If Digby, DailyKos, and the rest of Donkle Netrootsia were as serious as they endlessly claim to be about ending the war in Iraq, about truly yanking the center of American politics a few centimeters to the left, about getting the Democratic party as an institution to represent their milquetoast democratic socialist agenda, then they’d do precisely what that “coalition of influential Christian conservatives” is doing: threaten to bolt the party; threaten to support a third party; threaten to stay home. If they were serious about it, they would indicate in certain terms to the party-in-Congress that their majority is contingent on their effectuation of a particular agenda. But dear lord, then Cokie Roberts might call them radicals, or worse, leftists! Someone call for the smelling salts.

Digby, DailyKos, and the rest of the Netrootsia isn’t serious about ending the war in Iraq. That much is patently clear. Against efficacy they weigh respectability, whose measure is a Congressional majority and respectful copy by Tim Russert’s staff writers. Ennobling, isn’t it? Respectability wins every time, because respectability brings institutional authority. “Dirty hippies” is the grossest of self-flattery. The real dirty hippies are the black-masked anarchists, the sign-waving ANSWER kids who the imagined leftwing of the Democratic party roundly condemn for daring to bring up the School of the Americas or IMF shock-therapy economics at an antiwar rally. The real dirty hippies don’t care what Katie Couric calls them.

if the (D) tries to use the failed Iraq war as a wedge issue against the (R)’s, but continues to rattle sabers and strut against Iran, the glaring hypocrisy could cause plenty of people to stay home in disgust.

just sayin’.

At least that’s my bet. Anything is possible of course. One tell to me is their total dismissal of Huckabee. Huck should be their guy but the fact is he’s too soft.

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/241753.aspx

Gee Pat I thought liars went straight to hell

Knut Wicksell @ 65

The ‘moderates’ who were the backbone of the country club clique will bring themselves (and their money) to the Democrats, who will be only to happpy to welcome them at the expense of the progressive wing of the party. This will make the Democratic party a conservative formation without the nuttiness that characterizes the goopers. …

The good news is that by moving the Overton window leftward, it means we can push for reforms, instead of just holding fingers in the dike to prevent disaster.

That sounds logical to me. The Dem moderates are already Republican in their votes and would have to the big money donors than all the noisy lefties.

Hmm, so maybe it’s the Moderate Ds & Rs who need to get together and create the 3rd party??

So Republicans are the Fundamentalist Right, and Democrats are the Fundamentalist Left, and everybody else are people willing to talk to each other and deal for civil results?

Maybe 2 more parties, one on each side, as a “bridge” area between Edge and Center?

And the Center 3rd being essentially conservative in action (rule of law), but with progressive goals?

I’m starting to see that the traditional-up-to-now configurations of Party are a lousy metaphor/picture/model for what actually happens when human beings gather to solve civil problems.

Late yesterday afternoon, anti-GLBT organizers hoping to roll back two laws providing protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Oregonians submitted petition signatures to the Oregon Secretary of State. 55,179 signatures are required for each petition in order for the measures to be placed before voters on the 2008 ballot. Early reports indicate that it is too soon to tell whether enough valid signatures were submitted. The efforts are aimed at forcing a referendum vote on the Oregon Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as the Oregon Family Fairness Act, which would establish domestic partnerships for committed same-sex couples.
http://www.yubanet.com/artman/…..6412.shtml

old gold @ 40 They will not engage in relativism and vote for the lesser of two evils. That is antithetical to their world view.
Their weakness, our strength.

That’s funny, I noticed in the last couple of elections that every time I voted for the Lesser of Two Evils, the Greater Evil won.

none @ 29

You know something? Good for them. The Republican candidate is going to lose in 2008 anyway. There is no reason for the fundie whackjobs to support a (from their perspective) lesser-of-two-evils candidate who isn’t going to win regardless. If the left understood that, we wouldn’t have Bush in the WH today.

uh oh…..I feel a Ralph Nader debate coming on…..

Oh please. Let it begin, in the GOP tent.

The Joy of Scapegoating is just so delicious, and gets you media space, and relieves you from the responsibility of dealing with actual problems, plus the folks who ARE dealing with actual problems can then spot the Scapegoat Addicts and avoid them. Why shouldn’t the Right have its own version?

alank @ 99

Whereas the right-wingers leading the Democratic party (towards the precipice) never feel compelled to throw a bone to the progressive wing to keep them in the fold taking it for granted the latter have nowhere else to turn. And the latter respond with learned helplessness.

that is the problem, and will remain the problem for ever and ever, unless the lefties and progs can credibly brandish an alternative.

or else the DLC will just continue to cap every solid blue state with a Feinstein or a Lieberman or the deep cover Obama.

I personally think they are more bent, at the moment, on establishing international ties with other christian conservatives and trying to further some kind of proof that they are the “true christians.” It’s a battle for christianity they want to win at the moment, not the white house. Again, just my take. But boy, these folks are out to prove god is with them! And that, to me, is scary as hell!