The Good Fight

[H2O Man]

Last edited Thu Jan 7, 2016, 03:59 PM - Edit history (1)

Earlier this week, a couple of my co-workers in grass roots activism visited me, to discuss our plans for 2016. Before we got started, we watched some “news” on MSNBC. One friend noted that the more progressive voices on MSNBC had been silenced -- people like Ed Shultz and David Shuster. I noted that there are documented examples of the republican machine putting pressure on MSNBC executives to fire Chris Matthews, back when he was reporting on VP Cheney and Scooter Libby’s central roles in the “Plame Scandal.”

My friend pointed out that even among those progressives still featured on various shows, there appeared to be conscious efforts to not offend the right wing, by telling the truth and pointing out republican lies. I thought about this last night, when I started reading one of the Christmas presents from my children (they gave me eight books on politics, adding up to over 4,000 pages of good reading).

I had read Jonathan Alter’s “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” shortly after it was published. It is a good book, and while reading it, I recognized that Mr. Alter is actually a bit more “to the left” than he comes across while on MSNBC. Clearly, writing a book offers him a better format to speak his mind openly, than does being a guest panelist onan evening talk show.

The second book in this series, “The Center Holds: Obama and his Enemies,” is even better. I think that this book has enough value to be of interest to both members of the Democratic Party and Democratic Left. The author speaks openly about his admiration of President Obama -- he has been highly impressed with Obama, since he was a state senator. But the book isn’t simply an exercise in cheerleading: he focuses on the divisions within the Democratic Party; how the republicans seek to exploit these divisions; and the very real threats the republican party and the tea party pose to our constitutional democracy.

Chapter 6, for example, is titled, “The Voter-Suppression Project.” There is an on-going, coordinated effort in at least 19 states to “discourage” non-republican voters from pulling the levers in local, state, and federal elections. The republican machine targets two groups in particular: non-white citizens, and young people. This includes specific, unethical efforts to deny black and Hispanic citizens from being registered voters. And the republican play-book for this operation comes straight out of Nixonland.

By 2010, the republican machine was confident that they would, after the 2012 election, hold the reins of power in the House, Senate, and White House -- thus allowing them to stack the deck in the US Supreme Court. This master plan sought to coordinate the five identified wings of the republican party: the “deficit hawk” party elders; the neoconservatives; the “small government” libertarians; the Christian hawks; and the tea party. To the extent they could coordinate their efforts, the republican elders were confident that they could de-fund Planned Parenthood and other social programs; destroy “Obama-care.”; end environmental protections; and increase the theater of war in the Middle East.

Now, that sounds like a republican wet dream, and unrealistic to boot. This is especially so, when we consider the harsh divides in the republican party in the context of the current presidential primary season. The republican elders had believed they could control the tea party with a few corporate contributions. While this worked initially, the tea party has become their Frankenstein monster, which threatens to demolish the balancing act required for a united front.

Still, we cannot count upon the republicans’ self-destruction to bring about stability in politics. In fact, it’s just the opposite: the republican party’s inner turmoil presents a most serious threat to social justice in America. Donald Trump’s candidacy has morphed from a pathetic joke to the very real threat of fascism.

Alter’s book -- including, obviously, its title -- makes use of William Butler Yeats’ 1919 poem, “The Second Coming.” The book opens with the following lines from that haunting piece:

“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”

A century later, we are witnessing that. Even today, the Trumpets are attempting to set up a confrontation between a projected “over-flow” crowd in Burlington, VT., and those who are planning to protest Trump’s appearance. It is no coincidence that this is being staged in Bernie Sanders’ home town.

These are not the tactics of a campaign that is confident that, if all the facts are laid out upon the table, and each candidate debates their positions, that the majority of all potential voters will support their candidate. Nor is it the approach of a campaign that merely seeks to deny a portion of the public their right to vote, by “legal” means (driver’s licenses, etc). Rather, it is the behavior of a bully and his gang, who will aggressively try to intimidate those who support the opposition. And it’s not limited to those who support Saunders …..no, this is just the first step.

The Trumpets view Bernie’s supporters as “weaklings” -- you know, egg heads and tree-huggers. Easy-to-scare victims. After this, they will focus more on those who support Hillary Clinton. The Trumpets view Clinton’s supporters as mainly women who need to be “put in their place.” They know they aren’t going to keep all Democrats from voting inNovember. But if they can prevent a segment from being able to vote, and frighten another segment from even trying to, that combination would vastly increase the republican candidate’s chances of winning.

What happens when Democrats do not vote? As Alter documents on page three of his book, it impacts far more than a presidential election ….and even more than House and Senate contests. Speaking of the 2010 mid-term elections, he notes:

“Beyond Congress, Republicans also won a landslide in the states, where they took eleven governorships, including five in battleground states won by Obama in 2008. It could have been even worse: In five other blue states, Democratic candidates for governor won by fewer than ten thousand votes, All told, the GOP now had control of twenty-nine of the fifty statehouses. Less noticed but perhaps more significant, Republicans picked up 680 state legislative seats, giving them control of more than half of state legislative chambers, the most since 1928. Not a single analyst on Election Night predicted what this might mean for election rules that could shape the outcome of the presidential race in 2012.”

The 2010 loses were primarily due to the low numbers of Democrats who got out to vote. It takes no insight or skill to point fingers, and assign blame, for the low turnout. We know that there are two general schools of thought on this -- the liberals didn’t get out to support the party versus the party leaders put forth uninspiring candidates. Suffice to say both sides are “right” and “wrong” ….which simply means that such thinking creates an environment where even the most repulsive of republican candidates can win elections.

At risk of sounding like Chicken Little, clucking that 2016 is the most important election in human history, I am convinced that we do not have the luxury of approaching the November elections in a business-as-usual manner. I do not mistake Donald Trump or Ted Cruz as evil super-geniuses, exercising an unwholesome but complete control over their flock of followers. Neither are extraordinary, visionary leaders. What is of concern is the growing energy force that motivates their crowds.

More, I am concerned with the flip side of that coin: the good people of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Left. I’m concerned with the intensity of the acrimony that is saturating the discussions between the various wings of our party ….and how that could result in a low and divided voter turn-out in November. The hostilities that are dividing various camps of Democrats make a cooperative, coordinated front in November increasingly difficult.

Thank you for reading this rant, and keep on fighting the Good Fight!
-- H2O Man

[Scuba]

1. It bothers me that you see a divide between ...

... "the good people of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Left."


In my humble opinion, the Democratic Left make up the good people of the party. The so-called "centrists" and "moderates" are basically Republicans who are OK with gay marriage and out-and-out infiltrators funded by the same people pulling the strings in the Republican Party. To wit: when we ousted Mike Tate as Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, two of his key staffers immediately went (back?) to work for a right-wing think tank.

The Democratic Party needs to go back to its roots: FDR-like policies that benefit the vast majority of Americans rather than catering to the wealthy. Only then will we attract support from the largest body of potential voters - the disaffected who don't bother because they see the parties as being too similar.

Just my two cents. Thanks for this, and your many excellent posts.

[H2O Man]

3. There are many, many

members of the Democratic Left who are not members of the Democratic Party. Some are registered as independents; others are greens, socialists, and other similar identities. (And, of course, some registered Democrats are of the Democratic Left.)

Even DU, when it began, was a discussion site that welcomed the Democratic Left. Indeed, the Democratic Left is a natural ally with liberal and progressive members of the Democratic Party. I can see no other way of keeping moderate and conservative Democrats from moving the party so far to the right, that it becomes para-republican.

[Scuba]

5. Interesting. I see the "Democratic Left" as being the "liberal and progressive members of ...

... the Democratic Party," not their allies. I guess it's just a matter of semantics.

Thanks for your reply. We certainly agree that moderate and conservative members of the party are moving it into para-
Republican terrority.

[H2O Man]

7. Part of it is

likely my going by the definitions I learned when I was young -- centuries ago (!) -- that apparently are no longer in common usage. My older relatives on my father's side were all FDR Democrats; among them were numerous railroad union activists, who broke bread with the socialists of their day. I grew up knowing the socialists as "the Democratic Left."

In "local politics" in my region, I work closely with people who are not registered Democrats. Heck, we even have a few registered republicans who are horrified at what their party has become .....they haven't changed their registration, but they have surely changed their voting patterns. It's been that combination of people -- Democrats, the Democratic Left, and sane republicans -- that has allowed us to win about 75% of the local contests we compete in.

While we might use a few words differently, I am confident that our values are very much the same.

[Scuba]

17. Your definitions are probably better than mine. My parents were Republicans who would be ...

... horrified at what their party has become.

[H2O Man]

19. My parents were

both Democrats; my father was a union activist. On my mother's side, both parents were socialists and union activists (My maternal grandfather was also a US Marine drill instructor during WW2; I have a copy of a photo of him, that was on the cover of one of the Marine's training manuals. So, why he was a socialist, he was patriotic. Of course, there was an irrational fear of "socialism" back then .....come to think about it, there still is!)

[librechik]

2. thanks for the good words and great info, H2O Man

as usual.

Who can tell which way to sail when the waters and sky clash into a slashing maelstrom of eddies and powerful currents which consume everything?

Thanks for the guidance!

[H2O Man]

8. Thank you!

Sometimes, due to advancing age and on-going health issues, I'm tempted to just isolate, and turn off the outside world. I'm very comfortable in just hanging out alone, either inside my house, or out at my pond (with a small cabin, a large fire pit, and a medium-sized sweat lodge).

But, I still get calls from people from the four-county region around me, asking for advice and/or assistance in local social-political issues. Plus, as three of my four children are currently in college, I spend a fair amount of time talking with them and their friends about activism. And I really get a kick out of that!

There's something nice about having young folks being interested in what I think and say.

[mrdmk]

4. Sounding like Chicken Little, naw! You believe as I believe there has been rightward tend

in this counties politics, and in some regards, open and blatant in its means, not so much in the ends though. Are we as a country reaching a tipping point without a soft landing of reverting back? Maybe, but sure does feel like it...

I do believe that we as a species have more in common with each other than the assorted powers that be admit, are going to admit, and to exploit that admission to the fullest extent. It is to extent it insults our collective intelligence propagating these divisions. No wonder so many are angry about what is going on today.

Just my two cents, thank-you for the wonderful post.

[H2O Man]

10. Many thanks, mrdmk!

You raise some interesting points. There is a lot of fear behind the anger that is poisoning our society. And I understand why a lot of people do not feel "safe" these days, including not feeling "secure" financially. That creates a heck of a lot of stress.

In the past four weeks, I've had three people that I've been friends with for a long time, tell me that they are applying for pistol permits. Now, I am in favor of the Bill of Rights, including Amendment 2. But I do not believe we will all be "safer," if more people are packing pistols. Yet, the local police -- in two counties here -- are recommending that everyone eligible get their permit. More, a casual friend who is a public notary told me that she's been stamping about ten applications per week, over the past couple of months.

The atmosphere that encourages people to seek safety and security by way of guns concerns me.

[Old Codger]

6. A lot there

Much fact and truth there, I am becoming quite concerned that too many in control in the Dem. party leadership are way way too far right to be considered any sort of Dem....a lot aren't even half way between except in what they say.. Comparing that to what they do negates all they have said..

[H2O Man]

11. Great point.

The difference between what a politician says and does is too often stark. It's not simply bending the truth from time to time -- too many are simply compulsive (and repulsive) liars. And that makes it extremely hard, if not impossible, to vote for them .....even when it appears to be a case of the "lesser of two evils."

[Old Codger]

12. Also

You have to consider the fact that we, as in most of DU, take the time to discern the differences between truths, half truths and outright lies... Most of the rest of the country, the average voter does not...They get their information from sources that in themselves have no real interest in telling the truth..ie Fox,MSNBC etc.

[H2O Man]

14. Extremely important point.

I remember one of my brothers being frustrated by his wife's seeming inability to distinguish between "facts" and "fiction" in regard to social/political issues. He felt that this was rooted in an intellectual dishonesty upon her part. I pointed out to him how, rather frequently, the corporate media will place a fact and a fiction out for discussion, while pretending that each represented a valid point.

Now, I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But, as Senator Moynihan said, that does not entitle one to their own facts. And while not every issue has "right" and "wrong" answers, quite a few do.

Because the media grants equal merit to facts and fictions, it definitely influences -- in an entirely negative manner -- the public's perceptions of far too many important issues.

Thank you for raising that important point.

[spanone]

9. K&R...

if the republicans gain the white house with a republican congress the game may well be over.

the havoc they will wreak will be irreversible in my lifetime and probably the lifetime of my children.

it sickens me that it could come to that.

[H2O Man]

13. Well said.

As I started to respond to your post, I realized that I do not know your age. I'd speculate that, while younger than me, you are approximately of my generation. I apologize if you are significantly younger; my impression is that you lived through, and learned from, along the same lines as me. And that really stands out in your comment about the severe damage being done, not only making our life-times look bleak .....but making our children's futures look dark, as well.

I was talking with my daughters the other day, about how Rubin used to strongly recommend that I move our family to Toronto ......the idea of working closely was, obviously, appealing. But he also stressed how hated "America" was, around the globe. He said the empire was crumbling, and that it was unlikely to improve. I remember that in 2008, he thought that if the majority of Americans would invest in a serious effort to work with the newly elected president, there was a chance. But by 2010, he believed that opportunity had closed.

[spanone]

18. thank you...

what did dylan sing? 'my name it is nothing, my age it means less' but hell, he's doing commercials for IBM...so, go figure.

i'm 64 so we probably rode some of the same waves over the years...some ride, eh?

with a nod to mr. carter, in many ways it appears the empire is crumbling. i held the same optimism he did with the election President Obama.

but i sense no team effort for the good these day. the good has been bought and sold for a profit or loss, depending on need.

i fight cynicism everyday. this election cycle has made it very difficult. i maintain hope ...

[H2O Man]

20. Yep, same waves!

As a young man, I absolutely believed that our generation was going to usher in a higher level of being, than the generations before had done. There are times, my Friend, when I still ask myself what the hell happened? I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about.

These days, although my exposure to young folks tends to be limited to my children's friends, I'm pretty impressed. While I do not think they will be ushering in a new golden age, I think that they may be able to turn things around.

[murielm99]

15. I'm waiting to see what happens at this Trump rally.

He says he has no responsibility for the people outside the rally, those who can't get in.

For those who don't know, Trump's campaign gave out 20,000 tickets for an event in Burlington. The venue holds only 1400 people. Trump is looking for a confrontation. I hope no one is hurt. I hope this makes him look so bad that he loses support.

[H2O Man]

21. Right.

First, thanks for explaining the 20,000+ tickets distributed for a place that holds 1,400. I should have addressed that in more detail in the OP. I appreciate that you did!

Second, I share your concern, and hope that no one is injured. This kind of reminds me of recent events in NYS, when the pro-environment community held "anti-fracking" rallies, etc. The pro-fracking fellows, perhaps not by coincidence, are the same guys that I see backing Trump. They felt compelled to try to disrupt our public programs, and often threatened our people. Tonight's events definitely run the risk of such ill behaviors.

[mmonk]

16. The media plus abandoned of some democratic principles the Democratic Party has engaged in

in the last few decades has somewhat left us with this situation. All we can do is do our best. I will add getting money out of politics is imperative if any of us old timers want a political shift back to the average American and their welfare.

[H2O Man]

22. Definitely.

I think of the example of the media coverage of rallies. They almost totally ignore when Democrats hold rallies that are pro-environment, or advocating social justice. But they'll cover tea party rallies every time.

[H2O Man]

23. Alter's book has

a fair amount of information on Trump and the rabid right-wing. I think it would be accurate to say that he has been planning this campaign for some time. I think it is worth considering his dipping his toes in politics over the years; as I noted last month, Trump has sent word to Bush the Elder, when the former CIA director/vice president was running for president, that he (Trump) was willing to serve as Bush's VP.

What I'm having difficulty in finding out now, is what group Trump has used to mold his corporate publicity -- groups involved in "perception management" -- and if the campaign is using the same outfit. It's been harder for me to access that information. (Older forum members no doubt recall our discussions of this during the Bush/Cheney run-ups to war.

[Gregorian]

24. I think we lack defensive and offensive behavior.

Don't laugh, but there was a time when I first saw that a hot sauce came in a mild flavor. I actually became infuriated when I first saw it. It seemed weak and hypocritical. All of this in an isle of a grocers. Haha.

I don't know the mechanism, but I'll wager to guess. Bullies are scary, and most people tend to shy away. I do. I have a friend (oh no, here I go with my stories again...) who grew up in the black gangs of San Francisco in the early 60's. He's a white guy who grew up in that neighborhood. He'll take anything on. It has been so foreign to me I have had to just hear his motivation, and how he became that way. It was abuse that at some point he fought against. Slowly over the years I've begun to find a strength to fight back that I've always feared to use. I can even be civil while doing it sometimes.

So part of this is money. If we had term limits I don't know if that would help, with lobbying. But the idea that the longer one stays in a position of temptation, the more there is a chance they'll change from being a representative, to being someone who has a really high paying gig. I remember specifically how Dianne Feinstein behaved as mayor versus senator. Even her manner of speech changed. It was like she went from the people, to royalty.

I really appreciate hearing your thoughts on what's playing out in this election. They echo mine, for what that's worth. By the way, I have a "friend" who is very much like Trump. I've known him 40 years or more. I have a lot of experience with this type. I am both impressed by ability, and distressed by what I can only call neurosis. I doubt Trump is very talented. But people are attracted, even if subconsciously, to lots of his attributes.

Something Bernie Sanders does has me very excited during this election. I haven't thought about it, so I don't know if I can call it offensive. But he is definitely speaking out to untruths and truths. Dems have tried to "get along" with the system. It's as if there's a conveyor belt, and they get on it, when elected, and it takes them along. I don't know what is and what isn't possible to change, and who can change it. Bernie is doing what no Dem has done. He's fighting. I thought the law suit against the DNC was an offensive action. I could be wrong. But compared to where we've been. Like for example, Grey Davis in California. When he was being recalled, there was something going on with Cruz Bustamonte. I don't remember the details, but I do recall that they just kept their mouths closed. Some shit had happened (Enron), and instead of blowing the lid off, they quietly go where dogs with their tails between their legs go. I'm not forgetting MLK, JFK, RJK... And who knows. That has to be on a politician's mind. So that makes the fighting back even that more important as well as satisfying to see.

I better go outside. I've got crows waiting for me. I've named them. Betsy and Floyd.

[H2O Man]

25. The example of the

hot sauce has provided me inspiration for my next OP .....so, no, I'm surely not laughing about it.....though what it brings to mind is both humorous and scary. (Strange combination!)

I have friends and neighbors who honestly believe that Trump offers a way for America to be great again. They are sincere in that belief. Totally wrong, but sincere. Thus, the old question arises: is it possible to help the blind to see,and the deaf to hear?