Who Shall Ascend to the Hill of the Liberal???

[SidneyCarton]

I really wanted to write this post as a snarky criticism of those now sharpening their pitchforks for newly-minted Senator Gillibrand. But, what would be the point. The reality of this pick, like so many others, is that Governor Paterson wasn't going to please everyone no matter who he picked. If Gillibrand is to conservative with a 93% voting record with congressional Democrats, then Mother Teresa would be too religious and Gandhi too male. The key to Republican success in this country has been the fact that Democrats can rarely ever remain unified on any given subject for too long. We are a loose coalition of particular interest groups, each of which demands our voice to be heard, and our agendas to be instituted exactly as we want it done. When we don't get our way, or have it done in the priority which we feel we are due, we soon begin sniping at each other, and hence spend more time battling the enemy within than confronting the enemy without.

The other sad legacy of this mindset is the pressure we put on those sent to lead us. In order to please all constitutencies, we would need national candidates that were combinations of FDR, Salvadore Allende, JFK, Jimmy Carter and Dennis Kucinich. While all of these men had admirable qualities, and any man who holds a number of these qualities will make a great leader, due to the nature of our fractious coalition we are never satisfied with only some of these qualities, we want them all, and when we find that one of ours is wanting in these essential characteristics, we are merciless with them.

If nothing else, Bush united us in opposition to a single opponent, and kept us on topic. Now that the winter of our discontent is passing, how many of us will be content to fall back into the same self-destructive cycle that has so often plagued us in times passed? The opposition is already beginning to coalesce, they will not be divided for much longer. If we cannot face them with unity of purpose we will see many of the same problems we faced during the Clinton years repeated, and many of our hopes for the coming years pass away.

[ShortnFiery]

1. Oh come on. I'd rather be LIBERAL than march lock-step to Schumer/Clinton/Patterson DLC crowd.

This is coalition building and it's VILE. New York State is PROGRESSIVE not blue dog, DLC, nor New Way Democratic.

[SidneyCarton]

5. One vote for Gridlock.

The RNC Congressional Fundraising campaign for the 2010 elections thanks you for you contribution in advance.

[ananda]

2. Liberals are like pariahs in the wilderness right now.

We have very little effective representation
in government right now.. just a handful
of brave souls who rarely get publicity or
airtime.

[ShortnFiery]

3. Yes, and once these Blue Dogs get elected they TRASH the liberal base. We owe them nothing.

Nada ... ZILCH! :thumbsdown:

[SidneyCarton]

7. Ah yes, I forgot about all of those executive orders...

You know, the ones selling the White House to the highest lobbyist bidder,

The one in which torture is approved and Guantanamo held open in perpetuity,

The one in which the global gag order is reinforced...

Take off the hair shirt, it looks uncomfortable.

[FLAprogressive]

4. The 93% meme is inaccurate at best

Yes she votes with the Democratic (and Republican) majorities on slam-dunk silly bills like congratulating college sports teams but when it gets down to the nitty-gritty, she ranks near the bottom. (See my other thread)

[SidneyCarton]

6. I saw your thread.

I also saw the threads in which she is pro-choice, pro-Gay Rights etc... What's a poor Californian to believe? Either this woman is a Republican Trojan Horse to place in the Senate a la Lieberman, the DLC Whore of Babylon, or just another work-a-day Dem.