Democrats: Don't Forget That You're Supposed to Be a Party! By Jim Hightower

[justaprogressive]

Washington's Democratic Party establishment keeps demanding that progressive members tone down their criticism of billionaire oligarchs and corporate autocrats. Why? Because the insiders want to rebrand the party as ideologically moderate. "Time to get serious," they bark.

Two things: First, on the ideology question, I'm with Woody Guthrie: "Right-wing, left-wing, chicken wing," he said. I think Woody meant that most workaday people don't put 10 cents' worth of faith in doctrinaire promises from political ideologues. Rather, they're looking for honest answers to the old labor song: "Which side are you on" — the bosses, bankers, and billionaires or the rest of us?

Second, on the matter of seriousness, I find that both the Democratic Party and the larger progressive movement have gotten way too serious. They've become lost in their latest 21-point plan, email "outreach" strategies, hourly fundraising targets, Zoom meet-ups, and other digitized corporate metrics for how to manipulate politics.

But wait — what is "politics"? My dictionary says it's "The science and art of forming a community effort to seek and exercise power in public affairs." Why would we try to make such a spirited, unifying, social pursuit into a rote, tedious, manipulative "game"? Instead, what if Democrats actually brought people together, not to recite pre-cut positions, but around community interests? And let's create events that people (especially newcomers) might want to go to — mix the politics and issues with a little food, beer, and wine, live music, and ... well, fun.

When I first ran for office, my lifelong co-conspirator, Susan DeMarco, came up with the perfect expression for such politicking. She said, "Let's put the party back in politics!"

https://www.creators.com/read/jim-hightower]

[OhioBack2Blue]

1. Lol....

Because the insiders want to rebrand the party as ideologically moderate.

1. They are already there.

2) What they don't seem to understand is that AFP will use their bull horns to say whatever they want about Dems true or not.
3) These people need to be ousted from the party
4) Time to move back towards the left, no more neoliberalism(illiberalism).
5) Lgbtiqa and AA do this already but yes, expand the party concept, hell while we are at it, why don't we actually become the inclusive party we say we are, with people who are marginalized grassroots leaders, and let them have a seat and voice at the table!

[niyad]

2. "If I can't dance to it, I want no part of your revolution." wrongly

attributed to Emma Goldman. It came from an incident she was recalling when she was criticized for dancing during a crisis.