Glenn Greenwald creates a bizarre construction of reality wherein the Democrats are the party of Dear Leaderism and the Republicans are the party known for dissent within the ranks. In my experience, the Left in this country is known most for its inability to close ranks, shut their eyes, and defend their leaders, come what may. The Right is known for extreme pragmatism, where religious conservatives and Wall Street bankers can maintain an unnatural alliance for decades at a time.
The Republican coalition is built of necessity. There are few other ways for Wall Street bankers to compete for majorities than to ally themselves with religious populism. The Democratic coalition is purely ad hoc, and it will remain a fluid and divisive Babel of voices and concerns so long as no single constituency is strong enough to dominate.
What Greenwald and Judis are saying is that the Left is so enthralled with Obama that they are giving him a pass rather than pushing hard for him to move to the left. And without sustained and vocal advocacy from the Left, Obama will stay where he is or move to the right.
Here’s where it gets tricky. Part of what Greenwald and Judis say is inarguable. But when it comes to individual voices (columnists, bloggers, talking heads), it’s important that we remember one thing. If you lie, exaggerate, distort, or dissemble about the facts in order to push for a better policy outcome, you will lose your credibility. Consider this bit from Matthew Yglesias:
If you succeed in muting all your critics to the left, all you do is create a situation where your program is defined in the press and the congress and the public imagination as the most-leftwing-possible proposal. And the furthest-left proposal can’t possibly win. It’s never helpful to have fratricidal warfare and battles to the death, but it’s necessary for there to be meaningful pressure to do more than is popular or possible or even necessary in order to lay the groundwork for accomplishing anything.
Again, if you are telling your readers that there is something wrong with the Democrats because they are not doing more than is possible or even necessary, you are not going to maintain your credibility for very long. There seems to be a flood of commentary today that comes dangerously close to an advocacy of demagoguery.
A bunch of loud-mouthed, well-organized, impractical, dishonest members of the Left might work to successfully move this country in a more positive direction. But that doesn’t mean we should believe anything they have to say.
Be a blogger or be a demagogue. It’s your choice, and your reputation.
