It's not easy being a Democrat.

[nashville_brook]

Democrats, unlike Republicans, have the burden and the honor of representing The People of the country. As such, we're a multi-faceted group with a spectrum of interests reflecting the amazing quilt of Americans who work hard, try to provide for their families and hope for a better future for our children.

We're women and men. Gay and straight. Young and old.

Hispanic, Anglo, African-American, Asian-American. From European roots. Christian, Muslim, Atheist, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish.

We're poor and middle class. Some are more privileged. Some come from nothing. Some are homeless. Some are unemployed.

Some of us belong to Unions. Some work in professional services. Some in medical fields. Some are artists.

Some are mothers. Some are childless. Some are disabled. Some speak english as a second language. Some speak english as a fifth or sixth language.

Some of us live in densely populated cities. Some of us live on farms. Some on the coast.

We're the every-changing fabric of this country and we're all struggling.

Contrast this with the Republican party. They only have to represent one group: the corporate class. Every other interest comes after that, because according to the free market fundamentalists, laissez-faire economic policy is all that's needed to solve all economic and social problems.

As Democrats, we have to WORK to keep the interests of all our people on the table because we don't believe that the magic hand of the free market will solve any of our problems. And we don't have lobbyists or giant public relations budgets to get a seat at the table.

When our interests are being forgotten, or disparaged, or ignored, we speak up because unlike Republicans we're a party of The People, and that's messy. There will be arguments. There will be strategies. There will be discussion and there will be people whose voices are being silenced. As Democrats, it's our job to lift up those people up so they too can be heard.

It would be so much easier if we were monocultural, with one set of interests that could be focused like a laser beam on the electoral game. But that's just not who we are. When we go to the table, we have to bring everyone with us. We don't have the luxury of picking and choosing whose interests can be represented. We stand for the whole mess of us -- or we fall for the lies of the few with the loudest, angriest slogans.

There's no "with us or against us" here. It's just us. It's really, just up to us.

[TomCADem]

1. K & R! Great Message

[nashville_brook]

25. and yet...the unrec brigade has shown up on cue.

*sigh*

[RandomThoughts]

2. With us or against us, I don't believe in.

If they are not against us, they are for us, seems better.

Many people moving the same direction without having to be part of a single hiarical authoritarian group.

[nashville_brook]

3. that's actually not a bad way to live, generally.

peace.

:)

[DirkGently]

4. Well said. "With us or against us / Pick a siiiiide!" is for Bush & Co.

[nashville_brook]

23. worse than that...it's the losing strategy of the GOP

[DirkGently]

31. Exactly. Why would Democrats be so eager to ape the lockstep RW approach? Duh?

[nashville_brook]

46. it's the party elite that's stepping on their nuts here. they think that dissing party faithful

is a win/win. as if that will earn them points with...? wall street? it's exactly the kind of disconnected idiocy that you'd expect from elites of any stripe.

[flyarm]

26. I never in my life dreamed I would hear that shit from a Democrat..it is a disgrace! To say the

least.

[nashville_brook]

32. the worst thing about the current "with us/against us" meme is that it is deployed

by the privileged to send the less powerful to the back of the line.

it's not a rallying cry of solidarity, as in "you're with the workers, or against us." it's being used by the party elite to silence the voices of the rank and file voter...and that never works. so, it's sad on two counts. one, that's it's incredibly bad faith. and two, that it's self-inflicted injury.

[underpants]

5. "He said an honest man's pillow is his peace of mind"

- Mellencamp "Minutes to Memories"

we are right

[nashville_brook]

9. i love that lyric!!

damn, he's under-appreciated.

[underpants]

15. A good artist and a good man

I like John

[tavalon]

6. Well said

It makes it even harder when the people supposedly representing us make sport of throwing as many of us under the bus as is humanly possible.

[nashville_brook]

21. they need a reminder of what it means

to be a Democrat. sometimes they forget.

[RKP5637]

7. Excellent/superb post!!! n/t

[BeFree]

8. It is tough

This being a Democrat. "I'm not a member of an organized party, I am a Democrat"

But, if you are gonna play in the pool, you have to choose which end to swim in... the deep end, or the shallow end with the babies.

[nashville_brook]

19. some years this is more true than others.

:evilgrin:

[Historic NY]

10. Damn Skippy.....good work there Nashville.

[nashville_brook]

14. thanks!

my trackpad hiccups sometimes too -- :)

[Historic NY]

Damn Skippy.....good work there Nashville.

[Historic NY]

11. Damn Skippy.....good work there Nashville.

[Historic NY]

12. Damn Skippy.....good work there Nashville.

[defendandprotect]

13. Unfortunately, Democrats also have a corporate wing -- the DLC ....

[nashville_brook]

16. unfortunately for them, it's a round table we sit at...democratic-style.

:evilgrin:

[DirkGently]

17. Yep. If we're not qualitatively different, i.e. more "democratic," why bother?

[nashville_brook]

40. that's so pre-third way.

[creon]

87. work with

You need to find common ground with other Democrats. It is not a matter of "my way or the highway".

[Tippy]

18. K&R....I hope every Democrat has a chane to read this

[DirkGently]

20. Breath of reasonable air, isn't it?

[Uzybone]

22. KnR

[flyarm]

24. So well said I wish I could Rec this 100 times! Thank you..we used to respect all under the Dem tent

NOW??? not so much..now it is only bullies that rule the day!

And the blow back is coming..I hear it from dems I know daily!

And I Know many many dems! Now I hear disgust, on a daily basis.

[nashville_brook]

28. bullying might work on GOPers -- but it's non-starter for Dems. we're not wired that way.

[flyarm]

30. again... You are 100% correct! Thank you! eom

[DirkGently]

33. Indeed. Isn't not responding to demands to conform THE definitive Dem value?

[nashville_brook]

35. conformity is not a democratic value.

[DirkGently]

38. Shut up and put on this T-shirt. ;)

[nashville_brook]

39. this one?

http://images1.cpcache.com/product/they+live-obey-illuminati/292876721v1_225x225_Front.jpg

[DirkGently]

42. Excellent. nt

[laughingliberal]

27. K & R nashville_brook rocks! nt

[WillyT]

29. Beautiful Work !!! - K & R !!!

:yourock:

:applause::applause::applause:

:hi:

:kick:

[tnlefty]

34. K & R

:kick:

[Populist_Prole]

36. Kicked and recommended

Excellent. Condensed as logically as it could be.

[nashville_brook]

52. sometimes it's more difficult to write less...and just let the silences fill in the blanks.

[walldude]

37. K&R...

[Atticus]

41. Thanks. I really needed that this evening. nt

[nashville_brook]

43. awwww. that makes me happy -- :)

[Bryn]

44. Great Post! Well Written! K&R

Thank you for sharing! :hi:

[nashville_brook]

45. thanks bryn!!

:hi:

[nashville_brook]

47. morning kickee

[Bluenorthwest]

48. We are gay and straight, but 'our' straights vote against our

gay people. Just like their straights do. So using that one as your first is of course, as always, a callous display of what the heterosexual 'community' really thinks. You think we should remain in silence because the straight Democrats pretend to put up with us. Using us. Treating us as the other. Your straight Senators voted agasint us yesterday. So you put us top o the list. Words, words, words. We needed votes, votes, votes. They voted no, no no.
So whatever.

[nashville_brook]

50. yes, they did, and that has to stop.

imo -- it wasn't just yesterday that our side let us down wrt to DADT, DOMA, et al -- it's been ongoing for too long. that stops here, with us. we have to wrap our arms around each other, b/c if we don't there's no way in hell the blue dogs will.

[DirkGently]

53. Huh? Please tell me you're not taking issue with the phrase "We are gay and straight."

just to be contrary? Or something? I really enjoy your posts, Blue, but you're not making sense here.

[nashville_brook]

55. i don't think blue is taking issue w/the phrase -- rather, the reality/unreality behind the phrase

vis a vis the DADT vote yesterday.

like, we can't just keep saying we're all in the tent, if there's no real address of the issues for people in the tent. which...this this my concern, and why i wrote this. if we leave it up to the dogs in the senate (blue and otherwise) to carry our flags, we might as well give it up right now, b/c they're not going to do it.

further, we can't say we're "there yet" until we have (for instance) straight/hetero carrying the weight on gay issues right along with our LGBT brothers/sisters.

[DirkGently]

58. I get that. Just clarifying that your post was anything but a "callous display" of any kind.

[nashville_brook]

66. oh -- gotcha.

thanks -- :)

[bullwinkle428]

49. GREAT message, NB - quite frankly, it's posts like this that keep

me coming back to DU every day!! :toast:

[nashville_brook]

51. backatcha!

we gotta stick together.

[myrna minx]

54. What a wonderful post. A big K&R.

:kick:

[kenny blankenship]

56. It's also not profitable

in the sense of being of any use.

Makes me wonder why I even started in the first place.

[Uncle Joe]

57. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, nashville_brook.:thumbsup:

[Romulox]

59. We are bankers, defense contractors, and health insurers??

:shrug:

[nashville_brook]

60. subtext...

their invasion will be remedied by us taking our party back.

[blondeatlast]

61. Beautifully and succinctly, you stated why I remain a fiercely loyal, but frequently torn

and confused, Democrat--who still supports civil rights for all, teachers, unions, and public services.

:applause::patriot:

[nashville_brook]

62. i believe that the most loyal are the most torn.

[blondeatlast]

65. It took me several years to come to this point, but I will admit now that

party leadership at the state and national level has let me down--and I take it personally. I was raised by two Democratic activists and my father would weep if he knew what the party has done recently.

[nashville_brook]

72. i come from a Dem activist family too...and they're partly aggravated and a little in denial...

they've got grandkids right now that are keeping them very occupied...

it seems like they don't want to pay too much attention to what's happening at the party level b/c it's too awful, and they don't have the time (or health) to devote to it like they used to.

politics are indeed personal -- otherwise we wouldn't bother. :evilgrin:

[florida08]

63. well done

and the odds are usually against us but we don't quit. Was thinking about this very thing last night. The republicans have 2 agendas. Deny working Americans everything and give tax cuts to the wealthy so they can create jobs in other countries. I really don't see how that helps to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty. Seems the preamble set the priorities and from there gave a formula on how to do that. Did I miss the part of being governed by capitalism?
:-)

[nashville_brook]

84. we can't quit, b/c it's not just a numbers game for us...there's real suffering on the other end.

and...i can't read the words to the Preamble without hearing the Schoolhouse Rock song!

[newtothegame]

64. Pretty easy actually. Many of us don't even have to debate. "Racist" or "sexist" usually is fine.

[nashville_brook]

67. I'm not sure I understand what you mean...

are you saying that accusations of racism and sexism are used to alienate groups within the Dem Party?

or, do i have this backwards?

[blindpig]

68. But what does this have to do with the Democratic Party?

You know, the party conducting war and occupation in the Middle East..

The party whose economic team is slam full of Wall St sycophants...

The party whose Administration has aided and abetted the cover-up of the biggest eco-crime of US history...

The party whose sorry excuse for a health care plan is little more than a bonanza for the vampires...

Need I go on?

I think there is a major disconnect between these Democrats you speak of and the Democratic Party. I think these Democrats need to face the reality.

[nashville_brook]

69. it used to be that those interests you mention didn't bother w/Dems b/c the party was

populated with real people rather than corporate interests. iow -- corporate interests sought representation elsewhere. the "third way" -- the way of Rahm and the Clintons -- has been to invite the foxes into the henhouse and try to convince the chickens that the foxes aren't really that hungry, anyhow. chickens are such whiners, you know. what's a few foxes when the henhouse is so large?

yes, there's a disconnect btwn "party" and people. i'm aiming my rhetoric at that gap.

[DirkGently]

70. Now "we" are apparently more worried about appearing "anti-business" than anti-citizenry.

We MUST do better.

[nashville_brook]

73. BEST example of this: summers to be replaced by a CEO b/c obama thinks "biz" isn't represented

adequately. now, THIS is bullshit. especially as regards economic policy -- who in their right fucking mind thinks that the middle class have been overrepresented on Obama's economic team.

[DirkGently]

74. Rich people? What strategist tells Dems to court business over the citizenry? Who voted them IN?

[nashville_brook]

79. makes you wonder, eh??

[DirkGently]

80. Sadly, I'm wondering less and less.

[Ignis]

71. K&R. "With us or against us" has no place in the Big Tent.

Nicely written, NB. :thumbsup:

[nashville_brook]

81. it's actually kinda oxymoronic.

[Ignis]

82. To paraphrase Carlin: "It's a Big Tent, but you ain't in it."

;)

[nashville_brook]

83. oh snap. that's exactly the idea i was looking for!

[DirkGently]

93. I miss George. He'd be all over this.

[Greyhound]

75. ..

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

76. It's a lot easier if you don't take it too seriously and add a large dose of cynicism.

I've been a registered Democrat since 1965. I've learned, the hard way, that taking politics and especially politicians very seriously, or thinking they're in it for the good of the people, is a fool's errand.

"The shepherd always tries to persuade the sheep that their interests and his own are the same." Marie Beyle

[nashville_brook]

77. i think it's b/c the Obama campaign invoked "personal" politics, that we're seeing such rancor

and disappointment right now. sure, you have to do that to *some* extent...but at least follow up on some of the red meat. don't leave people hanging -- or worse, attack them and strawman their issues.


there's lots of young people who haven't had the experience of being screwed over by the party. they'll get the hang of it. :evilgrin:

[unapatriciated]

78. Thanks and a big K&R

[creon]

85. I have no problem with being a Democrat.

It is a big tent. I have no problem with that.

[nashville_brook]

92. hope you don't think i'm saying folks here have trouble w/being Dems...

the difficulty is "being Dems" is in the totality of the endeavor. that, we can't fall back on one single point of interest the way the GOPers can.

[creon]

101. not thinking that at all

I just had to fill in the title line.

Republicans do tend to have a single point of interest. And, to care very little about other matters.

Demicrats are not that way, most of the time. That makes the Democracy a very diverse and raucus place.

[FrenchieCat]

86. Aye!

[nashville_brook]

88. Aye Aye!

[DirkGently]

89. He's great! Uhhhh ... Or she? 8)

Edited for !

[nashville_brook]

90. it's so cute it doesn't matter -- miniature sub-monkey! i'm in love.

[DirkGently]

91. Aye!

[DeSwiss]

94. Send this to the White House.

K&R

[nashville_brook]

95. that's not a bad idea!

[DirkGently]

96. I'd happily co-sign it.

[Roland99]

99. I wholeheartedly concur!

(and I just wanted the 99th post. lol)

[Roland99]

97. We *are* the world. We *are* the village.

Not the egomaniac that wants all shiny things for himself.

[nashville_brook]

98. eggsactly.

:hi:

[Kind of Blue]

100. Thanks, Nashville_brook

This makes me so proud of myself :) You've used such good key words symbolizing what our party is and it IS a burden but we're the only ones who've been doing it for generations and generations to come, All of Us.

KnR

[Skidmore]

102. Which is why it is all the more important to WORK TOGETHER.

There is strength in our sheer numbers. Something too many forget. One interest cannot just go it alone. We need everyone.

[TBF]

103. The BURDEN of representing people?

I am in solidarity with all workers - it's not a burden at all.