On Changing Political Parties

Ok, something I don’t think folks quite get, so I’m going to use a rough analogy (very rough) here:

Political parties are like unions that you do not have to pay.

Unions work with outside groups, but they don’t let outside groups dictate policy or leadership. Only members get to do that.

This is why when you are outside screaming at them, they don’t hear you. You *have no voice* in terms of the party leadership or policy or any of that.

Now, you can get people to leave the party. But that actually just makes things worse. Scientifically, that is. This isn’t about pragmatic or practicality — we’re talking politics here, Pragmatic or practical left the building in November of last year.

So if you are upset that the party isn’t hearing you, then you need to do something to be heard — and that isn’t going to happen from outside.

But…

If you start a party, a serious one, that has funding and has a structure and a platform and that appeals to people — well, you might get heard as a “partner” organization that works with the Dem’s to achieve a common goal.

But you still won’t be able to change the leadership or policies inside.