Something I read today that really struck home with me, re: the lack of party unity

[Lyric]

From a DailyKos article, in the comments section:

"Democrats aren't really a "party", but a collection of interest groups who aren't Republicans." --lordcopper

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/21/1009098/-Shut-Up-and-Fall-in-Line?via=siderec

You know, I think he just might be right. Maybe that's why we do not, and never WILL, have the ability to "fall in line" like Republicans do. We're approaching the problem wrong. It's not about a lack of party unity; it's about a lack of respect between ALLIES. We constantly argue about who the "base" is, but really...there is no base. There used to be, because the party used to be almost entirely focused on Workers and Organized Labor rights, but that is not the case anymore. Now we're just a bunch of people who oppose the right-wing for an enormous variety of reasons. Sometimes we don't even like each other, but we generally dislike the right-wing more.

We have gun Democrats. We have gay Democrats. We have racial and cultural minority Democrats. We have poverty Dems, tax Dems, environmentalist Dems, and union/labor Dems. Some belong to just one group, some belong to several, or even ALL, plus more groups that I didn't name. These groups are not so much "one party", because frankly, their interests and priorities are often VERY different--even opposed, in some cases. Conflict often comes when one or more groups are feeling neglected, disrespected, and taken for granted.

We cannot possibly make everybody happy all the time. However, when your "base" is comprised of small blocks of voters rather than a large, ideologically-solid core, you CANNOT have the luxury of ignoring your foundation and spending all of your time trying to woo the centrists. We don't win the middle by moving rightward. We NEVER "win" the middle. The Republicans just occasionally LOSE it. The middle votes Democratic when they're pissed at the right-wing...not because they feel solidarity with the left. The only way to "win" the middle is to inspire them, and we aren't very good at inspiration these days.

Maybe we could develop some cohesion again if we found some unifying, vitally-important political values that we could ALL rally around. Something to inspire solidarity, like organized labor did for our forebears. It cannot be imposed from the top down. It doesn't work that way, no matter how many times people try to either guilt us or lecture us into it. You can't force unity. Unity is something that happens on its own, when people come together and feel connected in a way that transcends the individual. It requires inspiration, and inspiration cannot be manufactured by effort of will.

We need an issue to rally around, a charismatic, courageous, proud leader who is capable of TRULY inspiring us, and the transcendental, beautiful, angry, messy, lovely UNITY that goes along with it. And even more than the leader...we need the people. We need them furious and passionate and AWAKE again, ready to sacrifice anything, give up everything, in order to change their own lives. Change is ALWAYS painful, but it should be a good, clean ache...the kind that you're glad to bear because you know that your pain will help make your dreams of a better world a reality. The pain we're going through right now...it's not like that. It's dismal and sad and hopeless. I don't mind suffering and sacrificing for something I believe in, especially when I know that my brothers and sisters are hurting right along with me. But that's not what's happening right now. We're suffering for the sake of the fucking WEALTHY, so they can take more and more away from us and our kids, and NOBODY is willing to do a damned thing about it. How could any sane person feel hopeful or inspired under such circumstances?

Maybe we need a new kind of revolution. Not the kind where we overthrow the government, because our government is basically good. It needs adjustments, sure, but it's a worthy form of government at heart. No, what we need is a SOCIAL revolution--the kind where everybody just STOPS participating in the rat race, and refuses to be good, productive little workers unless and until our demands are met. Restore and strengthen our social safety net. Narrow the bloated wealth gap. Stop shipping our jobs overseas, and pay us enough to actually LIVE on. Restore and protect the public goods like free education, school lunches, national parks, and our crumbling infrastructure. Respect the foundation of society--the WORKER.

Now THAT sounds like the kind of change that I'd be damned proud to sacrifice for.

:hi:

[Tennessee Gal]

1. This whole thing was summed up years ago by Will Rogers:

"I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat."

He also said this:

"Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans."

[OffWithTheirHeads]

2. Well, I think ALL of us could agree that Rick Perry is a REALLY bad idea.

[Tennessee Gal]

3. As is Mitt Romney and Michelle Bachmann.

[leeroysphitz]

4. Good find. That quote nails it. n/t

[amborin]

5. yeah, except that the WH seems to cater mainly to one or two fractions of that heterogeneous "base"