Just check out a bit of the New Democratic Manifesto written (and I use the term loosely) by Obama blogger Chris Bowers at Open Left yesterday:
Cultural Shift: Out with Bubbas, up with Creatives: There should be a major cultural shift in the party, where the southern Dems and Liebercrat elite will be largely replaced by rising creative class types. Obama has all the markers of a creative class background, from his community organizing, to his Unitarianism, to being an academic, to living in Hyde Park to shopping at Whole Foods and drinking PBR. These will be the type of people running the Democratic Party now, and it will be a big cultural shift from the white working class focus of earlier decades. Given the demographics of the blogosphere, in all likelihood, this is a socioeconomic and cultural demographic into which you fit. Culturally, the Democratic Party will feel pretty normal to netroots types. It will consistently send out cultural signals designed to appeal primarily to the creative class instead of rich donors and the white working class.
I'm finding it hard to get by the first words of that paragraph, "Out with Bubbas, up with Creatives." Personally, as a middle-class, Jewish woman with a Master's Degree, I was unaware that I was a Bubba. And as a professional singer and web designer, I was also unaware of how uncreative I was compared to self-important, penilely-endowed Obama FanBoiz who practice illiterate and ahistorical mutual masturbation in their tiny echo chambers all day.
But I digress. On to Plutocracy. Sieg heil!
There should be a major cultural shift in the party, where the southern Dems and Liebercrat elite will be largely replaced by rising creative class types.
But my favorite part is the "Liebercrat elite" phrase. Didn't you know, my dear deluded soul, that the Liebercrat elite is supporting Obama? Or have you missed that the Party bigwigs have all bypassed the more progressive candidate and are lined up solidly behind the one with the most Wall Street backing? Didn't you know that Obama's mentor in the Senate was Joe Lieberman?
And as for calling yourself and your fellow Obama bloggers "creative class types," my friend, we who are actually creative don't consider ourselves any kind of class at all. We are laughing AT you, not WITH you.
On to the next atrocity.
Obama has all the markers of a creative class background, from his community organizing, to his Unitarianism, to being an academic, to living in Hyde Park to shopping at Whole Foods and drinking PBR.
"Ooooooh! Obama shops at the same store I do! He's a Unitarian! (Not true, of course, as 99.9% of the world knows. He belongs to TUCC, which is about as far from Unitarianism as is humanly possible in the Christian faith.) He was a community organizer and I sit in front of my computer all day! We are teh same! The Cool Kid likes me, he really does! OOOoooooooOOOOOoh [thunk]!" (Here's where Bowers faints from sheer adoration.)
All right, I admit haven't gotten to the Sieg Heil part yet. I'm just so offended by the parts before it that I keep getting distracted. But finally, here it is as Bowers concludes his Beloved - and his bloggy followers, of course - will be the ones to lead the Plutocratic - I mean, New Democratic - Party.
These will be the type of people running the Democratic Party now, and it will be a big cultural shift from the white working class focus of earlier decades.
My.
G.
The Democratic Party never focused on the white working class. They focused on the WORKING CLASS, PERIOD.
Democrats passed the Clean Air Act. The Clean Water Act. Jimmy Carter tried to get us off of foreign oil and on to solar energy. Democrats passed the Civil Rights Act. They got women and AA's the right to vote. They got us the 40-hour work week. In more recent history, Bill Clinton created tens of millions of jobs. He kept us from fighting unnecessary wars and forced the Democrats to balance the budget. He tried to give us universal health care. Is Bowers so monumentally stupid that he thinks these laws and rights benefited WHITE PEOPLE ONLY?????!!!!
If Democrats lose their focus on the working class, they are not New Democrats. They are Plutocrats, or in more modern terms, Republicans. Wow. Am I excited to be a part of this Bowers Movement yet?
But wait. Maybe I'm being too harsh with this paragon of creativity. Let's just see what he thinks the New Democratic Party will accomplish for its adherents.
I know this is all pretty vague, but it does sum up my basic sense about the coming Obama administration and Democratic Party. Overall, instead feeling like Blue Dogs, Joe Lieberman and media pundits are running the party, it should feel kind of like PIRG, but a bit more right-wing, academic and well-to-do. In other words, PIRG without seeming like DFHs run the show. That should be an upgrade from the 1990's, but expect quite a few times where progressives will need to take oppositional stances.
I told you I'd get to the plutocratic part. You see, the "creative class" types should take over the Party because they are so much better than the DLC elites who are currently running the Party. (I'm sure this opinion has nothing to do with the fact that Bowers and his ilk see themselves as future powerbrokers in an Obama administration. Nope, no self-interest there.)
Unfortunately, these more right-wing, academic, wealthy types are still elites. And the REAL change that has been happening since 2006 has been that more and more progressives are being elected to Congress. In the blogosphere, we've been chanting "More and better Dems, please!" and putting our money where our mouths are. This year, Democrats are poised to gain a larger majority in the House and a possible filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.
I thought the progressive movement was towards less elitism, not more. That would be the change I'm looking for.
Fuck you, Chris Bowers. You and your cohorts, not Hillary Clinton, are the ones trying to destroy the Democratic Party.
This so-called Bubba despises you for it.
9 comments:
Excellent post. I linked to you on my site.
I've been a solid Dem activist and now I'm told I'm not wanted?
Say what?
..replaced by rising creative class types.
How offensive can you get? I agree carissa, while I'm no activist, I've pretty much voted party line my whole voting life. I geuss that's not good enough for him. What in the world is a "creative class" anyway? If this nonsense is the "new" Democratic Party, I may eyeball the Greens.
I agree with both of you.
Greens, Working Families Party, Independent Party - they're all starting to look really good to me now.
If the Democrats don't seat and count FL and MI fairly before declaring the winner, that's it for me. I'm out after 22 years of activism and voting Democratic.
I hope you don't leave. We need talented strong voices like yours, not condescending twits like Bowers. There are some up and coming Dems, more than a few who are women, who give me hope. I probably won't leave. Living in a deeply blue county, Dems need all the votes they can get.
DON'T YOU QUIT BLOGGING! (wags finger)
Deeply RED county, sheesh.
Release the hounds!.......
McCain'08.His last name's not Bush!
McCain'08.Who better to fight Al-Queda in Iran?!
McCain'08.At least it's not Hucklebee!
What have you created?! O the humanity!
LOL! Thanks, Timmy B. I appreciate the kind words...and those are great bumper stickers too!
Nice post, you've verbalized everything that I felt about that post of his. I really don't think that he could have been more offensive and clueless if he had tried.
BTW, I'm here by way of The Left Coaster. Happy to be here and I'm bookmarking this site right now.
Great to see you, BlogLisa, and thanks very much for the linky goodness!
I keep trying to figure out what the creative class is and I can't. I cant' think of a definition that wouldn't include me. But I never understood what "elite bloggers" was either and I know that doesn't include me. I have no desire to be elite anything. It seems so undemocratic party, really. I guess some people can't resist making up exclusive clubs to belong to.
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