General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Other than Katie Porter & a couple others, the Democratic Party STILL doesn't know how to fight back [View all]ehrnst
(32,640 posts)"Speaking as one voice" doesn't = lockstep to a single manifesto, a single piece of legislation from a specific politician, with any dissent being harrangued as "corporatist" or "a shill for big pharma." I find that many who say "we need UNITY" are unhappy that their particular preferences aren't being issued from the top down, and have someone else in mind who will issue marching orders until everyone else "gets in line."
The Democratic Party is a big tent, despite the statements of some who are frustrated by that, that we should be "a smaller tent" to ensure lockstep. Our very foundation involves a loose coalition of groups, and this can get messy - but that's the nature of democracy and indeed politics. That is what makes the Democratic party - flawed as any organization of human beings is - the most successful party for social justics and progressive ideals. Authoritarian, "my way or the highway" doesn't really fit, even if it makes for a very dynamic protest or campaign.
Democratic leadership is speaking with one voice for universal health care, and nearly all nations that acheive that don't use M4A or single payer, but a hybrid of public / private mechanisms.
It's just not sustainable for one of the players on the team to say, "If you don't use my play, I'm going to take the ball and show you just how much I can hurt the team's chances of winning anything until you defer to me."
I think people need to stop being afraid of actual teamwork and getting to an actual, real, exitsing solution that might not promote a particular political brand, but gets healthcare and social justice to more people NOW.
Making "THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE SOLUTION" the enemy of winning the game is a sure way for the team to lose.