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RSS icon Comments on A New Democratic Coalition, and a New Generation

1

It's that last unhighlighted section in your block quote that is the key: Democrats must not only get elected, but they also MUST enact policies in line with the socio-economic-political beliefs of their supporters.

If they end up "playing safe" (ala Dems in the WA Legislature - who arguably have a somewhat more tenuous hold on Olympia at the moment), or otherwise trade-off electibility over policy-making, they're simply inviting a reactionary pendulum-swing back toward the GOP.

Posted by COMTE | February 29, 2008 11:51 AM
2

The article matches what I'm seeing.

The only real problem is that the old guard, who are mostly Clinton supporters, hold the elected district (LD), county and state positions - and as a group they (I guess I should say we, even if I am Obama) are much older than the new PCO-based younger groups that Obama is feeding into the Dems.

Should be some turf battles over who gets elected at the next reorganization meetings - and the old guard has been having problems adapting to the focus on real issues that the younger groups that Obama has brought out have.

(personally, I like the change)

Posted by Will in Seattle | February 29, 2008 11:55 AM
3

I've long thought generation was the elephant in the room during heated Clinton/Obama supporter debates: not race or gender.

Posted by Jason | February 29, 2008 12:01 PM
4

Try not to get carried away with the generational issue. I am old enough to remember talk of the "woodstock nation"
and how they alone would change everything. There are a lot of other factors.

Posted by geezer | February 29, 2008 12:13 PM
5

I pledge to myself and the Deomocratic Party a new deal for the American people.

I am baaack! And I came in the form of a black man from Chicago!

Posted by Franklin Delano Roosevelt | February 29, 2008 12:13 PM
6

Typical youth-cult narcissistic crap. I'll believe it when these newbies are here a year from now doing the scut work of party-building.

We get a few with staying power every election. This one will be no different.

As for Will's comment that the "old guard" who hold the elected positions in the party are mostly Clinton supporters, that is bullshit, and Will knows it perfectly well.

This generational bullshit didn't stop much of this state's Democratic leadership from endorsing Howard Dean in 2004. The Obama/Clinton propostion in state and local party leadership today roughly reflects the 2-1 Obama margin among caucus voters.

Posted by ivan | February 29, 2008 12:54 PM
7

tsk, Ivan, I saw into their hearts, and have talked with them - and it's true.

Posted by Will in Seattle | February 29, 2008 1:04 PM
8

"alllll we are sayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyiiiiing/is Giiive hiiim a chaaaaaaance"

Posted by Andy Niable | February 29, 2008 1:45 PM
9

@6-

So this scutwork, does it involve going
uphill both ways through 6 feet of snow like you used to have to back in the day?

Posted by Beguine | February 29, 2008 5:14 PM
10

@9:

If you mean talking to your neighbors about politics and mobilizing them to action, and getting out the vote and lobbying in Olympia, yeah. That's the same. Interested?


Posted by ivan | February 29, 2008 11:16 PM

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