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PDA - The Freedom to Choose

By Brad Parker and Wayne Williams
December 10, 2007

There are two progressive Democrats running for President in the 2008 Presidential race. Neither candidate won a majority or mandate from the membership in the PDA straw poll. All other candidates, including Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, have shown that they also have supporters in PDA.

We have been supporting John Edwards since 2006 because in his writing, speaking and in our personal meetings with him, we know that he will bring the most progressive policies possible to the federal government when elected. We also know that because of his background, experience and willingness to admit his own fallibility, which is a sign of strength not weakness, that he can successfully campaign in every district in the nation and create progressive coat tails.

We reject the idea that there is only one progressive candidate in this race, that there is only one choice in this race, and that if we chose differently in this race it means that somehow pragmatism is not principled. Principles are not only individual policies but also overall strategy for implementing policy. Any effective campaign to implement policy and win must include a pragmatic progressive plan for doing so.

PDA is not an organization that believes in candidates as much as policy. We are at our best when we lead all candidates towards progressive policy. In the spirit of choice and freedom, we respect every member of the PDA community as they continue to campaign for their candidate of choice.

Furthermore, we insist that it is incumbent upon all progressive candidates who do not win the nomination to put the remaining resources from their campaigns, including mailing lists, funds and organizational expertise into building a functional progressive infrastructure inside and outside the Democratic Party. Failure to do anything less would reveal any candidate to be nothing but a mirage foisted upon the public and driven by unending ambition rather than the common good.

We are proud to be “Tom Hayden Democrats” and when the struggles of the '60s are resolved in favor of 'we the people,' we will leave the stage... but until then, we challenge progressives of every age to bring your passion from outside the Democratic Party to inside the Democratic Party.

Join us in building a permanent progressive infrastructure within the Democratic Party where the swarm is always forming and informing.

Stand Up, Show Up, Speak Up, ACT NOW, VOTE!

Please share with us on our blog what you or your chapter will be doing in the coming weeks pertaining to the presidential races.