Fair expectations for Democrats and Democratic voters

[jpgray]

We can fairly expect more progressive statements from Democrats only when we have super-majorities, a strong labor movement, mass activist support, total party unity, fair media, a massive campaign war chest, reasonable opponents and nice weather.

We can fairly expect progressive voters to support party leaders who embrace austerity in a demand crisis, cuts to entitlement programs while more fall into misery, free trade as a salve for unemployment, and tax credits to corporations who sit on trillions. We can expect them to understand our leaders only support such things because we have failed to provide them with the world they deserve.

What power does a president, senator or representative have, after all, to talk about what the country really needs? Surely the practical course is to expect voters without influence to alter the entire institutional course of our democracy. We must change the constituency of political victory from an influential minority to the suffering majority.

Our leaders should do nothing but wait on the result, stake out a moderate stance, and attempt at every turn to cultivate that wealthy and influential minority should we fail to change everything without their help. They have no choice!

Once everything has changed for the best, and all the massive obstacles to progress are removed, then we can start expecting more from the powerful and less from the powerless.

It makes perfect sense.

[demosincebirth]

1. +1

[Scuba]

2. K & R

[frebrd]

3. K&R! n/t

[TheKentuckian]

4. Yup, yup. Clearly and consistently presenting a vision and gathering support

for it is too hard and history is full of broad benefit for the people spontaneously coming into existence rather than voices in the wilderness being joined and the opposition actually being opposed.