The Un-Republican

by Prometheus 6
April 16, 2004 - 12:09am.
on Politics

Matt Stoller at The Blogging of the President places me in the third of four anti-Bush categories:

Three, there are people who care less about policies than progressive politics, believing that the system is too ossified to serve its purpose without substantial political reform. Joe Trippi and Jon Stewart falls into this camp; they dislike the Democratic party machinery (such as it is) because it continually undercuts the ability for progressive ideas to emerge. More than that, these people think that the media is as much a part of the insider machinery as any political organization, and seek to break down the broadcast culture of politics. They respect Ralph Nader's underlying critique, but see him as stubborn and counterproductive. Far leftists like Green Party candidate for mayor of SF Matt Gonzalez fit in this mold, as do right-wingers like Ross Perot and John McCain. While not in agreement about solutions, this group is distinguished by its disgust with the methods of discourse and the lack of pragmatic principle in the current American political system. This group is generally disgusted with party politics, and wants to go around the party system; it therefore shows up strongly on the web.

And Digby at Hullabaloo says to all four segments:

However, I will be my usual dark Cassandra in this argument and issue my standard warning. There is a great big political battle going on with a bunch of guys who take no prisoners. We are not dealing with our daddy's Republican Party. They are not going to disappear and they are not going to allow us to enact a progressive agenda unimpeded. We'd best take that into account because simply reforming the Democratic Party into a fighting progressive voice for change ain't gonna get it done. We need every last person for this battle from all those awful DLC'rs and Democrats in the House and Senate to John Edwards to audacious faux Dem Wes Clark to Howard Dean. We don't have to sign any loyalty oaths but we do have to be serious and mature and understand how terribly difficult and how high the stakes are in trying to govern with the sort of opposition that puts a criminal like Tom DeLay into a leadership position. They will fight with everything they have.

If the Democrats take back the White House the Republicans are going to lose their minds, not because our party is faulty because theirs is. We need to remember that. We may be imperfect, but they are nuts.

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Submitted by Al-Muhajabah (not verified) on April 16, 2004 - 1:59am.

I would have said that I fall into the third group as well and that's why I've supported Kucinich but obviously I don't agree with Matt's description of Kucinich in the fourth group.

Submitted by P6 (not verified) on April 16, 2004 - 12:15pm.

I think Matt may be in group two, which would color his views.