Quick, name an issue that a Dem leader will go to the mat on and really – I mean, really – fight for. Hurry. Name it. What? Nothing but silence. And so it is, my friends.
The Dems on every level – local, state and national – are a party without a plan. Worse, they’re a party without a heart. Like limp spaghetti thrown against the wall to see if it’s ready to be eaten, the Dems do little in today’s body politic but be tossed around limply. And what delicious treats they make for red-blooded Republicans who don’t seem to have forgotten how to draw a line in the sand and fight the first bastard who dares to cross it.
There’s been a lot in the news of late regarding the limp Dems:
Locally, the new Montpelier Dem in the Statehouse, Jon Anderson, went limp right out of the gate by turning his back on his fellow Dems and handing yet another victory to Republican Governor Douglas. Anderson, as we all know by now, voted against his party’s wishes and sided with a Douglas veto of a budget bill.
In Burlington, the Dems shunned a Prog to vote for Republican Kurt Wright to lead their City Council. I guess the Burlington Dems have never heard that little saying about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
In the Statehouse, the Dem leader of the Senate, Peter Shumlin, has now proven that he won’t stand up for his beliefs by giving the pro-impeachment crowd this message in today’s newspapers: “It’s time for them to come to the reality that we are not going to have time for [impeachment].” And this from a guy who just a couple of weeks ago championed the issue, grabbed headlines on it, and raised the hopes of those same people he now wants to lecture about “reality.” Silly people, didn’t you realize that “reality’ to a modern Dem is to talk one way and act another?
And nationally, of course, we have Dems like our own Welch, Sanders and Leahy talking the tough talk about the war but then handing what amounts to a blank check to the Bush team to continue the fighting.
But let’s get back to the original question: Is there an issue on the legislative table – locally or nationally – that the Dems will absolutely and positively fight for? I don’t see it. And you?
And while it’s easy – and a whole lot of fun! -- to simply blame these Dem leaders for their spineless political endeavors, it fails to take into account that these elected Dems were elected by a constituency that represents a mirror image of their leaders’ spinelessness. Worse, the Dem constituency has become little more than enablers for the do-nothingness of their leaders, defending them every step of their blind way and, even worse, refusing to push them like they should be pushed.
Which is to say, there is no Dem movement. No Dem cause. No hardcore Dem belief system that they themselves believe in enough to stand up for, be counted for, take risks for or, damn it, fight for.
Instead, the Dems are about cheering the candidates and ignoring those same candidates’ stands on the issues (or lack thereof). And the Dem candidates have perfected the art of throwing their voters the red meat during the campaign season and then throwing them to the wind when the legislating begins. And the Dem constituency – just as moribund when it comes to passion for a political platform – just continues to play along, seemingly happy with the spineless meandering and the condescending finger-wags like Welch’s “it’s time to come to reality” put down.
But the reality, Mr. Shumlin, is that you and your party have no reality. You are lost. You are rudderless. And in your constant repositioning for the next election, you’ve forgotten how to lead and how to fight for – or even define! -- your core beliefs.
There is just no other way to describe how a Vermont legislature with Dems controlling a “super-majority” could fail to move on anything of real substance or consequence to its constituency. Zero. Nada. Zippo.
I’m just wondering how long the Dem cheerleaders and Kool-aid drinkers in the rank and file are going to keep sitting on their hands and letting their leaders do absolutely nothing about the problems they pretend to care about during election season. Enough already.
Oh wait, I forgot about the great savior, Obama! Of course, Obama will save the day with his strong positions on….on….on…oh never mind, he’s just got a great personality! Oh fuck, here we go again…
P.S. Let me know if you think of that issue that the Dems really, really care about. I’d really, really like to know. Email me at: VtSnarkyBoy@yahoo.com
