The conventional wisdom is that a Democratic Party in which Moulitsas calls the shots would cater to every whim of its liberal base. But though he can match Michael Moore for shrillness, the most salient thing about Moulitsas's politics is not where he falls on the left-right spectrum (he's actually not very far left). It's his relentless competitiveness, founded not on any particular set of political principles, but on an obsession with tactics - and in particular, with the tactics of a besieged minority, struggling for survival: stand up for your principles, stay united, and never back down from a fight. "They want to make me into the latest Jesse Jackson, but I'm not ideological at all," Moulitsas told me, "I'm just all about winning."
This quote comes from a profile of Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, described as "the world's biggest political blogger." I found the piece frustrating. While I'm all for Democrats toughening up 'their game,' i.e., developing plans to thwart the Republican's Rove-style tactics, I am dubious about an ostensible political leader who claims to be beyond ideology - if that is supposed to mean an abandonment of political principles.
On the one hand, it's a mistake to frame political debates exclusively in terms of overly abstract - what a Hegelian would dub "empty" - principles such as "freedom" or whatever. On the other hand, I don't want a political party (Democrats or otherwise) where winning elections is all that matters. I want to see a truly progressive political party in the United States - one that is concerned about real-world results - reducing material inequalities and improving living conditions for all Americans, not just the those in the top 20% or whatever of the income bracket.
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