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Edited on Sat Aug-12-06 08:13 AM by Gman
Whereas I was actually pretty much ambivalent about Lamont-Lieberman because I don't live in CT, I do like Lieberman. I (at least as of 7:37 a.m. CDT on 8/12/06) consider him a good Democrat. But just like a lot of other Dems, I've gotten pretty pissed at him for a lot of his votes. I think that, in general, Lieberman has been a pretty good Democrat.
I posted a thread the other day pointing out Lieberman's labor voting record and asking if anyone cared that Lieberman had an 84% right labor record and (like) 92% in 2005. Of 203 responses only a handful expressed that his labor record was a good thing and that it was important. By far, the rest of the responses were of the genre that Lieberman was a bad Democrat as defined by the "progressives", whatever that means.
In fact, progressives do not come close to speaking for all Democrats, just as neither do the moderates or the DLC types. That's always been the case in the party. One group of the many that make up the party does not speak for the entire party.
This party is very diverse. When a platform is put together at a convention, each plank is agreed to by all parties. Often it happens that a single plank, for example a plank on a living wage, may be very important to organized labor but the, for example, environmentalists on the committee may not feel as passionate about it because that's not one of their core issues. But the plank is approved as a concession to labor because the plank is important to labor. Then later when a plank comes up for a vote, the environmentalists expect labor to support their plank on, for example, global warming.
My point here is twofold. First, we all need each other because alone, we have little power. And secondly, we are all working in the same general direction. As each of these planks or issues is put out there, we then have a set of core beliefs that, in general, define our party. Everyone may not feel strongly about every issue, but at least everyone should support most of the planks if not all. I know lots of union members that are against abortion and you'd have to pry their cold dead finger off the trigger of their gun. But they vote Democrat because they understand a Democrat will do what they can to help them feed their family. That vote for a Democrat because of feelings on a labor issue also benefits every other group in the party.
And, keep in mind that voters like those that feel strongly about their guns but vote Democrat on labor issues are the voters most likely to get split off by wedge issues. The environmentalists or women groups, or whoever also need their votes for a Democrat candidate for the sake of their own issues. None of the groups should be alienating him/(and yes, even) her. I remember several times while lobbying where we said, something like, "Well this group is real close with this representative. We can call so-and-so and have them talk to him/her for us." This strategy often did work and we would get the vote from that Democrat represenative.
Up until some 20 years ago here in the South, the two party system we had was conservative Democrats against liberal Democrats. Neither group was the party. They both were. But they fought like opposition parties. However, there were still groups like labor that could sometimes get the vote in the legislature or Congress of a conservative Democrat on a labor economic issue. (Sen. Lloyd Bentson comes to mind.) Other more liberal groups were pissed at labor for their support of the guy, but labor would support the guy in the primary. For the record, Bentson only had a like 50% right labor record. But the feeling was he was still better than the alternative (which later turned out to be Phil Gramm). Of course since then, the conservative Democrats are now Republicans as well they should be. (Remember that Phil Gramm resigned his position as a Democratic Congressman and ran in the special election to fill that spot as a Republican and won.) But those groups that remain still don't individually and exclusively speak for all parts of the party.
There are good liberal Democrats that are strongly against abortion. But they're right on environment, labor, economic issues and the war. They just have strong feelings against abortion. That doesn't make them bad people or bad Democrats, it just makes them good Democrats that are against abortion. The problems we have with these Democrats should not be how they are with one or even two issues, but when they are wrong on several of the issues to the point they are tipped over to being Republicans. (And yes, Lieberman is close to the tipping point in a lot of ways.) One, two or even a few issues alone should not do that because we need their vote whether it be at the ballot box or in the legislature or Congress. When you become a party of ideological purity you marginalize yourself. There is power in numbers which is why we have all come together from different ideological backgrounds and call ourselves Democrats. Individually, you are the fringe.
As for myself, I'm more moderate than most progressives. On Zogby's poll, I check my ideology as liberal, just below progressive at the top of the list. Some people here would exclaim a loud, "Ha!" from my having said that. But that's the way I see it. One of the responses to my labor question about Lieberman the other day told me to go back to FR, and I've been here at DU for 5 1/2 years. I was a precinct committee for over 20 years and a delegate to our state convention every year since 1972. I've served on our State Executive Committee and I've been a delegate to 2 national conventions. I'm a Democrat. We may not agree on some issues, but that doesn't mean I don't consider you a Democrat. We're never going to agree on all issues. But when we work together, each group supporting the issues of another group in order to get support for their own issues we can get a helluva lot done.
I didn't intend to get this longwinded, but I want to say what I think needs to be said.
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