General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The "extreme left" didn't give us Trump. The path to hell was paved by [View all]pat_k
(9,313 posts)... and a desire to appease "the other side."
The irrational rationalizations driving the leadership's "go right" strategy have been at work far longer than the DLC. "Third-way" is a symptom of a deeper problem, not a cause.
I am NOT a "Democrat hater" (or "self-hater" as one poster asserted). I am pointing out failures on the part of the Democratic leadership. There are countless Democratic Party heroes, inside and outside the halls of power, who have been fighting the good fights.
My goal is simple: encourage a recognition of how wrong and destructive the leadership's rationalizations for inaction (and for moving right) have been. I think it is vital to expose how counter-productive "can't win, so don't fight" is. That rationalization has derailed battles that would have shown the nation that Democrats have core principles they are willing to go all out for, win or lose. That rationalization has kept them from "going Big" in ways that would have demonstrated the sort of strength the public is desperate for. I think it is vital to point out the extent to which fear of 'backlash' blinds them to the benefits of demonstrating the courage of their convictions. I think it is vital to put up a mirror to help them see how absurd notions like "I opposed Alito by casting a losing No vote on the floor (even though I refused to join the filibuster that would have actually stopped him)" are.
If we can put a "stake in the heart" of the rationalizations that keep them from fighting the good fights, we will either see a whole lot more action (which would bring a whole lot of those "opt outs" back in), or we'll see a new set of irrational rationalizations for inaction crop up (which we'll need to tear down).
It is also critical that for the leadership to make the fight for "free and fair elections" a top priority. For starters, a concerted effort to fight for:
a) zero tolerance for lines on election day (voter suppression through under allocation of resources),
b) legislation that sets minimum standards for what constitutes a "free and fair" election ; and
c) an end to the appalling disenfranchisement of felons.