Devilstower of Political Cortex has a phenomenal diary up at Booman Tribune, in which he writes an open letter to the DLC's Bruce Reed. This is just another one of those things that seems like common sense to me, and yet the Democratic establishment never seems to get it. Kudos to Devilstower.
From the missives that keep getting launched from the DLC site and DLC operatives, I feel that you are laboring under a horrible misapprehension. The Democratic blogs don't have a problem with moderate Democrats. In fact, we don't even have a problem with very conservative Democrats.
It's not about positions. It's never been about positions.
Sir, you're fighting the wrong fight.
Why do the blogs express such distaste for the DLC? It's because the one thing we will not tolerate is Democrats who make it their business to snipe, assault, and bludgeon other Democrats. Make no mistake, the blogs are not trying to enforce our own version of Reagen's old "11th Commandment." No Democrat is above criticism.
But if you make it your regular habit to attack other Democrats. If your operatives go forth to call your fellow party members "jihadists" and "members of the tin-foil hat brigade." Well sir, no one should be expected to sit down for that.
Think for just a second. What are you possibly trying to achieve with such language? Do you really believe that belittling Democrats and calling them names is going to help? Really? Has that kind of strategy worked for you in the past? Has it worked for anyone? Do you think that being called "radical" and "fringe" is going to shame people into agreeing with you?
Just so there can be no doubt, I'm going to go over it again. Take a look through the blogs and find the articles that rail against the DLC. Are they talking about positions? Are they upset because you're "too moderate" for the "leftist fringe?" No. The articles are there in response to verbal and written grenades that your organization seems to toss out like a trolley car puts off sparks.
Make sure to read the whole thing. Great stuff.
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