Naivety
The Take Back America Conference this year drew 3,000 leaders and activists from 40 states, 150 speakers, a bloggers’ boulevard and radio row larger than ever, and an energy that couldn’t be contained. This year was not only a larger gathering than any previous year; it had a very different spirit.
We witnessed the gathering of a movement that has come into a sense of its own power. Certain that the elections in 2006 mark the end of the conservative era that has dominated our politics for more than 25 years, progressives gathered confident that they were driving the political agenda and that they were on the verge, in fact, of taking back America. (more…)
The are no better than the . Yes 2006 may have signaled the end of the GOPs reign but replacing them with, barring a few exceptions, the current crop of Democrats will not see any radical change in the way America is governed. Do you really think a Democratic president is going to undo all those lovely powers that Bush will be handing him or her? Not a chance. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely to quote the venerable . They will hang on to that power and come up with a gazillion excuses as to why.
The people attending may think they have power but they don’t. In America the only political power is money and money does not want the changed back to where it was before the GOP changed things.
All of the leading Democratic candidates for president came to the Take Back America Conference, knowing how important the support of the activists and bloggers gathered there can be. All didn’t simply show up, they competed in their embrace of the core agenda laid out above and much more.
There is no longer much profit in “pushing off” the progressive base. Embrace of progressive positions strengthens these candidates for the general election. And the candidates seem to understand that.
Yes but that embrace only lasts until the election is over. Politicians lie, it’s not even second nature to them, it is inherent in being a politician. I’d really like to believe electing a Democratic congress, senate and president in will make things better bit age and expierience has kicked the shit out of that kind of blind optimism.
[tags]naivety[/tags]
