Lunchpail Democrats don’t exist.
To bring the point home, Pres. Obama is now warning Democratic activists to brace themselves for the budget. But after capitulating to conservatism over Democratic economic values throughout his entire first term what comes next really shouldn’t require a warning. From the Hill:
Top White House officials are warning liberal and labor leaders to brace themselves for President Obama’s budget proposal. – Obama warns left: You won’t like budget
If Lunchpail Democrats did exist they would be boycotting the Democratic National Convention, which is being held in right-to-work North Carolina. They would also have challenged Pres. Obama’s conservatism, instead of saying the debate wasn’t worth the effort, while making excuses for him when he embraced austerity.
Obama’s Bank of America decision, on top of his right-to-work reelection self-interest, on top of everything that came before, which is magnified by a warning from the White House on Obama’s next budget, all of it points to a plundering of Democratic principles inside a political party that stands for nothing anymore.
Lunchpail Republicans in Indiana not only have more self respect and principle to stand up for the middle class and working families, as well as unions, than Pres. Obama and the entire Democratic Party, but this group of Republicans are willing to challenge their own at the ballot box to prove it.
How arrogant are Obama’s conservative apologists to think these things don’t matter? Coupled with slick Mitt on the other side, who can’t even convince conservatives, they think they’ve got a ticket to ride to reelection. So, team Obama and his conservative fans think they can do anything and get away with it and why not?
We keep hearing and reading how people feel they have no choice but to vote “lesser of two evils” and back Pres. Obama. I certainly feel their frustration and it’s their vote, their choice. But what will change and what will be gained by hoping the same action will produce different results? How will the Democratic Party and the ideals at its foundation change with more of the same?
Or maybe as far as the Democratic Party is concerned it’s just too late.
I talked with a longtime friend last night, and we wondered together about now reading and hearing in so many places the things we’ve been talking about for more years than either of us really cares to remember. I don’t think either of us still quite believes it.
Maybe, hopefully we’re reaching big enough numbers, of that “critical mass” moment when “you have no choice,” “lesser of two evils,” “just wait until after this campaign and election and then we’ll get to your issues” will finally be challenged.
Some of the Occupy Congress people reached the WH about half an hour or so ago. One of the chants: “Obama! Come out! We’ve got some things to talk about!” is something I hope Electeds in general, at every level, hear loudly and consistently.
Here’s a link to the White House rally:
http://www.ustream.tv/timcast
Is it time for someone to establish Lunchpail Democrats, U.S.A. and solicit or invite blue state Ds to start state chapters using social media and the net?
I’d be suspicious of any interest group that defined itself in terms of how it supports a particular party right now. Given what’s happened to all such groups in the last few years, it seems inevitable that they’ll just end up being co-opted into doing whatever Democratic politicians want them to.
Not shocked or surprised here. I am just waiting to see how far he goes in selling out Social Security, cutting taxes on the rich, raising them on everybody else…..
For the simple reason that Democrats stopped worrying about anyone who was likely to carry a lunch pail to work a long time ago. They let the unions dwindle to a small fraction of their former selves, and now they’re wondering why no one comes out to support them.
As I’ve mentioned before, I have no sympathy for union management for the way they’ve allowed Democrats to get away with this. Still, the Democrats have basically failed to do the most basic thing politicians are supposed to do to remain in power, which is keep their base healthy enough to support them.
Amen.
Any budget coming out of the Adminstration will be complete nonesense; based solely on political reasoning. What is written on paper will be immaterial to what is said behind closed doors.