Reply #10: You've totally misinterpreted DLC policy

[jpgray]

They are looking to excite different people. They are looking to excite the system--the media and corporate power--as much as or more than they are trying to excite regular people. The Republicans do the same thing, but they have so much media capital that they can manufacture a good moral issue to turn out their base with regularity no matter what insane elitist policies it's covering up. The DLC can't spotlight an issue of choice so effectively, so while lobbying for media capital they are stuck with the not-so-great positions on the issues the Republicans can maneuver to the forefront of the national dialogue. That's why we get beat--those issues are designed to defeat and divide Democrats, and they work very well. The DLC believes it can surmount the GOP's media capital and frame the debate by gaining the system's influence, but they are finding that they have to toss overboard a lot of seriously important values to gain that influence.

And without any strategy for bringing along the system, the Democrats will still lose a national election. Dean wasn't a crazy liberal loon, but the media portrayed him as such with utter ease. But I'd rather lose and go for the people than slowly sell away everything that makes the party worthwhile for a chance at media parity. We ain't going to get it.