Democrats ARE making history - by falling victim to Murphy's Law

[derby378]

The Chinese philosopher Kong Fuzi, when pressed to think of a curse to place on someone, came up with something like this: "May you live in an interesting time."

Well, folks, here we are. This election year may well be the most important in the recent history of our nation. And the Democratic Party is on the verge of nominating someone for the White House who isn't a white male.

And therein lies the problem. The two front-runners for the Democratic nomination, for a couple of people who agree on policy issues more than they disagree, have been busy tearing each other all manner of new orifices over non-policy issues ranging from candidates' spouses to the occupations of former business partners. No appeals to George Lakoff and the Rockridge Institute, no broadsides at Republican candidates, and apparently no real push to win the support of voters who understand that our nation was lied into supporting the occupation of Iraq.

At a time when the Republican Party is about to tear itself asunder due to partisan in-fighting, I'm seeing the same thing happen within the Democratic Party.

Let us all recite, in unison, Murphy's Law: If anything can go wrong, it will.

When I go to Democratic Party meetings, I do run into some folks who clap me on the shoulder and tell me how excited they are about the 2012 election season and golly gee whiz, we're going to nominate either a white woman or a black man for President. But then I see a bunch of long faces grousing about how Obama sank campaign ethics to a new low or how Clinton has resorted to Rovian dirty tricks. This among long-standing Democratic loyalists who are suddenly demoralized over what they see on the national stage as the tete-a-tete between Clinton and Obama continues.

We are, indeed, living in an interesting time. One in which the progressives who drove the engine that was responsible for victory in 2006 are being shut down and shit upon by party insiders who want to turn back the clock to 1993 instead of venturing forward.

And yeah, that gives me shivers. Right down to the bone.

Because I know that if the Democrats punt on the race for the White House, John McCain will become our next President.

And that, boys and girls, will lead to an equally illegal invasion of Iran.

So if you're not interested in letting the DLC control the election cycle, I'm gonna give you the same advice I gave back in 2006: GET OFF YOUR ASS.

Get involved in Democratic politics on the ground floor. Become a precinct chair. Attend your precinct convention meetings and introduce a shitload of progressive resolutions, and bring some friends to make sure they get moved and seconded. Attend your county and state conventions and make a lot of noise while doing so.

This is what has happened to me. Once upon a time, back in 2005, someone on DU whom I consider a friend and mentor had a "come to Jesus" meeting with me. She told me that instead of grousing about how I felt my fellow Democrats were "spineless," maybe I should get involved in the party structure myself instead of merely being an armchair quarterback.

So here I am - a precinct chair and a state convention delegate, and back for seconds. And I even helped derail a plan to open every local Democratic meeting with a sectarian prayer.

And all this because I got off my ass.

What about some of you progressives who haven't even joined the fight yet? Are you going to let the Clinton/Obama spat dominate the election, or are you going take the election back into your own hands?

Choose wisely.

[derby378]

1. KICK!