Why We Should Support Our Democratic Party With Our Votes

Edited on Fri Oct-29-10 04:22 PM by bigtree

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9415491

 

In my lifetime, I've NEVER seen a government or party which completely represented me.

I thought, when I first began to pay attention to government, and I'm certain now, that it's not designed to just represent me, but is responsible for a myriad of needs and concerns - some of which I may not share. *The only thing I've ever felt I was due was to have my ideas compete alongside the others. I've always understood that I'd have to generate as much enthusiasm for a candidate from my district or state to carry those ideas to the statehouse or Congress.

I understand that there will be opposition to my ideas, sometimes overwhelming opposition. But, I'm comfortable to have my ideas in consideration along with more popular or accepted ones. I see our political system as a mechanism to reconcile the many different and diverse ideas and concerns into action. I recognize that it's not always easy or possible. I'm not discouraged by that; I'm challenged to work harder.

In my lifetime, the Democratic Party has been outstanding in carrying and advancing those ideas I support and believe in. Those ideas haven't always prevailed, even among Democrats, but I have lived long enough to see some of those ideas revived, presented, and advanced after all, despite an earlier rejection or defeat. I fully intend to keep pressing my ideas and concerns until they can generate the support needed to advance them legislatively or otherwise.

I never expected to get my way with 100 senators and 500 representatives, but I'm gratified for the progress we've made in achieving the numbers needed to gain the majority. There is obvious value in holding the majority, including the important ability to keep republicans from setting the agenda on the floor and in committees.

In all, the Democratic party remains the most effective and representative vehicle for my ideas and concerns, despite the disagreements I may have with the actions of this Congress or any other I've witnessed. Most of our Democratic senators and representatives work hard to represent us as we continue pressing them for recognition and advancement of those ideas and concerns. I've personally had more than that opportunity. That's all I've ever expected.

Why do we court and accept voters with different views in the general election, and then, accept and support the actions of some in the party to marginalize and censor the Democratic legislators they elect to represent them? All of the different camps in the party do this, right, left, and center. Do we respect the votes from the many different sectors of the nation which come with a myriad of solutions and strategies?

Congress is supposed to be the place where we reconcile the many different ideas from around the nation. It's a given that these legislators will sometimes have radically different ideas about how to best effect - in many cases - shared goals. I believe we put our party in the same hole every election cycle where different camps within the party struggle for ideological purity and set out these litmus tests for membership and acceptance, as if there was some benefit in marginalizing one group of Democrats or another.

What needs to be remembered is that our party's representation among voters would be rather small if we expected members to adhere to one narrow ideology, or to one strategy. There are, of course, principles which we all feel we must adhere to. But, we needn't be so defensive of our own positions, so much that we neglect to recognize that other legislators have been sent to Congress under our party's banner, ready to organize and advocate for the goals and priorities we all share, but, sometimes, adopting and advocating a different strategy for success.

Our party thrives on the diversity of opinion that Democratic voters bring to the general elections. We welcome that diversity in those periods to advance our party's ability to effect our shared goals. I think we should have the same respect and accommodation of those legislators with different viewpoints in our party's deliberations that we extend to the voters who elect them.

That doesn't mean that we abandon our own principles and values in the political debate. It's just a recognition that many of our positions are not sufficient to generate a majority on their own. That's why we coalesce behind our party. Our only political strength is in the amount of support we generate to elevate our party in a position to do more about our ideals than just talk about them. Our political system provides for both protest and compromise. There's little room for dictators or absolutists when it comes time to vote on initiatives and legislation.

The purpose of our political system is to have a place where we can collectively enact those things we feel are necessary, We do that with legislators from many diverse regions of the country with a divergence of needs and concerns motivating them to vote. Often, we share the same goals, but not the same strategy for enacting them.

We should remember the diverse and disparate voters, as we deliberate those differences, who sent these legislators to organize and advocate under the same Democratic banner. It's not easy to accommodate different points of view, especially if you feel the issue or concern is critical and paramount. But, that's what most voters send these legislators to Congress to do; to reconcile all of the voters' different strategies for success to effectively advance the goals we all share.
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