I Do Not Want Purity - But Can We at Least Have Some Discipline?

[TheBigotBasher]

I have some sympathy with the Republican Party with their demand for Party Purity but as usual the Republican right are getting it all wrong and will use this to move even further to the right - a position that that the American people do not occupy.

A Party thrives on new blood and ideas, but in order for a Party to be successful, once it is in power it needs to deliver on the agenda that got it there. To do that it needs discipline.

There are always debatable issues, but a Political Party should have settled political positions. The electorate do expect a Party to deliver the agenda it set out. When it does not deliver, they tend to get kicked out. The DLC types have used this to move the Party further to the right. The Party does not get voted out for being too left wing, in fact with the exception of the Greens the Democratic left in America is equivalent to the centre right in Europe. Every European Centre Right European Party has moved further to the centre. Merkel has more in common with Obama than any Republican. British Conservative Party MP's on an individual basis helped campaign for the Democratic Party.

Parties should not have "purity lists" but they should have principles that guide them and a discipline in office. Watching our own Congressional representatives almost tear down every thing the Democratic Party worked for last year and as a result kick those who voted for a Democratic House, Senate and Presidency in the teeth.

On abortion, Catholics will always be against it. The settled position of the Democratic Party is in support of the right of a woman to choose. We should find a way to make them safe, legal but rare. That certainly does not mean that one of our own should push legislation that sends the rights of American women back to the dark ages.

On health care, the Democratic Party has always supported moving towards universal health care. Therefore those blocking or threatening to block even small baby steps towards that goal should indeed question their Democratic credentials. A few dejected Party hacks have managed to find themselves great power because the Republicans are in lock step with each other. This is bad Party discipline and divided Parties do not remain in office. In fact as a result of caucuses within caucuses the Democratic Party is showing itself to be in office, but not in control. This division may have raised the profile of people some Blue Dawgs, but it is their seats that are the first to fall.

If Congressional Members blackmail the Party then they need to be hot back where it hurts. Cuts in campaign finance. Removal from Committees. Party Whips need to be stronger. It is some what of an embarrassment that MoveOn is acting as better Whips than Clyburn and Durbin.

On the economy, the Democratic Party should work for good jobs for Americans. It should seek to protect institutions such as Social Security and Medicare. So again, certain Senators who now want to outsource part of their job, (while still retaining full pay and benefits) should simply opt out of their job. The Democratic Party should not be about cutting pensions for old people.

If they want their agenda then they should fight to lead the Party. We have a Leader. 69 million voted for him. They sit in Congress, largely on his coat tails. Until they do that they are nothing but an indisciplined guerilla warfare unit that serves only to be an increasinly virulent cancer as we go into 2010.

[Xipe Totec]

1. Throw in some bondage and I'm there...

Now that's a party!

:evilgrin:

[TheBigotBasher]

3. Any time ;-)

Although it tends to be the Republicans that have the sex scandals.

[CTyankee]

2. I have just about given up on hope for a "disciplined" Dem party.

I think it is a contradiction in terms. We had discipline when we had Southern Dems but we traded them off, and rightfully so, for social justice. It's harder to get social justice. It just is. So many factions, each vying for their own "justice."

I wish I knew the answer :shrug:

[Sebastian Doyle]

4. The only problem with Repuke party purity

is that all their impurities invade our party, to the point where we end up with the far right DLC party and the batshit lunatic right Republican teabagger party. Neither party represents even true moderates, let alone Liberals.

If the Republicans want to self destruct, let them. But doesn't mean we need their castaways. Let them form their own party, take the DLC'ers and the blueballed cowards with them, and we can get back to being the party of FDR, not the party of Al From, Bruce Reed, and Will PNAC Marshall.

[TheBigotBasher]

5. There is nothing wrong in them joining the Party

but the public quite rightly believe that the Democratic Party has a number of issues of settled policy, those policy stances got the Party elected in 2008. The Democratic Party should not betray those principles or be surprised if they are punished for it in elections.

For example, if Blue Dawgs get their way to set up a commission too cut Social Security benefits, the Party will be punished. Voters will return Republicans not because they want Social Security cut - they will do so because THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT THAT.

[treestar]

6. good point

There's always that group calling Reid and Pelosi "spineless" while perhaps they are the same people going on about how evil it is to go in lockstep. As if that trumps getting anywhere with anything.

[TheBigotBasher]

7. Pelosi has delivered.

Reid, not quite as much, however Reid is faced with the prospect that the Republicans are not afraid of using their 40 votes to create a filibuster, as a result of that a handful of Democratic Senators can hold the Party to ransom. For that there must be consequences otherwise they will keep doing that and we Democrats will continue to win and then get punished for failure to deliver.

The Republicans have become the most extreme of the centre right Parties on this planet, with the likes of Pamela Geller, Limbaugh, et al they are not far off being Neo Nazis. It is poor discipline that is preventing them being wiped out by the Democratic Party.