The Case for a Mac (and it's PC!)

Those of us in the progressive community know that the conventional wisdom is wrong. We know that the country has not rejected the policies of the Obama administration at their core and we also know that America is not fundamentally center-right: not on the economy, not on health care, not on the role of government, not on climate, etc. Unless there has been a huge philosophical shift in the past 2 years, the reason that the Democratic Party has been falling from the favor of the country is the Democratic Party itself. Quite simply, we have been shooting ourselves in the foot.

Admitting that problem is the first step to recovery. We are all responsible for this problem, especially when the same one or two legislators keep on biting us on crucial issues. See, in 2010, there is no enthusiasm for a new wave of politics like there was in 2008. The Tea Party isn't championing any political tide. Rather, this year is all about grumpiness directed at incumbents (aka us). Philosophically, I really don't think the country has changed much from 2008. We just have not delivered. So how can we fix this mess? Simple, buy a Mac.

It's not as if all Democrats have been inert for the past two years. That's hardly the case, as there are plenty of good soldiers to be found. What's interesting though, is how the leadership of the party caters to anybody who's NOT a good soldier and then wonders why poll numbers are dropping. A prime example of this is the stimulus fight. Because the party spent so much energy reducing the stimulus and making it more ineffective for ConservaDems, the stimulus didn't have the effect it should have had. Now it's a dead end. The party can't raise another stimulus bill because the ConservaDems are still there, and even if they could, it might not be popular because of the triangulation in 2009, and all of this feeds into bad economic vibes hurting the party.

But even when it's been bitten before, the White House keeps on supporting the very element of the party that is self-destructive. For the leadership, it seems obvious that continuity and tenure of members is motive numero uno, regardless of how much it will hurt actual progress.

This is where we come in.

Progressives have already issued a giant gut check to the status quo in Pennsylvania and we nearly did it again in Arkansas. By and large, we understand that the problem lies not with our core philosophy, but by bad actors who help to undermine that philosophy. By enforcing the "better" part of the "more and better Democrats" meme, we can ensure that stuff will actually get done in Washington. This effort needs to extend not only to big-name Senate seats, but to local seats in all of your districts. One notable case is in my home state of Massachusetts.

Stephen Lynch, a relatively (until now) safe incumbent from the 9th district, has quite simply, made some terrible decisions. Of course, his votes for the Patriot Act and Iraq War aren't discussed nationally because he serves in the chamber of Congress that a) is bigger and b) can usually pass bills even with the occasional in-party dissenter. This is additionally frustrating because Congressman Lynch is in a blue state where other people are actually getting stuff done. However, we can't let actions like standing up against health care at this time, when the most important problem for the Democrats are the Blue Dogs who continue to block the progressive agenda and hurt everybody's approval in the party. I'm sure all of you know a public official like Stephen Lynch who can hide behind the sheen of being a "Democrat", maybe in a blue state, and maybe hiding behind the anonymity of just being another Congressman.

However, there is an answer for these people. Lynch's answer is a Mac. Mac D'Alessandro, to be specific, who is running an under-the-radar, yet quite effective grassroots campaign against the incumbent. House seats are ripe for picking for grassroots campaigns like Mac's: the 9th district only has 21 cities in it. However, this is where people-powered politics like yours can make a difference. If you know a Stephen Lynch, get yourself a Mac to solve the problem, whether you're in Massachusetts, the West Coast or anywhere else. Quite simply, progressives have to send the massage that the thumb-twiddling dillydallying of the obstacles to a way forward is not acceptable. This has to be a nationwide statement, and the only way to do it is to get Macs all around the country. If you have a Mac, work for him, canvass for him, call for him, and kick the Stephen Lynch out of office. If you don't have a Mac, draft a Mac or become one yourself. But right now, you have to do something for a Mac and fix the Lynch problem that is the only reason the party is not in its finest hour today.