The problem with the Democratic Party
It's a fact that our Democracy is set up to favor a two-party system. Any third party has an extreme uphill climb to get even modest electoral success. I have come to the conclusion that the Democratic Party is not or should not be a private club that belongs to some wealthy elites, even though they may act like it does. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are both in essence instruments of access for coming to power in our democratic system. As such, it is a shame that they are both controlled by a select group of elites rather than the people. I believe that the people have the power to take the parties back from the elites and turn them into more open and inclusive forums for the people. To the extent that the people have either given up that control in the party or are not trying to take it back from the elites is an abdication of their own power.
I know a lot of people are (understandably and even justifiably) pissed at the Democratic Party, or the DNC at least. They may be saying "screw the Democratic Party, I'm going Green or Independent." While I respect and support their choice to do so, if that's what their conscience dictates, I think it is more practical to kick out the elites from their lofty perches in the Party hierarchy. It can be done, with adequate coordination and mass mobilization. If all the progressives and socialists and Bernie people join forces to accomplish such a goal, then it becomes even more achievable. Rather than hating the Democratic Party, why don't we turn it into an activist party? (I know lofty dreams, haha, but I'm not kidding!)
Comments
Except to note that for the presiency it doesn't matter
Unless you are in a swing state. Down-ballot an d in the primaries (obviously) it still does.
To reform the Democratic Party?
It might be too late.
The DLC created a push for a "turd way" of financing the party. In doing so, it became addicted to big business donations, it became a slave to their ideas, and it lost the ability to face head on ideological battles. Instead, whenever the neocons or PNACers, or TeaBuggerers came up with a new and depraved idea, rather than stand up and fight on fact, principle, and ideology, it became a matter of degree - how far would the democrats compromise rather than represent the people.
Take austerity or trickle down or tax cuts - each of these ideas were bone headed and doomed from the start. And each time experts warned that they would not work. Yet the Dem response was to cooperate rather than fight.
How does one change that culture of self inflicted ineffable stupidity, timidity, or lack of spine and conviction? I dunno. I don't think we can anymore.
I partially agree with you
I don't think much can be done about the DLC-style Democrats, or any of the other establishment/status quo Democrats. Old dog, new tricks, something like that.
I propose that we, the people, KICK OUT those people from their positions of power in the party, through electoral means. That means fielding progressive/socialist candidates to run for Committee Member positions in the each of the Democratic Party County Central Committees, and also in each of the fiifty state Democratic Party Committees. There are 3100+ counties and 50 states in the US so it would requite tremendous organizing and effective use of technology to achieve such a goal. This is what "reform the Democratic Party" means to me. Out with the old, in with the new!
Love is my religion.
Tick, tick, tick.
There is not enough time to start from the bottom to gradually take over the entrenched system. And those entrenched will not go readily (see: Clinton, HR).
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Perhaps, but I have a plan!
Just kidding. I don't have a plan.
But, I think it can be done speedily too. We would need to organize super-well and build enough grassroots interest in making this change happen. All it takes is 1 election per Democratic County Committee or 1 election per Democratic State Committee with Progressives/Socialists/Berniecrats recruited to run for committee member positions, assuming we can mobilize enough Democratic voters in each of those regions to gain victory. These positions are not as hotly contested as actual public office so it shouldn't really be as much of a GOTV effort but I don't really know for sure though. Internal party politics are not as glamorous as running for a real government position. We could make use of technology to help streamline this process.
Yes, those entrenched will not go readily. In fact, they would prefer that we lose all our recently sparked interest and enthusiasm for revolution and go back to sitting at home and being lazy so that they can keep running their show. We shouldn't let them.
Love is my religion.
"Perhaps, but I have a plan!"
"Just kidding. I don't have a plan."
LOL, my kind of humor, thanks.
"But, I think it can be done speedily too."
"(I know lofty dreams, haha, but I'm not kidding!)"
Nice diary! I'm not kidding ;->
Thanks!
Glad you were amused.
Love is my religion.
If the energy
developed for Bernie is maintained and directed toward mid term and future elections, it wouldn't be as difficult as you seem to think to make changes with the party.
That's true to some extent
From the little bit of research I've done, the party's county and state committees are comprised of the elected government officials belonging to that party (from that region) as well as committee members directly elected to their committees. So it would need to have both, people voting in mid-terms, but also people contesting and running for committee member positions in the party.
Love is my religion.
Repeat after me:
A third party can't win.
A third party can't win.
A third party can't win.
POOF! A third party can't win!
Wonder what could happen if we told ourselves something different for once?
“We may not be able to change the system, but we can make the system irrelevant in our lives and in the lives of those around us.”—John Beckett
How about some realism though?
I won't say that a third party can't win but it would be exceptionally difficult as I mentioned in my post. The question I'm wondering about is what is the best approach for progressives to finally have a party of their own (that can come to power)? Currently, I happen to believe that in the short-term progressives should take over the Democratic Party, from the grassroots, in every state and every county, and rewrite its by-laws to be more open and inclusive, so that it cannot be easily taken over by corporatists again.
These progressives (assuming that they succeeded in taking over the Democratic Party) should work to change the electoral laws so that third parties are not so ridiculously disadvantaged in our current system.
Alternatively, a third party can succeed if it has a critical mass of support that they sweep aside the Republicans and Democrats. It's possible for that to happen if the third party is backed by a mass movement, or a leader like Bernie. However, until that time, third parties will more often than not divide the vote on the left, potentially leading to Republican victories. The infamous spoiler effect, that is. I wouldn't call a third-party candidate or their supporters spoilers though. I don't like that word to describe someone who takes part in the democratic process. The only spoiled vote is one that is not cast.
Love is my religion.
the main thing wrong with Dems: our candidates
in order to get us to vote for Democrats these people say some things we agree with, that we consider important. If the D candidates actually believed in any of it and if they tried to implement what they say they believe then we'd be happy to vote for them.
I realize, right away, the problem is that it's hard to get the good candidates in situations where they can be nominated and win. Not to mention that when one of them does break through, something happens to him/her. Maybe money.
If the party truly cared for progressive policies...
They would try to recruit better candidates, or at least conduct fair primaries so that true progressives would have a better chance to be nominated.
Love is my religion.