Where will the Progressive Democrats Stand? tomhayden com - The Peace Exchange Bulletin

tomhayden.com - The Peace Exchange Bulletin - Where will the Progressive Democrats Stand?:

WHERE WILL THE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS STAND?

THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2014 AT 10:16AM | EMAIL ARTICLE | SHARE ARTICLE | PRINT ARTICLE

David Graeber's “The Democracy Project” and Thomas Piketty's “Capital in the Twenty-First Century”, two standout books for recommended commentary. (Covers by Harvard University Press and Spiegel & Grau, respectively.)Let's at least agree that "Happy Days Are Here Again" cannot be the Democratic theme song between now and 2016. We are beyond the brink, in the danger zone, in many ways.

There are some who say I am "negative" for predicting Democratic defeats in 2014. But my role is not to be a cheerleader but a reality checker. Too many people burn out if we raise their expectations while we know they will crash in November. The best Democrats can do in the House of Representatives is narrow the margin. As for the Senate, we're in danger of losing that chamber, which would give Republicans, and their ideological vanguard, monopoly power over all branches of government. Unless the Republicans implode, the best the Democrats can hope for is a 51 or 52 Senate majority, and that's crucial even that majority includes conservatives. That's how much the Supreme Court means. 

We on the democratic left have raised a ruckus, from Occupy to the Elizabeth Warren campaign. But "changing the conversation" is different than changing the numbers in our stacked and tomhayden.com - The Peace Exchange Bulletin - Where will the Progressive Democrats Stand?: