Populist Reform of the Democratic Party

Cosmic Kitten

(3,498 posts) Thu Aug 13, 2015, 08:42 AM Aug 2015

Economic crossfire: repubs vs centrists vs populists

There is an economic void to be exploited
by populists that should worry 3rd-Wayers.

A Hill article from March 2015 outlined the
basic divisions between the camps.
Republicans beat on labor on behalf of owners
Populists beat on owners on behalf of labor
Centrist 3rd-Wayers are caught in the crossfire.

This is about economics, the haves vs have nots,
and the centrists can't have it both ways.

Caught in the crossfire is the party’s likely nominee in 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whose husband took the party in a decisively centrist direction during his eight years in office.

Former President Bill Clinton’s rise within the party had been aided by groups such as the Democratic Leadership Council, which believed that previous presidential nominees including Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis had run on platforms that were too far to the left, resulting in crushing defeats.

Leaders at three centrist groups — the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), the New Democrat Network (NDN) and Third Way — arranged a series of meetings with moderates after the disastrous midterm elections to "discuss the future of the party," according to a source close to the NDC.
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/234224-centrist-dems-ready-strike-against-warren-wing

It seems above all that those mentioned above
don't worry about average americans,
they are concerned about the party apparatus
as a means of power and control.

To wit;

“Democrats ought to avoid the danger of talking about only redistribution and not enough about economic growth,” said PPI President and founder Will Marshall, who addressed House Democrats during their Philadelphia retreat in January. “Economic growth is a precondition to reducing inequality. You can't redistribute wealth that you're not generating.
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/234224-centrist-dems-ready-strike-against-warren-wing

It implicit message is that there is a wealth deficit.
As though there is a scarcity of wealth and the only
remedy is to generate MORE WEALTH before it can
trickle down.

Notice PPI President and founder Will Marshall says
You can't redistribute wealth that you're not generating
while he ignores the obscene wealth gap that currently exists.

That is what we can expect from Hillary and her
3rd-way compatriots, gimme more and then we'll share.

Why is this relevant?
Well, the wealth gap and growing economic inequality
should be obvious, but there's more.

Democratic Strategists are working to find ways
to diminish this schism and render the populist
message irrelevant or "childish".

The real problem, however, is that the vision of the Democratic Party as actually being divided into warring rival clans of either “inside the beltway, corrupt corporate Centrists” or “ultra-left, infantile populists” still has a strong emotional hold on many Democrats. Although a number of years have passed, there are still strong feelings left over from the 1990’s and early 2000’s when the Democratic Party was indeed torn by genuine factional strife and many Dems still carry around deep resentments and anger left over from that era.
http://thedemocraticstrategist.org/_memos/tds_SM_Vega_Dems_serious_issues.pdf

The bottom line is this;
republicans want a race to the bottom
for wages and worker rights.
Centrist's benefit from the same policies
(see also: TTP) but will give lip service to
tweaking the tax code or providing 'assistance'
to those in need, while denying a LIVING WAGE.

The democratic establishment, the 3rd-Way does not
want to share in prosperity and no jiggering of the
system will result in a living wage.

The wealthy are working overtime to distract from
our message of economic equality and living wages.

We need to keep the narrative focused on wealth inequality
and continue to frame these problems in economic terms,
while the 3rd-Way/centrists press a counter narrative.

The opposition will exploit every social wedge to derail
this message to protect their dominance.