DNC is slime. See the article I wrote showing evidence that the DNC cheated Bernie. They actually have given us Trump. I believe they were responsible for murdering Seth Rich. Trump is totally corrupt but the Clintons are underrated when it comes to corruption.
Your description of party "members" as "sideline cheering fans" is apt. It reflects the reality of what I call the ESPNification of politics in this country.
Politics became sport.
Parties became teams.
Voters/citizens became fans.
Fans do NOT change allegiance. You root for and vote for the laundry, the name on the front of the jersey as it were.
Politics is now covered like sports, right down to the betting lines. Groups of talking heads (ex players and coaches and media shills) sit at desks and blather on about today's trending topic, about what this player or that said, about which team will win this game or that, about which team is set up best to win the championship. No meaningful discussion of issues. No honest debates. No consideration for the impacts, except that EVERY impact must put "Democracy at Risk"(tm). Nothing but the discussion of the competition for the sake of eyeballs and advertising money. Get the fans' attention and keep the fans' attention.
It's worse than that, of course, because unlike in the sports departments the network "news" rooms have been fully politicized. They no longer actually cover politics (the sport). They're no long journalists (most never really were). They are entertainers. More than that, they themselves are fans. But fans with power. They aren't there just to cover the game. They are part of the game. They are there to make sure that the teams are well defined and evenly matched. They are there to make sure that the game goes on.
The. Game. Must. Go. On.
And so it will, until politics becomes the business of running a country instead of sport entertainment, and we, the fans, become citizens... you know, We, The People.
Sadly, I'm not holding my breath on that happening any time soon. :-(
As a one-time Democratic Party county co-chair and now former Democrat, I identify with Mr. Zogby's experience. At one point he speaks positively about an impending announcement of a state chair stepping into the race for chair of the DNC. He was referring to Wisconsin Dem Party chair Ben Wickler. While Wickler is younger and has done some good organizing here in Wisconsin, don't expect any big change.
Recently, I was sorting through and filing away some papers when I came across a four-page letter I wrote to Wickler on New Year's Day, 2022, expressing my frustration at the retreat from Biden on a number of campaign pledges. I noted that during my time in the party I had left voicemails with various state party officials about questions and concerns and had only once heard back. At the time I was contemplating leaving the party I had left a message with the person in charge of state membership and never got a call back. I expressed my concerns about the party and how I saw the Democrats paving the road to Trump's reelection. A prophecy proven true.
I made clear I was expressing concerns from other former and current DP members and said it was fine with me for him to pass along my letter to others. I said I would be happy to talk with him and provided my postal and email addresses and my phone number.
In true modern Democratic Party tradition, I never got a reply. Not even a F-off form letter!
In the letter I noted that my experience with the party had shown me that while the Republicans are brazenly honestly dishonest, the Democrats are slyly dishonestly dishonest.
If anyone -- including Mr. Zogby -- thinks that Ben Wickler will lead the party in a new more honest and populist direction focused on the needs of working people, they will be sorely disappointed. As with the GOP, the entire operation is a Wall Street psy-op. We have one party -- the Corporate Uniparty.
The Democratic Party is a fund raising entity. The beneficiaries are those for whom the funds fund, chiefly campaign consultants and fund raising strategists.
Another way of putting it is the Democratic Party is marketing. No wonder they offer no alternatives to the unbridled capitalism that is ruining the planet that hosts us.
DNC is slime. See the article I wrote showing evidence that the DNC cheated Bernie. They actually have given us Trump. I believe they were responsible for murdering Seth Rich. Trump is totally corrupt but the Clintons are underrated when it comes to corruption.
https://tpcugrr.medium.com/where-have-you-gone-bernie-sanders-7d4e173cdf06
They're shills for the MIC.
Your description of party "members" as "sideline cheering fans" is apt. It reflects the reality of what I call the ESPNification of politics in this country.
Politics became sport.
Parties became teams.
Voters/citizens became fans.
Fans do NOT change allegiance. You root for and vote for the laundry, the name on the front of the jersey as it were.
Politics is now covered like sports, right down to the betting lines. Groups of talking heads (ex players and coaches and media shills) sit at desks and blather on about today's trending topic, about what this player or that said, about which team will win this game or that, about which team is set up best to win the championship. No meaningful discussion of issues. No honest debates. No consideration for the impacts, except that EVERY impact must put "Democracy at Risk"(tm). Nothing but the discussion of the competition for the sake of eyeballs and advertising money. Get the fans' attention and keep the fans' attention.
It's worse than that, of course, because unlike in the sports departments the network "news" rooms have been fully politicized. They no longer actually cover politics (the sport). They're no long journalists (most never really were). They are entertainers. More than that, they themselves are fans. But fans with power. They aren't there just to cover the game. They are part of the game. They are there to make sure that the teams are well defined and evenly matched. They are there to make sure that the game goes on.
The. Game. Must. Go. On.
And so it will, until politics becomes the business of running a country instead of sport entertainment, and we, the fans, become citizens... you know, We, The People.
Sadly, I'm not holding my breath on that happening any time soon. :-(
As a one-time Democratic Party county co-chair and now former Democrat, I identify with Mr. Zogby's experience. At one point he speaks positively about an impending announcement of a state chair stepping into the race for chair of the DNC. He was referring to Wisconsin Dem Party chair Ben Wickler. While Wickler is younger and has done some good organizing here in Wisconsin, don't expect any big change.
Recently, I was sorting through and filing away some papers when I came across a four-page letter I wrote to Wickler on New Year's Day, 2022, expressing my frustration at the retreat from Biden on a number of campaign pledges. I noted that during my time in the party I had left voicemails with various state party officials about questions and concerns and had only once heard back. At the time I was contemplating leaving the party I had left a message with the person in charge of state membership and never got a call back. I expressed my concerns about the party and how I saw the Democrats paving the road to Trump's reelection. A prophecy proven true.
I made clear I was expressing concerns from other former and current DP members and said it was fine with me for him to pass along my letter to others. I said I would be happy to talk with him and provided my postal and email addresses and my phone number.
In true modern Democratic Party tradition, I never got a reply. Not even a F-off form letter!
In the letter I noted that my experience with the party had shown me that while the Republicans are brazenly honestly dishonest, the Democrats are slyly dishonestly dishonest.
If anyone -- including Mr. Zogby -- thinks that Ben Wickler will lead the party in a new more honest and populist direction focused on the needs of working people, they will be sorely disappointed. As with the GOP, the entire operation is a Wall Street psy-op. We have one party -- the Corporate Uniparty.
If interested, you can check out a cartoon I did illustrating the fundamental difference between the two parties: "CARTOON: The Big Difference Between Republicans & Dems Exposed" ... https://mark192.substack.com/p/cartoon-the-big-difference-between
Fascinating first-person POV. Thanks for adding it.
Thomas
The Democratic Party is a fund raising entity. The beneficiaries are those for whom the funds fund, chiefly campaign consultants and fund raising strategists.
Another way of putting it is the Democratic Party is marketing. No wonder they offer no alternatives to the unbridled capitalism that is ruining the planet that hosts us.