I rarely rant, but my party's reaction to Zohran Mamdani has struck a nerve.

My party -- the Democratic Party -- can't claim we believe in the will of the people as paramount and then go into some freak out when the will of the people nominates a Democratic candidate that doesn't tow some "company line" that the crazy quilt coalition that makes up this party when it is strongest has never quite bought.

I am sick and tired of the major push recently from some quarters that the "only" way to "save" our party is to embrace some new version of watered down DLC, "third-way" mealy-mouthed messaging.

Accept it. This is a diverse party. We don't need to hit on some magical set of policy proposals that "everyone" agrees on. We don't need to silence inspiring voices who say we can do better or more. Sure, there is a place for advocates of a "third-way," but if we expect "everyone" to get on that bus we are deluding ourselves.

We need to get clear on some basic, shared values. And recognize the direction those values point us. And be bold about advocating those goals -- goals like universal health care, even while we recognize that we have work to do to build the political will.

We need to welcome voices from across the Anti-Christian Nationalist, Pro-Christian Values, Pro-Universal Health Care, Pro-Workers, Pro-Climate Sanity, Pro-Agriculture, Pro-Democracy 2.0 (like actually funding citizen assemblies), Pro-Freedom to love who we love and live how we choose, and Pro-Other Shit that pisses off some of the people who carry those other banners, but people who are nevertheless aligned on some fundamental principles on which we can make progress.

Politics is messy. The ONE thing that we as Democrats should embrace is our belief in our fellow humans and our will to get into the game; our belief in expanding and engaging people in the process of shaping their own government, not some perfect candidate who will "fix it" for us. That is the ONLY way we can even begin to redeem our national soul.

I am sick to death of calls for some "leader" or "the party" to emerge with the magic plan to fix all this shit for us. True leaders will make it clear that we need to get engaged in the messy, fucked up, process of finding common ground where we can -- and there are LOTS of areas of violent agreement -- and build the political will to move forward on the things we can.

The government is not some alien being oppressing us. It is ours to shape. And that belief is the central difference between US and THEM.

We don't need a f-ing movement. Each of us just needs to find a way to f-ing move. Do something. Connect with others. Find hope. Find inspiration.

(end of rant)