Why is progress so hard?
This morning DailyKos had a piece about how pressure is mounting on Blue Dog Democrats to get behind the public option. I should hope so. Data is mounting up that it makes excellent fiscal sense. The public option is polling above 60 percent nationally. It's even polling well in their more conservative-leaning districts.
It's not exactly rocket science to see that impeding the public option only impedes their own re-election prospects. And yet, the Blue Dogs don't yet seem to get it.
It would be frustrating enough if it were just this one issue. But it isn't. It's everything.
I defy anyone name a single piece of important progressive legislation that didn't share similar traits: economically smart for the long term, obviously beneficial to the populace at large, and yet steadfastly opposed by the supposedly intelligent people who we sent to Congress so they could improve the country in the first place!
It's always like this. Progress is always so hard. Why? Why is it so hard for these elected Senators and Representatives to just to the right/smart/not-evil thing?
Just be good. That's all I'm saying. Do unto others, and all that.
Pass legislation that tangibly improves people's lives, go home to your districts and say "re-elect me because I tangibly improved your life, and if you send me back here are three other important things I'll work on for you."
Personally, I'm not that hard to please. I'm really not. I think that's a great deal. You make my life better, I give you my vote. Win-win, right? Easy.
So why, O Ye August Elected Officials, do you make it so hard? Why do we have to drag you, kicking and screaming like a two year old to the bath, just to vote in the public interest?
Oh, right. It's because you took money from corporate interests, isn't it? Yeah, that's it.
Why do you do that? Why? Sure, it's easy money, but it ends up making you feel obligated to stab your constituents in the back.
You take the money, and suddenly you find yourself having to say, in public, that you're not in favor of fiscally responsible, publically beneficial, and wildly popular pieces of progress like the Public Option. You make us question why we ever sent you to D.C. in the first place. You make it harder--and more expensive--to get yourself re-elected.
It's not like it's even that much money. Most of the time, it's chump change compared to the real costs of an election. So explain to me--while you're busy telling me how the $900 junk insurance that we can't afford is better for my family than a robust public option--how that makes any sense.
Stop making it so hard, guys. Quit stabbing us in the back. Do what we sent you to Washington to do, and we'll send you back. Deal?
It's not exactly rocket science to see that impeding the public option only impedes their own re-election prospects. And yet, the Blue Dogs don't yet seem to get it.
It would be frustrating enough if it were just this one issue. But it isn't. It's everything.
I defy anyone name a single piece of important progressive legislation that didn't share similar traits: economically smart for the long term, obviously beneficial to the populace at large, and yet steadfastly opposed by the supposedly intelligent people who we sent to Congress so they could improve the country in the first place!
It's always like this. Progress is always so hard. Why? Why is it so hard for these elected Senators and Representatives to just to the right/smart/not-evil thing?
Just be good. That's all I'm saying. Do unto others, and all that.
Pass legislation that tangibly improves people's lives, go home to your districts and say "re-elect me because I tangibly improved your life, and if you send me back here are three other important things I'll work on for you."
Personally, I'm not that hard to please. I'm really not. I think that's a great deal. You make my life better, I give you my vote. Win-win, right? Easy.
So why, O Ye August Elected Officials, do you make it so hard? Why do we have to drag you, kicking and screaming like a two year old to the bath, just to vote in the public interest?
Oh, right. It's because you took money from corporate interests, isn't it? Yeah, that's it.
Why do you do that? Why? Sure, it's easy money, but it ends up making you feel obligated to stab your constituents in the back.
You take the money, and suddenly you find yourself having to say, in public, that you're not in favor of fiscally responsible, publically beneficial, and wildly popular pieces of progress like the Public Option. You make us question why we ever sent you to D.C. in the first place. You make it harder--and more expensive--to get yourself re-elected.
It's not like it's even that much money. Most of the time, it's chump change compared to the real costs of an election. So explain to me--while you're busy telling me how the $900 junk insurance that we can't afford is better for my family than a robust public option--how that makes any sense.
Stop making it so hard, guys. Quit stabbing us in the back. Do what we sent you to Washington to do, and we'll send you back. Deal?
# Posted by Jason Black : 10:45 AM
Comments:
Hey, Democrats! Although I left your silly party over a decade ago, my heart is still essentially with your platform and agenda. That being said, I would ask all of you to think of me as Dr. Degan, your loving and trusted family veterinarian. After a complete and thorough examination of your beloved pets, it grieves me to offer you this final diagnosis:
Your Blue Dogs must be put to sleep.
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
Perhaps it's time for all progressives to recognize that the Democratic party as a whole, is not the progressive party we are seeking. Sure, there are shining stars like Dennis Kucinich, but if anything, I don't see the rest of the party supporting him in things like trying to impeach Bush and Cheney, trying to get a real investigation into what happened during 9/11, trying to pass single payer health care, trying to protect healthy food growth and processing by looking into the practices of companies like Monsanto, etc. etc. etc.
Perhaps it's time to leave the Democrats behind and elect people who really represent us. Independents like Bernie Sanders (if only we were so lucky in Washington State). I say the hell with party names. Let's elect them on their stance on the issues once and for all.
"So why, O Ye August Elected Officials, do you make it so hard? Why do we have to drag you, kicking and screaming like a two year old to the bath, just to vote in the public interest?"
There is a whole industry (right wing noise machine) dedicated to convincing people to vote against their interests. It has been working for over 20 years, with demonstrable results. That's "why." How to change it is a harder question.
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