Open Left

I want a progressive party (4.00 / 1)

We may not win many elections, we may not raise a ton of cash, but at least we could know what the party stands for and control the party mission/message.  Working within the Democratic party is damn nigh impossible.  We should separate ourselves now while it can still make some sort of difference.

I can't vote R, I can't vote D much more, give me someone to vote for.  Please.

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by: zot2323 @ Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 09:18:42 AM CST

I agree (4.00 / 1)

American govt becomes more fucked everyday.

Extraordinary progressive star in the making

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by: JDS @ Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 12:48:58 PM CST

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We Have a Progressive Party... (4.00 / 1)

...it's called the Democratic party. It's been hijacked, IMHO, by the DLC types and people who pre-1992 and Clinton would be called pro-corporate moderate Republicans. I say we take our party back.

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by: TSlavin @ Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 15:39:38 PM CST

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Movement Conservatives Sure Didn't Give Up on The GOP (4.00 / 1)

In the early 60s, the GOP had just had a moderate conservative 2-term president--Eisenhower--who actually governed pretty much like a true Burkean, unwilling to roll back the New Deal, because it had become part of the fabric of society.  They considered him a "Communist dupe."

They'd just barely lost electing his successor, who was rabidly anti-Communist, but didn't really froth the way they liked it, and had seemed far too content to support the "Communist dupe."

Prior to that, the GOP had run two moderate liberals for the previous three elections.

At no time during this period from 1940 to 1960 did the movement conservatives give up on re-taking the GOP, even though they were far outside even the GOP mainstream.  They really just didn't have a choice.

Despite everything John Emerson has written--quite accurately--about the Democratic Party and its long anti-populist history, in the US system today, progressives have no more choice than conservatives did over that 20-year span.  The odds are more against us, of course, because elite support for us will never be anything like what it's been for movement conservatives.   But the structural realities are what they are.  And some portion of the elite can clearly see that the right is running us off a cliff, and knows that they have more to lose than any of the rest of us.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 15:59:30 PM CST

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What about state party takeovers? (4.00 / 1)

This is the reason I'd love to have a formal front page debate about how to "take back" (quotes are for those who believe progressives never owned the party) the Democratic party. Yes, we are out of power. Yes, we are shat upon by Democratic leaders. But it seems that a 10 or 20 year effort, starting with take over of state Democratic parties, running local and state progressive candidates who use progressive messages, then expanding to all 50 states, it seems that would be an obvious place to start to build the politicians, get voters accustomed to progressive messages, and make DLC Democrats turn Republican. It's also possible this approach might yield results in 1-3 years, by replacing key Blue Dog Democrats, for example, or making progressive ideas mainstream.

But I don't know everything. 8-) That's what would make such a debate at Open Left so interesting: there are a lot of people like yourself who know the history, who have political experience, who could contribute to an exhaustive debate that might actually lead to action. Let's be constructive.

Thanks also Paul for calling to primary Obama. Let's go!

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by: TSlavin @ Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 16:25:24 PM CST

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State Parties Are Definitely On The Pathway (0.00 / 0)

I agree it's worth doing something in the way of a grand debate.  But I just work here.  If Chris agrees, then we could really be in business.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 17:51:29 PM CST

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Maybe Progressives should infiltrate and take over the REPUBLICAN party. (0.00 / 0)

In a flanking move, run and vote for liberals en masse in local/state primary races.

Leave the Dem party to the Blue Dogs/DLC. Let the Tea Party take it over.

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by: Gordon Ginsberg @ Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 10:18:35 AM CST

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join a union and vote in your union elections (0.00 / 0)

it'll do more good than the general elections for now.

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by: dr anonymous @ Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 21:18:55 PM CST

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