How the Dems won Montana - Focusing on being Dems

[patcox2]

Nothing earth-shattering about that. The problem with our party is that there is truth to the republican charge that we are the party of special interest groups. We get highjacked by the most polarizing and controversial members of our coalition (polarizing and controversial to the middle of the roaders without whom we will never win an election). We are painted by the right and the racists as the party of the lesbians and feminists and blacks and gays. And they are able to do this because to a certain extent the democratic party does define itself as a coalition of all these various, but narrow, interests.

The fundamental and primary defining characteristic of the democratic party is almost completely lost among the colors of our "rainbow." We are the party of economic justice. Levelling the playing field between the corporations and the average person. Fighting excessive corporate power for the little guy. Ensuring a living wage, a quality education, health care, and social security for all americans. (Social security simply meaning that we take care of the poor, noone should ever starve in the streets in america and they shouldn't have to go beg charity from a church to get aid, either.)

Thats our big picture, and we have become shy about presenting our big picture because whenever we do, the republicans start screaming "class war," and instead we devote too much emphasis on our individual interest groups and get ridiculed, effectively, as the party of the feminazis and enviro-terrorists and etc. Its astonishing to think that the republicans have made it taboo to say what my father told me: "vote democrat because they are for the little guy, the republicans are for the rich and want to screw the little guy." Thats what this party is about, but the republicans have, with this "class war" charge, made so many democrats so shy of saying it, that instead we advertise ourselves as anything but, instead, we are the party of women who want abortions and gays who want to get married and etc. and etc. of narrow interests. We don't present our broad, universal and unifying purpose anymore, the forest has become invisible for all the trees.

Brutal but true. I believe passionately in the causes of all the groups I have mentioned, by the way, including ensuring civil rights for all genders, races, orientations. I am more than passionate about the environment, and about reproductive freedom. I am not suggesting that the party is wrong to champion civil rights for everyone, or equality for women, or protecting the environment, and I would not support this party if it did not do all these things.

But this party should put more emphasis on the interests we all share, the interest in economic and social justice, and less public emphasis on the individual interests of the various members of our coalition. Thats seems to have been what happened in Montana, and it worked.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I really think Dems need to include economically disadvantaged

in AA programs...that would totally pull the rug out from under the racist edge the Repubs have.