TNR pitches woo to the DLC. Again.
This is getting old. Just days after CEO Al From chastised people like progressive bloggers and Michael Moore as destructive extremists, The New Republic posts another love letter to 'New Democrats.' Naturally, it accuses people like Howard Dean and progressive bloggers of being destructive extremists. The article lauds folks like Joe Lieberman. What makes conscientious Dems like Lieberman and John Breaux such great guys? Well, maybe because they "can be--and have been--forceful critics of the GOP." Wow. What do the New Dems need to be a political powerhouse? How about "developing and pushing new ideas"? Explosive stuff, this.
The author goes to great lengths to avoid the criticism most frequently aimed at these fellows: victory comes from emulating the GOP and moving to the right. Need I remind DLC enthusiasts that the Dems have been trying this on the national level for a decade and had their asses handed to them time and again?
Personally, I think that they're starting from a false premise: that America's suddenly gone all conservative. After the closest presidential election in more than a century? When Democrats made record gains in "red state" offices?
And how about the line that bloggers are extremists? It's straight out of the Karl Rove playbook-- it isn't true, but that doesn't matter if it discredits your perceived enemy.
Finally, I'd think that this bit of wisdom would have gotten through even the thickest skulls by now: there is no playing nice with the current GOP. You can be a conservative Democrat or a left-wing firebrand. It doesn't matter-- they're out to take you down.
And it isn't "extreme" liberal bloggers who are trying to exclude DLC Dems from the party. It's the DLCs insistence that all Dems have to emulate them. Their divisiveness is alarming stuff.
_________________________________________________
UPDATE: I just caught this story on Daily Kos on the same issue. And it reaches the same conclusions. But it was inspired by a different article.
Check it out: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/5/12263/55545
The author goes to great lengths to avoid the criticism most frequently aimed at these fellows: victory comes from emulating the GOP and moving to the right. Need I remind DLC enthusiasts that the Dems have been trying this on the national level for a decade and had their asses handed to them time and again?
Personally, I think that they're starting from a false premise: that America's suddenly gone all conservative. After the closest presidential election in more than a century? When Democrats made record gains in "red state" offices?
And how about the line that bloggers are extremists? It's straight out of the Karl Rove playbook-- it isn't true, but that doesn't matter if it discredits your perceived enemy.
Finally, I'd think that this bit of wisdom would have gotten through even the thickest skulls by now: there is no playing nice with the current GOP. You can be a conservative Democrat or a left-wing firebrand. It doesn't matter-- they're out to take you down.
And it isn't "extreme" liberal bloggers who are trying to exclude DLC Dems from the party. It's the DLCs insistence that all Dems have to emulate them. Their divisiveness is alarming stuff.
_________________________________________________
UPDATE: I just caught this story on Daily Kos on the same issue. And it reaches the same conclusions. But it was inspired by a different article.
Check it out: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/5/12263/55545
posted by Matt Sandwich | 2:23 PM
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