My support for new leadership in this party for this re-organization has NEVER been based on whether they have the ability to win elections. I am fully aware that David Cocke has done an exceptional job working with prior Committees to elect Democrats in Shelby County, I have not questioned that.
PEOPLE, THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS CONVENTION IS ABOUT THIS YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll be as blunt with you as I can be: if we win County races next year, great. If not, great; by 2010 we'll be able to hang 90% of the County's problems on the GOP anyway. I look at the legislative races and I only see Mike Kernell as potentially having a tough race.
What about the Senate race, you ask? Yeah, big freaking deal, one candidate is willing to sacrifice his constituency on the altar of contributions from credit-card companies and the other is busy trying to prove she won't let the gummint take your huntin' irons away. I know I'M overjoyed at the choice; can't we pull Jim Sasser out of retirement, for heaven's sake? At least HE knew what it meant to be a Democrat!
You know how I feel about the Governor, who is perfectly willing to see people die rather than do the right thing and fully-fund TennCare, even if it means raiding the TDOT fund.
So, when you get right down to it, if we are ever going to sacrifice an election for the sake of party-building, now's the time, not 2008. We need time to work with the new groups, who are full of energy and drive; we need to help them direct that to bring even MORE people in, and to have them keep watch on how those who run under the Democrat banner vote.
Yes, you read that right; all of you know perfectly well that had Van Hilleary been elected Governor, 2/3 of the anti-worker, anti-poor bills that the House reluctantly voted for would have been crushed if it weren't Bredesen that proposed them. We as Democrats MUST keep the pressure on to ensure that our folks vote progressively. Frankly, this is an area where Shelby County EXCELS at the state legislative level, and an area that will be hurt by the loss of John Ford, and Kathryn Bowers, if she's not acquitted (and I pray she IS acquitted).
This goes for ANYONE at ANY level in Shelby County who is elected as our nominee. It means having County Commissioners who won't vote to "go along to get along" just so they can keep their safe districts.
This means electing a Congressman whose real purpose is to represent the 9th District, not kiss Don Imus and Fox News' ass on a weekly basis.
This means finding progressives to run at every level, and teaching them the skills necessary to win. This is why I'm NOT advocating that David Cocke go live in a cave for two years, we need him as a teacher of skills more than as an administrator. As the husband of a terrific teacher, he understands what that means.
Now is the time to further train our new folks while they learn the ropes. I am NOT advocating that those whose Chair candidates are defeated be exiled to the hills, we need EVERYBODY, but in different roles that what they are used to doing.
The same goes for me, and I'm not even getting on the Committee.
So, that is why I am saying that we need to use the 2006 elections as a training ground, and no, I'm not insane. We are trending more and more Democrat every election in this county, we can afford to take that risk, because it's CRUCIAL for our future.
NOW, do you understand?
11 comments:
Never doubted: maybe, with an energized county (upon which his election depends) base demanding something besides the crumbs of state tax revenue, Bredesen will grow up during his second term. Unless, of course, he thinks he can be President, which will make his right wing version of "DLC-itis" even worse than it is now.
Sure, I get it. And quite frankly, I'm sick to death of hearing it. I know it's hard for the most liberal of the party to understand the virtue of Pragmatic politics - in fact that's why Democrats keep getting beat. I mean after all your right, of course -- an Ed Bryant or Van Hillery would be much better than a Governor Bredenson and a Senator Ford. Wake up - the rest of this State is not where you are at. Baby steps my friend - ideological shifts don't happen over night. In the meantime, we can choose "electable" Democratic candidates or watch Red creep from the East to the West until the only "blue" you see is in your mood. And if you think people who have had their character attacked and their name slandered by the "new" will now be a wise and helpful teacher - well, I'd like to have a little of what your smoking. If that happens, David Cocke is an even bigger man than I thought.
Sure, I get it. And quite frankly, I'm sick to death of hearing it. I know it's hard for the most liberal of the party to understand the virtue of Pragmatic politics - in fact that's why Democrats keep getting beat. I mean after all your right, of course -- an Ed Bryant or Van Hillery would be much better than a Governor Bredenson and a Senator Ford. Wake up - the rest of this State is not where you are at. Baby steps my friend - ideological shifts don't happen over night. In the meantime, we can choose "electable" Democratic candidates or watch Red creep from the East to the West until the only "blue" you see is in your mood. And if you think people who have had their character attacked and their name slandered by the "new" will now be a wise and helpful teacher - well, I'd like to have a little of what your smoking. If that happens, David Cocke is an even bigger man than I thought.
Sure, I get it. And quite frankly, I'm sick to death of hearing it. I know it's hard for the most liberal of the party to understand the virtue of Pragmatic politics - in fact that's why Democrats keep getting beat. I mean after all your right, of course -- an Ed Bryant or Van Hillery would be much better than a Governor Bredenson and a Senator Ford. Wake up - the rest of this State is not where you are at. Baby steps my friend - ideological shifts don't happen over night. In the meantime, we can choose "electable" Democratic candidates or watch Red creep from the East to the West until the only "blue" you see is in your mood. And if you think people who have had their character attacked and their name slandered by the "new" will now be a wise and helpful teacher - well, I'd like to have a little of what your smoking. If that happens, David Cocke is an even bigger man than I thought.
For the first time I see how our DINO govornor has been able to the damage he has done. You are right Steve if he were a Republican he could not have gotten away with this mess. I thought he was going to fix Tenn Care. Any of use could do what he is doing just cut it out.
So, Anonymous the 1st, DINOs are the best we can hope for?
BULLSHIT.
I understand that once you leave Shelby County, the state turns red, and that even the old standby of Davidson County is turning purple.
However, I'll be damned if I'm going to vote for people who call themselves Democrats who have lost all touch with what the progressive movement stands for.
Like I said, you may not be able to win WITH us, but you sure as hell can't win without us.
And, another thing: if Hilleary were Governor, the GA would have done whatever it took to fix TennCare, and not let him run roughshod over them.
If Hilleary were governor, they would never have voted for that godawful workers compensation bill.
Who knows, they might have even voted for an income tax to piss him off.
So, yes, we WOULD have been better off under Hilleary.
As for Harold, at the rate he's going, he'll wind up trying to out-flank Bryant on the right!
Please stop calling yourself a Democrat. Anyone who thinks we'd be better off under a Republican Governor and Republican Senator is NOT a Democrat. In fact you do more harm than good - so, if you love them so much . . . please, by all means - JOIN THEM.
I'm a better Democrat than YOU are because I remember what the Party stood for at one time: civil rights, a social agenda to assist the poor, the working class, and the middle class.
I'm not going to accept wimpy DINOs anymore who will vote with the GOP to appease the right-wingers, who will NEVER be appeased.
It's time to fight, and I see you don't have the stomach for it.
If these people who say they want to change the direction of the party really do,(and I think they do)
then let them help where they can do some good. Right now we have two important races being filled special election style. District 29 state senate and District 87 state house There are a ton of people running in 29 including
State Representatives John DeBerry,Barbara Cooper, Henri Brooks plus
many other fine candidates in the house race there are 4 candidates two whom have state contracts witch is a no no, plus one say's he's a consultant who knows what that means. Anyway just get out and do something to help someone and quit fussing about the convention and who's voting for chair ect. instead
get out and vote for real if your in those districts if not go help someone
who is.
Jay, I suspect some of these folks may well be involved in the Senate 29 race, given the large field.
I am interested in your comments, though, though about House 87. Do you have names to attach to those state contracts? Which one of the four is a "consultant", a term that got John Ford in trouble?
I'm just curious...
I'd say Steve is generally correct, and that this thread represents why Democrats are always taking two steps up and three steps back.
Dems have to be a party that stands for something other than making sure someone who calls him/herself a Democrat--whether they stand for Democratic values or not-- gets elected. The reason the GOP has it easy is, largely, hegemony--- and the ability to prey on fears that things voters hold dear (guns, god, and greenbacks) might be taken away.
The best way to prove that Democrats are the party of the people is to stand (and I mean STAND) for things that do the most good for the most people. Electing DINOs (and god I hate that facile phrase)may be easier, but when has doing the right thing ever been easy. I smell cowards lurking here, and I smell laziness.
Rocky loses at the end of the first movie, but--in spite of Apollo Creed's all-American flash and dazzle, it's the Italian Stallion who wins our hearts and sets us up for a victorius sequel.
That's a simple-minded analogy, I know, but I've been taught not to speak over or under my audience. Now is the perfect time to put PURE politics aside for a minute and get down to the nitty gritty of creating policy that does the most good for the most people.
Anybody who thinks Steve's having a pipe dream should genuinely consider having a toke of whatever he's smoking. He's talking about standing for something that is easy to define, and that people can relate to.
That may not be how you win THE NEXT election, but it's how you win all the rest.
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