Pragmatism vs. Idealism in a Real World

[MineralMan]

I've started a series of posts here on DU that are trying to suggest actual ways we can correct the mistakes made in 2016. I'll be continuing to write those posts from now on. I fully expect to hear from some people that I'm being a "pragmatist" or a "woodchuck." For me, suggesting that practical ideas about unity and cooperation in achieving goals are somehow the wrong approach makes no sense. So, I pretty much ignore such accusations, because I believe they're of little value.

Right now, today, we're seeing the results of idealism on the part of some - an idealism that made it impossible for a small minority of voters to vote to elect a Democratic candidate for President in 2016. A side effect of that is that we also lost some Senate seats we should have won. We ended up with a disastrous Republican candidate sitting in the White House and lost an opportunity to gain seats in both houses of Congress. That's going to inevitably lead to a conservative imbalance in the Supreme Court. increasing the damage.

I cannot, for the life of me, see any material benefits that derived from our inability to cooperate in electing a Democrat as President. I can see the harm, though, in that approach. So. I'm moved to post about how we can correct our mistake. I'll be posting much as I have for a very long time on DU, offering practical, pragmatic ways we can improve results in our elections. We lost, barely, but badly, in 2016. The consequences of that loss will be felt in many ways and will harm many people.

I hope we can figure out how to get along as Democrats, because if we cannot, we will not regain control of Congress and the White House. We've seen what can happen when we divide the party into two camps. Unless we stop doing that, the Republicans will continue to win, and we'll continue to lose ground. So, please bear with me, and see if what I'm saying make sense in practical terms. If you have practical, pragmatic ideas to help us succeed, I hope you'll share them.

[caroldansen]

1. I think when it all comes down to the vote we will all vote democratic regardless of differences. We

are still all democrats. And I think a lot of republicans have learned a hard lesson or are in the process of learning it.

[MineralMan]

2. We did not all do so in 2016.

I hope we learned from that. I hope we also learned that no election for any office can be taken for granted. We must work hard to ensure that Democrats win in as many races as possible.

[Demsrule86]

3. It is clear that Russians as well as Republicans worked to divide Democrats and elect Trump...

and it worked...let's be smarter next time...I am convinced that Stein is Putin's girl.

[Exilednight]

4. Pragmatism is a VERY subjective word.

What's pragmatic to me will most certainly not be pragmatic to you.

As a pragmatic matter, I can see the value in Democratic leadership being as vocal as possible in support for a single payer system. A more centrist Democrat will say that single payer is unicorn and rainbows.

As a pragmatic approach, I would argue that they start fighting today in the hopes of winning in the future.

Republicans are the master of this approach. Since Reagan they've been fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and the EPA, it's been one of their many mottos since 1980 and they've never wavered, and now they're on the verge of doing it.

When our party leadership shows the same passion that Republicans have, then and only then will we start. Winning back seats on all levels.