We need a broad coalition in order to govern, and neither conservatives nor progressive will ever be thoroughly purged from a Democratic governing coalition. Nor should they be, considering our nation's diversity and historical tolerance for dissent. To keep the coalition together, we need to do three things. First, we all must have an ownership stake. Second, we must all agree to act within mutually agreed upon rules to resolve intra-coalition conflicts. Third, we have to all be working for each other, despite our differences.
When we are told that we are driving the party off a cliff, it becomes clear that whoever made that comment it is not working for everyone in the coalition. That person is distancing herself form the party, as we move closer toward it. That alone means it will never be her victory more than it will be ours, no matter what numbers she cites. You can't run against / from X and then claim you catalyzed X's victory (well, maybe you can, considering the frequent illogic of our national political discourse). It also becomes clear that that person has less of an ownership stake, and is less willing to follow party rules if they don't suit her. She isn't willing to make the sacrifices that will allow us to govern together--she only wants to govern for herself and with a few of her friends. When a person like that rises to prominence in the party, that person becomes destructive to the party as a whole. In my book, that becomes the number one reason to run a primary challenge against someone. That's why I was on board with Lamont from before he even announced. Lieberman's Nader-like trashing of the Democratic Party for personal gain was a long-term pattern in his behavior. Iraq and his refusal to accept primary results are just some of the latest examples of that behavior.
I am a progressive, and I joined the Democratic coalition because that is where progressives belong. Just one look at the opposing coalition should make that clear. Fighting for progressives and fighting for Democrats does not in any way seem like a conflict to me. That goes for every time I support a conservative Democrat in a general election. As long as we all follow the guidelines I laid out above, it shouldn't be a problem for centrists and conservatives in our coalition to see no conflict here either. I desperately wish that lack of conflict is something more non-progressives in our coalition would come to understand, because as long as we are selling each other down the river for personal gain, our coalition stands no chance of governing to the benefit of the American people, winning elections, or even functioning as an effective opposition to Republican rule.
Chris is exactly right. And as for our ideological differences? We will hash them out - INSIDE our Big Tent.
