Reply #169: since reagan -- republicans have used political extremism to reach

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political parity.

during the clinton years they took over as the leading political power -- still using political extremism as their primary
public vehicle for that ride.

in 00 the republican extremist strategy put forward a politically exteme candidate{sold some what as a moderate, a phony muscular moderate} and came damn near to winning the election.

what the dlc has done all along is play a kind of tuck the tail political strategy{notable for loads of corporate influence} that has gained the democratic party nothing -- and done more to further the political capitulation to the corporate oligarchy and their agenda.

consequently the democratic party has had to work harder than ever to regain vigorous, muscular language and strategy that begins to look and feel authentic to the voters and --

you want to abandon this in favor of the strategy that kept guys like daschle and mcaulife in places of power for too long?
that looks and feels inauthentic to most sincere, intelligent people?

the only people who are going to benefit in a big way to a dlc approach to the political game are the same people who are benefitting from bushco.
the already rich and powerful.

the only problem the left has suffered from is a muscular, authentic approach to their own political views --
inauthenticity, i.e. perceived weaknes is what makes the voter tepid in their response to the pary.

people don't care if a political party is against the war{especially now} people care that the politicians are believable, powerful when they state what their political convictions are.
dean provides a vehicle{maybe even THE vehicle} for that political renaisence.

i've seen no evidence that the dlc is offering any kind of moderation when it attacks people in it's ''own'' party -- but i have seen public recalcitrance and bitterness from folks like peter beinart and al from and crew.

you can go back to the reagan years strategy and begin a new hiatus in the wilderness -- but don't ask true blue lefties to go with you -- accusing us of ''political purity''{there's a phony argument if there ever was one} and ''elitism''.

we're the ones asking, demanding a strong, authentic, identifiable left of center politics -- one that is not obviously covering for the corporate reach for political power and tax payers dollars.