The Left's New Majority

[Thom Little]

Something vital, exciting and underreported is happening across the United States: marginalised groups in the poorest communities are joining forces to improve their condition and win local electoral victories. This is the America of Latinos, African-Americans, religious progressives, union members, young people, and single women. Combined, these mostly progressive groups of the left constitute an actual and significant national majority. If the Democratic Party taps into this energy, it could help create the next social and political momentum in the United States and even win presidential elections. But typically, Democratic leadership does not work closely with these groups, their natural constituencies. This relationship has yet to become a reality.

Since the 2004 presidential election, the fashion on the American left has been to look at what the right did and try to do the same, as though the right have won a major victory in American consciousness. Even the second wave of progressive critics, who complain we obsess too much over Republican strategy, end up using the right's supposed victory over hearts and minds as an axis from which to build their arguments. But George W Bush never won a public mandate. The plurality he earned was largely a result of the withdrawal of Democratic campaigns from most states, in a flawed strategy to focus on "swing states".

My intention is not to deny the power of the Republican Party as an electoral machine, but to emphasise that that is all it is. Poll after poll has found American citizens largely in support of progressive solutions to public problems, even as Democratic Party support for these ideas has dwindled.

.......

Meanwhile the Democratic Party fixates on chasing the centre and the so-called "swing voter" in its electoral strategies. In chasing the right for ideas, it has forgotten what power it could gain from building a forceful position on behalf of Americans (potentially the vast majority) who are not represented by the priorities of the current Republican administration. Only by organising at the frontline in communities across America, will they establish a core political force for uncertain voters to swing to. Organising at the swing only dispirits the base.


http://www.alternet.org/story/29467/

[Warpy]

1. Translation: Dump the DLC

and reconnect with the party's traditional base. Find out what they're looking for and respond to it. Forget about squabbling over the yuppies, there aren't enough of them to make much of a difference.

Wake the sleeping tiger.

[napi21]

2. You're right. All you have to do is get them out the damn door!

That's what the Pubs had going in the last election. ALL the righties voted!

I know there were long lines at the polls (I waited in a very long one myself!), and I realize there were people who tried to stop others from voting, but that doesn't excuse MANY who just couldn't be bothered! What do we have in even Presidential elections...60% at the most? What about the other 40%?

Somehow, we need to energize the Dems as well as the Pubs did. We certainly have good reason now, don't ya think?

I try very hard to tell everybody I talk to that they should somehow make sure they get to the polls! I don't know what else I can do.

Is every other Dem doing the same thing?????

[IrateCitizen]

3. The groups you described are NOT the Dems' "natural constituencies"

The Democrats' natural constituency is corporate power, just the same as the Republicans'. The reason that the Dems ignore these other "natural constituencies" (except to court their votes) is the same reason that Republicans largely ignore their "natural constituencies" and don't do a damned thing to regulate "offensive" programming on TV while their "base" is screaming for it.

Both groups bow down to the corporate altar first and foremost.

[Divine Discontent]

4. response to the post above mine

could that be why they dislike Dean??? hmmmmm

[yurbud]

5. add white guys with advanced degrees getting screwed anyway

I have a master's degree and teach college, but have to piece together several part time jobs because colleges are aping Walmart labor practices. I taught for seven years in four different districts before one offered me health insurance I could afford, and all of them pay part time faculty about 40% as much per hour as full time.

We say we value education, then we screw educators at every turn.

I've had smart friends who worked in K-12, and they either leave or turn off their brain at work because of the testing cult and micromanaging.