I’ve always viewed myself more as a Liberal than a Democrat, earlier in my life back when the Republicans would run Liberal candidates, I’d vote for them over more conservative Democrats. I have been following this budget mess with some concern that the basic values I believe I share with other Liberals are not shared by the core of the Democratic Party in this state.
With the (likely) passage of this budget tonight, I am now convinced this is the case; I cannot support the Democratic Party in California, I can’t vote for any of their candidates for election, and I certainly won’t be giving them any money. What’s the point if all they do is implement these disastrous policies?
So, what alternatives are there out there? Is the Green Party a viable alternative? They look like they should be; why haven’t they made an effort to show they are the true party of Liberal/progressive politics in California? With the caving in Sacramento, this should be their opportunity.
I felt the same way for the last six month… and yesterday I joined my local Democratic club.
I’ve decided I can’t just work an election every two years and blog the rest of the time. We have to elect MORE and BETTER Democrats to public office… from school board to Governor.
A lot of us got completely focused on the national politics of the anti-war movement during the last six years. The ‘Pubs used that diversion to cement their power at the state and local level.
That’s about to change.
The Democrats in Sacramento are hostages to an insane constitutional requirement for a 2/3 vote on tax increases and budget approvals. Anytime they criticized this situation they get hammered by the right wing noise machine for trying to “overturn Prop-13 and tax grandmothers out of their homes”.
That’s about to change too. But it’s up to us to work for change in the “Fourth Branch of Government” – Public Opinion.
I believe that the California Republicans are about to collapse under the weight of their own towering arrogance. Now is not the time to give up and retreat to the moral comfort of third party politics. Now is the time to increase the pressure on the Pubs – and their supporters – and stiffen the resolve of the Dems with our support.
If we do this, an inspirational progressive leader will emerge. We just need to build the critical mass. Keep the faith.
need to take over the California Democratic Party, in the same way that Progressive Republicans took over the state Republican Party 100 years ago.
Any Democrat who votes for a budget that includes multi-billion tax breaks for big business and new offshore oil drilling but no oil extraction tax should be primaried out of office in 2010.