Thursday, December 17, 2009

On loyalty to the Democratic Party

Personally, I haven't had the heart to fight for the Democrats since it became clear to me, long before Obama became president, how strong and destructive their conservative faction is. It's not that I'm wanting to "knee-cap" them or any such thing. It's just not there.

And it isn't there, now, for many more progressives. I've been croaking and croaking about this for years. They just couldn't hear it. But now some are beginning to see it for themselves. Any US political party has to have both a leadership and a base--the people willing to go out and canvass, to stuff envelopes, to work registration campaigns, and so on. The conservatives, now the wingnuts, are the Republican base. And the liberals, now the progressives, are the Democratic base. Without the base the party cannot win. This turns out to be so even in these media-saturated days. And with the Senate "health" "care" bill, the Democratic leadership has abandoned its progressive base. Where will they turn?

[Edits on day of publication for clarity & fewer weasel words.]

2 comments:

Cujo359 said...

Where will they turn? I think a more appropriate question is where will we turn? When we have an answer to that question, then the party will have to decide where it turns.

Raven Onthill said...

A very good point.