PROGRESSIVE LEVERAGE

[NJmaverick]

the White House and congressional Democrats. For what it's worth, we always need to be tough with our elected representatives, but we need to be smart about it, too.

"Getting tough" sounds great, but what's the practical definition of "getting tough?" Stomping our feet and repeating Republican frames doesn't really do anything other than serving as a kind of weird catharsis. We need real leverage, and we don't have it (yet!) because the bulk of the votes in America are in the ideological middle.

We have to get tough and convince those voters in the middle that progressive policies are better. If we can do that, we can convince politicians who need those voters.

Meanwhile, and in a practical sense, it's about congressional votes.

The reason Lieberman, Nelson and others can "get tough" is that they're willing to allow good bills to be killed, and they know that progressives are unwilling to do the same. Healthcare reform is, in a way, "too big to fail" and they knew it. They were unscrupulous and indifferent enough to kill it if they didn't get what they wanted. So they calculated that they could get attention and goodies if they threatened to vote no. And the only way that carries leverage is that they were seriously ready to vote no.

http://www.bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2009/12/progressive_lev.html

[Hello_Kitty]

1. If demanding a public option, Medicare buy-in, and stripping the anti-trust exemptions

Make me a foot-stomper and a repeater of Republican frames, I guess I'm guilty as charged. :eyes:

[NJmaverick]

3. I think the author addressed this issue

<< we always need to be tough with our elected representatives, but we need to be smart about it, too.>>

[firedupdem]

2. Rec'd.....................

joining up with race baiting tea baggers will splinter the party for sure. African Americans won't forget. That's for sure.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. We'll get leverage when we stop holding our noses and voting for the "not as bad" candidates.

Until then, the politicians will chase the "middle" by selling out the left.

[NJmaverick]

5. "we have to get tough and convince those voters in the middle that progressive policies are better."

Is a superior alternative(IMO), as it actually stands a chance of working

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. How has it worked so far?

While we on the left fell for the "not as bad" meme put out by the party, all that has happened is a constant surrender to the right under the "compromise", "bi-partisan", "New Democrat" sloganeering of the DLC neo-lib types.

The "moderates" have presented us with an escalation of a lost war, a half-assed "health-care" reform bill that is really a payoff to the corporations, pandering to the MIC and Pentagon with even larger "defense" funding, abortion rights thrown under the bus, and the refusal to prosecute torturers.

Politicians chase votes. If they want the votes of the left they're going to have to earn them...and they sure won't do that by bending over for the moderates.

[NJmaverick]

7. It hasn't been tried, most are progressives are busy demonizing the Dems

to actually try and engage the public.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. The last I heard, it's the politicians who have to convince the public if they want they're votes.

Progressives are part of "the public" just like the moderates are.

If they want moderate votes, they have shown no hesitation about seeking them.

If they want progressive votes they'd better start appealing them to "the public"./

[NJmaverick]

9. Really? Ever hear of right wing think tanks? FAUX news? Rush Limbaugh?

or the tea party?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. There are left wing think tanks, and left wing pundits.

Who are regularly attacked by the right wing here on DU as left-baggers, the "fringe", or impractical, unrealistic, or disloyal.

[Skidmore]

10. Exactly.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. How do you suggest doing that?

How does the left "get tough" on the moderates? By compromising with them? Like congress and the prez has done?

[NJmaverick]

16. Engaging them respectfully. Nothing pains me more than to see fellow progressives

making fun of religion. Talk about a sure way to have your message not heard. It's a matter of having a good message and getting people to listen.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. Do you prefer that progressives lie about their beliefs?

To many progressives, throughout history, religion has been seen as a force for conservatism, at best, a force for tyranny at worst.

[NJmaverick]

20. One doesn't have to lie. One merely has to respect other people's beliefs

it's quite easy. It's always been true that you have to give respect to get respect.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. Do you mean like Mark Twain, Voltaire, and Martin Luther did?

Not to mention that guy named Jesus who attacked the religion of his time and place.

[NJmaverick]

22. MLK acted with respect as did Lincoln and Ghandi

[ClassWarrior]

11. IBTL

NGU.

[HughMoran]

26. I've Been Thinking Liberal

too!

[AuntPatsy]

12. The only fail that I see in your op is that I for one do not believe that there is not a majority of

american citizens that would not rather have the best insurance which is national health coverage for all of it's citizens, frankly I believe the fix is in to ensure no polls will ever be accurate in proving the numbers to be on our side..its all designed to ensure we remain unaware that we the people are much more intelligent than the media leaves us to believe we as a whole are..

With that said, until the media does the job it pretends it does, we the people unless we gather as one in the streets will never prove this outright lie that is being force fed to us..

In essence, since the above will never happen, we have to deal with the reality we are being forced to face in that we have to go forward and plan our game plan with the assumption that they are right and we the people are wrong, the reality is, we hold so little power, and those that represent us hold it all...doesn't leave us much wiggle room and some people just don't understand why and plan their particular game plans without knowing all the rules and by playing with that strategy, they will lose everytime..


At present, like it or not, we have no choice but to play the game the way the rules are written or we are sure to lose, some have not realized that yet..

[NJmaverick]

13. There was a great article (unfortunately I can't find it) that talked about how progressives

spent their resources on grassroots efforts while the conservatives spent theirs on creating a communications network. In hindsight I think the communications network was the better choice, as it is very powerful and doesn't require the constant effort grassroots requires.

[AuntPatsy]

15. Try finding it, I would read it..and I think I agree with you regardless if that makes me seem

less of a true liberal than others...like it or not and I don't have to like it but I have to know how to play by the rules or risk losing everytime if I continue to ignore the ones presently established...

That does not mean that I don't believe we should try to get the rules changed only that as of yet, the reality is that the rules are what they are and until I am sure they have changed if I want to win, I must play by the rules already posted..I wish others would realize that...

[NJmaverick]

18. Since you asked, I thought some more and came up with a google term that led me right to it

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/072809c.html


:blush:

[AuntPatsy]

24. Thank you...will put in on favs and read it later....

[NJmaverick]

25. It's a compelling article, enjoy

:hi:

[treestar]

23. K&R

let's do something useful rather than just yell

[lamp_shade]

27. Rec'd.

[Warren Stupidity]

28. "the bulk of the votes in America are in the ideological middle."

On the issue of health care reform the majority of americans support universal single payer health care. That plan was not on the table. It was not on the table because the senate in particular is owned approximately 88-12 by the corporate establishment. We have a republic of the corporation by the corporation and for the corporation. We are told what to think by the corporate establishment and they insure that nothing that challenges their strangle hold on washington makes it through their bought and paid for senate.