It has been years since my last diary. I opted out of this conversation long ago when I sensed that we on the left were too divided to get out of our own way.
Look where that's gotten us.
The time has come to start figuring out a way forward. We can no longer afford to waste our energies fighting each other. With that in mind — a few thoughts from yours truly:
1. Yes, we currently are experiencing a disaster.
2. No, it isn't the death of our party nor a cue for desperation. It's a cue for unity of purpose and meaningful action.
3. Yes, we can still win National elections without making fundamental changes. Remember, we lost the White House by 100,000 people. That can be turned around.
4. Just because we don't “need” fundamental change to win again, does not mean that we couldn't be a better party with some fundamental changes.
5. We need to stop attacking the DNC and aim our fire outwards.
6. The DNC does need to change, both in substance and for rebranding purposes.
7. It is time to stop litigating the last primaries. Just stop — see numbers 5 and 6 above.
8. We don't have to “empathize” with the poor white working class at the expense of “identity groups.” We should NEVER turn our backs on people of color, the LGBTQ community or other historically disenfranchised communities. If anything, we need to do much more for them and never take them for granted.
9. We should empathize with and include the white working class because it is the right thing to do. We need to offer them our best ideas.
10. Our best ideas may not convince the white working class to vote for us — as the truth is that globalization and technological pressures may make a return to the life they seek impossible.
11. We need to build out from the youth in rural communities. They are less likely to want a return to the past, and more likely to be open to new visions of the future.
12. Across the board, we need a bolder response to globalization and the technological displacement of workers. Right now, even our most progressive ideas (slowing free trade, raising the minimum wage, financial regulation, etc) amount to managing decline. We need to rethink work itself — perhaps moving to a shorter work week or even championing a universal basic income.
13. Realize that any country willing to elect Donald Trump in order to shake things up wants something much bolder than we’ve been offering.
14. The above said — we need to elect and embrace more conservative Dems in red states again. Failing to do so only leaves those areas vulnerable to movement conservatives.
15. The trick is to move the Overton window by always pushing for bolder ideas in the primary argument, while accepting that our red-area reps will likely moderate the speed of our progress. Anticipate this and don't make them villains.
16. Fight like hell against the GOP’s attempts to further institutionalize their political hold.
17. Do the above without simultaneously helping them tear down the foundations of our system in the process.
18. Accept that as an ongoing strategy, we simply cannot fight back as dirty as they fight, because to do so simply underscores their argument that government doesn't work.
19. Don't hesitate to fight back as dirty as they do in isolated and strategic instances.
20. Remember that our job is harder than theirs. Building is hard, tearing down is easy. Don't whine about it.
21. Stop making our argument about “the oligarchy.” You aren't wrong that an oligarchy exists, but it's a largely useless construct When it comes to election politics. Being at war against the oligarchy is the same as being at war against greed itself. A war against greed is as stupid as a war against terror.
22. Stop calling people racists. Some are, but personalizing it never helps. The issue is institutional racism.
23. Let's move past the frame of global warming and instead simply talk about the environment. It isn't important whether people agree with us as to what is happening and why. It's important to get them to act in the most aggressively positive ways possible — regardless of their justifications for doing so.
24. Let's endeavor to be less tolerant of voices that demean other people’s religious faith...or lack thereof. We don't need to accommodate prejudices that are justified in the name of religion, but it's counterproductive to mock the faith choices of others.
25. Vote with your dollars and your action every chance you get in between elections.
