On Sun, 21 Dec 2003, WizardMarks wrote:
> Steve Sumner wrote:
>
> >Speaking only from my own experience.....
> >I know quite a few democrats that got pushed out of the party because of one
> >stance or another.
> >
> WM: From what I recall of various members leaving the DFL, some of whom
> I sorely miss, they left of their own accord. Most of those I know went
> to the Greens or just walked away from politics. Some moved after
> failure at endorsement, particularly when they were clearly the better
> candidate.
I am one of those who left the Dems to go to the Greens. The occasion was
Clinton pushing NAFTA in 1994. A very big and very bad move, showing the
national Dems dedicated to corporate money, rule from the South, and
rolling back the hard-won progressive reforms of the last 50 years. Later
events have confirmed this. The national party, especially at the
presidential level, is now friends with the rich at the expense of the
people. They are no longer for progress - just for slower
regress/roll-back than the GOP. Just a little longer to become a third
world nation. That's why I left. I have seen no reason to go back.
In 1994 I worked some on the Marty for governor campaign. Most of the
party hacks thought he was too progressive. They still do.
A bit later Progressive Minnesota (PM) worked for a voting reform called
fusion, where you'd vote "Wellstone DFL" or "Wellstone PM", showing how
much of the vote for Wellstone had come from PM. A few elected Dems were
for it. Wellstone wouldn't commit. Over 25,000 signatures were gathered.
On the last day, Wellstone refused ("too complicated"), and the state DFL
chair rufused for the party. So all the work was in vain; and no word till
the last day. Clearly the DFL didn't want fusion; no way did they want
people knowing how strong the non-DFL progressive vote was in the state.
That would have meant having to BE more progressive - and losing a boodle
of corporate cash. That did not endear Wellstone to me, and showed how the
state party was going.
The final straw was the Belton-Cherryhomes-Campbell regime, with cops
pepperspraying Hwy 55 protestors for the greater glory of MnDOT, and ISAG,
and more corp welfare, and more. They had to go, and the only way to make
them go was another party. The Greens had a significant effect in this.
More needs to be done, as recent events prove.
I don't look to the Dem party for progress at the national, or the state,
or the city level. There are a few elected Dems with progressive values
that can be worked with; but they are for the most part not supported by
their party - they are there in spite of their party.
If the Dems wanted the Greens back, they would resume their older
progressive stance. But that would mean alienating corporate money. So
it's not going to happen. So we're not going back.
We're dedicated to the old (but updated) progressive values. Somebody has
to do it. It means starting at the bottom, electing to city council,
school board, library board, county board. It means lots of work with very
little money or press. It means people turning away because you don't
already have lots of people in power who can do them favors. It means Dems
trying to redistrict you out of office, or guilt-trip you for running
against any of their candidates. But we'll keep on, offering a progressive
alternative.
So, nobody kicked me out. I left of my own accord. I wanted to be where
progress was possible, the GP for me, not the DFL.
> What speaks to me is in the coalescing of the Greens. They are heavily
> comprised of democrat diaper babies, but when the DFL didn't take on the
> enormous changes a green planet focus requires, people finally set off
> on their own.
As I.
> That Greens are comprised of both dems and repubs says that some torque
> is being applied to create a paradigm shift away from both parties.
Yes.
> "Oozing charm from every pore, he oiled his way across the floor..." GB
> Shaw?
And now oil be going.
--David Shove
Roseville
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