The ideals that are signified by the term "liberal" were once too, if only in part, signified by the Democratic party. While I am sensitive to the true instabilities within any semiotics, especially if political, I am troubled to realize how close to Yeatsean eschatology our party has come. The liberal falcon can no longer hear the party's cries. Ever upward-looking in our struggle, perhaps we have flown too high. But the earth too has moved, and thus separates the party away from our original ideals.
Can a liberal be a Young Democrat here at Dartmouth? Or, perhaps I ought question whether the term "liberal" has become mutually exclusive with "Democrat?" These questions have plagued me now for the past two years.
Indeed, as a test of affirmation, I even attempted to set the Young Dem's agenda in a progressive spirit by becoming the organization's president. With firm ideological foundations and motivated elites behind me, I felt for certain that this terrific organization could suffuse Dartmouth with the passions of our political persuasion. An end to apathy and centrism!!
Alas, my own spirit can no longer struggle to move and shape the Young Democrats. The rule of the people, which any Democrat must accept as our etymology dictates, has become overbearingly centrist. In resigning, however, as president, I am cautiously hopeful for this dynamic group. The immense work in campaigning done last term reveals the genuine capacity for Dartmouth students to move and shape the world. No apathy here.
Still, I argue the agency of the Young Dems is misplaced. The fiery liberal spirit of old has been deprived of new fuel for too long. We squander the energy of our youth by supporting candidates who actually say that they would be Republicans in any other state! How can a liberal, let alone Democrat, accept, even advance such rhetoric? Worse still, and I blame Dukakis squarely for this one, we actually give support to Democrats who publicly shun the term "liberal." Never have we been more duped by Republican and conservative rhetoric. And if indeed this is our strategy, then I argue our ideals would become bastardized in any such deceptive outflanking.
The upholding of moderation at the expense of liberalism is genuinely disheartening to a North Jersey Democrat, who has close ties to both our state politics and those of that center of the universe, New York City. Of course, my party is as diverse in its views as the country itself. I simply did not realize how incestuous a group we East-Coast liberals were, for whereas we think we are the party, if not the world, we are, in fact, a minority. Our struggle must continue from the margin.
In our rhetoric, we have become complacent. In our efforts, we have been outflanked. I hope that I am in fact blinded to the still-present significance of liberals within the Democratic Party, or that the lack I believe exists is only endemic to Dartmouth. Instead, however, I find the term only signifying absence.
