May 18, 2008
It seems like the New York Times has yet to retire the old “Democrats are in disarray” narrative:
While much of the Congressional political focus has been on the declining fortunes and numbers of House Republicans, House Democrats have their own problem: They are winning too many elections.
By prevailing in conservative districts where they ordinarily would not have a chance, Democrats are widening the ideological divide in their own ranks and complicating their ability to find internal consensus. [...]
But the strain of balancing the political imperatives of a right-of-center to pretty far left-of-center caucus has already strained the Democratic majority in the House. In the most recent example, the party’s intricate scheme for passing a war spending bill collapsed Thursday when most Republicans sat out the war money vote and most Democrats, who oppose spending more money on combat in Iraq, voted against it. [...]
Democrats elected themselves into this situation. In picking up 30 seats in 2006, Democrats walked away with some in Republican territory, with the result that many of the newcomers are representing districts where the voters are not completely in sync with the Democratic agenda.
I really didn’t realize just how committed political journalists are to this narrative. So committed, in fact, that when presented with an organized, energized, and dominant Democratic Party (strong enough to win seats deep in Republican territory), they cover their eyes and ears, and regurgitate the same old story about Democratic divisions, rather than shed light on Republican disarray.
Liberals and progressives should keep this in mind; if a Democrat is elected president in November (I’m confident) then you can reliably expect the mainstream media to traffic in every right-wing frame and argument available. Unlike the Clinton years though - where there were few people and organizations fighting back against right-wing smears - we have a burgeoning communications infrastructure (online and off) which can respond quickly and effectively when the press decides to cage the Democrats into their outdated narrative.
May 18, 2008 at 7:20 am
It sounds like a good story, so these jokers are going to run with it.
Of course there is an intellectual divide within the Democratic Party. That happens when you get a few million people together. The Republican Party has the same kind of thing going on … did you notice the number of GOP candidates and the passion with which we chose our candidates?
It’s mostly a non-story, but they can’t be bothered to find real stories.