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Ask
Auntie Pinko
April
26, 2001
Dear Auntie Pinko,
Why are so many young Democrats breaking away from the
Democratic Party and voting Green? Shouldn't we liberals all
be united?
Sincerely,
JarJar, a confused young Dem
New York
Dear JarJar,
The right of any young person to participate in the Party
of their choice is still constitutionally protected, thank
heaven. You may find this hard to believe, but Auntie Pinko
was once a young Democrat, too. And I was thoroughly annoyed
with my party leadership because they didn't do everything
I thought they should do as quickly as I thought they should
do it. They were really most unsatisfactory.
Now that I am much older, I can look back on that Party leadership
with more perspective, and I can say:
They were really most unsatisfactory.
So I can certainly understand the feelings of the young Democrats
today who have similar feelings about some of our Party's
leadership. It appear a logical choice to them to transfer
their participation to the Green Party, or other third parties.
Those third parties' agendas seem to offer satisfaction of
their strong desire for positive change in America.
Now, I do feel that the Democratic Party does still offer
the most powerful potential for that positive change, in spite
of the current equivocal state of our agenda and leadership.
(Although, if there's anything Auntie Pinko has learned over
the long years, it is that nothing ever happens fast enough
in politics except for the things that happen too fast!)
But making the Democratic Party reflect the ideals and wishes
of our youngest Democrats will be a long process, requiring
much hard work. The Party is, after all, so very large, and
encompasses the views of so many Americans.
If I might offer an analogy, it is a bit like the difference
between a huge ocean liner, and a small speedboat. The speedboat
(a third party such as the Greens,) can go much faster for
shorter distances. It can be turned more quickly and sharply,
and it can be steered with great precision into narrow waterways
or shallow channels. But if you want real power over long
distances, carrying lots of people-well, you need that ocean
liner.
As for unity, JarJar -
Well, occasionally an issue comes along that is so universal,
and so compelling, that it can even unite the Democrats-at
least for a short time. But "unity" is much harder for us
to achieve, because we value diversity and individual expression
so highly. If you want lockstep, try across the aisle, right?
Don't get discouraged, young Democrat. You ARE the future
of our Party, however rocky the road may seem. Who knows,
someday you might be responding to the concerns of a young
Democrat yourself! If so, you'll understand just exactly how
delighted Auntie Pinko is to hear from people like you.
View Auntie's Archive
Do
you have a question for Auntie Pinko?
Do political discussions discombobulate you? Are you a liberal
at a loss for words when those darned dittoheads babble their
endless rhetoric at you? Or are you a conservative who just
can't understand those pesky liberals and their silliness?
Auntie Pinko has an answer for everything! So ask away!
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