Democrats have consistently backed the military where the Republicans have not. That is a hard fact. But that doesn't fit the DLC's goals, which are to undermine the Democratic Party. Instead of working to debunk these right-wing stereotypes, these insulated Beltway snobs seem to only feel relevant if they reinforce the right-wing stereotypes parroted by Fox News and the Republican Party. It just shows that for Democrats who want to win - and not just preserve their status on the Washington cocktail party circuit - the DLC is really part of the problem, not the solution.
You know, I understand the criticisms that the DLC just doesn't get it, and I understand the criticisms that they are too corporatist, and I also understand the criticisms that the DLC is incompetently stupid in their framing efforts, playing into GOP hands. But I've never understood the accusations that the DLC actually has an honest goal of undermining the Democratic Party. I wish David would expand on what he means by that. I just don't see it. It's not as if they have this secret plan to physically replace all the progressives out there with other brand new DLC-believing Democrats that are under a rock somewhere. And I've got to believe they aren't so quixotic that they don't have a desire to actually win. This is just the point at which people that bash the DLC start to lose credibility for me. What possible self-interested motivation would they have to actually undermine the Democratic Party? Do people actually believe the DLC to be some sort of an undercover Republican plot? Given some of the more progressive policies the DLC members advocate, I don't see that reconciling with being compatible with the GOP platform.
This kind of hyperbole against the DLC, unfortunately far too common among the progressive wing, doesn't really help to encourage honest debate.
Posted by tunesmith at July 26, 2005 01:20 AM
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