Pen-Elayne on the Web

Walking Before Running

A very astute analysis by Billmon of why Democratic Party unity is the necessary first step in ousting the radical zealots currently in power (and engaging in major damage control) prior to moving forward with a progressive agenda. Sayeth Billmon, "I don’t just want to fight, I want to win -- not simply for the sake of winning (this isn’t a soccer game) but to turn the tide, to start pushing the conservatives back, after all these long years of being on the defensive. And the only way I know how to do that is to create a political coalition broad enough, and strong enough, to beat the Republican machine." This is almost frighteningly word-for-word what Grover Norquist said at the "What Liberal Media" panel about a year ago, only in the past tense and substituting "liberal" for "conservative" and "Democratic" for Republican. It's what the formerly-squabbling neocon movement did, and it was successful. As I recall, Norquist ended by saying something like "I feel free to give you liberals this sound advice because I'm convinced you'll never take it." Wouldn't it be nice if liberals and progressives could prove him wrong?