Why is the democratic party also in trouble?

[nadinbrzezinski]

Hmm... here is a local example we are hearing over the grapevine.

Solar, alternative energy and climate change is a large concern among voters in my town. It is not just granola munching, talking at the coffee shop over latte. These people get things done. Well, I am hearing the local party is about to give the middle finger to a group that shepherded through, among other things, a climate action plan though a city hall with a split government and the republican mayor embraced it after the interim mayor got that going.

So what in their crazy loving heads is the party going to do? Remove solar from the county party plank. Why? Money infusion from the utilities. For the record, this is the kind of ahem, take your gun, load it, aim it at your foot and shoot yourself, that has meant Republicans are essentially done in California. If the national party does indeed collapse, they are indeed done. The only thing keeping them alive is the national party.

Trust me, the local republican chairman of the party is really doing things that have alienated many republicans form the party. Some of them may vote for a democrat, Some are business types and after the dems do that they will take a second look. Well, after it percolates out and people do find out. If Kevarick, the chairman of the local R side of the house, has any brains, he will embrace the environmental plank the dems are letting go.. off. I did not say he has any ok, before you start. He is far more ideological than you would imagine. My local mayor and him are are not in talking terms for example.

But let's take this to the logical end, and trust me, the utilities want to get rid of AB 32... if they take over the state party... my mayor, who is going to run for governor,, may actually have a chance. Right now I give him like zero chance. But if the Rs decide to flop that one, assuming they can get organized. Dems are like herding cats, republicans in this state is like herding tigers... could take a lot of voters away on the environment aware voting public.

Do I think republicans will do that? Nah, they are too busy eating their own and have been there for over a decade. But if you think this will not accelerate the flight to refuse to state party (otherwise known as independents)... or perhaps the green party... there is a bridge down the bay that might be for sale...

[dchill]

1. Because it's no longer the Democratic Party?

It's the Party Of Clinton.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. This is very local

this has nothing to do with Clinton, but this is happening at county levels everywhere. The party has been shifting to a business party for over three decades. The clintons came in at the beggining of the process, and parties do this regularly in the US.

That said, we are in the midst of a populist movement. And locally this has nothing to do with the DNC...

[villager]

2. The surviving apparatus in the Democratic and GOP parties is simply a "bankers' party" now

We need a truly liberal/green party to the "left" (if saving the actual fucking planet is a "liberal" idea, still) of that Bankers' Party.

And some of those self-proclaimed "true" "conservatives" might feel a similar need on their side...

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. That is why I said the flight will continue

but it will take a few cycles, for that to register

[villager]

5. ...which will be interesting, because the environmental and economic crises will be ratcheting up

...during that same multi-cycle period.

Exacerbating the response(s) to the Bankers' Parties collapse...

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Why I don't think either of the two parties

will survive in their present form. 1824 is instructive, One party did indeed go away... the other, the democratic party, (what not called precisely that way, but had democratic in the name) barely survived. IMO we are at a similar moment. That party did go more progressive and expanded the franchise under Jackson, who is not precisely a personal hero, but that is what happened.

We are at a populist moment, but that example tells me that at least locally, the party is not paying attention. And they are indeed giving an opening to the Green Party in this town, again, once it percolates. My local green party chairman is likely going to raise a glass of chardonnay.

[dembotoz]

7. well thanks for depressing the shit out of me but you speak the truth

try to explain the state party to folks and way to often the most honest answer is well they are just ass hole......

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. This is at the local level

but sooner or later will percolate up

[Iggo]

9. Because with the party of the political right collapsing, we turned to the political left...

...and there weren't nobody there.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Dems are turning to the left?

ok

[bigwillq]

11. Because, although there are differences between the two parties

I feel a large percentage of Americans do not really see the difference between the two.

I feel that many folks think both parties are corrupt and good-for-nothing, and that neither party is really on their side.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Except that the people who pushed for that CAP are (or were) part of the democratic base

so how exactly does dropping what matters to them, from the platform, help the party to convince them to remain as democrats? And trust me, solar is big in this town. This is as bone headed as you can get. I guess they are getting a lot of money.

For the record, the stink of corruption comes from these maneuvers.

[Maedhros]

12. The Democratic Party has the same problem Hillary does:

people don't consider it trustworthy. And it's not.

"Give us subpoena power!" instantly became "Impeachment is off the table!" after the rubes had been herded to the polls.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Less and less and things like this don't help

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. The next thing you know, they'll be opposing wind turbines!

That would be ridiculous, wouldn't it?

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. I am not sure about tthat

the solar... it has to do with some of the things in the CAP. The CAP includes an energy coop and the end of the monopoly for electrical delivery and truly pushing roof top solar.

Turbines are a real money maker for the utilities... especially locally the ones in the Sierra Juarez in Baja

They really are like a gold mine. But overall, statewide, the requirements of AB 32 are seen as well onerous.

[demmiblue]

17. That would be crazy.

We need to utilize all of the alternative power sources that we can.