A little help over here

It's not that I don't think Digby and her cohort at Hullaballoo, David Atkins are wrong.  Digby's piece notes that we're making small but sure strides to get progressives elected but that it's going to take time (she notes it took the Antoinettes 40 years to get where they are) and that we have to keep slogging forward even though it isn't always exciting.  Mr. Atkins notes that, again citing the "it isn't exciting but we need to do it anyways" motif, we need to get a lot more involved at the city and county, or local, level because that's where change starts.  To Mr. Atkin's credit, he also notes that we won't be doing ourselves any favors by not turning out for President Obama, something Digby seems to be unable to voice, perhaps because she's too busy patting herself on the back for being one of about three Liberals who aren't surprised that Obama didn't embrace our entire agenda.

My question, though, is...what exactly are we supposed to do for the next forty or so years we're building this progressive majority?  I mean, we have exactly one unabashed Liberal in the Senate (Sanders) and maybe a dozen or so who are with us 90-95% of the time, which leaves us about 48 short of what we need.  The House has maybe 75 members who are solid Liberals, leaving us about 150 short.  Hell, even at the state level, the Michigan State Senate couldn't even be won back by Democrats, let alone Liberal Democrats, in the Democratic wave elections of 2006 and 2008.

How much farther can our wages and benefits fall before we're underwater?  How much more shredding of the government's safety nets can we stand?  A lot more damage can be done in forty years.  I mean, Digby notes that we cannot be sidetracked again by a charismatic leader (that means you, President Obama!), but frankly, I think it's our only hope.  FDR and LBJ accomplished a lot in a short period of time--and I admit that may not be possible in this day and age of republican obstructionism.

But I shudder to think of the damage that could be done--and my college educated kids working for pauper's wages in a nation that bears an economic resemblance to say, Somalia--while we're busy building this Progressive Majority. 

It doesn't have anything to with excitement--it has everything to do with survival.

Peace,
emaycee