I Need Liberal Policy, Not Apology from Clinton

by paradox

I eagerly read Mathew Pulver’s work at Salon this morning on how Secretary Clinton can ameliorate the political damage inflicted by “neoliberal” free trade agreements of her husband and President Obama, for I’ve been in a bad quandary on how to approach the candidacy of Secretary Clinton.

Anchored to realism, cold calculation reveals that of course she will be the Democratic Party nominee. Naturally she will be our first female Presidential candidate, which means political web voices I trust and admire the most are heavily invested in her success, rightly so. It’s absolutely vital on multiple levels Secretary Clinton become President for the country and I am never, ever hurting my political people on the web, so I have been restlessly quiet, very eager as always to fight for the little people but stuck, worried that it would hurt Clinton, my people and even my core principles if I spoke out.

According to Pulver, then, all Hillary has to do to placate the worries of fierce advocates of the little people like is to apologize for the trade policy mistakes of the past and serious progress will be made.

Sort of. As illuminated with the visit to Daily Kos by Senator Schumer, an apology is three-tiered, consisting of confession of mistake, sorrow for the pain and harm caused, and a promise not to do it again. If Secretary Clinton is so inclined to take Mr. Pulver’s advice it’s that last tier that would mean the most to the Democratic Party base.

Before I get to how I think that relationship could be cemented into a good one two very relevant political environment factors must be weighed. First is that the Democratic Party base is absolutely sick of triangulating centrism, for the love of god we are the activist base of the Party, not a political pawn to sacrifice and sneer at when convenient!

It’s absolutely laughable the Republican Party would ever disregard their people so, Papa Bush did, lost to Clinton and they never forgot that mistake. Once again it’s been two terms of I’m Not a Liberal Democratic Presidency and the liberal base is manifestly disgusted and discouraged by the outrageously ineffective middle of the road result of basically nothing, this is no time to triangulate the base, Secretary Clinton.

We always should be reminded that the Democratic Party did lose control of its base, Election 2000, an evolution where huge swathes of liberals didn’t vote for Al Gore because they were ignored and manipulated for two terms. In 2008 we swore a third party run would not happen, but we didn’t learn the part about ignoring and manipulating the base, unfortunately.

Second, this is no time to casual economic and foreign policy tweaks, there are screamingly urgent problems to fix that desperately need change and attention. 49 million Americans are at the poverty line! We never really did recover from the recession in terms of employment and wages, a terrible retirement income crisis looms, global warming must be addressed, reproductive and equality rights hellaciously fought for, infrastructure spending increased, while all the while at least three wars brought to an end.

Do this with liberal polices, for they’re the ones that work. Huh, does one think I fight for the little people as a posture of ego? Liberal policies work! Stimulus spending creates jobs, Americans need them. Peace saves money and lives and stops people from hating us. Seniors like to eat, Social Security puts food on the table.

Well whap my ass when something works it’s popular! Popular, Senator Clinton, citizens are engaged and excited, informed and voting for our first woman President, oh very yes. Immigration reform, prison reform, incredibly stupid drug policy reform, these seem like un-motivating easy-pitch moves.

Fight for a $15 minimum wage, paid family leave and better vacations, never stop talking about it and always hammer Congress for it. Spend bazillions of dollars for commercials on eliminating the awful Social Security wage cap and promising an end of life with plain simple dignity. End the disastrous drug war, all of it, along with serious sentencing and prison reform.

Finally stop mouthing platitudes about global warming and legislate a 50% electric car fleet for a start. By 2020, the end of your first term, not 30 years from now, please. $200 billion stimulus annually for your first term, America the Wreck has really become old.

Do any of those liberal things, Senator Clinton—ending the disastrous terror wars would be spot on too, by the way—and I’ll be there for you. Don’t and I will be as I have been, silent, voting, sick with sorrow and anger at what could have been, appalled at all the failure and pain for the little people.