TPP fight illustrates Left's depth problem

[eridani]

I've been riding this hobbyhorse for some time now--glad to hear the same thing from other quarters.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/06/24/1396062/-TPP-fight-illustrates-Left-s-depth-problem

As I watched the diaries roll on by, with people adamantly calling for primaries against Democrats who supported Fast Track legislation, I kept asking the same question I always ask when votes go down like this: Who?

But it isn't just having a lack of viable challengers to Democrats who go astray from the party line. Liberal Democrats lack of depth in political offices also affects the policy choices Democrats choose to fight on, more often than not ceding ground to Republicans and fighting on their turf. I'll try and be brief.

Both Virginia Senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, voted for the Fast Track legislation. Now, one has to ask: Did either of these men fear any political repercussion for this vote? I'm willing to wager a hearty no. For this reason: There are other statewide Democratic elected official in the state other than those two:

One is Governor Terry MacAuliffe, a noted supporter of the WTO and free trade generally. He said no

The point being, none of these potential challengers formed what could have been a "left flank" of pressure for either Warner or Kaine. Had either of them had to worry that a potential challenger was using the issue to gain sufficient support to push them out of the nomination, I suspect their votes would have been different.

This is why, ladies and gentlemen, I cannot emphasize enough that the focus of the Left's ire over the economic policy direction of the Democratic Party has to begin at the local level, not at the presidency. It is those local offices where better Senators are groomed. It is those local offices where better Presidents are groomed.thing about TPP.