http://journals.democraticunderground.com/izzybeans/45I've tried negative and know that gets a response. However, I can't stand the negative approach, I prefer the more optimistic one.
Who shares in my glee? My journal explains why.
On edit: I wrote this before the Pastor Wright b.s. The divisiveness tempers my optimism, only a tiny fraction, but enough to get me steamed about it.
***begin snip****
If you don't like to read, I made the same argument via a Limerick here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu... Why am I happy about the Democratic primary? The easy answer is that the democrats are dominating the air waves right now. But that is just simulacrum for professional blabber mouths to entertain themselves (and pad paychecks) with. Nope, rather there is one other simple reason: It scares the shit out of the republicans who realize they were free riding the political system of the so-called red states. They always understood that they held merely a de facto advantage on national politics there. They filled a void left by an out-of-touch national Democratic Party, which became too beholden to the chattering class telling them to play the numbers in larger population centers. This left places like where I grew up, in the deep, deep southern hills of Indiana, in the political dark. Local democrats received no support from the national party, but maintained strong webs of influence on the local level. When it came to national politics, rather than cultivate local talent who held the trust of the people there, we were sent carpetbaggers from the East who knew nothing of local politics and dismissed local citizen leaders (the denizens of the local web of influence) as naive to the "ways of politics". Needless to say that misplaced arrogance got their asses kicked year in and year out, because they faced a local Republican party that was keyed into the resources of the national committee. Their candidates were prominent members of the community, despite their predictable lap dog mentality. Thank you Governor Dean, you finally did the right thing and built upon local influence and rebuilt the progressive coalition. Thank you. My mother thanks you, and the thousands of others whom I came to know thank you. It was about damn time you worked with them, not in spite of them.
Now what in the fuck does this have to do with this primary. Everything. It is a perfect opportunity to capitalize on Governor Deans strategy. For the first time national politicians are entering the late state primaries and are serious about building coalitions with the people there. So long as they aren't talking at them, but with them they will be successful. If you think we will lose the "red states" because of past results. I say, "have 'the audacity to hope' because there truly is a new brand of democratic politics going on here." We can thank all of our primary candidates for that. Despite the negativity, despite the in-fighting, both candidates will have, for the first time in my life, mobilized resources in states formerly written off by the party elite. For that reason I celebrate this primary. We finally have the infrastructure to compete nationwide. It is not the message or medium that matters, it is the medium and the message, together. Democratic values are being transmitted through local networks built on relationships and trust. It's not some outsider speaking at you through a t.v. screen. It's your sister, your neighbor, your student, etc. Rejoice in that, for once. And keep it moving, beyond electoral politics. It's the substance of civil society, rewoven to your political advantage.
Now I'm rambling. that's enough.
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