Accomodate and Compromise: Democrats Better Learn How AND Why

It started with Armando on the DailyKos (OK, it started with a Congress-ful of cowardly Democrats) then moved to The Mahablog where it was picked up by Eschaton which is where I posted the following this morning 'round 6am. It's in the comments (says there are 0 of them but there's closer to 40!) section under the Edge Heading.

"Trying to appeal to them by being accomodationist is the wrong way to go."


The failure of politicians (Left or Right) is that they do such on issues on which they should hold their line. That's what makes the Left so freakin' fuzzy right now. They've got to learn how to accomodate where it helps make the coming compromises smoother, and compromise where they think it will be most efficacious to the Big Picture (saying Soc Sec isn't broken doesn't get it fixed.) You will rarely have to compromise your own values if you compromise on administrative details. THEN you can be proud of what you gave up to get back.


Accomodation is fitting 300 million in a room built for, um, as many people as there are to fit!


Accomodation is about the capacity of the room, the political system, not the individuals within it. The room must accomodate all and, like it or not, you can leave, kill them (force them out anyhow,) or Compromise with them.


"Compromise is something you do behind the scenes. Stop doing it in public."


The gist of this is pragmatic and rational, especially when you're talkin' about administrative details. But, come on mang!, if you can't own it don't do it! Were you advising Slick Willie??? LOL!(whom I voted for the 2nd time btw...) Obviously Kerry thought along those lines cuz he could have capsized the whole Swift Boat Veterans' issue by flooding the media with every detail he had about his service right at the start. 'Twould have been a non-issue for voters if they'd got all that info up front instead of piece-meal the way it was dished out.


Compromise is humbly and honestly admitting where you're wrong or lacking, and staunchly, earnestly, vociferously and relentlessly creating
an environment in which you can really believe and prosper. Win or Lose you gotta live in the room with everyone else.


Unlike the neo-Cons or the lame-Dems, I want a political and cultural environment where I can be as proud of my accomplishments as I can be of my dissent. The former seem to want freakin' Dominion! The latter seem currently to fear for their very existence and therefore don't seem to know who the heck they even are...


It may not be an unfounded fear, but how often do you think Fear is a good environment for Reason? (ex: If your plane is crashing, do you put the O2 mask on yourself or your baby first?)

Comments

Popular Posts