Example of what we face in Florida..."unions, teachers, or left-wingers" not preferred.

[madfloridian]

I posted about this group in GD. They had a meeting in Orlando this week-end to declare the rest of us not centrist enough. They are going to hurt this state with their attitude.

Centrist Democratic group in Florida...doesn't want party activists, won't cave in to party unity.

But here is the money quote I missed from the 2005 article. It is unbelievable.

The Florida Mainstream Democrats say the party must cater to the Panhandle to remain competitive.

Barney Bishop, president of Associated Industries of Florida, warned that Democratic candidates need to do a better recruiting job if they want Florida businesses to contribute to more Democratic candidates. Too often, he said, candidates are picked by liberal activists from local party organizations.

"If the Democratic Party is only going to be unions and teachers and left wingers you ain't going to be the majority part ever again," Bishop said.

Good Lord, that is just outrageous. I knew there was an attitude toward new active people, even in the county party; but I had no clue it was this bad.

The centrist Dems have done a good job of nearly destroying the use of the word "activist." Just like the right wing did to "liberal."

It goes right along with what Simon Rosenberg said about the purpose of forming the Democratic Leadership Council...almost the same thoughts. Forget the base, forget the traditional groups who support the party...just give me the money.

Simon Rosenberg, the former field director for the DLC who directs the New Democrat Network, a spin-off political action committee, says, "We're trying to raise money to help them lessen their reliance on traditional interest groups in the Democratic Party. In that way," he adds, "they are ideologically freed, frankly, from taking positions that make it difficult for Democrats to win."

http://www.prospect.org/print/V12/7/dreyfuss-r.html

The DLC started calling those who opposed the war fringe and activist in 2003. It stuck.

Warning activists

Edited the subject to be "literal"...even though it effing seems I am the only one required to be literal every moment. I used hyperbole. Some people don't like it when I do that. I changed it.