And That's the Way it Is
By Jim Dallas
Cronkite, you magnificent bastard, I read your letter to the editor (linked through Taegan Goddard):
The key to a Democratic success in next year's Congressional election is clearly in the party leadership's coming up with a campaign that does not concentrate on the Bush administration's failures but offers alternative programs to fix what it believes is wrong with the Republican agenda.
A suggestion by which the Democratic Party could command the greatest public attention for its positive agenda: It could within weeks call an extraordinary midterm convention to draw up its platform.
The convention would not need to be expensive. The delegates could be those who attended the 2004 convention. Their meeting would be open to the public and of course the press.
In sharp contrast to the secrecy of the Bush administration, it would let the public, if only remotely, share in the construction of the Democratic platform.
Although local issues might cause some candidates in next year's Congressional election to veer from the platform on comparatively minor issues, the basic principles of the party would be clearly apparent.
The voting population would for the first time in many years have an unobstructed view of those principles that differentiate the Democratic Party from those of the Republican Party.
I do take issue with one point; sure, it wouldn't be expensive, but it would generate inter-party wrangling and finger-pointing about who is and who isn't invited. And even if the circular firing squad can be avoided (or mitigated), will the media care enough to show up?
A better idea might be like that currently being undertaken by the Change to Win coalition at sinceslicedbread.com.
Nonetheless, the message is clear: there are limits to schadenfreude. Be positive and proactive.
Posted by Jim Dallas at October 14, 2005 03:19 PM
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I think Walter Cronkite has the better idea. Pull up the rug finally and sweep away all the lumps. Including some of the "two-legged" ones.
The Democratic Party has lost its identity. Best way to find it again is to bring everyone back and ask who we really are and what we really are and how do we get back to who we are and what we are? A house divided falls. And we are divided. And the house has fallen. The house needs to be rebuilt. And it isn't going to be rebuilt by the "Top 21 Ideas" that most won't agree with. Because they weren't part of the process of selecting them.
As a friend put it not long ago, we need to learn to build bridges with ourselves before we will be able to build bridges with the Republicans again.
