We have had one hell of a pie fight about the fallout from the Duckworth/Cegelis primary in IL-6 in
this diary, but there are a few issues outstanding that haven't been raised.
DHinMI and I were pretty tough on the diarist. DH can speak for himself. I do not apologize for my statements. They were based on experience, and on day-to-day party-building at the grass-roots level.
I deal every day with the dynamic reflected in the previous diary, and although I mostly comment and do not diary much anymore, I thought this was diary-worthy and maybe you will think so too.
I do not live in IL. I live in WA. I have never set foot in the Sixth Congressional District of Illinois. I do not know Christine Cegelis or Tammy Duckworth, nor anyone involved in their campaigns.
But this dynamic is playing itself out all across the country: New vs. old, in vs. out, "grass roots" vs. the establishment, bla, bla, bla. Of course, if you talk to 10 different people and ask them to define any of these terms, you will get 10 different answers. Chances are that the definitions you hear will be of a highly personal nature.
I deal with this every day, in my role as Chairman of the 34th District Democrats, one of the 49 such Legislative District organizations in the state, each District comprising about 130,000 people.
In addition, I am active at the King County, Pierce County, and Washington State level. Everywhere I go in our state, we must deal, on a day-to-day basis, with the question: How do we satisfy the different factions, elements, and interest groups in our party and keep everyone focused on electing Democrats all up and down the ticket, and ensuring that once in office, they perform as we would have them perform?
Accomplishing these tasks is made more difficult when people insist on going their own way, even when the effect of that behavior is to hurt the Democratic Party and help the opposition.
On the other hand, we can hardly expect that everyone will toe the party line just on the basis of our moral suasion.
I try to appeal to people's motivations, ideals, and self-interest all at the same time. Moreover, I try to walk my talk.
See, not only is all politics local, all politics is based on relationships. I'm guessing that from his handle, "nyprogressive04" doesn't even live in IL-6. He can correct me if this is wrong. Moreover, I'm guessing that the "04" reflects the year he got active in party politics. That would explain a lot. Again, he can correct me if this is wrong.
People get into politics, they enjoy some measure of success, and it's natural for them to think it's all because of them. More often they are engaging in post hoc, ergo propter hoc logic. No one person, not even the candidate, is ever responsible for a successful campaign.
To build a strong party, a strong union, or a strong movement, you have to accept no credit when things go right. Instead you have to give credit to everybody else. This empowers people and makes them want to work with you again.
I alluded to this in the previous diary. If I could wave a magic wand and SHAZAM! it would all come to pass, Christine Cegelis and all her supporters would be in Tammy Duckworth's campaign office, with Rahm Emanuel sitting there, and they would say: "Tammy, Rahm, we were plenty pissed, and some of us are still pretty pissed, at the way things went down. But here we are, here are our lists, here are xxx volunteers, now let's go bang some doors, we are here for you."
Would this be better for the party or worse for the party? Would it be better for IL-6 or worse for IL-6?
If Cegelis supporters made themselves indispensible to the Duckworth campaign and helped Tammy win this seat, would Duckworth, Emanuel, the DCCC, and the whole Party owe them? You bet they would, and big time. I am guessing that most Cegelis supporters will be there for Tammy sooner or later. Sooner, of course, is better.
Would the Dems in IL-6 remember that? You bet they would. They would be talking about it 20 years from now.
Will people in Il-6 remember "nyprogressive04," who stalked off in a snit to go work for people who might better appreciate his <snark> unique political talents?</snark>
You bet they will, especially in the Internet age. It's all about relationships. They'll appreciate you if you help them. They'll be laying in the weeds for you, years down the line, if you screw them.
We are going to have to trust each other more, and put away our personal agendas, and our desires for instant gratification, and work for the common good, if we are to succeed this November, on the ground building up to 2008, and in 2008 and beyond.
It is fruitless to bash Rahm Emanuel. He is doing his job. Whatever he does, or does not do, in 435 Congressional Districts in the U.S., it is going to piss someone off. This time it was IL-6.
There is a lot more to say on this topic but I have said enough for now. I hope this is coherent to at least some of you.