Is "Democratic Party Leadership" an oxymoron?

[Mme. Defarge]

Here is a definition of a leader that I got way back in grad school. It resonates with me as much today as it did then. Unfortunately, I don't remember the source, but it goes like this:

A leader is someone who, grounded in hope, and together with followers, acts with courage to make an inauthentic situation authentic.

According to this definition, someone who rules by coercion is a despot, not a true leader. Nor does the title of leader bestow true leadership.

By this definition, Dennis Kucinich is the embodiment of a leader. In contrast, the lack of courage and apparent hopelessness the Democratic Party "leadership" is, in fact, serving to alienate would-be followers.

[Buzz Clik]

1. If you don't like the direction, you're going to blame the leaders.

Kinda goes with the territory.

[BridgeTheGap]

2. No. It's an oxymorAn!

We're top loaded with 'morAns!'

[ClassWarrior]

3. It should be "Congressional Democratic Leadership." In a democracy...

...the people are the leaders and the officials are "representatives." But for organizational purposes, members of any Congressional caucus need to have a leadership structure amongst themselves. That's the idea to which the word "leadership" refers in this context.

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

4. Kicking, because this is important...

Words matter, folks.

NGU.

[onenote]

5. DK's impeachment strategy was leadership in the General Custer mode

He was leading impeachment into a devastating loss. Fortunately, the leadership, with the assistance of virtually every one of DK's impeachment co-sponsors, pulled his nuts out of the fire by getting the resolution referred back to committee, instead of having it come to a vote that would have defeated it and thus ended any chance of resurrecting the issue through a Judiciary COmmittee inquiry, which at least now remains a possibility (albeit maybe no more likely that it was before).

If DK's strategy was so brilliant, how come nearly 20 of his co-sponsors broke with him and voted in support of the referral?

Or to put it another way, if all of DK's co-sponsors had voted against referral, they would've forced the resolution to come to a vote. But they obviously didn't want to. Why?