Connolly trips

Re: In the Northwest: If Democratic Party lurches left, it may fare worse
(Seattle Times, January 31, 2005)

I appreciate Mr. Connelly's experience in politics, but I really have the impression that he is missing what is happening. George Bush won the election with 62 Million votes. John Kerry won with 59 million votes. #3 was Barbara Boxer, with 6.96 Million Votes.

The problem is that too many people see things on a single axis, Left vs. Right, Liberal vs. Conservative. They see a majority bump in the middle of the spectrum and spend all their time and effort trying to push the party line over in the direction of their opposition to try and get that extra single percentage point that will put them over the top. The Republicans have mastered that art. The Democratic Party has never been good at it, and it was only the advent of the Democratic Leadership Council that demanded that the Party focus all of it's energy trying to make that push for the 'center'. They are operating under an illusion, and will continue to lose until we break that illusion and refocus on what is really important.

The Progressive Movement was revived by Howard Dean and Dennis Kucinich in 2003. But we couldn't gain the clout within the Democratic Party in time to get the nomination. But what we have done is recognized what their illusion is and we're working on trying to break it. The Democratic Party is not the source of the power any more than the Republican Party is the power on the other side. The Parties may think that they are the center of the universe. There are a large number of people on the Conservative side who laugh at that notion. The Republican Party is a tool of a much bigger coalition. It's time the opposition to the Conservatives came to understand who we are and what we have to do. It's our turn.

There are two major times in history that show us the way. 1932 and 1994. We must study the lessons of both. We need a Roosevelt, and we need a Gingrich. Any takers?