[Promoted by susanhu; edited at Duke’s request.]
Over the past few days we’ve heard from Kos, Armando, and others, all with pretty much the same message: The party just doesn’t have the power to stop Alito at the present time, and now we need to focus on the future. That it would be best for us to use our energy to change the dynamic in Washington so that we won’t need to have a “no hitter” in order to win political battles.
These are compelling arguments. It certainly appears that the quest for a filibuster is a quixotic endeavor at best. And although those above added caveats to their posts that WE should continue the fight, I believe it is they who should be leading it. If not for ethical reasons, certainly for practical, political ones.
As someone who’s only been here a little over a year, maybe it’s not my place to criticize, but… I’m going to anyway.
You guys … you’re missing the opportunity of a lifetime
I might be wrong, but I’ve always been under the impression that one of the key reasons this site was started was to re-define the way politics was practiced. It was intended as a way to harness the power of the internet to not only empower the “regular citizens”, but also as a means to channel the energy of the grassroots and give it some direction.
Well, it appears to me that the Alito nomination has presented a unique opportunity to do just that.
Big-time, mainstream Democratic leaders have come to us and asked us to help take the lead in this battle. They have come to realize the power that exists in this medium. They’ve all but admitted that they can’t accomplish this task through traditional channels and are reaching out in desperation for our assistance.
This fight is no longer about if Reid can get the 41 votes or not. This could be the fight for the soul of the party. It could be a fight to see who will control the future of the party. The traditional party structure can’t deliver… but maybe we can.
From a pragmatic point of view the chances of stopping Alito are in fact slim …. But
If enough pressure from the grassroots could be put on those wavering Senators to stand up, who (besides the American people) would be the big winners…. We would.
If Markos, Armando, Jerome or Chris, and all the rest of the leaders of the progressive blogosphere were to put their full weight behind the effort, and by some miracle it was to be successful, it would forever change the face of politics. The mainstream Dems like Kerry and Kennedy have all but told us so in not so many words.
What would be lost in the effort?
In the worst case scenario, Kos and the rest spend the next few days riling up the faithful and in the end nothing changes and Alito gets confirmed without a fight. But in the best case scenario, the effort works and the power of the grassroots and internets is cemented. To me it seems like a no brainer.
This is the Rubicon and it’s time for Markos and the rest to step up and lead the faithful across. Stop being so pragmatic … it’s time to get medieval on their asses. Leading this fight is the best way to focus on the future. You’ve got absolutely nothing to lose and an unbelievable amount to gain.
(Authors note: This was originally posted at dKos and directed at the powers that be over there. Since its posting, both Armando and Kos have both made statements in support of the filibuster effort, and the front page at dKos has had numerous action diaries and pro-filibuster posts. But … the sentiments expressed in this diary still remain true … the Alito filibuster is the netroots watershed moment. The leaders at dKos have taken their place on the ramparts … now it is time for all the other blogmeisters and members to join in:)