New v. Old Progressive Politics, Its called vision...

Jackasses.

Over at the Tpmcafe. there is this article titled In Praise of Illinois.
The article talks about how the progressive "agenda" is "alive and well" in the States. The article also exemplifies the problem with certain members of the left. And by certain members, I mean those that are dragging us down in the "vision" front. What is the problem with the article? Well while the article details admirable policies that have been implemented in Illinois by Blagojevich, the whole thing smacks of the typical old buffet style interest group politics that have consistently failed the left over the past 40 years. Where is the overarching vision? Where is the easily repeatable meme that allows the masses, myself included, to easily explain why we are democrats. I am sorry but I am never going to say: WEll, I am a blagojevich Democrat, He "passed legislation to bring all state workers under federal anti- discrimination laws, voluntarily waiving the state's "sovereign immunity" to counteract bad Supreme Court "states rights" decisions."

Even though I agree with that act, it is a dumb way to go about doing things. Here is another example of what I mean about this failed type of politics. In fact, this is what belies the type of politics it is.

"To protect patient care and ease the burden on overworked nurses..."
And then later
"Limited english speakers were protected in their rights to talk in Spanish"

See, if you like nurses, vote for us! If you like Spanish, vote for us! Rather than developing a cohesive vision about how the country should operate, lets just offer a mish mash of policies that people like! and then when those people realize we support that one little policy they like, they will vote for us right! Yeah! Right! no really, yeah, right....

If the national democratic party, and jackasses like the author of that piece grew a pair, they might realize that there is no reason to wonder why poor midwesterners like those morons over in Kansas vote Troglodyte when the Democratic party supports their economic interests. The fact of the matter is economics don't mean a damn thing to Kansans, but the wholesale slaughter of fetuses does mean something. The reason the Republicans are able to succeed there, despite the obvious economic "incentives" people have to vote Dem? They have an apparently cohesive vision and message that appeals to those upset about abortion. We can either 1) change the debate on abortion by developing a cohesive alternative vision and begin selling said vision, or 2) stop worrying about what's the matter with kansas. (not the book though, good book, I am using the title here for the post modern pop culture reference and just a touch of irony.)

Grocery List Politics don't work, and we need to quit using that style. In a perfect world, morons who do use that style would be subjected to beatings and torture. But we cannot all have the power of Bush!

As one final note, I wonder who super jackass who came up with that "Limited english speakers were protected in their rights to talk in Spanish" phrase. Sure, "english only" requirements for a job might some bothersome but do you really want to call up the say, Police dispatcher and get someone who doesn't speak english. Frankly, the phrase is retarded because it is pretty well assumed that everyone has the right to talk in whatever language they want in this country. It is a right that doesn't need protecting, hell it might not even be a right as much as a practical reality. It is also a practical reality that certain jobs would be almost impossible and businesses could be hurt by not having an english speaker, native or otherwise, in that position. This last little piece encapsulates the problem with the old style of politics. Here you have a questionable at best policy coupled with idiotic counter intuitive rhetoric. We really need a good party purge. Get those morons out, get smart people in.