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After the Future

Dems Need to Keep Some Perspective

Greenwald today: If those who spent the last eight years vigorously opposing the radicalism, militarism, and anti-constitutional abuses of the Bush administration fail to oppose the Democratic leadership with equal…

Greenwald today:

If those who spent the last eight years vigorously opposing the radicalism, militarism, and anti-constitutional abuses of the Bush administration fail to oppose the Democratic leadership with equal fervor when they violate the same principles — as they inevitably will — then the humiliation of the Right and its removal from power will be emotionally satisfying, perfectly just, and a very mild improvement, but will ensure the continuation rather than the termination of most of the worst abuses of this government.

It's certainly true that there are more good national Democratic office-holders than Republicans — it's not even close (anyone doubting that should just review the vote totals on the key votes during the Bush era).  But within the Democratic Party, the good members are vastly outnumbered by the bad.  The (understandable) euphoria over the anticipated obliteration of the extremist right-wing movement that has dominated our politics for years (which I share) shouldn't obscure the fact that the alternative — the national Democratic Party — shares many of the same sicknesses and is burdened by whole new ones as well, and itself will need far more opposing and changing than supporting and affirming.

While principled conservatives would probably endorse the first paragraph, they might have trouble with parts of the second.  But I think Greenwald has it right. The Republicans as a group are bloody awful, but the Dems are only slightly better. Pelosi and Reid are loathsome. The Blue Dogs, DLC, and New Democrats are deeply implicated in the worst parts of a corrupt corporate-lobbyist system that plays way too strong a role in shaping the legislative agenda. The Progressive Caucuses are a mixed bag. I'd like to see what I've been describing here as a Whig coalition of principled conservatives and "good" Democrats to be formed that would push for changing the rules of the game.

Most Republicans and Democrats are unprincipled game players who do what they have to do to advance their careers. They are passive followers who accept that the rules as they are currently configured are reality.  That was my problem with Bill and Hillary. They were both too comfortable with the current rules. But we have an historic opportunity to change them, and if they get changed these passive pols will fall into line. They are like Pavlov's dogs; they just need to be retrained to new behaviors when they hear the bell.  But someone has to do the hard work required to change the conditioning routines. That's where leadership comes in.  Will Obama bring it?  I think he understands the problem, and a part of him wants to change the game, but it's unclear whether he has the capability and courage to do it.  It's up to the Whigs among us to push him where I believe he wants to go.

Comments

6 responses

  1. Guy Fawkes Avatar
    Guy Fawkes

    We will be facing so many disasters and potential disasters both foreign and domestic over the next 4-8 years in the “big issues” that Obama and the Dems MUST govern effectively. (Either that, or we’re looking at a governmental upheaval that not even the Republicans will be able to benefit from.)
    I don’t know whether the Dems are up to it either–but I think Obama shows more potential for real political will ‘n skill than just about any prominent Dem on the national stage.
    My dime-store fantasy about O. is that he’s “our” Bush–someone who drastically changes the course of this country–of course, minus the mendacity, stupidity, short-sightedness, contempt for the rule of law, etc. but with the ability to change the whole frame of our politics and priorities.

    Reply
  2. Jack Whelan Avatar
    Jack Whelan

    It’s happened before; it could happen again. Obama has this Tolstoyan man of destiny thing going. Has it struck anyone else how his opponents both in his senate race and now in this presidential race both self destructed to clear the way for his advancement? Will the way be clearer for him than for his Democratic predecessors once elected?
    We’ll see, but the atmosphere of emergency will give him a lot of capital to work with. If he uses it well, he could be the game changer we need.

    Reply
  3. Thomas Daulton Avatar
    Thomas Daulton

    Of course, nobody asks whether the fact… {that the vast majority of the successful national politicians are, to use a polite word, schmucks…} might indicate a flaw in the entire political system, i.e., the system selects for schmucks. And perhaps something like proportional representation or allowing voters to prioritize candidates, might just fix that flaw. But no, we just lurch from one crisis of bad governance to the next, so there’s never any time to attend to the “niceties” of reforming the political system itself, and of course those who were put in power by the flawed system don’t see its flaws as a bad thing.

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  4. Jack Whelan Avatar
    Jack Whelan

    Thomas–
    I don’t know if there’s any way of getting around the schmuck factor. Politics will always attract careerists who tell people what they want to hear and the people who will tell the people hard truths they don’t want to hear don’t get elected.
    Jimmy Carter’s malaise speech was roundly ridiculed at the time, and we’re getting round now to seeing how if we heeded it rather than going into the morning in America fantasy that we chose instead, we’d be better off today.
    The element that makes me hopeful, not about getting better politicians, but about getting a better structure, is the opportunity afforded by the current crisis. We don’t change unless we’re forced to by the discomfort of the current arrangements. I don’t want the pain, but maybe that’s the only way in the long run we gain.

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  5. Thomas Daulton Avatar
    Thomas Daulton

    Thanks very much for the thoughtful response. I was just trying to point out that some other countries use different voting systems, and thereby seem to have avoided the monotone politics that have characterized the US for several decades. You’re right that nobody wants to elect bad news, except maybe during a crisis.
    So far, though, this current “financial crisis” (of less than a year) hasn’t impressed me with people motivated to pick real solutions. My nutshell summary is, the politicians (D&R alike) leapt to a quick-fix, “throw money at our rich friends” solution, and the voters called their representatives to reject it mainly out of spite, “If my finances are in the toilet then I don’t want rich people gettin’ my tax dollars either”. Very sensible spite, but spite nontheless, still nobody is examining things from a systemic point of view.
    You probably know I’m new here, just came over from Slacktivist for a look around, so I’ve only read a few of your posts. What I’ve read so far, posts and comments alike, seems extremely intelligent. So I hope to stay awhile.

    Reply
  6. Guy Fawkes Avatar
    Guy Fawkes

    Though I hate identity politics overall, some of the things that gladden me most about Obama is that he really does embody what I think of as a 21st Century American vision.
    He’s lived abroad;
    He’s multiracial;
    He understands technology and that data is the ultimate commodity;
    He’s only just barely a Baby Boomer and understands the problems and preoccupations of the generations coming up;
    And so forth.
    America’s image benefit alone from his election could be enormous. The most hateful jihadist in the Third World would have to stop and pause for a second and wonder if something really has changed in this country when they see him in the Oval Office. (They may be right to be cynical anyway and that America to them is still a beast, but the power of that image of President Barack Hussein Obama won’t always be so easily dismissed.)

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