To Blogosphere Progressives -- Sit Down, Shut Up and Listen - For a Change!

You know, I had prepared to do this huge post on Blue Dogs, and why their loss is a bad thing for us, not a good thing. I was even compiling voting records for the various Blue Dogs who lost their seats last week. Then, last night, as I was beginning to write it, I realized, it didn’t matter. These people are gone, and they will probably never be back. So, I will just say this; yes, many of them (not all) voted against a public option, and many of them voted against the final health insurance bill. But it passed, anyway, so no harm, no foul. Some of them are a bit homophobic, but most of them voted for “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and the hate crimes legislation.

On average, of those I was able to examine before I was called away to work on a project (strangely, I don’t make a living with this blog), every single one voted with Democrats at least 70% of the time. They tended to vote “fiscally conservative,” but “socially moderate.” And all but a small handful live in districts with either a Republican majority, or an evenly split constituency. And, as we all should know, Congresspeople do NOT represent the entire nation; they represent the 750,000 or so people in their districts. Wait – you didn’t know that?

I’m not surprised. 

But I will also remind you that those “Blue Dogs” who get derided by some self-described “progressives” made it possible to have Speaker Nancy Pelosi (quite possibly the most effective Speaker of the House in a half century), and committee chairs that were almost all progressives, like Barney Frank, Henry Waxman and John Conyers. You can deride them for their votes on some key legislation, to be sure, but now Republicans are in charge of the same committees. In other words, these Blue Dogs gave progressives the power to be bold. Once more – 375 bills passed the Democratic House and are still sitting un-voted-upon in the Senate because there are too many Republicans. The solution to the problem was NOT “more Republicans.”

There is a relatively small number of self-described “progressives” out there who don’t seem to get that we live in a democracy and the only way we’re going to “progress” (that is supposed to be in the heart of our name) is to get a majority of people to vote with us. Though it’s a small group, they are loud, they are obnoxious, and they seem to have the means to get their voices heard, given the number of “progressives” who have blogs out there. They have even given a name to their movement – the “progressive blogosphere.” Catchy name, huh?

Well, let me tell you about these folks.

When it comes to ideas, they’re top-notch. When it comes to heart, they have a ton of it. They have the best of intentions, and I agree with them most of the time. But when it comes to actual political realities, they’re pretty goddamn stupid. They poison the well, and they don’t seem to realize they’re poisoning said well. No, that’s not right; they seem to KNOW they’re poisoning the well, and they’re proud of it.

Look, folks; I am an unabashed liberal on probably 95% of issues. Yet, I have often been called “unprincipled” and a “sell-out” by these so-called self-described progressives, because I am ecstatic over any progress we make on anything, and I happen to think that any compromise that moves us in a progressive direction is a good thing. And through pretty much my entire adult life, I have watched progress get stifled by a right wing that has way too much power, and a left wing that seems all too happy to give it to them. How is it "progressive" when the system moves backwards on a regular basis because progressives want all or nothing. 

For example, with regard to the economy as it stands right now, if I were king of the world, I would throw about $3-4 trillion at public works projects and alternative energy development, and I would increase taxes on the rich to at least 50%, with tax incentives for domestic job creation. Within a year, unemployment would be cut in half, and the economic engine would be on the right track. Everyone, including gays, would have the same basic rights. The drug war would be all but over, because I would legalize, regulate and tax most “common” drugs. I would also force media, bank and financial services divestiture, and flush the Communications Act of 1996 down the drain. In fact, about the only issues on which I split from liberals is on NAFTA and large corporations. The problem with NAFTA is that it was written badly, and no one’s improved it; if adjusted properly, it could bring tons of jobs to Mexico AND the United States and Canada at the same time. The problem now is, Mexico’s economy is improving, but they’re importing their goods from China, not here. As for large corporations, it’s not the size of the corporations that’s the problem; it’s their lobbying power. But I’ll get into these issues more in the future. 

Unfortunately, we live in a democracy, and talking about a progressive utopia without actually doing everything in our power to get things done wind up screwing those we supposedly care about. Got it, self-described “progressives”? Being a stick-up-the-ass liberal whose position on every single issue is absolute and unwavering to the point that you are not willing to compromise to move the country in the right direction makes you the left-wing version of a teabagger. Is that really what you want? This country's been moving backwards for 30 years; at what point do you sit back and ask yourselves, what do we have to do to get things moving forward.

You wanna know why we keep losing elections? It’s because of these assholes. You wanna know why we are down to a handful of true progressives in the House and Senate? It’s because of these assholes. You wanna know why we can’t possibly get progressive programs through Congress right now without a healthy supply of “Blue Dog” Democrats? Yep. That’s why. If you really want to neuter Blue Dogs, we have to do two things; we have to stop just talking to each other and spread our message far and wide, and we have to bring moderates over to our side, and stop calling them names because they don’t think exactly the way we do. Most Blue Dogs don't WANT to be Blue Dogs, but it's the only way they can win election. 

Do you want to know why Congress doesn't hold votes until they know they have at least 218 for passage? It's because they have to take into account the effect on those Congresspersons in swing districts. Some Democrats represent districts that are quite conservative, so they can't vote in favor of every single bill the right wing rails against, because they need political cover. So, they trade their vote on one bill for their vote on another. They want to be able to go to their constituents with political cover. 

See, a lot of these "progressives" don't understand that. They label certain Congresspersons "Blue Dogs" and write them off, and they don't look at the facts. Most "Blue Dogs" only withheld their vote for the health insurance reform bill because they needed the cover and they knew it would pass without them. 

These so-called self-described “progressives” are largely white, they have college degrees, and frankly, they’re just like the right wing teabagging types. They think they know better than blacks what’s best for blacks. They think they know better than single mothers what’s best for single mothers. They think they know better than Hispanics what’s best for Hispanics. But most of all, through forty years, they’re so busy talking about shit, they don’t listen.

How can you be successful in a democracy if you don’t listen to anyone? Better yet, how can you be successful in a democracy if you see anyone who compromises on anything as “unprincipled” or a “sell-out”?????

The answer, of course, is evident by the fact that the right wing has owned the electorate for 40 years. If you don’t think so, look around you. The Republican Party is a minority party, folks. There are far more Democrats than Republicans, in reality. Yet, they keep winning elections, and there are more far right clowns in Congress than there are solid, hardworking progressives.

It’s your fault.

Those who know me, and those who have been reading me awhile, know that this is a complaint I’ve had for many, many years. Progressives SHOULD own the debate. What we believe is best for the country, and just makes good common sense. But the reality is, we’re never going to get there all at once. Not one progressive program has ever gotten to where it needed to go on the first try. Social Security was created in 1934 and needed to undergo some serious tweaking as late as 1986. Medicare still needs constant tweaking. My father is 75 and needs a hearing aid, but hearing aids aren't covered by Medicare, even now. If you expected one single bill to take us from the system we had/have straight to a full single-payer program in one step, you’re not dealing in the real world. And if you think we could have created a public health insurance company after 30 years of right wing political domination without a major fight, then you’re politically naïve, and should leave the heavy lifting for the big people.

Unfortunately, the most vocal element of the progressive side of the political spectrum has no political common sense, and they tend to denigrate others who don’t think the way they do. The result is that most people think of “liberal” and “progressive” as being a bunch of granola-eating, tie-dye wearing loudmouths who insult anyone who doesn’t think exactly as they do. Sound familiar? The same people can’t stand the teabaggers for the same reason.

Having “passion” about issues doesn’t make you right. In fact, I don’t believe it’s passion. I have passion for a system that provides health care for every American at reasonable rates, without a profit motive. That is my passion; I don’t give a shit how we get there, as long as we make “progress” in that direction. I mean, how stupid do you have to be to not notice that, after a century of trying, we now have a framework for a national health insurance program whereby everyone who gets sick can get care without going to the poorhouse? And how stupid do you have to be to think that the proper response to the current inadequacy of the health insurance reform bill is to make it less likely that improvements will be made?

Let’s be clear, folks. Moderates run the show. Moderates make up most of the electorate, and they decide elections. Whether or not you get to pass your agenda in this democracy is dependent on how well you are able to appeal to them. Moderates are voting for Republicans in droves because there is only one message out there. The right wing says something and the far left “liberal blogosphere” reinforces it. In this last election, Republicans were shouting “Democrats suck!” and the far left was saying “Democrats suck!” right along with them. And now, the “progressive” bloggers and others are speculating as to why Democrats took a thumping.

Look in the mirror, progressives. It’s time for all of you to sit down, shut up, and listen -- for a change.

Most actual progressives make up the bulk of the Democratic Party. They work hard for a living, sometimes at two or three jobs. They often belong to a union. They are often a minority. Many don’t have a college degree; for some, it’s because they were too poor, but often, they just weren’t interested. They have simple needs; they want to have a family, and they want a decent job with a company that treats them right. They don’t care about being rich, but they would like to have enough money to live comfortably. They want to know that the food they buy in the supermarket is healthy. They want their kids to go to a decent school with skilled teachers. They want their child to have it better than they had it, although they understand that not everyone gets to be a billionaire.

Yeah, I know; that description looks very much like the average person you meet on the street. That’s because they ARE average people on the street. THAT is the key to creating a progressive movement in this country, and it’s why we fail at it, and why Republicans manage to hold onto power against all odds.

The loudest-mouthed “liberals” or “progressives” out there are white. They have college educations, but not a lot of common sense. They view any self-described moderate as a “sell-out.” Actually, they think anyone who doesn’t think the way they do is a “sell-out.” They have little or no sense of humor. They tend to lack an irony gene. They believe every negative story that makes it through the press, but they don’t believe any of the positive ones. Did I say they’re roughly the same as teabaggers, but liberal? I know I did, but it bears repeating.

If we are going to create a country with progressive ideals, we simply cannot do it without a lot of compromise with moderates. Moderates swing elections, folks. Left and right wingers simply provide the ballast. We have to get smarter. Go ahead and make fun of the right wing; they’re worth it. But we have to start doing a better job of SUPPORTING Democratic politicians. It is not supportive to threaten to withhold your vote if Democrats don’t accede to every demand – it’s also ineffective politically. See, in order for that to be a threat, you have to regularly provide your vote in the first place.

This blog is going in a slightly different direction, although you may or may not even notice. I’m still going to point out lies the right wingers tell, and correct the record where possible. But I am also going to clear up left wing bullshit, as well. In the process, I may piss off some liberals. Goof. And I am also going to teach some political lessons – lessons you don’t hear from the pundits. Haven’t you noticed that most pundits are always wrong, whether they’re left or right? It’s because picking and choosing facts is common to a lot of people; they choose the facts that make their opinion “correct,” and discard most  the others.

I refuse to do that. Facts are facts. 

Let’s start with a few things to think about:

1. It is NOT a good thing that Blue Dogs lost in last week’s elections. They are from swing districts, and it means that swing voters bought the Republican line. 
2. Voters are not stupid because they voted against their own interests. They vote against their interests because they vote based on the message they received. The message this year was “Democrats suck.” If you want them to receive a different message, than we need to send a different message.
3. Screw history. If I hear one more time that “History told us we were going to lose seats…," I think I might explode. If we’re going to have change in this country, then we have to toss “history” out on its ass. If we relied on “history” to determine the future, blacks would still be slaves, we’d all be British, and/or we’d all be speaking German in the eastern portion of the country and Japanese in the west. The only way we can create a progressive country is by standing up and fighting “history.” We have to MAKE history, not follow it. 
4. We cannot win by being like Republicans. The next time a “progressive” tells you “Democrats should fight back,” tell him to sit down and shut up, because he doesn't know what he's talking about. The right wing LOVES the negative; moderates hate the negative. In fact, they hate it so much, they don't vote. A major Republican strategy is to piss voters off enough to stay at the polls -- I know this, because I was told it by Republicans 40 years ago, and they have never broken stride. They rely on overall disgust and frustration to maintain power. Therefore, when we engage them, we are playing to their strengths. When Harry Reid and Barack Obama get up there and promise support and cooperation, they’re not being “pussies.” They’re playing the game the way it should be played. That’s what most voters WANT. Let the Republicans play to their angry right wing base; the more we ignore them, or at least refuse to engage them, the larger our base gets and the smaller theirs does. They key – moderates. And moderates don’t like fighting; they want to see success.
5. Far left liberal white people – the ones who make up the “liberal blogosphere” – are NOT part of the Democratic base, and should stop referring to themselves in those terms. Here’s a clue; if you’re registered “independent” and you either voted for or sent money to Ralph Nader in 2000, you’re definitely NOT “the Democratic base.” (If you did so in 2004, you’re so far from the “Democratic base,” it’s not even funny.) If you think everything Dennis Kucinich does is just wonderful, and you believe that everything he says and does is good for the country, you are NOT the “Democratic base.” So stop referring to yourselves this way.
6. If you want to move the Democratic Party to the left, the way to do that is to join it. Political parties are the ultimate in democracy; they reflect the people inside. I always marvel at people – mostly these self-described “progressives” – who seem to be waiting for the Democratic Party to entice them to join. Um, that’s not how it works. If you have 100 people in a party caucus, and they are 60-40 in favor of conservative-leaners, the only way to make them turn left is for 30 progressives to join them. Strange how democracy works, isn’t it?
7. We have to start winning elections. We are getting to the point of critical mass, politically speaking. Up until now, we have been able to trust the courts to keep some semblance of honor to our system, but after 30 years of Republicans either being in charge and nominating right wing judges, or being in a position to successfully block most moderate judges, we’re losing that, too. We win when we present a positive message. We play into Republican hands when we present a negative message. Therefore, we have to be more positive in our approach, and present our issues in positive ways, that everyone can relate to. “Yes we can” is not just a campaign slogan for President Obama; it should become a mantra for the progressive movement.
8. “Citizens United” is a fact of life. We can do one of two things; we can either let it defeat us, or we can learn to live with it and use it to our advantage. Like it or not, we might have to play dirty for a while so that we can clean up the system later. But one thing is for sure; whining about it isn’t going to change a damn thing.

It’s time for progressive politics to enter a new era; the post-whining stage. It’s a free country; of course you can whine about the way things are if you want.

But me; I’m into change. Join me.