This is a quick follow-up/response to Muskegon Critic's excellent and thought-provoking diary. In case you haven’t read it (please do!), it argues that Demcorats/Liberals/Progressives are now losing across the board, because we fight for revival of the recent past with no coherent future vision. By contrast, the Republicans/Conservatives/Far-right, despite their frequent use of past-glorifying rhetoric, actually fight for experimental visions of the future, and hence they are winning.
I agree with MC’s basic premise: a stronger and future-relevant vision sets a path to lasting victory. I disagree that we lack such vision and are losing across the board.
There are many key areas in which we are the ones with vision, and we are the ones who are winning, regardless of recent national election results.
There are other areas where we do lack vision, or where our vision is still marginalized.
I think that the message “we totally lack vision and are losing” is not one that’s likely to motivate people to act. Rather, the more factually correct message,
“Vision->Victory, that’s why we’re winning here and here and need to press our advantage,
and that’s one reason we’re losing there and there and need to work on it”
— is a far more useful one. Details if you care to read, are below the fold.