Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Game Theory



Somewhere between the end of health care reform and the GWB tax cuts extension, I completely gave up on Obama. A few months later, I completely gave up on the "Democratic" Party. I don't think it actually exist anymore.

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions. Parties often espouse an expressed ideology or vision bolstered by a written platform with specific goals, forming a coalition among disparate interests. - Wikipedia

Please, can anyone state the Democratic Party's expressed ideology or vision in less than 100 words? Or, Obama's expressed ideology or vision in less than a 1000 words?

I decided to focus on a few policy goals because most of the Liberal policies I support are politically impossible - Single payer, limited Defense spending, closing GITMO, repealing the Patriot Act, ending the GWB tax cuts, etc. However, several policies only need the right President to make major changes. The right President can change our Free Trade policies. Both NAFTA and WTO treaties give the President extraordinary powers to force modifications and/or new treaties. Based on trade policies alone, I supported Donald Trump's "candidacy". The right President can also end our endless useless Wars.

If you oppose American Colonialism, Ron Paul might appeal to you, but whatever policy goals you value most, I suggest you vote for whoever will advance those goals regardless of Party. If your policy goal is a general Liberal agenda, you have to ask yourself, are President Obama's compromises furthering your goals? I've concluded that Obama's compromises coupled with Congressional Democratic acquiescence is worse than a Republican President with a Congressional Democratic opposition.

Moreover, if your policy goals extend beyond the next election, then supporting Obama's moderate conservative agenda will only encourage more Democrats to repeat his strategy. Governor Mario Jr's pro-growth anti-Labor agenda is discouraging. Sen. Mark Warner's disgusting corporate agenda also turns my stomach. As Progressives, we need to draw a hard line that these quasi Republican policies will not be tolerated. It may be necessary to sacrifice a "good" Democratic politician to prove we are serious. Christine O'Donnell's Republican primary victory and eventual defeat was more valuable to the Tea Party than another moderate Republican Senator from Delaware. Personally I'll never vote for another worthless Faux Republican Democrat regardless of his or her opponent, Palin included.

Progressives need to take the long term view and look past the next election cycle. In the last 30 years, 10+ years with "Democratic" Presidents, both parties have destroyed Organized Labor, the American middle class, exported American jobs, surrendered to Corporate America, and damaged the reputation of the United Stated. And if we continue to support Barack "Hoover" Obama, things will only get worse. Therefore, I suggest we abandon Obama and all worthless Democrats. First, we lose nothing more than we will lose anyway. Second, we will discourage more Moderate Conservative Democratic politicians. It may cost us an election cycle but eventually a fire breathing Progressive will slither to the top of the political dung pile. He or she may lose but long before the Republicans got a Ronald Reagan, they had a Barry Goldwater. And Progressives really need a Barry Goldwater if not a Progressive "Ronald Reagan".

Additionally, Democratic politicians take Progressive groups for granted. Blacks, LGBT groups, Organized Labor, and Latinos have no political leverage because Democratic Politicians know these groups have no political options. AIPAC is very successful because it is willing to support both Republicans and Democrats. As long as Progressive groups hitch their political wagons to one party, they wont ever reach their goals. Ask blacks? 16% unemployment and more American black men in prison than in all of Africa, and half of the Black Caucus voted to cut social programs that are the life blood to many black communities. MSNBC hired Rev. Al Sharpton who openly advocates that blacks shouldn't criticize or expect anything from Barack Obama. I'll bet AIPAC expects Obama's support and obedience. Progressives must persuade Democratic politicians that their vote isn't to be taken for granted, and the only way to do that is to vote Republican just once. If you can't or refuse to leverage your vote, then you shouldn't expect anything different from Democrats.

Imagine if a Republican candidate supported Organized Labor or at least opposed Free Trade(Trump), and Organized Labor switched their support to that Republican. From that point forward, Democrats would jump every time a Labor leader walked into the room, called on the phone, or had a loud fart. It's time Progressives used their power instead of allowing powerful politicians to use Progressives. If Progressive groups work together and do what's best for their group and each other, not mindlessly support politicians or Political Parties, we can revive a Progressive political party in America, and let the "Democratic" Party be damned.

2 comments:

  1. Are you sure you're not Republican? Not like it's a bad thing? LOL #heterosexual

    ReplyDelete