Purifying the party at what cost?

[Peacetrain]

The republicans are having a hard time facing the fact that their downfall in insisting on a purification of their party.. a getting rid of their RINO's.

It has cost them the last two elections, and will hopefully cost them the next two.

Something to think about.. for our own dynamic futures.

[lostnotforgotten]

1. Many Would Suggest That Outing DINOs Is A Similarly Necessary Exercise

eom

[Buzz Clik]

2. Purifying the party? It's an oxymoron.

The Democratic Party is a loose coalition of political ideologies with widely varying perspectives. If you try to purify it, you'll be left with nothing.

[AspenRose]

3. In other words...we're stuck with each other!

So we should make the best of it :grouphug:

[Buzz Clik]

4. It would be nice for a change.

[emulatorloo]

5. Sweet!!!!! n/t

[OmahaBlueDog]

6. It's a strange paradox in American politics

Parties, in recent memory, have done better when they move their rhetoric away from the center (the Dems in 2008, the GOP in the 1994 "Contract with America" election and 1980), but have, in reality, engaged in consensus building. Both Clinton and Reagan had a hostile congress for most of their Presidencies, but managed to accomplish a lot.

Enter young George Bush and his puppet masters, Karl & Dick. If you look back at 2000 (notwithstanding that Gore actually won), Bush ran as a center-right moderate who had worked with Democrats in Texas and was a uniter, not a divider. He moved his rhetoric toward the center, and then (once in office), took a my-way-or-the-highway approach and refused to engage in much (if any) consensus building. His presidency, by any objective measure, was a disaster.

[hulklogan]

7. The funny thing is, by reaching out so often to the so-called centrists, our party is being purified

of the strongest progressives and some of its most loyal supporters.

[Skidmore]

12. Splintered is the word.

[TheWraith]

8. Precisely why I and others have long opposed the "more liberal than thou" games played here.

And elsewhere on the blogosphere. I'm miles away from being moderate, but most people are, and driving the moderates out of the party just means defeat. You've got to think long term, and gradually persuade people to understand that your views are the best, not just throw away anyone who doesn't already agree with us.

[Skidmore]

9. I'm less concerned about ideological purification than I am about

getting rid of corrupt officials and operatives. We need to rid ourselves of those who line their coffers at the expense of good legislation and the good of the nation.

[Nite Owl]

10. It seems that the Dems are

doing the opposite, they are purifying the party of progressives. Something to think about...

[Skidmore]

11. In other words, we don't need to work together but all take our toys

and go home. That's not what I worked for in this past election. I worked with an understanding that we all bring something to the table and all take something away, not necessarily exactly what we each wanted but work to arrive at some form of concensus. I have not given up on that either. I'm very progressive on some issues and more conservative on others. I will, however, not abandon all efforts because something does not go the way I think it should every single time. That is nihilistic and immature thinking.

[Nite Owl]

15. Works both ways

a consensus doesn't mean refusing to consider progressive reforms out of hand either. I think porgressives are more than willing to let the conservadems have a say but they seem to want to all or nothing, they are the ones who consistently threaten to vote as a bloc if things don't go their way. Who is being left out of the health care debate again, who is not allowed to be at their table?

[Skidmore]

16. I think getting hung up on labels impedes

meaningful and real work.

[cali]

13. yep, that's why the national dem party supported bernie in 2006

and supports him still- and will undoubtedly support him in the future- because they're bound and determined to rid the party of progressives.

[Orsino]

14. Abandoning principle for what payoff?

...is the flip-side of your question.