General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTlaib lashes out at centrist Dems over election debacle: 'I can't be silent'
In a scathing memo, progressives say centrists are playing into Republicans divide-and-conquer racism.
By LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ and HOLLY OTTERBEIN
11/10/2020 09:04 PM EST
Updated: 11/10/2020 09:41 PM EST
Rashida Tlaib isnt apologizing for wanting to yank money away from bad police departments. She has no second thoughts about her embrace of the Black Lives Matter movement, or for wanting to aggressively fight climate change.
House Democrats lost seats instead of expanding their majority, underperforming expectations across the board. And moderates have pounced on liberals like Tlaib, the Michigan congresswoman, accusing them of handing conservatives a set of slogans and policies to scare voters.
But Tlaib and other House progressives dont want to hear it. It all amounts to unfair blame-casting designed to shame them into staying quiet, they say, right as Democrats gain control of the White House.
We're not going to be successful if we're silencing districts like mine, said Tlaib, who told her colleagues something similar during a contentious call last week. Me not being able to speak on behalf of many of my neighbors right now, many of which are Black neighbors, means me being silenced. I can't be silent.
snip
more at link
still_one
(91,937 posts)I will follow the lead of Jay Clyburn and Stacy Abrams thank-you
Doremus
(7,261 posts)progressive wing of our party.
still_one
(91,937 posts)wish to engage, but right now from whichever segment, left, middle, or right within the party need to cool it until after the inauguration and runoff, because these type of debates do not help us at this time
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)moderates than I hate to use the work progressive because we are all progressive but I suppose further left might work.
Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)districts who gave us the house and helped us retain the house. Let me know when you can win in a red or purple district, and we can talk. What we want is reform...get bad cops off the streets. And what we don't need is comments like yours.
Turin_C3PO
(13,649 posts)both moderates and progressives are engaging in the blame game when we should be united in getting rid of Trumpism. This kind of rhetoric might hurt us in Georgia if either moderates or progressives aren't motivated enough to get to the polls to defeat the two Rethugs.
liskddksil
(2,753 posts)James Clyburn and Tim Ryan pointed out this "can of worms" long before Spanberger. Several Dem congressional candidates mentioned getting slammed and hurt with defund the police ads aimed at them during the campaign.
Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)Bettie
(15,995 posts)from your party, will you win every election going forward because the message will be so moderate?
Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)not the majority. Hell we even lost in New York this cycle. We won back the house with moderates. Everyone gets a say...but starting this shit with the Senate hanging in the balance and a tough Georgia recount is political malpractice...should know better.
Bettie
(15,995 posts)only progressives.
No one is telling the moderates or right leaners to sit down and shut up.
Whatever, most progressives know that we're not truly welcome in the party. The message has been extremely clear, we're only supposed to vote, not speak, not pursue an agenda of any kind, just vote for whomever we're told to and then STFU, because there's always some "upcoming XYZ" that requires silence.
Kasich and Steve Schmidt? They are adored. They can say whatever they want to and receive praise from the party.
Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)None that I have seen have run to the newspapers or twitter. But let me be clear...no divisive shit from anyone period...even after the Georgia election.
dlk
(11,425 posts)Timing is everything in politics. There will plenty of time to initiate the circular firing squad afterward.
liskddksil
(2,753 posts)it is our duty to respond.
Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)liskddksil
(2,753 posts)in the 2020 cycle, and course correct immediately so we have a chance in January.
Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)There must be party loyalty or the Pugs will win. Imagine if we had President Obama's back in 10 and 14...I well remember the wars that went on here about 'message' voting which is and was a disaster for us. We need a big tent, and all must accept that. The only reason we got any form of Healthcare was Howard Dean's 50 state strategy lead to 60 votes in the Senate. And with the purity politics, our situation has worsened in terms of the Senate, house seats and state government.
Bettie
(15,995 posts)Progressives are told to sit down and shut up.
Everyone else is free to say whatever they want to. And that message is usually that the "tent" is big enough for Republicans but not for progressives.
liskddksil
(2,753 posts)for a Congressional Seat in Nebraska went ahead and endorsed the Republican, likely costing us the seat.
Bettie
(15,995 posts)because....reasons. I guess.
Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)House. We need Senate and House seats in states like Wisconsin, Georgia, Pennsylvania,North Carolina ETC...Progressives can't win there except in maybe deep blue pockets. And even that is tough in purple or red states. we have to coexist in a big tent which is the only way we ever win anyway. We can get climate change legislation, We can fix the ACA, we can work for justice by holding law enforcement accountable without using loaded terms such as defund the police,we can get infrastructure , invest in Green jobs and a $15.00 minimum wage...lets find common ground and do what is possible.
No one gets everything they want period. And some progressives who are complaining now before the Georgia Senatorial runoff are hurting our efforts to win the Senate. No one gets anything if we don't win and McConnell continues as the majority leader. Much of what certain progressives want is not possible given the house makeup. We don't have the votes. But maybe the answer is not to try to obtain power by demanding it but by going out and winning hearts and minds in all 50 states. We must have a 50 state solution and a big tent.
PatSeg
(46,773 posts)There is so much at stake right now, can't she and some others just hold their tongues for a few months? The cameras will still be there and the issues are not going away. Time to get the big picture and make sure we have enough Democrats in the house and senate to combat right-wing republicans.
There will be time enough for infighting down the road. Meanwhile, the Democratic party represents what a diverse democracy looks like in a very diverse nation. One side does not fit all. People are exhausted after the last four years and most do not have the stomach for these kinds of fights right now, especially when there is a far greater adversary lurking behind the gates.
Turin_C3PO
(13,649 posts)Centrists are blaming progressives and progressives are blaming centrists when we should be united in eradicating Trumpism. Infighting does us no good and only helps the enemies.
Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)still_one
(91,937 posts)Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)And without that, we will lose. We need a 50 state strategy if we want the to have any majority in the Senate.
still_one
(91,937 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)millions of people into coming out of the woodwork to vote against a liberal party that this person smears as "centrists" but they believe are "socialists." Many of those millions are only a leader's order and a nearby mob away from mass violence to protect themselves and their nation from socialislm.
But it'd all be different if only we'd had the sense to reassure them that someday they, or at least their children, would have guaranteed jobs for life in cooperatives.
I believe Tlaib's probably totally sincere. I've encountered (and avoided) many like that over the decades. But if I had to choose between that and the alternative for myself, I'd have to choose to be a clear-eyed liar.
Mariana
(14,847 posts)Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)Spazito
(49,732 posts)fostering dissension and division, same shit, different day.
Celerity
(42,627 posts)Spazito
(49,732 posts)they used to be somewhat less obvious but no longer, they are out and out slime and should be treated the same way Fox and OAN are here on DU.
mopinko
(69,803 posts)DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)last night. She made a lot of good points, but the most important was "don't be milquetoast, stand for something", people like that. That's the problem centrist/moderate Dems have and voters sense this, that they don't really stand for anything.
In PA, we have two DSA members of the state house. Two years ago, both ousted long-serving, moderate/centrist Dems, in fact at least one was a former cop, in their primaries. This time both were handily re-elected with one actually running unopposed and the other winning handily. Why? Because they know what they believe and say it.
PatSeg
(46,773 posts)are actually liberal by nature, but are also pragmatic enough to know that consequential change does not come about without flexibility and compromise. Politics is a complex game that takes strategy and sometimes nuance. So many policies that we enjoy today did not become reality through activism alone. It is a difficult and complicated process and not everyone is cut out for it.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)who stand for great liberal ideals and work toward big, important goals, never least among them, though, honorably representing the people of their districtds.
Most of the other half are more moderate liberals (but not "moderates" ) who also stand for great liberal ideals and have big goals but generally believe deliberately careful and cooperative routes to achieving them are most likely to succeed.
The far-left quad is currently a trid since one distanced herself, though on January 3 they'll become 4 or 5. There are less than 30 conservative blue dogs, out of 235. And that completes the count.
Anyone who denies that is attempting to deceive. It's only fair to Cori (in case she deserves it) to point out that not all deceivers realize that. Many are just wired to restyle reality to suit their irrational views and had to disconnect from fact long ago to do it.
Btw, America's liberals are currently represented politically by the Democratic Party. Although our nation as a whole has traditionally averaged centrist, we average solidly liberal.
I've noticed, though, that many who call themselves Democrat don't know what liberalism is. (!) Kind of like Christians who wear that identity as a label but are strangers to its teachings. Equality is a place to start: We're the "all men are created equal" people. Individual rights, as opposed to duty to society or ruler, are another principle to start with: We're the "and are entitled to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, among others" people.
theaocp
(4,223 posts)"You don't talk like those in Washington. Don't ever start."
Happy Hoosier
(7,068 posts)BusyBeingBest
(8,049 posts)Jeezus, is it that hard? Edit to add: They ALL need to keep their yaps shut, until the Georgia elections and Biden takes office, moderates and conservadems included.
PatSeg
(46,773 posts)BumRushDaShow
(127,251 posts)Democrats across the board need to stop accepting the RW media narrative about the attempt to "expand" further into clearly GOP-gerrymandered seats. It was miraculous what happened in 2018 when Democrats nearly doubled a number of expectations for seat pickups, much of which were swing seats.
Until we get states un-gerrymandered with this upcoming census and redistricting process, we are pretty much at the wall for gains.
crickets
(25,896 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)JCMach1
(27,544 posts)In TX and cost us the Legislature.
ismnotwasm
(41,916 posts)Miss me with this shit.
George II
(67,782 posts)....played a big part in why she's in the position she is today.
BlueLucy
(1,609 posts)We're in the middle of a attempted coup! Let's do this later!
still_one
(91,937 posts)Kashkakat v.2.0
(1,752 posts)and WHY? Do we really need to know what some people said in some internal phone call mtg. somewhere? Those people involved ought to work it out amongst themselves. If they cant then how is it my problem.
Alhena
(3,014 posts)We should have well-paid GOOD cops like in Europe. Fire the bad ones.