BartBlog

AM 1090 in Seattle is one of the leaders in liberal talk radio. For the past three years this station has organized a town hall forum in which various talk show hosts form a panel and discuss topics and issues that are pertinent to the progressive movement. See http://www.am1090seattle.com/pages/4536082 for more information. Thanks to my brother who lives near Seattle, I have the opportunity to attend this year’s forum.

This year is somewhat monumental, because for the first time since the advent of progressive talk radio, we have a democrat in the White House and a democratic majority in the House and Senate. The title of this year’s forum is “Embracing Change: Moving Forward as the Majority” and one of the questions that will be posed to a panel consisting of Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann, Bill Press, Mike Malloy and Ron Reagan is: “We have the power to forge a different path, but how?” I am sure regular bartcop readers would have many suggestions.

I think the key to the success of the Democratic party is to redefine itself as the party of the people and clearly differentiate itself from the Rethuglican party. Trying to remain defined as a centrist party was a recipe for failure in 1992 and things are no different now. Almost everyone has heard someone say “there is not much difference between either party” or “all politicians are the same.” That perception leaves the door open for the fascist dogs to sneak back in. Despite what the right-wing noise machine and the corporate media would like people to believe, the truth is that progressive ideas are more widely accepted now than they have been in generations. There has been a clear shift to the left in public opinion and it is time for the Democratic party to seize this opportunity and move in that direction.

There are several things I would like to hear when that question is addressed. First and foremost is how to convince the pink tutu Dems in congress that they actually DO have the power to forge a different path, with or without the cooperation of the minority party and with or without special interest money.

Here are a few more things I am hoping to hear from the panel:

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