The reality that progressives must reconcile themselves with today is that the the owners of the Democratic Party, the Daddies, have other interests than those of the progressives. Thus, at the end of the day, when the showdown arrives, the Democrats we elect act with the interest of their Daddies superceding those of its base.
Ideally, this will be the first in a series of installemnts detailing who your Daddy really is.
"God money I’ll do anything for you, God money just tell me what you want me to, God money nail me up against the wall, God money don't want everything he wants it all." – Trent Reznor
A funny thing happened on the way to the establishment of a new progressive era in American politics. It seems the progressives forgot to elect progressives. Infinite sadness and a little buyer’s remorse is thus the result many within the progressive bloc are now experiencing to their chagrin.
The truth of the matter however is that it now appears progressives were implicit in their own deception. The signs were always there but deep down we just couldn’t believe she would cheat on us, and do so with our rival, no less. The she I speak of are the elected Democrats of course, and the rival I mention are the true owners of this society and subsequently the Democratic Party.
For those of us who thought we were the president’s base, the ugly truth has been ripped off and exposed like a scab whose infection has yet to heal. While many of us were buying into the notion that we were the cornerstones of a pending Democratic majority, our Daddies were co-opting the talents of a young reformer with a booming voice and penchant for oratory, even as we planned for policies that would never see the light of day.
But just who are these Daddies? For starters, it begins with Rahm Emmanuel. Did anyone ever notice how Mr. Emmanuel never dared to exert himself much in the great policies debates of 2001-2005, when the Bush tax cuts, the first war, the next Bush tax cuts, the other war, and the last round of Bush tax cuts, were being implemented? Sometimes the Daddies have other priorities, no need to fall on one’s sword, right? Besides, the Daddies children are never the ones left behind.
By all appearances, it seems Rahm Emmanuel had principally disengaged himself from the goings-on in the land of the Potomac once the Clinton White House folded its tent.
Fortunately for us, the failure of the Bush social security privatization push, the surge in the Iraqi body count, and a certain hurricane demonstrated that opportunity was calling. Daddies always have time to search out for new opportunities once the risks of doing so are mitigated.
With rapid speed, Mr. Emmanuel waltzed into a House seat and promptly convinced in-coming speaking Pelosi that "impeachment is off the table." The Daddies frown upon rocking the boat for fear they may end up wet too.
A series of half filled promises soon followed as few subpoenas were issued, the war funding was never placed in the annual budget, and the opportunity grew exponentially for the Daddies.
By 2008, the Daddies sense opportunity was well within their grip and so they traveled the land from coast to coast offering up platitudes about this and that. Just one drop and this magic elixir will cure-all that ails you children, would your daddy lie to you?
And so this is the process by which progressives allowed ourselves to be fooled once again. The Daddies swoop in, co-opt a message of reform, mix in some ambiguities, and seize power through default. But it is only then that the trouble begins for the Daddies.
It seems that once the Daddies obtain the coveted precious, they must recognize who their Daddies are. You see, our Daddies have Daddies too.
In turn, they understand that to maintain their grip on the precious, their Daddies must be pleased. Every scratch must be itched, even if it only spreads the poisonous ivy. And so they scratch away knowing that their Daddies will be pleased.
Thus, it is by way of this process thus that we find ourselves in a place and time where we got money for war, but none for health care, where we got political capital worth squandering on war, but once again none for health care. The Daddies would rather fight a real war, replete with countless negative consequences, than wage a political war that could provide many lasting and positive ones. It's tough being a Daddy, priorities and all.
And so it goes, our Daddies at the DNC, the White House, and the Congress mill about while attending to the wishes of their Daddies as their children at home starve. But having been fooled once again, perhaps we children will have learned a lesson next time father is calling for us. For you see, the lesson to be learned here is that sometimes father doesn’t know best.
Next time your Daddy calls for you, wanting another dollar, or a volunteer to work their phone bank, another huckster to walk around in the cold knocking on strange doors, remember who your Daddy is. And then remember who their Daddies are too. You’ll know what to do.