A Tale of Two Pyramids.

“It is not quite the ‘right wing conspiracy’ that Hillary Clinton described, but it is an impressive organization built consciously, carefully and single-mindedly. The Ann Coulters and Grover Norquists don’t want to be candidates for anything or cabinet officers for anyone. They know their roles and execute them because they’re paid well and believe, I think, in what they’re saying.” By way of Blotter Spotter and The Late Adopter, Bill Bradley emerges from hiding to dissect the organizational problems of the Democratic Party. “If Democrats are serious about preparing for the next election or the next election after that, some influential Democrats will have to resist entrusting their dreams to individual candidates and instead make a commitment to build a stable pyramid from the base up. It will take at least a decade’s commitment, and it won’t come cheap. But there really is no other choice.” I agree wholeheartedly…but to help build this pyramid, Senator Bradley, we need to hear much more from you more often.

3 thoughts on “A Tale of Two Pyramids.”

  1. Like I wrote earlier, this is evident in the local ‘organization’ of the party here in the Burgh unfortunately as well. The only disagreement I have with Bradley is on why Dems are so disorganized — I think it’s a more complex set of reasons that correlate with why the leaders in the democratic party are democrats. It’s a culture of ideals – the little guy bootstrapping themselves to the highest offices, the openness and dialogue on issues & ideas, and bit of wariness to others’ prefabricated structure, hierarchy, or bumper-sticker-“2 legs good”-mindless kind of rhetoric. …Whatever the ‘why,’ it’s only useful if it’s means to an end, which I think Bradley got right.

  2. That’s a good point…unfortunately, Bradley really isn’t describing all that much new. As Will Rogers said ages ago, “I am not a member of any organized party, I am a Democrat.” And some might argue, although I’m not yet convinced, that the decentralizing potential of the Internet might very rapidly obviate the need for traditional pyramid-style party-building anyway.

    That being said, I don’t think the nation would suffer from another well-funded progressive think tank or three. (Neither would the job market for that matter. 🙂 )

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