Freedom & Progress

Dan Gerstein eloquently describes what is wrong with the National Democratic Party in today's Wall Street Journal.

And that's the heart of the problem with our party and its angry activist base. It's not so much that we're living in a parallel universe, but that we have dueling conceptions of what's mainstream, especially on abortion and other values-based issues, and our side is losing. We think that if we simply call someone conservative, anti-choice and anti-civil rights, that's enough to scare people to our side. But that tired dogma won't hunt in today's electorate, which is far more independent-thinking and complex in its views on values than our side presumes.

F&P recalls a comment passed by the Moveon crowd shortly after the 2004 election. It said something about "owning" the Democratic Party. Just remember Kos, you get you pay for.

The time has come for a true Third Party to emerge out of those disenchanted by the Republican machinery and those discarded by the new owners of the Democratic Party. F&P would love to spearhead this necessary endeavor. In time, perhaps we will. In the meantime, however, perhaps Mr. Gerstein can convince his old boss to persuade an influential independent-leaning Republican to join forces and give us "independent-thinking and complex" citizens a place to call home.