Just how far should Democrats go to win elections? Should we take that attitude that our highest goal is to win at any cost? Or is there a line that should not be crossed, even if it means losing? I have been waging an internal argument with myself for some time over this very issue. Yes, I understand the big picture. A win for a Democratic candidate means one less vote for Republican Leadership. But is that the Most Important Goal?
The way I see it, potential Democratic candidates break down into the following categories:
Candidate A – Agreement on all (or most) issues that are important to me, likely to defeat the Republican in the general election
Candidate B – Agreement on all (or most) issues, not likely to win
Candidate C – Disagreement on all (or most) issues, likely to win
Candidate D – Disagreement on all (or most) issues, not likely to win
Obviously, the best scenario is Candidate A, after all, I agree with A, I can support A with no guilt, and A will most likely win the general election. Also, Candidate D can be dismissed, because my support or lack thereof is moot – after all, D will most likely not win no matter what I do or do not do. The most difficult positions are when deciding whether to support Candidates B and C. Do I support the person most in tune with my values, or do I support the person most likely to put a check in the “Win” column?
Now – extrapolate this to the Party. Should the Party itself (or those influential within the Party, or those influential with the grassroots) support Candidate B or C. Should the Party support the Candidate which most closely reflects the ideals of the Party, or the one that will win? Again, yes, the big picture is important, a win for us means we are one step closer to gaining control of the House/Senate – and that is very important. But how far should we go? How many issues, interests and people need to be sacrificed to obtain this goal? Do we sacrifice women’s issues, the environment, gun control, unions, civil rights for homosexuals, etc., etc.? I have read the arguments on both sides in numerous guises – I do not want to rehash any of the specific instances here. But the question remains — What is the Most Important Goal.
This leads me to the climax of my internal struggle. I read BooMan’s extraordinary diary, Impeach, Resign, Do Nothing. I read the comments here and at Dkos. Now, as wonderful as that diary was, it itself did not lead to resolution; however, a comment by Zackpunk to the Dkos diary got me started on the path.
“If we cannot comprehend the value of standing for principles, we have no hope of getting control of anything.”
That comment struck me, but something wasn’t right. There was something more that needed to be said. However, the comment triggered something. I started to think back to cartoons I watched as a child. I had always watched the superhero cartoons (Superfriends, He-man, She-ra). Hell, I still watch superhero cartoons (Teen Titans, anyone?). Anyway, there always seems to be an episode where the hero is faced with a dilemma. The arch-nemesis is in a very real danger of being killed. What does the hero do? Does he/she let this evil person die? After all, wouldn’t the world be a better place without this evil person? Or does the hero save the evil person? You know the answer. The hero saves the evil arch-nemesis from an untimely demise. Why? If the hero had not done this, then the hero would have been no better than the evil person.
So, I would like to take Zackpunk’s comment, and reword it slightly:
“If we cannot comprehend the value of standing for principles, when we gain power, we will be no better than those who are wielding it now.”
And that is the resolution of my dilemma. I do not want power for the sake of power. I do not want to gain power if it means compromising those ideals I hold most dear. Because if I did, I would be no better than Bush, Rove, et al. I do not want to be one of those people. If we become willing to sacrifice our principles in order to win, we gain nothing, because we are no better that those we are trying to defeat.
Is there room for compromise? Of course. The key is to identify what you cannot sacrifice, and stick to it. We, as Democrats, should identify what goals and ideals we cannot sacrifice, and stick to it. We may not win today, but we will win in the future, and we will not be corrupted in the process.