She is talking about the opposite of a purity test. There's no cognitive dissonance going on with her. She is saying that in the midst of the worst presidency we've ever seen, the single highest priority is to prevent him from having a second term. No candidate is going to be 100% ideal to go up against Trump (including Bernie), but the important thing is to beat him. Yes, I want the big changes too, like medicare for all - but pretending it's going to be simple to get there or that it's not still a very difficult sell politically is naieve. It is going to have to happen in stages - I would prefer that fight not happen at the same time we are trying to get rid of the asshole occupying the white house right now, where it can be used as a giant wedge issue.
The groundwork has to be laid to transform our entire healthcare system - it's certainly not something that is going to happen in one year or even one presidential term. There are too many powerfully entrenched interests that have to be overcome to make that happen, and it will take time and will definitely be a two steps forward one step back kind of process along the way.
When I referenced purity tests it's because that's the common accusation that is thrown towards the left. Namely that we're too focused on "purity", and it's reached a point where that's used as a cudgel. It's a blow-off that I see increasingly used to shut down disagreement and discussion. Along with others (hence my harping about 'fauxgressives'; it's a blow-off that's used to shut people off and paint their opposistion as being pie-in-the-sky. It's intended to stifle disagreement)
You are right about two steps forward one step back, I remember the fight the right put up just to pass obamacare, and I can live with that. It's like I was saying earlier in the thread -I don't expect everything done in the first week, but I expect it to be a priority and to be seriously fought for. Specifically with Warren I see her giving up on it before the fight has even begun.
That disappointment doesn't mean that I expect things to magically appear on Inaguration day -I don't. I've been pretty explicit about that in this thread.
There are going to be wedge issues, period. That is going to need to be factored in. Even if we dropped Medicare For All, then the fight would move to another issue.
It's tempting to say it's because of foreign tampering -and that's certainly a factor that's contributing to things being so divided. But that tampering wouldn't gain any ground if there wasn't so many divisions and problems for them to draw on.
The stakes are high and that means that there is going to be acrimony on what course to take. The acrimony -instead of the specific issue it's covered by (m4a, income inequality, lgbt issues) is the elephant in the room.
People need to be allowed to disagree, and people need to not be blown off as 'fauxgressives' or any number of insults I've gotten (look at sal and jolene's posts for examples) for their opinions. Blowing off people who disagree as engaging in "ideological RP" just plays into that division.
If we reached consensus to vote against trump, but ignore that underlying division it will erupt into a fight about something else sooner or later. I think that's the underlying problem.
I am, and I will remain a leftist -that is where my sensibilities lie. The fact that I have to keep repeating that I'm going to vote democrat is a symptom of the problem.
I vote democrat, so it should be a given.
Instead I -and people like me, are accused of not caring about the outcome of the election, etc. Being "ideological roleplayers"
In short, not being true democrats.
If I rolled over and never mentioned "medicare for all" or Warren or Bernie again that division would still be there.
Democrats are going to have to learn to disagree; and some of them desperately need to learn that just because folks hold a different perspective or set of priorities than they do it doesn't mean they're steal republicans, LARPers, or what have you.
It's a big tent; and they don't get it all to themselves.
from me, personally.
