To all the Left Wing Purgies

[wyldwolf]

Unless you have magic progressive pixie dust to sprinkle on the electorate or a magic genie to cancel primaries and appoint 'progressives,' you're going to have to do this the old fashioned way.

1. We're assuming 'progressives' have a unified message. It's pretty well known how you like to fight among yourselves over who is the most liberal so you're going to have to convince yourselves of your message before the electorate at large will buy into it. After a few years of getting those ducks in a row, you might be able to move on to #2. But be careful! 'Progressives' can smell heresy from a mile away.

2. Target a sitting Democrat you want to purge. While the idea of being President may be tempting, its always best to start on a local or state level. Make sure you or your candidate is ready for a fight. Often incumbents are very popular.

3. Check the qualifications for the office. At a minimum, this usually means that you must be a registered voter in the geographical area in which you are running; there may also be age, residency or experience qualifications.

4. File the required papers to get yourself on the ballot. Procedures for doing this vary by city, county, and state. A filing fee may also be required.

GREAT! You (or you guy/gal) is on the ballot and you can start raising money. That shouldn't be difficult because everyone wants to see you win. Now comes the easy part - convincing Democratic voters that the incumbent is really an evil corporate lackey. Let's pick one at random for our conversation here... how about Joaquin Castro (TX-20). Wait. You didn't KNOW he was a turd wayer? Tsk tsk! You need to learn these things before you or your candidate hits the campaign trail.

Now, back to Castro. He was just re-elected to Congress (which kind of spoils the narrative that turd wayers are losers. So find a new shtick quick!) He's immensely popular in his district and has built a following in national Democratic (um, I mean Republican lite) circles. So this means you have about 18 months to craft your message against him.

Good thing you have that command center in your basement and the awesome minds at DU to help!

Good luck with the purge! The spirit of Henry Wallace is with you!

P.S. - learn the basic logical fallacies. You'll need them in your discussions when you can't think of anything else to say - unless you want to use the 'irrelevant' or 'revolutionary' rhetoric technique. That will be in lesson 2.

[Odin2005]

1. Nice strawman you got, there.

[AgingAmerican]

2. Cheerleading

...for failure.

[Number23]

3. Oh snap!

Good thing you have that command center in your basement and the awesome minds at DU to help!

[steve2470]

29. +1 nt

[LovingA2andMI]

43. Too bad DU don't have a Basketball Meme Drunking....

a Ball on the Hoop like LeBron James, but until then this will do....

[Number23]

61. Will this do??

[LovingA2andMI]

109. Sure does!!!

[JustAnotherGen]

101. Love it!

[BlindTiresias]

4. Bringing up logical fallacies is ironic, considering your own post history.

[geek tragedy]

5. Two words: Tom Carper.

If progressives want to show they have the ability to make a difference, a Conservadem in a deep blue state is a good start.

[wyldwolf]

7. he'd be a good test run for the glorious purge.

[geek tragedy]

17. No need for a huge purge, but there are some like

Carper who clearly don't care about what the base cares about.

[Recursion]

26. That would take waiting until 2018 though (nt)

[geek tragedy]

28. 2012 was a missed opportunity nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

58. At least they stopped using Uncle Joe as an example of a success.

[NYC_SKP]

6. We need to make this a war for the middle class, keep it simple.

The individual issues will resolve, the pigs love that we bicker of religion, guns, one-issue rights, all the while missing the big picture:

Clintons and Bushes have been robbing us blind.

[Rex]

11. A certain few are mad that the Third Way has been exposed as a libertarian think tank

as you can see. Thankfully it is all of 5 or 6 people.

[Marr]

94. +1

[msanthrope]

8. I love this post and want to buy it a drink after the next precinct

meeting.

[Rex]

9. I love watching people carry water for the Third Way by creating strawmen.

Why are you so worried? Don't like the fact people know Third Wayers think like libertarians? Get over it.

[G_j]

10. While the process of running for elected office is a worthy subject for much discussion,

especially for progressives, the condescending tone of this post demonstrate it's purpose was not to elicit reasonable conversation on the subject.

[Rex]

14. They are mad at the exposure.

You can always tell.

[treestar]

15. What's condescending that what you'd have to do

The Revolution won't start by itself, either.

[G_j]

19. as I said

the subject is worth discussing. The OP makes some valid points, but the sarcasm and arrogant tone get in the way.
That's OK, it just isn't conducive to problem solving, and I understand it (sarcasm) goes both ways.

[Starry Messenger]

12. You act like you won something.

You seem awfully cheerful for a member of a Party that just suffered a slaughter.

[treestar]

13. they don't know what they would be inspired by or what they would vote FOR

That's the leaders' job! That's Castro's job! Why isn't he doing it.

All people who end up in positions of leadership are evil! That must be it! He is evil and we can't find a leader who is good! We thought Obama was, but no!

Stay home! That'll show them! Until someone finds us a good leader. Someone please do that !!!!!!!

[woo me with science]

16. Third Way Talking points. Trashing thread.

Ignore the 3rd Way shills with extreme prejudice
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025767160

[msanthrope]

20. Indeed...so why post on a thread you are trashing? nt

[Thinkingabout]

30. Listen, did I just read a post where someone has declared someone was a shill?

I can assure I am not a shill on DU, I read this often. You just may be wrong. Oh, Btw, I read lots of post of long time Democrats and can say we are not anyone's stooge, we know how and what the results are when Republicans are elected. The will be less supporting power for some of the issues to even get out of committee, they will die.

[Phlem]

51. +10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

[eridani]

18. The Tea Party has successfully been purging moderate Republicans and they are winning all over

But liberals could never do the same to the Democrats because why? What kind of idiot ignores that minimum wage increases passed in the reddest of red states?

[wyldwolf]

22. They figured out how to organize

[Spitfire of ATJ]

37. They were astro-turfed. We need a gazzilionaire to do the same for us.

[wyldwolf]

40. mm k. They figured out how to be astro-turfed.

[Recursion]

24. Because both parties' support is heavily weighted to the right end of their spectrum

Republicans have some moderates and a lot of conservatives. Democrats have some liberals and a lot of moderates.

That said, geek tragedy has a good point upthread: if there's a good place to try this, it's Carper's seat in DE. You've got a nice deep bench of state senators you can pick from -- I'd suggest Snyder-Hall, personally, but go do your candidate research and pick the best one you can find. Unseat Carper in the primary and run your candidate.

[eridani]

111. So the red states voted to increase minimum wage because why? n/t

[aquart]

41. Wow. You want the tea party to be my role model.

Not the longest day I live.

[Phlem]

52. Unfortunately this will be twisted around into their favor. But spot on!

[world wide wally]

21. Are you telling us to "sit down and shut up".

Just take the scraps we're thrown and be happy?

[wyldwolf]

23. Yeah that's it. Lol

[msanthrope]

38. No....she's suggesting the exact opposite. Put down the Iphone

and go to your local Dem meetings. Canvass. Get involved.

[MFrohike]

27. So inefficient

Electoral politics is such an incompetent way to move an agenda. The GOP doesn't ask how high because Ted Cruz or Rand Paul says something, they do it because AFP, the low-church right, or another pressure group tells them to jump. If you want to actually get something done, pressure with the threat of defunding a candidate, funding a rival, or actually switching party support is by far the most effective.

I don't mean that electoral politics can't be valuable, it just won't get much of anything done without actual pressure from the outside. If electoral politics really was a cure-all, Harry Reid would have killed the filibuster in 2009 and moved legislation.

[MisterP]

31. 1. the 3Way *fails*: its tactics are proven to lose over and over: this doesn't matter because

to a corporatist it only matters if the corporate money keeps flowing, not whether you win or lose (since that's how campaign financing works)
2. it's openly bought by the Kochs, and the Kochs wouldn't let a party that owed it its majority seats to do anything whatsoever
3. the purges have always been from the right--from the "officialists"--against the reformers and progressives: back in 2006 when "we" won the House the DLCers were crawling all over DU shrieking about the imminent heads on pikes the rabid left was going to cause: in the next years they carefully torpedoed the campaigns of Cegelis, Lamont, McKinney, Halter, Romanoff, Sestak, Grayson, Kucinich, Buono, Lutrin, Rev. Sykes, Weiland, etc., as they pulled ahead in the polls: they would in fact rather lose the seat than see someone to the left of Franco come in; they were RELIEVED when the supermajority was ended '10 because the pressure was off do pass any laws and they could just keep rattling the tin cup

[GeorgeGist]

32. Purged.

[Doctor_J]

33. who needs magic dust?

We had 70 million voters in 2008. If Obama and Reid and Pelosi had done what those voters believed they would do, just a fraction of it, we'd have swept in 10, 12, 14. Populist movement means nothing if we're lied to by representatives

[BrotherIvan]

95. This^^

All the 11th Dimension Chess in the universe wouldn't have helped as much as just fulfilling their promises. Or even trying. The fact that they were voted into a majority since fucking 2006 and dilly dallied until 2010 is why people have lost faith. It's why they don't vote. And all the nagging and beatings won't make that any less true.

[Rex]

96. Got to keep those facts away from these types.

They seem allergic to facts.

[Bluenorthwest]

34. Oregon liberals and progressives just gave you one of the only major Senatorial victories in the

country. My district re-elected our Rep Peter DeFazio, member of the Progressive caucus. Without progressives and liberals, the GOP would have taken even more seats than those lost by those moderate types who always say only their sort can win. The day after a moderate Democrat loses, they say 'only I could have won'. It's cray cray. They lose, then say only they can win. So they run again, and lose.

Republican places elected Republicans. Big surprise. But as a Democrat in a Democratic place which elected Democrats, it would be nice to hear some thanks coming from the right side of the Party instead of reading arrogant loser's diatribes like this one.
Show me some winners, pal. Please. For the love of Mike. If you love these moderates, get them elected. The only Democrats I really oppose are those who fail to secure their seats from Republicans. So stop kvetching and demanding and show me the ballots.

[blkmusclmachine]

35. Third Way has spoken: You aren't ever getting rid of us. We're going to kill the DEM brand. 1 Party

rule: the 1%. Now go back to your little "democracy," you unimportant little serfs.


PS: Op has Clinton as his avatar. Of course he does.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

36. Did the Right do it this way?

Oh yeah,...that's right,...they just showed up with foam coming out of their mouth.

Alka-Seltzer is cheap.

[LiberalElite]

39. This OP wins the

Best combination of sarcasm, disingenuousness and condescension Prize All crammed into 10 short paragraphs. Congratulations!

[DisgustipatedinCA]

42. Again, there was a reason we were implored to ignore you in these pages

Thanks for helping to illustrate that point.

[wyldwolf]

45. The purity police have arrived. Hey, you're not taking your own advice!

[daredtowork]

44. I wonder if this happened

As the tea party took over the Republicans, all the self-proclaimed "sane" Party of Money people hopped over to the Democratic side and tried to make this the "conservative middle" party they thought the Republicans should have been. But, alas, there were all these darned left-leaning progressives who were already occupying this party who would have to be displaced.

So before we had:

(Bible Fringe) GOP Conservative Middle/Big Money vs. Progressive Democrats (socialist fringe)

Now we have:

(WTF crazy fringe) Tea Party/Rand Alliance vs. Conservative Middle/Big Money (progressive democrat fringe)

So where is the socialist leftwing in all this? It seems to me that they have been pushed out -but if they have been pushed into another party, that split will only undermine the Democrat side, leading to victory for the Tea Party/Rand alliance. (That's Ayn Rand, not Paul Rand, though the affinity is certainly there...).

[freshwest]

46. Ouchie! Looking forward to Lesson 2. I take issue with anyone dissing Henry Wallace:

Last edited Sat Nov 8, 2014, 08:43 PM - Edit history (1)

"The really dangerous American fascist... is the man who wants to do in the United States in an American way what Hitler did in Germany in a Prussian way. The American fascist would prefer not to use violence.

His method is to poison the channels of public information. With a fascist the problem is never how best to present the truth to the public but how best to use the news to deceive the public into giving the fascist and his group more money or more power...

They claim to be super-patriots, but they would destroy every liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. They demand free enterprise, but are the spokesmen for monopoly and vested interest.

Their final objective, toward which all their deceit is directed, is to capture political power so that, using the power of the state and the power of the market simultaneously, they may keep the common man in eternal subjection."

~ U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace, quoted in the New York Times, April 9, 1944

Democrats didn't do this, nor have the self-titled 'progressives.' This was done by Republicans and Libertarians. That is their goal, not ours.

The media massage has been done so thoroughly, they've made those who were once practical and progressive...

(NOTE: Progressive can not be pure, it is only a process, thus progress in steps. There is no 'Road to Damascus' where one is blinded by the light and falls off the donkey. That's religion, and it seems to have afflicted most people. There is no equitable - thus democratic - quick fix for 300+ million Americans.)

...leave the only party that can enact progressive reforms in time to save lives. None of it will be as some think because life's not static, nothing's written in stone and to believe so is like the Tea Party vision of America. It predates the Constitution they claim to revere as that era was replaced by it. So much for their sacred 1st, 2nd, 4th and 10th Amendments. They want to eliminate everything after the 10th, including civil rights for all not born white and male, as they come after the others, particularly that pesky 14th Amendment.

It took centuries of what now call 'progressive' or liberal thinking, based on ideals that were not only based in religion, history and the fires of war, that came together to form an Ideal never perfected. If it was, humanity would move the goal posts again, and be right in doing so.

Progress toward the Ideal, and success breeding new Ideals, while not killing each other off, is at the heart of Liberalism. It is neither right nor left solely. FFS, do we have to define all that is confronting us in terms of the old French parliament, when the Founders did not?

Whatever form it takes has always been unknown and refuses to be defined by the past.

Those who forget it is the love of the living and its perservation that is the goal, who accept some 'collateral damage' to meet their ideological stance, are the problem. I see in my state, where some want that utopia but they are never around to clean up the mess and bury the bodies it leaves behind.

So it cannot be a utopia. The process they used got them what they said they wanted, but didn't have empathy for those who were hurt, as they 'won.' That's why some align with the right if it's a matter of survival, if Democrats get so pure their loved ones die for 'liberal' ideology.

I've seen far too much shit go down from those who thought they knew it all and their ideology demanded everyone else get out of their way. It is in such power plays they show they do not care about the rights and lives of others, which a Democrat is busy trying to save.

Forcing others to your will by shrill actions are not a good selling point, and is why they are unpopular with those hurt. Their grand ideals will go into the trash can, just as as those felt that they were treated by them.

You must take a stand for the living at some point. There is a lot of diversity reflected in the party platform of the Democratic Party but not with some people as it's either their way or the highway. Those affected are not gonna be a blind to any liberal or progressive ideology if it kills people.

Sorry for a very sloppy post. Frankly, the more time I spend away from DU the better life looks and feels.

[Curmudgeoness]

47. For the sake of argument, let's say that liberals cannot win elections.

I do not believe this for a minute, but I do know enough to realize that I will probably never see a candidate who I believe will have my views on things. But....what the "left wing purgies" can do is bring their issues into the discussion. Our issues are not bat-shit crazy, and they need to have a voice.

Democrats who are not happy with the Third Way Democrats do not have to STFU. Nor will we. And I would not take your advice on how to win. The first step should be to put true liberal candidates against Republicans in races. Once we get some of them into office, many of the so-called moderates will not be so afraid to rock the boat. Just as the Tea Party has moved the GOP to the right, these candidates can move the Democrats to the left. And maybe the Third Way Democrats will remember why they are Democrats.

[Blue_In_AK]

48. Nice...

We could all do without the snark.

[leftofcool]

49. Excellent!

[the_sly_pig]

50. *yawn*

[Phlem]

54. Complete with a "new name" for anyone who wants a Liberal Democrat.

[wyldwolf]

55. hey, aren't you supposed to be ignoring me?

You popped into a thread or two telling people to ignore 'third wayer,' but you can't resist replying. Are you flirting?

[Phlem]

56. I don't have you ignore

But thanks for making me look.

No I'm here to stop the propaganda from spreading. I hate perpetuating ignorance.

[wyldwolf]

59. Here's the line you're following me around with:

"There's a reason your suppose to ignore the 3rd way with extreme prejudice."

But you can't resist not following your own advice.

[Phlem]

71. Figures,

you can't tell the difference between what I said above and stopping ignorant propaganda.

*sigh*

[wyldwolf]

72. "There's a reason your suppose to ignore the 3rd way with extreme prejudice." Do you need a patch?

[Phlem]

74. wow it's down to reaffirming your op with 3rd grade strategies?

nice.

[wyldwolf]

76. Doubtful thirdgraders know what a patch is. WAIT! You're not following your advice AGAIN!

[Phlem]

77. yep. I'm done here.

[wyldwolf]

78. SUUURE you are. One more thing..

""There's a reason your suppose to ignore the 3rd way with extreme prejudice."

You didn't do that.

[BlindTiresias]

79. Good show, wyldwolf

You really are endearing yourself to the audience, I am sure a positive outcome from your modest and knowledgeable posts is inevitable.

[stupidicus]

60. they're hilarious, ain't they?

they can't really reasonably dispute the many and varied reasons why so many are dissatisfied with their thirdwayer selves, nor the election results of it, so everything they post is really just some sorta silly distraction.

Most of us have long known what we're up against http://crooksandliars.com/2014/11/are-democratic-leaders-already-tea and what it'll take to overcome it. DKos as I recall, started a 'better dems" campaign years ago now.

The only mystery is whether they are supportive/approving of the ways. emans, and goals of their thirdwayer leaders. A hillary presidency for example, will likely not see any action on single payer because she is currently opposed to it.

[Phlem]

63. I see that campaign as being more of the same

except worse.

They can be infuriating sometimes. Reminds me of my abusive Republican alcoholic stepfather. Definitely not good times.

[stupidicus]

92. yep

one of the first observations I made after joining here a couple of years ago, is how similar -- if not identical -- their methods and means/argumentation is to the rightwingers I'd largely confined myself to "debating" prior to it.

I also locked horns with the thirdwayers over Clinton a lot, and particularly in the lead up to the Iraq war, but never did they attempt to give me the grief they have here, even on what for all practicle purposes was an unmoderated board.

[tkmorris]

62. You wanna keep losing elections? This is how you do it

Just keep posting nasty, smarmy, divisive bullshit at every opportunity. Keep fighting each other.

Why in the HELL does DU continue to tolerate posters treating each other this way? Does someone imagine that this sort of crap HELPS somehow? Jesus fucking Christ, we are our own worst enemies.

[Phlem]

64. It's been 3rd way for 16 fucking years.

2 term Clinton and 2 term Obama. Now we're here and they think Hillary's the answer? We lost because we ran on "Republican Lite."

Doesn't give an actual Dem much of a choice now does it? Progressive measures won big, open 3rd way Democrat seats lost.

what does it take?

[wyldwolf]

66. "what does it take?" LOL

See the OP.

[Phlem]

69. Your absolutely right about one thing.

LOL

[wyldwolf]

70. You're laughing at the notion of fielding candidates. HEY WAIT!!!!

"There's a reason your suppose to ignore the 3rd way with extreme prejudice."

You STILL can't follow your own advice.

[Phlem]

73. Like I said, I will not perpetuate ignorance, and I will stop the propaganda.

You think I'm going to sit down and shut up?

Not on your life.

[wyldwolf]

75. fielding candidates is perpetuating ignorance? It's propaganda?

[arcane1]

65. "learn the basic logical fallacies" indeed!

[RadicalGeek]

67. What the Author Forgets

Is that a strong primary challenge can shift a candidate.

A "progressive" challenge to HRC from a Sanders, Warren or Feingold (where's he been hiding anyhow), could get her to "progressivize" her message.

As for a singular issue, I think corporate power might be a good issue to rally around.

I am sure we can come up with a few "Blue Dogs" to spay or neuter.

The 3rd and 4th point are just plain stupid, most candidates know this

[A Simple Game]

68. Aww, isn't that cute, they have civics classes in grade school now. Wait, don't you have

to be at least 13 to post on DU? Need to go check the rules.

Well don't worry maybe your next teacher will be able to teach you in a way you can understand.

The funny thing is that it seems to have taken at least two days for the liberal bashers to blame the poor results from Tuesday on the liberals. At least Gen Y got some of the blame this time.

[SidDithers]

80. DU rec for pissing off all the right people...nt

Sid

[wyldwolf]

81. Ever notice the DU pattern?

thread 1 DLC are poopyheads!
thread 2 DLC are poopyheads!
thread 3 DLC are poopyheads!
thread 4 DLC are poopyheads!
thread 5 DLC are poopyheads!
thread 6 DLC are poopyheads!
thread 7 DLC are poopyheads!

thread 8 Progressives are poopyheads
reply 1 How dare you!
reply 1 Why are you so divisive!
reply 1 I'm third way manny! Look at me!
reply 1 FUCK YOU YOU Corporate fascist lackey!
reply 1 I don't understand why you had to post this?
reply 1 You NEVER see progressives posting things like this!
reply 1 *yawn* More propaganda!

[SidDithers]

83. You know you dun good when you spawn a copycat thread from Manny...

Sid

[wyldwolf]

84. He was feeling neglected. Not getting enough 'Manny Love.'

[tkmorris]

85. I don't think the DLC are poopyheads

I think they are not good for the Democratic Party, and at times I think they are dishonest. My issue isn't what you think of Liberals, it's your method of saying so.

[wyldwolf]

86. Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[tkmorris]

82. Yes, because "pissing people off" is such a great idea

In fact, why don't we just have a big DU meetup somewhere and litter the joint with as many weapons as we can, "Mean Guns" style. Let's get those aggressions out good and proper.

[Martin Eden]

87. wyldwolf, you advocate surrender

When Democratic politicians embrace Republican policies to win elections they have not won a victory against the Republicans -- they have joined their ranks.

This country is spiraling downward because of those policies.

Two of the worst policies enacted in the last 20 years are "free" trade agreements which have decimated American manufacturing jobs, and the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act which has led to the economic collapse from which the average American has not yet recovered.

Your avatar signed both of the above.

[Jack Rabbit]

88. To all the third way purgies:

It makes precious little difference whether the President who deals with Congress to sell out American sovereignty to an unelected body of corporate lawyers with the power to fine elected governments for regulating businesses under the TPP or TTIP, to start another Middle Eastern war (or perhaps more than one) in order to keep the oil corporations on life support, to enact "entitlement reform" that will result in retirees starving in the streets, who fails to prosecute too big for their breeches Wall Street bankers for fraud and enact badly need financial reform and re-regulation or who fails to act on climate change is a Republican like Ted Cruz or a third-way Democrat like she who shall not be named for the fear of offending any one.

It isn't in the spirit of Henry Wallace in which this missive is written. Henry Wallace still had a functioning political system in which he could operate. That no longer seems to be the case.

This is rather a warning: What do we do when the political system becomes so dysfunctional that the only viable candidates being offered in what only vaguely resembles a free and fair election are those who conspire with the wolves to sell out us sheep? If the political system is so corrupt and rigged that it will not protect citizens from criminals like the Koch brothers or Legs Dimon and Pretty Boy Lloyd, then it becomes irrelevant and the fallacy that needs to be identified is a red herring.

That logical fallacy is your lesson for today.

It won't matter who is president passing pioneering civil liberties for homosexuals if the oligarchs starve us to death, kill our children in wars that benefits only them, make our water flammable or put our homes literally underwater as sea level rise and that same president doesn't do anything to stop them.

The power to fix the political system and make it work for the many may already be beyond the power of the ballot box. Direct action in the streets may be required.

The Republicans did not win last Tuesday's election. They were boosted to power a low voter turnout, voter suppression and the unfair advantage of corporate money drowning out popular sentiment. To address the first point, I recall that Lenin, who was at least admirable in the respect that he was a hard nosed realist (except when he was writing the fanciful nonsense called State and Revolution), was once asked who voted for the Bolsheviks to take power. "The Soldiers did," he replied. "They voted with their feet when they deserted."

So who voted for direct action against the oligarchs? The people did. They voted with their asses by sitting on them on election day. They did not participate in an election that offered nothing relevant except some ballot initiatives about raising the minimum wage, which they passed while tea baggers took over the US Senate.

[joshcryer]

89. That's a pretty thorough demolishing.

Too bad those it applies too are too thickheaded to get it.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

90. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025788789

says it all, really. Third Way is a faux 'center left' Pete Peterson project designed to shred the safety net and privatize Social Security.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

91. I am fifty six years old.

I was born in New York City,raised in exurban Florida, and now live in Los Angeles. I am in the same quadrant of the Political Compass as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi and have never met anybody in real life to my left, save a very few professors. The only people I have met to my left are on this board, not that's there's anything wrong with that.

What does that have to do with anything?

If me, Nelson, and Mahatma aren't left enough for your party y'all are going to be having your conventions at a Elks Lodge and you will be able to fit all your voters into CitiField.

PEACE

[stupidicus]

93. wow, all that to state the obvious on procedure and qualifications for public office?

how exactly is that a defense of your obvious support for corporatist dems, since your target seems to be those that don't?

[Spazito]

97. I find it fascinating progressives are calling for a purge...

an authoritarian demand with a murderous history. First, the definition of "purging":

1.
a. To free from impurities; purify.
b. To remove (impurities and other elements) by or as if by cleansing.
2. To rid of sin, guilt, or defilement.
3. Law To clear (a person) of a charge or an imputation. Often used with respect to contempt of court.
4.
a. To rid (a nation or political party, for example) of people considered undesirable.
b. To get rid of (people considered undesirable). See Synonyms at eliminate.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Purging

Second, the history of political purging most should know:

The Purges in the USSR

"In keeping with Stalin’s desire to maintain an air of legality to the purges, major figures were given the ‘luxury’ of a public trial – the so-called show trials. A guilty verdict at the end of these stage-managed trials was an inevitability. Many signed a confession knowing that what they had confessed to was wrong. In his book “Darkness at Noon” Arthur Koestler commented that many in NKVD prisons saw death as the best way out of life in these prisons and signed confessions knowing that they were in effect signing their own death warrants but death was a swift way out. To what extent this is true is impossible to know as no one survived their execution! Some did survive NKVD prisons and the gulags and later wrote about their experiences (such as Alexander Solzhenitsyn in “One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich”) and what unites all of these books is the appalling life they must have led while in these establishments while they had to live with the knowledge that an early release was all but impossible. For them death must have seemed a release. But for Stalin a signed confession was like a trophy to parade among the people as proof of his suspicions of their treasonable behaviour."

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/purges_ussr.htm

One would think using the term "purge" let alone demanding purging be done would be completely antithetical to progressives yet we have a thread castigating "anti-purgies", go figure.

[wyldwolf]

98. those are the very reasons I DON'T find it fascinating or surprising.

[Spazito]

99. The blatant hypocrisy associated with demanding purging by progressives...

is fascinating to me because there seems to be a complete disconnect by so many who self-identify as progressives applauding an egregious authoritarian action.

[wyldwolf]

100. it's also seemed to me that the very nature of the progressive movement is authoritarian

It demands purity. It's nothing more than left wing fundamentalism.

[Spazito]

102. Certainly those who are demanding purging while claiming to be progressives...

resemble fundamentalist thinking. I would argue, though, there is a true progressive movement that, in no way, resembles nor agrees with what is being called for in some of the posts here on DU or on some of the blogs we see showcased here.

The progressives I know and associate myself with want change understanding it takes hard work, voting, working within the political system currently in place to change it. Purges are antithetical to progressive beliefs so one has to question what form of progressivism those who advocate purges are practicing.

Here is the kind of progressivism the term should evoke, imo:

Progressivism

Progressivists believe that individuality, progress, and change are fundamental to one's education. Believing that people learn best from what they consider most relevant to their lives, progressivists center their curricula on the needs, experiences, interests, and abilities of students. Progressivist teachers try making school interesting and useful by planning lessons that provoke curiosity. In a progressivist school, students are actively learning. The students interact with one another and develop social qualities such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view. In addition, students solve problems in the classroom similar to those they will encounter in their everyday lives. Progressivists believe that education should be a process of ongoing growth, not just a preparation for becoming an adult. An obvious example of progressivism would be our class. We are in groups a lot and we actively learn through discussion. We talk about how what we read can be incorporated into our future teaching careers. Dr. Theodore takes into account the suggestions from the previous semester's students and modifies his class accordingly.

http://www.siue.edu/~ptheodo/foundations/progressivism.html

This is key to true progressivism, imo:

"The students interact with one another and develop social qualities such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view."

[G_j]

105. aha!

that does explain where you are coming from. You're quite wrong, but of course, entitled to your opinion.

[wyldwolf]

106. aha ha

No, if the 'progresssives' on DU other stops on the internet are any indication, they're nothing more than fundamentalists who would rather try and root and heresy than win elections.

I'm quite right - but you are also entitle to your opinion.

[Rex]

110. All this fuss by 5 people over a group of libertarian investment bankers.

Their false flag campaign is about as sad as their attempt at revisionist history.

[eridani]

107. Left wing fundamentalism = raising the minimum wage

Passed in every state where it was on the ballot. Even the reddest of the red. This proves that Dems should never be so leftie as to advocate raising the minimum wage.

[wyldwolf]

108. read the definition of 'fundamentalism.'

[DCBob]

103. How about Julian Castro?

I think he may be our next VP then in 8 years our next President.

[wyldwolf]

104. I suspect he's on the purge list