Money Talks
by tristero
If the professionals can’t make a strong and creative case for progressive rule after the spectacular Republican meltdown during the Bush years, then it’s clear they have a long way to go.
And the sooner they go, the better.
Only the “professionals” at the top of the Democratic party could fashion a close presidential race between someone so obviously gifted as Barack Obama and a filthy rich ignoramus with a bad temper. Just as they did with Gore/Bush, and in 2004. and with Kerry/Bush, it appears that Democratic “pros” are working overtime to snatch defeat from the jaws of slamdunk victory.
Truth be told, it’s a very simple thing to change this. In fact it’s one dimensional. And that dimension, of course, is money. The more cash progressives can control and parcel out to deserving candidates AND their advisers AND the political infrastructure of the Democrats, the sooner there will be decent candidates, intelligent advice, and a party responsive to its actual membership.
What’s difficult seems to be to get progressives to understand this: First and foremost, they simply must organize the money. But until liberals’ cash flow to Democrats is properly organized and coordinated, we can expect far more than merely close political races that should be Democratic landslides. We can expect a disproportionate influence of rightwing nutjobs on American governance, and all the ensuing horrors. By their inept politicking, the current top Democratic operatives make it easy for the far right to trash this country.
The all-wise Frank Zappa – who is missed more and more each year – once said something to the effect that “Republicans are pure evil while Democrats spend their time wishing they were Republicans.” He was speaking not of rank-and-file Dems, of course, but the group of timid souls in Congress and at the top of the party hierarchy who, when confronted with the dimwitted thuggery of Reagan-era smear tactics, trembled with fear while envying their audacity.
If we liberals and progressives want to change that, then Step One is Control the Cash.
Step Two? Repeat Step One. Step Three: Keep repeating Steps One and Two.