The Single Issue

The San Francisco Bay Guardian has a review of liberal uber-blogger's Markos Zuniga (DailyKos) and Philly's own Jerome Armstrong's (MyDD.com) new book, Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics...

The bloggers' diagnosis of what's wrong with the Democratic Party goes beyond typical discussions of messaging, money, and leaders. Armstrong and Moulitsas argue that the power of single-issue groups and litmus-test requirements has made it almost impossible for Democrats to function as a majority party.

The two men are particularly critical of the abortion-rights movement, and in some ways their strategic analysis is accurate. Which is why my avowedly pro-choice friends in Pennsylvania support the antichoice Democrat Bob Casey (blasted by some women's groups) over right-wing-nut incumbent Rick Santorum in the crucial Senate race this year: They know that if the Democrats control the Senate, Casey's personal position won't matter as much.