Some liberals in Alabama (OK, maybe they should be called "less conservative Alabamians") are in an uproar over the Blue Dog Democrats representing them in Congress. But the three Democrats" sent to D.C. aren't doing anything other than what they were elected to do: follow the desires of the majority Republican (or way-right "Democrats") who sent them to D.C. with a message: you may be a Democrat but you had better vote like a Republican. A weekend NY Times story doesn't mention any of Alabama's Blue Dogs, but the members of Congress they do mention seem to be in the same situation as Bobby Bright and Parker Griffith and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Artur Davis. The lonely Democrats in Alabama need to remember there's a reason there is a higher percentage of "birthers" in Alabama and the other former Confederate States than other regions of the country, and why John McCain got more votes in our state than almost anywhere, and why only Democrats who act like Republicanette clones can hope to get elected, and why even a congressman representing a "safe" majority black district would vote with Republicans against health care and hate crime legislation and other issues. Face it Libs: you are deep in the current stronghold of the GOP and deep in the losing population of the last election. The cute little bumper stickers with the "blue dot in a sea of red" are more true now than before the election nine months ago. But the blue dot in the sticker is way too big.
[NOTE: During the gubernatorial candidate forum over the weekend, the Artur Davis camp sent out an email blasting Ron Sparks for siding with the GOP candidates in opposing expanding unemployment benefits. A case of the pot calling the kettle, er, red?]
As one of the "less conservative Alabamians" you mention, I am one who thanks my lucky stars we have Bobby Bright, Parker Griffith and Artur Davis in Congress. And those who complain about their votes are just plain delusional about the districts they represent.
ReplyDeleteOh, Tim, Tim ... where to start with this one?
ReplyDelete"But the three Democrats" sent to D.C. aren't doing anything other than what they were elected to do: follow the desires of the majority Republican (or way-right "Democrats") who sent them to D.C. with a message: you may be a Democrat but you had better vote like a Republican."
That's called representing your constituents.
It might not please you that Democrats in Alabama don't fit the mold of those in San Francisco, but they deserve to be accurately represented just as much as those hard-core liberals. If Bright and Griffith were to go to D.C. and go "off the reservation" from what they campaigned on, well ... that would be called "betraying the voters."
You seem to ignore the fact that there are conservative and moderate Democrats in Congress who don't support the concept of "hate crimes." It's not just in Alabama.
And as for that phrase, "voting against health care," I'm guessing you just mean the kind of health care legislation that you, personally, would like to see passed. Again, there are plenty of opinions and preferences out there; these Democrats are simply reflecting the concerns of the majority of their constituents (as they should).
But there's one more possible explanation for all this: Could it be that conservative and moderate Democrats oppose the most liberal planks of the Democratic Party's platform because ... they think the party is wrong on those issues?
Could it be that they are actually voting their conscience, and not just pandering to "birthers" and "Republicanettes?"
It is dangerous for the Democratic Party to villify and alienate these Blue Dog Democrats and other conservative and moderate members of their party.
And the irony is, they have just come off of a highly successful election cycle in which they made a lot of gains because the Republican Party has spent a lot of time doing the same thing.
You think liberal Democrats are lonely now?
Wait until the midterms.