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Matt Stoler: Coup in Democratic Party
While we were sleeping it seems there's been a coup in the Democratic Party
Boy those in the Clinton machine must be pissed and looking for the exits to the New Regime
This is EXACTLY the plan. That was the overarching message at Camp Obama which trained cadres for the Primaries
Obama Organizing Fellows will carry on this summer for the general election.
ObamaNation - The Stunning Consolidation of the Democratic Party
by: Matt Stoller
You know all that old-style Washington politics preventing real change?
As hard as it might be to handle, in a lot of ways he means that those
of us who believe in partisan hard edged combat are part of an outmoded
system. It doesn't actually divide cleanly; old hand Tom Daschle is a
key figure and likely to be Obama's chief of staff, and Artur Davis is
likely to be his Attorney General. These are old school Democrats, and
Obama's machine is full of the Congressional wing of the party that
lost out in 1992 to Clinton and his people.
This isn't a criticism; again, Obama made his bet that the country isn't into ideological combat and wants a politics of unity and hope, and he has won at internally. In terms of the 'Iron Law of Institutions', the Obama campaign is masterful. From top to bottom, they have destroyed their opponents within the party, stolen out from under them their base, and persuaded a whole set of individuals from blog readers to people in the pews to ignore intermediaries and believe in Barack as a pure vessel of change. It's actually very similar to Clinton from 1994-2000, where power and money in the Democratic Party is being centralized around a key iconic figure. He's consolidating power within the party.
Now here's the part that's unclear. Obama has successfully remade the Democratic Party already, and shown that old partisan Washington politics is over if you are a Democrat. Can he do that with Republicans? By stripping power, money and responsibility from outside groups and opponents, Obama is increasing his control of the party apparatus. He is also, however, putting everything on his own shoulders. When the Swift Boaters come back, and they will, it's all on Obama and his movement to hit back. He's betting that he can strip power from their base just as he stripped power from the old Washington way of doing politics within the Democratic Party.
Comments (4)
It's an interesting argument but there's something I don't understand... when the Swiftboaters come back there are plenty of old school hyper-partisans who will be there to take up Obama's defense, maybe freeing him from having to do it himself.
Yes, Obama sets the tone for the campaign. But the point about Swift boater is that they aren't the opposition, they're allied with the opposition. They have plausible deniability. Perhaps they can be countered by Obama allies with the same plausible deniability.
May 13, 2008 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think Obama has to weaken the power of the Republican base.
The administration managed to do that. That great Republican majority Karl Rove built is now a Republican minority, a party fractured by corruption and war and incompetence. It's a party that's having an identity crisis. The religious right is not in lock and step with the administration or the Republican senators anymore.
May 13, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe it's just me, but here's one guy hoping that the Republican party as we know it today is utterly destroyed in the very near future.
Note that I am not advocating a one-party state. (Not unless I'm in charge, anyway...) I do, though, think that a party that has made its business the literal destruction of the society in which it operates has no rationale for its continued existence.
Here's hoping that some vestigial number of principled individuals still hold out somewhere in their midst, and can form the basis of what was once called the "loyal opposition", where the interests of the nation are placed above the interests of the party.
There is room in the US for a wide range of ideas and opinions. There is no room for those who would exploit differences and human failings for the benefit of a few unprincipled criminal types and the power-mad who accompany and enable them.
May 13, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Matt isn't always right on his conclusions, you know. Obama may be rearranging politics for Democrats, but he certainly hasn't finished rearranging the party structure and organization.
We've been losing elections for decades. The unions, a driving force in the Dem political organizations, have been declining for decades. There is little of a machine structure left in the urban areas. All of this crap was in a declining spiral but held in a death grip by folks who simply did not command enough voters.
Obama put his structure into this void. Hillary added nothing and instead relied on the antiquated and rusting party organizational structures that were available.
Obama will join with "50 state" Dean to change the party strategies and structures. It should have been done decades ago.
And that is certainly not yet accomplished. Anyone who attended state conventions this year can attest to that!
May 13, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
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