Why Progressives usually lose political battles

We lose because we do not hold our politicians accountable for their actions.
I reached voting age at the beginning of the conservative swing of the political pendulum - my life has been one of extreme frustration. Throughout the past thirty years, I kept telling myself to continue to vote Democratic and eventually the public would come to its senses. I have always argued that voting for third party candidates was effectively voting Republican or equivalent to staying home. Now I am beginning to come to grips with the reality that I was also throwing my vote away by voting for Democrats.
In excess of seven out of ten Americans want a strong public option in the health care reform bill, yet the corporate interests are prevailing in the debate in Congress. How can the Democrats dare to flaunt their hypocrisy in such a brazen way? Because we will let them get away with it. There has never been a price to pay by Democrats willing to sell out their constituencies, and there likely never will be. Progressive advocacy groups endlessly ask us to sign petitions and call our representatives, but they rarely name the bad guys, and they never organize action against Democratic betrayal. Moveon.org, as an example, claims a membership approaching 5 million, but I do not believe that politicians worry about upsetting moveon. In contrast, the NRA has slightly fewer members, but politicians quake in their boots when they draw their wrath. Both groups are good at raising money for their friends but only the NRA is effective in demanding fidelity to their cause.
Right now, two Democrats are substantially undermining the public option. They are Kent Conrad (D), North Dakota, and President Obama. Kent Conrad because he is championing regional insurance pools in lieu of the public option as something that Republicans can vote for. Of course Republicans can vote for it, it is an outright defeat of health care reform. Obama has signaled his willingness to go along with this charade in the spirit of his “any change that is not real change program.” Max Baucus (D), Montana, is a close third but he is really a Republican that caucuses with the Democrats, much like Joe Lieberman and Arlen Specter, so they are difficult to accuse of betrayal. Nancy Pelosi has promised that no House Bill without a public option will be brought to a vote, but she will be provided adequate cover in the House-Senate reconciliation.
So what can we do in this situation? Stop being pansies. A few days ago I sent an e-mail to Senator Conrad promising to financially support his opponent in his next re-election bid. I am sure that got his attention… not. What would get his attention would be a few hundred thousand such e-mails from across the country. I cannot make that happen but there are organizations out there that could. At the organizational level, simple promises to endorse the opposition would be extremely effective at getting the attention of wayward Dems. In the past we progressives have been supportive or silent when it comes to Democrats, but that has to change if we want change. For me personally, the issue is a little different when it comes to Obama. I withdrew from his supporters list when he voted for FISA, but I have one final action to take if he signs a law that does not include the public option that the nation needs. That is simply to withdraw, after forty years, from the Democratic Party. Now just imagine the impact on the thinking of our way too pragmatic President if ten million or so Americans promised to do the same.
Why now, why this issue? Health care reform is arguably the area of public policy with the greatest need and the one where failure will have the greatest near term impact, but this issue alone would not likely be enough to get me to abandon the party after so long a time. The real reason is that the Democratic Party increasingly fails to represent me or protect my interests, and in my opinion the best interests of the nation. Waxman-Markey, or if you prefer the American Clean Energy and Security Act, is worse than nothing. The on-going financial system bailout is a desperate attempt to restore a system that will still be fundamentally broken even if it is successfully restored. Our infrastructure is crumbling, our tax and social policies are structured to support short term corporate profits over long term quality of life, and our foreign policy is increasingly isolating us in a world growing smaller. At some point we have to take a stand and demand that our representatives actually represent us. That demand will continue to be a weak request if we do not follow through and fire the ones that think we do not have a choice. For me, a strong public option in health care reform is my line in the sand.