California Democrats decline to endorse Feinstein

[ehrnst]

71. I think that many view politics in a tribal context.

For many, that context may involve personalities, and litmus tests defined by those personalities.

Others are less tribal, and view effective strategy as being more important than personalities and manifestos, which they may consider dogma.

Many times progressives agree on many, maybe all basic principles, but differ on dogma or strategy.

Being a UU, I have little use for dogma or manifesto. I left "belief" behind in favor of putting my energy into actions rather than personality based spirituality or institutions.

I have very few institutions or leaders that I "identify" with. I support public education, the free press, honest elections, the social safety net, and the common good. I do need a community to optimize my activism and social justice work, a "machine" of sorts to manage the administrative organizing of many people to amplify the effort. No machine is perfect that is made up of humans, but it's more effective than going it alone. That's why I share my money and time to the UUs. Also, I need the community of others of a mind, because most humans need that.

I don't apply the metrics of a movement leader onto a politician, whose metrics and tools are different. I don't expect the same things of a politician that I would a SCOTUS judge, or the ACLU, or the Children's Defense Fund, or NARAL, or Union leaders, etc.

Paul Wellstone, who I had the privilege of working with, came the closest to having the smarts, the social skills, the savvy, the patience and ability to do the administrative minutiae that is 88% of politics, and the intellect to merge them with activism somewhat. However, I would never expect him to have the superhuman characteristics of being able to manage singlehandedly the wicked problem of reform in this country. He understood that it was indeed too complicated for one person. It requires a machine behind you, which is where Democrats come in to amplify the effort. No machine is perfect that is made up of humans, but it's more effective than going it alone.