Then tell me, what are you doing to make it happen?
I'm speaking of course about moving us forward. Getting the best government we can vote for. Keeping those folks accountable. And in the long run, to push for the laws and freedoms that we all deserve. The problem is, around these parts I see more doom and gloom most days then calls to regroup and push forward. To GOTV. The election is less than 100 days away. But if I didn't know better this was this time 2009. So let's talk.
Fretting about the hang-ups, failures, and inconsistencies of the past will not help us move forward. Knowing what they are can be a guide, but knowing is not action. When I return to my home state and get my affairs in order, I'm going to see what I can do to help my guy (Rep. Hodes) get elected. He's been in the right in the house so far and I'm pretty sure he'll be in the right in the senate.
So what are you going to do? What are you going to do in this election to keep the panicked, insane, delusional neo-Republican-party-of-tea-bags-and-not-really-America from running the agenda the next 2, 4, 6, or more years? What are you going to say to your neighbors, friends, and family that will get them off the couch and to that voting booth? If the answer is nothing, then I can say very matter of factually that all these issues that you claim the President or Congress has failed you, us, or the world on don't really mean squat to you. If you're not willing to do the foot work to get more and better Democrats in the house and senate, or to at the very least keep down the bleeding of seats, then you're pretty much telling me that you don't actually care.
"Oh, but Izzy, my nominee/congresscritter is one of the bad ones, blah blah blah!"
Well, if that's the case, are they at least better than what the Republicans are offering? Then it might not be pretty but having a half assed Democrat is better than a big ass Republican. What more, if you were really that bothered by them, then why didn't you campaign against them in the primary? Your guy or gal that you worked hard for lost? Well then maybe I was wrong about your commitment, but giving up now isn't going to make things better. If this yahoo wins and its obvious that real lefties worked hard for them, they might be willing to be less crazy. And if not, then next round maybe we'll be able to afford to loose them. But now is not the time to be a purist. That time will come when we don't have to worry about Ben Nelsons and Joe Lieberman being the deciding votes on health care any more. That time will be when we don't have to ask Scott Brown to join us to get financial reform passed.
"Oh, but the GOP dood is going to win anyway here!"
So? A candidate steam rolls under three conditions, being very popular, the opposition being very unpopular, or people not thinking they can be defeated. The first one can be fixed in a vigorous campaign where the lack of republican sensical ideas can be exposed. The second can be fixed by not nominating a twit. And the last can be defeated by not assuming something is impossible and then getting lots of other people to become sensible as well. And one great way to do that is to go campaigning, knocking on doors. And getting other people to volunteer for a campaign.
"Oh, but Izzay! I have more excuses!"
Give me a break. You want to give up before the fight is done. The last two years have been the second major offensive in a war against the zombie-Reagan-insanity that has plagued our country since before I was even born. The first being the taking back of the house in 2006. The war has been waging for decades but until recently the Democratic Party has only been making meek steps towards making this a more perfect Union. And so they were run over, distracted, impeached, harassed, overruled, and generally insulted time and again until we, yes we, finally had had enough. We are the heart and soul of the Democratic Party.
It is our job to push for better, more competent candidates and politicians. It is our job to get them elected. It is our job to call them up when we're pissed. And it is our job not to give up because only 2/3 of the things important to us have progressed since Obama took office.
If we will not stand up and fight, then how can you expect anyone else to? If you want the democratic revolution to succeed, then you need to get off that office chair, away from the computer, and knock on a few doors. It won't be pretty but it would be something.
Many of us call for our elected officials to have more back bone. But you gotta lead by example.