two sides. Not because I find the political and tactical debate uninteresting or too overheated for my thin courtesy-minded skin, but because until such a time as potential democratic nominees declare their intent to run for the presidency, until a breaking news item about a potential presidential candidate comes forth, or until a policy position by a potential candidate is made more clear by said potential candidate, this debate only serves to prove how much heat and noise we can generate as a website.
There is nothing more to be said about the 2016 election. There will not be much to say until the end of the Midterm Elections. Right now, we should be transitioning to full battle stations, ready to combat the wave of Koch money flooding into the electoral system to unseat the democratic majority in the Senate and widen the gap in the house. We had better be focused not on just electing more democrats, but far BETTER democrats than we have been electing, or else any majority we gain in the legislature is a scam. A strong, progressive end to Barack Obama's tenure is what will set up democratic victories in 2016 and beyond. This is why this election is so pivotal.
Until then, some words of advice. When the midterm elections are over, both sides of this debate must be heard. There can be no shutting down of the debate over the democratic candidacy for the presidency in 2015 and 2016. Whether or not HRC will be the nominee is, at best, unclear right now. 2 years is a political lifetime. We all must make a commitment now that once the midterms are over and this debate truce officially off, that all sides get a voice, and that one side doesn't drown out the voices of the others. The primary process, both here at kos, and nationally, must be fair, must not presume winners. It is unfair for HRC's nomination to be locked up so tight so far out. It is clear from today's front page diary that there is not much agreement amongst the regular commenters at dailykos. There was a lot of disappointment in the forgone conclusion that Hillary has won, me included.
But now is not the time for that. The first step to 2016 is winning the midterms, and swinging the legislature left, swinging statehouses left, passing left leaning and freedom promoting ballot initiatives and ensuring that the work of progressive policy making is continued into 2016.
In short, there is no point to discussing 2016 right now, other than to divide the commenting population at dailykos. There is virtually no new information about any candidates, and most likely there wont be until the 2016 cycle is in full swing. Much of the maneuvering is happening behind the curtains, out of view of the public, so there is not much point to discussing the issue further. We must be united as a website, and as a party going into 2014.
Not sure if many people are going to agree with me here, but I feel it necessary not to look to far into the future when the present is staring us right in the face.