Our party's "roots"

[zipplewrath]

You'll hear this expression frequently, "We have to get back to our roots". As a party, that always sounds good, but let's be honest for a moment about the democratic party "roots".

The "modern" democratic party is often considered to have started with FDR. It is about that time that the party began to align itself with with the middle class, such as it was at the time. It's close association with unions gets much of it's history from that time. The early beginnings of our connection to civil rights can be traced back to that time. We were a "populist" party in many ways.

But we also have to be a touch honest about how and why we got there. Also part of our "roots" was the old "democratic machine". It was a system of political "patronage" that exchanged assistance for political power. Support the party, support the politicians, and when you need help, we'll get it for you. Don't pay any attention to anything about corruption, just vote for the democrats.

And nationally, we maintained power in Congress for unparalleled amounts of time because we were willing to include the southern "dixiecrats" that insisted on maintaining Jim Crow. In a way, this was more "populism" in action. The southern whites were the huge majority and one could count on their votes, as long as we kept the black man "in his place".

All of that is gone. LBJ passed the civil rights legislation, and the machines long ago were undone.

But there is a sense buried in there that is very important. It is the principal of serving the individual voter, the common man, the powerless. It is still making that trade of giving a politician political power, in exchange for serving the voter. It is the inverse of trickle down. It is the top power in politics giving DIRECT service to the masses, not brokering it through banks, or industry, or Public/Private partnerships. The people have to be in contact with their government, there can't be intermediaries. The constitution says we have a RIGHT to petition our government for a redress of grievances. There is no institution that should sit between a government and its people.

That is the ultimate roots of our party. Direct connection to the voters, to the people, ALL the people, so that all the people may be connected, directly, to their government. It's not about small government versus big government. It is about OUR government, of, by and for. It's not a "handout" when you give it to yourself. It's not "stealing" when we take it from ourselves. And there is no "them" in "We the People".

Serve the people and you serve yourself. The democratic party can prevail again, for a long time, if they will just get back to these roots.