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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Politics What He Said

Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 9:52 AM

Democratic insiders are complaining about the "liberal flank." Why? Because we're asking Obama, the Senate and the House to deliver on the party's agenda. That agenda was laid out by Obama, Senate candidates and House candidates during their campaigns. We don't separate party's political agenda from the party's policy agenda, although people at the White House and on Capitol Hill do. We think that if candidates campaign on ideas and win, the candidates should deliver on those ideas—but we're viewed as the bad guys for thinking that.

This happens on gay issues all the time. Candidates, like Obama, court the gay vote and, especially, the gay money. They make campaign promises on gay issues like the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT). But, after they win, when gays ask the elected officials to follow through on their campaign promises, we're told we are doing harm to the party's agenda. Those promises ARE part of the agenda.

That's what I don't get. If the commitments made during the campaign aren't the party's agenda, what is?

Comments (8) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Dan, you are so precious.

Posted by In a naive clueless way on August 4, 2009 at 9:58 AM

Corporations determine what the Democratic party stands for. Just like corporatations determine what the GOP stands for (well in their case the Family on C Street matters as well)

I mean people, human beings, are so small and petty to pay attention to.

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on August 4, 2009 at 10:11 AM

You've got to hand it to the Republicans. When their candidates make promises they damn well better keep them. Even when they know they will fuck the country as a whole they keep their promises. The promises the Democrats are supposed to keep are good for the country and their supporters. And what do Dems do? They complain!
Why? Because it cuts into the money they receive from corporations? It's inconvenient? It's too much baggage to go into an election with? What? If it's too far left for the tight asses, fuck them. It's time too move the country in a new direction. Wasn't it Obama who said "Change has come to America!" Well, fucking change it already!

Posted by Vince on August 4, 2009 at 10:18 AM

@3, the last time the Democrats had these majorities and did what they wanted to telling the GOP to go fuck themselves was in the 1930's.

Then again the country was one step away from armed revolution, not like I'm suggesting anything.....

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on August 4, 2009 at 10:25 AM

@3 Yep, sounds about right. The Democrats have pulled the wool over the eyes of most people for the last 100 years. They are sponsored by corporations just as much as the GOP is, the DNC just has labor leaders on their side to put a sheen of populism on the party.
You want change, you have to work for it. Sick of the bank bailouts? Pull your money out of corporate banks and put it in credit unions. Support workers when they want to unionize their business (Starbucks and Amazon are great local companies that continually union bust.)
You have to disrupt your comfortable life and put your energy into change if you want to see any. As Obama has shown, you can't depend on a leader who talks a good game but has bigger money to answer to.

Posted by Enigma

on August 4, 2009 at 10:31 AM

@3 No they don't.

"You've got to hand it to the Republicans. When their candidates make promises they damn well better keep them"

The republicans DON'T keep their promises to their voters any better then the Democrats do. Which is why the bush administration ran up the largest deficiets to date, abortion is still legal, and gay marraige is legal in 6 states, and spreading.

Gore Vidal said it best in 1968 "There is only one party in this country, the money party, and it has two branches; the republicans and the democrats."

Posted by johnyawl on August 4, 2009 at 11:19 AM

Forget the smoke and mirrors of the Democratic Party. The GayTM is a ransom fund paid to the Democratic Party to not erode existing rights and allow the status quo. It is the same principle as when a bunch of big white guys in bad suits show up to offer "protection" to your business.

Posted by Reg on August 4, 2009 at 11:48 AM