Progressives

From dKosopedia

Category: Kossary

Progressives are both to the right and to the left of Liberals. Be formless. If they can lay a glove on us to catagorize us by policies or by the simplistic left/right spectrum, we can be what the voters want most. They want pragmatic problem solvers who are optomistic about America and its real values. I have seen a great deal of principled compromise and negotiation in this primary season and the value of delivering for the people's needs, without regard to ideological assumptions and dogma is attractive to voters.

Progressives should stand for only one principle - the one they are named for. Progress. Progress on Health, education, and the economy. Progressive "Citizens' Contributions" - or however one decides to cast taxation. Progress toward peace through strength - call it stable business enviroments, or Leadership by example, whatever, but emphasize the pragmatic benefits of peace. Point out to business how few benefit and what cost to them? How far toward societal goals could we progress on what Bush has blown?

Progressives should position themselves against DC, against business as usual, against big money politics. Our signature issue should be real campaign finance, small donor campaigns, and election reform. We run our candidates as outsiders storming the bastille as the GOP has done. We rail against politics, not government. We decry big money, not the American system. We attack as having questionable values those who want to take apart the government or harm it. We want to put it in the hands of people - they want to sell it to the highest bidder. The right of the Democratic party and the whole of the GOP should be our targets. We aim to replace these DNC lapdogs, not to join them. To destroy their hold on the party of the people and their history of selling it out to big money.

Howard Dean, and now Al Gore are the champions of the Progressives, and Kerry can join with us, or remain with the DNC, but he can't do both. We challenge him for the nomination in 2008 if he doesn't choose us.