Is Election 04 a glass that's half-empty and half-full. for the truth?

[Armstead]

One of the undercurrents here seems to be the tension between ABB "politics as usual" and the desire not to just oust Bush but to bring real change to the country and the stagnant political/economic system.

Is politics truly being reinvigorated? Is the Democratic Party waking up from its' conservative centrist slumber?

Or is the ferment of the last year turning out to be just "sound and fury signifying nothing?"

I am of two minds, and seem to bounce between them daily.

On the "glass half full" side, there have been positive changes. Dean, Kucinich, , Clark Mosley Braun and even Sharpton have -- with the help of real grassroots armies -- brought out issues that the Power Elite have ignored and glossed over for years.

I would have been pleasantly surprised in the 1990's if I'd have been able to look a few years into the future and see that issues like the NAFTA scam, economic polarization, corporate power and other issues would be as visible as they are now.

Under the Clintonistas. those issues were hidden in the closet and covered over by the glossy surface of "Happy Days." Anytime progressives tried to bring them up, the Tepid Centrists would pat them on the head and say "There, there. You're just a whiny leftist. Why shuold we listen to you?"

But those issues are now out in the open, thanks to those candidates, and progressives and liberals and moderates who know the truth. Ppeople on many fronts have worked within the political system and through other venues to bring those truths to the surface for public debate.

Even the Corporate Democrats today have to at least admit to these issues and address them, because they have no other choice. Enough people have said "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore" that they've been forced to listen.

But on the "glass half-empty side" is the sense that we are just going through a sequal that seems to happen every election cycle in recent years. The Democratic Party goes through some debate, but ultimately goes back into auto-pilot and returns to the waiting arms of Corporate America.

The media is worse than ever. With the complicity of "conventional wisdom" politicos, alternative viewpoints are still marginalized and scoffed at.

A mainstream moderate candidate like Dean who steps out of the familiar mold slightly is branded as crazy and angry and "too far left" and unelectable. Kucinich, an unorthodox politician who really speaks the truth about power and values, is treated like he doesn't exist.

The mantra of "electability" is decided for us. So we go to the safest orthodox candidates we are told can beat Bush. It doesn't matter who we really like or want, or who we think is electable. We're told to fall into line and support the ABB Savior. "Don't rock the boat. Too much is at stake this time."

The problem is there is always too much at stake. And the more we repeat this pattern, the worse the situation gets. It's a vicious circle.

In the end, the thirst for honest reform remains unsatisfied. The rigid iceburg everyone complains about in national politics and society becomes even bigger....And more and more people become cynical and figure things will never change.


Regardless of who is the ultimate nominee, or whetehr Bush is sent to Texas in November, I just hope we can break out of tjhis cycle and at least push the ball further in the direction of significant change and rteform that we all know that things need to go.

[Ninga]

1. You have exactly hit the issue on the head with a hammer.

The question for me, is do I want to support a 2 party party. I am sick and tired of auto-pilot. Auto-pilot got us the war, no child left behind and a whole laundry list of issues that auto-pilot bowed before.

And if polls are correct, we may be heading for auto-pilot once again. Voters will pick Bush over auto-pilot.

[Armstead]

2. Methinks so too unless some change is offered

I think it's possible for the Democrats to beat Bush, but it's got to be something different than what's been offered for the last 10 years.

In my opinion, that doesn't have to be radical -- just honest.

[BurtWorm]

13. That is exactly right. Truth to power.

Or at least honesty. And that doesn't mean not lying about blowjobs. It means saying what you really believe and damn the consequences if the dopes in the media don't get it.

Incidentally, at the end, Clinton got much better about saying what he thought, which was usually something intelligent. He lacked the courage, I think, to use his power for progressive ends. We also need someone courageous in there, someone not afraid of the right, someone who trusts Americans to follow him if they trust him.

[democratreformed]

3. Politics being reinvigorated?

What I have learned thus far by my "reinvigorated" participation. Politics is a game. The best person does not always win - the best player does. Politics is about deception and coming up with the most appealing line. Despite campaign financing laws, politics is still controlled by the big people - those with power and prestige. Two themes are constantly played out over and over are 1)Knock down the enthusiasm and 2)Keep knocking even when they're down.

All of these things make me wish I could go back to uninformed state and not know what is really going on. I would be much more at peace and happy. In the political world, ignorance is bliss.

[Mairead]

8. "In the political world, ignorance is bliss"

As someone (Einstein?) put it, the happiness of ignorance is no less enjoyable than any other happiness.

[CWebster]

4. And to make matters worse

you can count on people to be sold a bill of goods every time. Especially with the homogeneous singular voice instructions from the mainstream press doing the herding.

It is almost as if the Democrats learn from the Republicans---emulate them, rather than forging an alternative path. Maybe we are just demanding to much from a party that only puts on a facade of ever accomodating us. If there were other web forums that catered to progressives, maybe we wouldn't be confined by the Democratic party framework that keeps us hostage.

[Cocoa]

5. Lieberman's campaign was another bright spot

he was completely irrelevant from start to finish, and I couldn't be happier about that.

[Armstead]

9. That's true

At least the repudiation of his conservatism was one more message sent.

[Mairead]

6. Bingo! It's now or never. We're windmilling on the edge of The Pit.

We no longer have any room for mistakes. 'There comes a time in the life of every organisation when it's ability to succeed in spite of itself runs out.' We're at that point. If we don't turn around and scrabble like hell, over we go.

Ya basta--no mas!

[rucky]

7. I intend to keep following Kucinich after the election

he & Dean are the best hope for reform within the party - which needs to start in 2005, since it's not going to happen this year.

Win or lose = there's alot we can do next year... and without election politics to muddy it up.

That's my half-full two cents.

[Armstead]

10. That is the half-full way of looking at it

Win or lose, we have to find ways to keep the genie that has been uncorked from being pushed back into the bottle.

[kaitykaity]

11. Like the dilemma of believing the American people are

inherently intelligent and aware, or we are battling a nation of overfed, lazy sheeple.

Some days I believe one, other days I get so mad I just want to wash my hands of the whole goddamn thing.

[oasis]

12. A kick for future reform and an excellent post by Armstead.

[hellhathnofury]

14. That's the best thing I've read today.

:yourock:

[Duncan Grant]

15. Kick for a great post!

Insightful and precise, without a shred of candidate bashing or bandwagon mentality. This is the reach for the higher ground that I so long for in GD Primary. :kick:

[Armstead]

16. Thanks

..and anotehr subtle :kick: