Terrified moderate Dems terrified by the "Sanders Wing" that might actually help people

[LiberalLovinLug]

169. "they are insignificant"?

lol
They are only the most influential force in the Democratic party for the last 30 years.

Triangulation or Third Way is what they call it. It means finding the elusive 'third way' by finding common ground with the greedy assholes on the other side. The idea being that even if it meant losing the respect of the more grassroot liberal party members, they'd make that up with enough Independents and disgruntled Republicans that would like their more 'pro-business' adjustment). It began with Bill Clinton's rise and the DLC where top corporate leaders were invited to shape policy in much larger prominent role for the party. It boiled down to 'if you can't beat em, join em' It was a time that the leadership thought the Republicans had gotten themselves in trouble too many times (read my lips) and now they could be beaten if we show them that we could be better at schmoozing the .1% than they had done. That we could threaten the social safety net too. We could be 'tough' on crime too (three strikes). We could abandon unions and promote charter schools over public schools too.

The only thing is that they miscalculated on just how far right the Republicans were willing to be pushed. The plan was to just roll over them because they had nowhere else to go, if we scooped up all the corporate money and loyalties. But they just packed their bags and went to "crazyland" as I fondly remember Jon Stewart admonishing John McCain during his primaries. They went into criminal territory, where nothing was off the table. They consolidated the RW media and created an efficient non stop barking attack dog on 24/7 and were not phased by using downright lies and disgusting baseless charges and CT. They promised THEIR corporate donors, many the same as Third Way Dems, a price match guarantee on any Dem promise of tax cuts or deregulation, and double it.

All going Third Way did to Democrats is push the Republicans into a position of abandoning the last shred of being a respectable Grand Old Party, and going all in on putting party ahead of country. Promising the corporate classes that if the Dems were promising to make them rich, then they would promise them they'd make them obscenely rich. Who cares at who's expense. It wouldn't be at theirs.

Anyways this Third Way, even if it is now the term that-shall-never-be-spoken-of, is still very active and powerful and is still the leading direction of the party. Its not a boogie-man at all. Its a millstone.