Reply #4: What a bunch of abstract malarkey

[depakid]

This guy is getting sucked into the kind of labeling game that the Republicans LOVE to play. Liberal, centrist, left wing, right wing- and this one's the kicker "purism" vs. "pragmatism."

Rather than actually deal with concrete issues for what they are, Digby wants to convince us that liberal ideas aren't politically pragmatic. Hmm. What issues do you suppose he's talking about?

Rational environmental regulations that that conserve resources and stop corporations from externalizing (socializing) their costs onto the public? Look at any poll results and you'll find broad public support there;

Universal healthcare- or at least substantial reform of the system?

Ending corporate welfare?

Fair trade policies?

Support for public education?

Media conglomeration?

Consumer protection laws?

And on and on. Go down the list of so called "liberal" issues and you'll see that if someone (and that someone was certainly wasn't Bill Clinton) actually showed some backbone, stood up and used the bully pulpit to articulate the issues- you'd find the majority of the public behind you- even in red states.

These are all VERY pragmatic and rational policies. The trouble is that invariably they will gore the ox of some trade association, wealthy donor or extremist group. They will then label them "liberal," and launch some dishonest misinformation campaign. And since no one wants to risk being labeled (thanks in no small part to attitudes advanced by guys like Digby and members of the DLC) we all end up getting sold out over and over- on winning issues.