Brother, Which Side Are You On?

I’ve been having a stimulating email exchange with my old friend Adam Berg, a talented political activist in Pennsylvania. When I first met Adam, about six years ago, he was a wunderkind environmental activist and Green leader. 2005 finds him a Chief of Staff (and campaign manager) for a newly elected Democratic Assembly member and an up-and-coming politico in the best sense of the word. Someday, I hope he’ll kick me down a job writing speeches or making coffee when I’m an unemployed PhD.

The crux of the exchange is this- what makes a progressive? This is a difficult question that forces us to consider our core principles, hard strategic choices and the always slippery issue of political “litmus tests.” In a political environment in which Democratic politicians can be on either side of such crucial questions as Choice and economic justice, how do we understand what it means to be one of the “good gals/guys”? Many strategists and theorists are arguing for “softening” our rhetoric on women’s rights, Affirmative Action and equality for lesbians and gays, while tacking to the left on economic questions. This, supposedly, will help us reconnect with working-class whites and some blacks and latinos. On the other hand, in a place like Santa Barbara, the entire political establishment is pro-Choice, pro-Gay, strongly environmentalist, but often downright nasty when it comes to trade, unions, taxes or brown people. Are these our choices?

Adam suggests that “it’s not even about changing our position on abortion or GLBT rights. It’s about attitude, emphasis, etc. Our national Party’s attitude is -if you’re Southern, or from the Midwest, or pro-life, or pro-gun, you’re stupid and backwards.- People can tell that that’s our attitude. ”

There is probably a lot of truth to this. It is certainly true that Republicans have done a good job of painting Democrats as elitist, coastal, cosmopolitan and “out of touch” with middle America. No doubt we have helped this effort along ourselves. There is indeed much elitism in Blue culture.

On the other hand, the tension between coast and country is not just merely a cultural misunderstanding. The Republicans captured the South by speaking to legitimate feelings of being ignored or snubbed by Northern elites, but also by appealing to a fundamentally racist worldview. Many Democratic Party leaders at the time called for moderation on Civil Rights issues in order to keep Southern loyalty. They were wrong.

Choice, gay marriage and Affirmative Action are all civil rights issues. How far backward do we bend on civil rights in order not to offend or alienate voters? I say we do not bend an inch. Instead, we should increase our aggressiveness on issues that matter to cultural conservatives, framing that boldness as a counter-attack against the corruption and incompetence of Corporate America. I’m fine with replacing stuffy Brahmins with plain-talking Midwesterners when it comes to candidates, but making the Party safe for anti-Choicers who are good on union issues will not do anything in the long run.

And so, what makes a progressive, in my humble opinion, is someone who is willing to bring it. Someone who is willing to talk to white people about why racism hurts them; who is willing to speak, whether as a Christian, Jew or atheist, about the importance of secularism. A progressive is someone who understands that a majority which relies on the occasional support of people who are not really with us is nothing more than a house of cards. There will always be a Republican party ready to reach in and topple it by appealing to the sentiments we were afraid to really challenge. If a majority of Americans believes that George Bush shares their values, we need to change the values of America.

At the same time, we need to bring the wrath of God down on those soft middle class liberals who are all fine and dandy on choice and equality at the alter but who balk at truly redressing the crippling economic inequalities which hurt black, brown and white working families. We must fight on both fronts, difficult as that may be. Only that kind of courage will allow us to build the 30-40% base that shares our values and vision across the board: a base which will allow us not only to win elections but to govern effectively and creatively from the left.

Comments?