Progressive Bickering

In Thursday's San Francisco Chronicle, Heather Knight describes the problems the progressive faction in San Francisco has with governing. This group represents various interests including “...labor, tenants, the poor, minorities, immigrants and environmentalists.” In many ways these groups have much in common, along with middle class and soon to be ex middle class people. To wit, they all have to work for a living, vis a vis the top few percent who do not. The Republican party is quite adept at representing these top few. The so called progressive wing is incompetent at representing the vast majority. They allow, and in some ways facilitate, bickering over ethnic, sexual and other identity issues. Since most Americans have an emotional relationship to politics, many of the middle class can not orient themselves to the left wing or progressive ideology because they do not fit into one of the narrow categories that the left portrays themselves as representing. Therefore, many of these voters turn to the Republicans, who in no way act in their interests. But, the Republicans do not characterize the party as one which alienates white middle class citizens. The progressive wing has inordinate influence in the manner in which the Democratic party presents itself. The Democrats need to figure out how to overcome this divisiveness and become the party of the majority of Americans.