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01-20-2016, 05:08 AM
I am a traditional liberal Democrat and over my six plus decades on Earth have witnessed the wild swings of fortune that have taken my party from Kennedy's Camelot to Jimmy Carter's attempt at public service restoration to the economic resurgence under Bill Clinton to hope and change under Barack Obama. In between we have endured landslide defeats at the hands of Nixon and Reagan, and two Bush Presidencies, one ended after four years and the other secured under what can only be described as suspicious circumstances and mercifully terminated after eight years of historic blunder.
Through all of it I remain a loyal adherent to the principles and policies advocated by the Democratic Party, particularly in light of the emergence of the Tea Party and far-right evangelical dominance that has for all intents and purposes made moderation a dead issue in the GOP. The gulf separating the two parties with respect to policy and approach to governing is arguably wider than at any time in my lifetime. And while the first votes have yet to be cast in the 2016 Presidential election cycle the general appeal of the parties to the shifting demographic realities that are changing the face of the American electorate are crystal clear: namely, the Democrats firmly embrace diversity and tolerance and the Republicans pander to xenophobia and a closed door approach to inclusion.
I could not be prouder to be a Democrat in light of these broad trends. However, it is somewhat disconcerting as a Democrat to watch the increasing level of personal animosity between the two leading Democratic Presidential candidates. I identify with the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party and strongly align myself with the policy prescriptions that are offered by Bernie Sanders to the major issues of our time. I strongly applaud a primary process that affords all Americans the opportunity to engage in a thoughtful and provocative examination of those issues.
However, what started out as a cordial and respectful disagreement on approaches to issues not the issues themselves is quickly devolving into a knock down drag out fight with personal recriminations being tossed about in roundhouse fashion. Most disconcerting is a growing sense of division among Democrats that has the potential to drive a wedge in what should be slam dunk opposition to whomever may emerge as the Republican nominee.
This is totally unacceptable and can and should be avoided at all costs. Both campaigns need to tamp down their personal differences and focus on the strongest thing that the Democrats have to offer this year and that is a rebuke of the mean-spirited and counterintuitive policy prescriptions that the Republican Party has to offer. Primary voters will sift through the differing policy prescriptions offered by the leading candidates and make decisions on who is best to lead the nation in pursuit of those policies.
So to my friends on the left I leave you with two words: Ralph Nader. Bill Maher, on his show Real Time last Friday confessed to Al Gore, whom he sheepishly introduced as the 43rd President of the United States, that he supported Nader in 2000 and that he f@#ked up. Well, whatever your thoughts on the impact of the Nader run in 2000 as regards to the final outcome one cannot help but feel that it did not help and when the margins of victory and defeat are razor thin everything is magnified.
To Democratic voters I only offer that wearing your emotions on your sleeves is admirable and noble and no one should dissuade you from exercising your heartfelt passions for the candidate of your choice. But, and this is crucial, it is absolutely imperative that you also leave enough in the tank so that should your candidate not survive there is enough juice to help the primary victor prevail in November.
Tempering your emotions to allow that the larger picture is every bit as important as the immediate one should emanate from the campaigns and their principals and I would implore both the Clinton and Sanders camps to ensure that it does. But also, to the grassroots activists and supporters who pour their hearts out in the trenches it is your responsibility not only to yourselves but to those who will follow to reap the benefits of positive and constructive issue-based policies. Oftentimes this means getting the best you can get under the circumstances. To sacrifice that option you run the risk of proverbially cutting off your nose to spite your face, and unfortunately there are a lot of disgruntled conservatives who will help you do so. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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Through all of it I remain a loyal adherent to the principles and policies advocated by the Democratic Party, particularly in light of the emergence of the Tea Party and far-right evangelical dominance that has for all intents and purposes made moderation a dead issue in the GOP. The gulf separating the two parties with respect to policy and approach to governing is arguably wider than at any time in my lifetime. And while the first votes have yet to be cast in the 2016 Presidential election cycle the general appeal of the parties to the shifting demographic realities that are changing the face of the American electorate are crystal clear: namely, the Democrats firmly embrace diversity and tolerance and the Republicans pander to xenophobia and a closed door approach to inclusion.
I could not be prouder to be a Democrat in light of these broad trends. However, it is somewhat disconcerting as a Democrat to watch the increasing level of personal animosity between the two leading Democratic Presidential candidates. I identify with the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party and strongly align myself with the policy prescriptions that are offered by Bernie Sanders to the major issues of our time. I strongly applaud a primary process that affords all Americans the opportunity to engage in a thoughtful and provocative examination of those issues.
However, what started out as a cordial and respectful disagreement on approaches to issues not the issues themselves is quickly devolving into a knock down drag out fight with personal recriminations being tossed about in roundhouse fashion. Most disconcerting is a growing sense of division among Democrats that has the potential to drive a wedge in what should be slam dunk opposition to whomever may emerge as the Republican nominee.
This is totally unacceptable and can and should be avoided at all costs. Both campaigns need to tamp down their personal differences and focus on the strongest thing that the Democrats have to offer this year and that is a rebuke of the mean-spirited and counterintuitive policy prescriptions that the Republican Party has to offer. Primary voters will sift through the differing policy prescriptions offered by the leading candidates and make decisions on who is best to lead the nation in pursuit of those policies.
So to my friends on the left I leave you with two words: Ralph Nader. Bill Maher, on his show Real Time last Friday confessed to Al Gore, whom he sheepishly introduced as the 43rd President of the United States, that he supported Nader in 2000 and that he f@#ked up. Well, whatever your thoughts on the impact of the Nader run in 2000 as regards to the final outcome one cannot help but feel that it did not help and when the margins of victory and defeat are razor thin everything is magnified.
To Democratic voters I only offer that wearing your emotions on your sleeves is admirable and noble and no one should dissuade you from exercising your heartfelt passions for the candidate of your choice. But, and this is crucial, it is absolutely imperative that you also leave enough in the tank so that should your candidate not survive there is enough juice to help the primary victor prevail in November.
Tempering your emotions to allow that the larger picture is every bit as important as the immediate one should emanate from the campaigns and their principals and I would implore both the Clinton and Sanders camps to ensure that it does. But also, to the grassroots activists and supporters who pour their hearts out in the trenches it is your responsibility not only to yourselves but to those who will follow to reap the benefits of positive and constructive issue-based policies. Oftentimes this means getting the best you can get under the circumstances. To sacrifice that option you run the risk of proverbially cutting off your nose to spite your face, and unfortunately there are a lot of disgruntled conservatives who will help you do so. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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