"Why Obama And Democrats Don’t Do Much of What Liberals Want "

[rhett o rick]

by Ian Welsh

http://www.ianwelsh.net/why-obama-and-democrats-dont-do-much-of-what-liberals-want-netroots-failure-part-2/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IanWelsh+%28Ian+Welsh%29

Politicians do most things because someone wants them done who can hold them accountable if they don’t do it. That includes bad things, and good things. Anyone who doesn’t understand this reality doesn’t understand even the most basic part of politics.

You dances with the ones who brought you, as Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney once said, Obama won by bypassing the Netroots and lying to Progressives and Liberals: he won without us, he owed us nothing once elected.

Political power is constituted of getting people elected, getting people unelected and being able to reward or punish people for doing or not doing what you want. If you can’t do any of those things, you have no power.

This is realpolitik.

This is a good article with some good comments. To be a power the left has to stick together and draw our own red lines, withdrawing support if we get ignored. Pragmatism doesnt work in a war, and make no mistake, we are at war.