Katrina Vanden Heuvel: The Massachusetts Lesson: Go Populist Now

[flpoljunkie]

The Massachusetts Lesson: Go Populist Now

posted by KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL on 01/19/2010 @ 10:11pm

Election results rarely have a single explanation.

Yet it's pretty clear that Scott Brown's special election win in a state that last sent a Republican to the Senate in 1978 is an indicator of the turbulent national political mood a year after Obama took office.

There is a generalized anti-establishment anger at loose in this country, reinforced by a White House team that has delivered for Wall Street but not enough for hurting communities. It is an anger also fueled by often savage right-wing anti-government attacks.

This special election is a wake up call and should lead to a course correction. The Democratic party can no longer run as a managerial and technocratic party. Going populist is now smart politics and good policy.

The Obama White House needs to show, quickly and forcefully, with concrete, bold and visible action, that it stands with the working people of America. Here's a symbolic but smart start: jettison those on the White House economic team whose slow, timid response to the crisis of unemployment and to Wall Street's obscene excesses helped create the conditions for the Tea Party's inchoate right-wing populism.

Leadership on pro-democracy reforms are also desperately needed to end the corruption of our politics and to stanch the corporate money flooding and deforming our democracy. Connect the dots for people: explain how needed reforms are gutted when both parties succumb to the pervasive corruption of our money politics. If the GOP's obstructionism has a silver lining, it is in exposing how an anti-democratic, super-majority filibuster has essentially made our system dysfunctional. There is fertile ground on which to rally people in a transpartisan political reform movement.

Massachusetts offers another lesson: Obama's decision to demobilize his base in 2009 in favor of an insider approach to governing was a big mistake. I'm not a political strategist, but I don't know how you win elections by failing to rouse people who've worked hardest at the grassroots to get you elected? It is time to re-mobilize the base.

And here's a no-brainer: Isn't it time to give up on that faith in genteel post-partisanship when the GOP knifes you at every turn? Nice isn't going create more jobs or get health care reform.

Before pivoting to a laser-like focus on jobs and the economy, passing the strongest possible healthcare bill as quickly as is feasible is a top priority.There are various procedural options being considered. (Passing the Senate bill followed by changes via budget reconciliation may be a smart and even realistic idea.) Passing a bill won't be the Democrats' political salvation--but if Obama and his party fail it would be the most catastrophic legislative failure since 1994 and possibly snuff out any chance for reform in other arenas moving forward.

President Obama warned us that change wouldn't come easy. Many believe he hasn't held up his end in fighting hard enough for key progressive priorities.

What comes next will test the President's willingness to learn the lessons of this last year. Get tough, get bold, kiss "post-partisanship" goodbye and fight hard for jobs and a just economy of shared prosperity. And put yourself squarely back on the side of working people.

President Obama: Don't pay attention to those who counsel going slow. The only thing you have to fear is caution itself.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/518786/the_massachusetts_lesson_go_populist_now

[AspenRose]

1. I agree, Katrina

It's been demonstrated over and over that bipartisanship will get you NOWHERE FAST.

Obama needs better advisors.

[Jennicut]

2. The people in Mass were led to believe Brown was a populist. Obviously mistaken.

But I said last night the Dems lost because they were not populist enough. Many people are still angry over the corps sticking it to us and did not like the backroom dealing on health care.

[mod mom]

3. I'm infuriated that Rahm is trying to spin this to go centrist (ie corporatist) If they do

ignore their base and go corporatist as Rahm et al suggest, they'll get slaughtered in November.

[phleshdef]

8. Exactly when did Rahm speak on this at all?

[uponit7771]

11. It's the mythical Rahm, they're talking about not the real one. The mythical Rahm can fly

[glitch]

30. on a mythical flying pony.

IOW skip it, no one's buying it anymore.

[mod mom]

25. sorry it was Lieberman-different asshole, same mold. I heard it on the radio

and despise both equally, hence the mix up

[Sebastian Doyle]

31. Lieberdouche, Bayh, and Lanny Davis said it

And they get their talking points from the same exact bowels of Hell that Rahm does. That being the DLC, of course.

[bluethruandthru]

4. I wish I could recommend this more than once....

and I'd like to shove it down Rahm's and Lanny Davis's throats.

[seabeckind]

5. Exactly...

I absolutely believe that we need health-care reform, single payer financing of same, gov't imposed standards on info interchange, and insurance reform. Good luck on that. Gee, why aren't there 4 bills?

The bill that those dysfunctional xxx in congress finally fudged together proves everything the f'in teabaggers say. What a mess. I'm a liberal (not afraid of the label) and I wouldn't vote for it. In fact I'd probably stand on the corner with the baggers with just a different sign.

As far as that twit who was running...I watched about 3 minutes of the c-span "debate". What a crock. She had as much mental acumen as a 10 year old. She never went after Broder (???) or Brown to assert her position or attack his even when it was obvious they were blowing smoke. She's an ex-AG. Lord.

<rant off>

On edit: I know it wasn't Broder... Can picture the guy but...

[jgraz]

6. K&R. If they don't learn from this, we can only assume they want to lose.

[rudy23]

10. I see no reason why they'd want to win.

If I understand their strategy correctly, they'd be better served in the fundraising department if the R's took Congress back this year.

They'd get to please their corporate donors with the R's as an excuse, AND use people like Palin to scare the funds out of liberal donors.

Winning only places the burden of expectation on them. The D's in Congress right now don't want to take on the insurance industry and the military industrial complex. They have families to protect, and secrets they want to keep in the closet. Why go through all that trouble?

[Bullet1987]

15. I'm beginning to believe they don't care about losing

Even if it means defending corporate interests equals their political failure. They got paid in the process and made tons of money. They don't care if they lose, it was never really about "winning" to change things in the first place. It was about putting your name in history and getting rich in the process.

[flyarm]

7. then KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL stop making excuses as you have for the crap that has been pushed at us .

you dear are part of the problem!

No more excuses for the abuses to the principles of the Democratic party!

Enough..and damn right we are angry.

Stop the propaganda and work with democratic principles and hold those accountable that crap on those principles..we the people will no longer give a free ride to those who sell us out!

Say it loud and clear..

stop FISA spying on Americans

Fire Geithner, Rahm, Summers

Stop selling us out to Wall Street, the banks, Big Pharma, The Insurance corps , the Hospital conglomerates.no more back room deals that strip us of our Health and our Care! We are not stupid.

Stop the Illegal wars .

Cancel NAFTA and get jobs back in this country..even if Corps need to be penalized tax wise for taking our jobs out of this country. No more tax breaks for corps outsourcing.

Stop Renditions and torture..completely..now ..today. and hold those who did it and are responsible for it 100%accountable.

Restore our constitution..today.

Restore our bill of rights..today.

Restore our rule of law..today. 100%..no one gets a free ride on breaking our laws..even former presidents and VP's!

and KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL start telling the truth, stop the denials and the fluff..we the people know when we are being conned and scammed, and we are no longer in the mood for bullshit.

[seabeckind]

9. Hear! Hear!

We only have 2 options: Get some strong populist candidates or convice the current resident of the WH to be a populist.

Good luck with either option.

[clear eye]

12. I've always thought Vanden Heuval was a poseur

and was disappointed when she bought editorship of The Nation. Before that she was their literature reviewer and wrote a whole bunch of pretentious articles that were intentionally obscure and geared to her local academic in-crowd to hide the lack of ideas in her head. Fortunately she's kept on some truly progressive analysts of policy. I skip over her stuff when I occasionally read that weekly.

[GOTV]

14. Sounds to me like you and KVH actually agree. You both sound populist. n/t

[flyarm]

16. then you would be wrong..i am sick of her salivating over the bullshit that has screwed liberal and

progressive principles.
She has been part of the "NEW " DEMOCRATIC PARTY BULLSHIT..

just stand for the principles of the democratic party.."NEW" does not mean better!

[GOTV]

19. For one, you want to fire Geithner, she wants to fire Geithner

You want bold fast action, she wants bold fast action.

[karynnj]

18. Other than John Edwards, who do you believe? I really don't get what your problem is with her

essay.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

22. can you point me to Vanden Huevel's lies

You are aware of who she is, aren't you? Your post doesn't make any sense to me. Please show me where she is pro-war, pro-spying, pro-Emmanuel, pro-Wall Street, pro-pharma, etc.

[Orangepeel]

13. The lesson seems to be to ACT like a populist, not necessarily to be one

Brown is a faux populist.

[flyarm]

17. YOU ARE MiSSING WHAT REALLY HAPPENED YESTERDAY..DEMS STAYED HOME,and over 20% of dems voted for

Brown..because why not?? The dems have continued what the repubs did for 8 years so..wtf is the difference!

The dems and indy's were not voting FOR BROWN..they were voting against what the dem party is doing!

Principles matter..ignore it at your peril.

see my thread here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7513194

[Orangepeel]

20. 22% of democrats who voted for brown don't have a clue what his principles are

I think that the democratic party should uphold its principles. I like the
principles I think it is supposed to stand for -- equal opportunity, fairness, civil liberties, and a rising tide that lifts all boats (in the original Kennedy sense). That's why I'm a democrat.

But this election was about image, not ideology.

[kenny blankenship]

21. It's probably too late, but...

at least it would show you recognize your previous mistakes.

The thing about goose is that once it's cooked it's damn near impossible to uncook.

[mdmc]

23. this was emailed to me this morning!

:toast:

[amborin]

24. and REAL populist ACTIONS, not empty populist Rhetoric! n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

26. yes be bold

[flamingdem]

27. good stuff nt

[zulchzulu]

28. I say fuck it. Let's give Republicans something to really complain about

Shove all we can through the House and Senate pronto and then hammer the Repigs as the Party of No Ideas.

It's slam time.

[bvar22]

29. !!! remember Harry Truman

"When given the choice between a Republican, and a Democrat who acts like a Republican, the voters will choose the Republican every time." ---Harry Truman

QED