Reform is NOT about getting rid of special interest groups or even having them to suppress their issues for the “greater good” (ie as defined by Al From)…
It is about creating a common value within all of these interest groups. Reform must be about reframing liberal and progressive values and policies into a coherent whole: what affirmative action has to do with progressive taxation, what abortion has to do with affirmative action, what environmentalism has to do with feminism, what labor has to do with education etc.
Democrats must reweave the safety net so that those who walk the straight and narrow path, who defend this country in battle, who work, who pay taxes… will not be left to drown if they slip and fall.
This is reform.
Asking that we put aside our differences to work for a greater good
Is bullshit and is really called “Oppression”.
In fact when you have a STRONG leader this happens naturally. It is only in the case of weak leadership… that restrictions and limitations are imposed. As in the case of CASEY he is weak therefore the leadership calls for weakening of issues and ideologies from the base instead of just finding a more suitable and appropriate candidate.
On the other hand in the case of Dean there was never any mention of suppression and oppression of issues and ideologies. In fact, there was an intrensic sharing and learning from each other since many where newbies.
For instance the labor guys and gals like SEIU opened all of our eyes to the world of labor. I remember one distinct blog entry from a feminist who was driving home and saw a picket line infront of a groecery store and said to herself “Those are my people” and she pulled over and asked how she could be of help. She admitted that before the Dean campaign picket lines and unions where invisible to her… now as an active Democrat they became “My people”.
This is what the faux notion of “Oppression for the Greater Good” ….keeps everyone invisible…
I too learned alot and cheered whenever I saw a picture of a beefy union guy standing next to gays, women, peirced kids and grandmothers at a rally. It was beautiful and Dean did not have to declare that they MUST get along nor did he ever say that in order to win… he would suppress the issues of certain groups…
That is why the DLC folks aimed both barrels at Dean… now they are in the process of taking over the blogosphere and spewing that same “SYFPH” crap…
