Ari Berman Got His Wish: The Blue Dogs Are Gone

Remember late October, when Ari Berman could write something like this?

"Democrats would be in better shape, and would accomplish more, with a smaller and more ideologically cohesive caucus. It’s a sentiment that even Mr. Dean now echoes. “Having a big, open-tent Democratic Party is great, but not at the cost of getting nothing done,” he said."

Well, most of the Blue Dogs are gone now. Guess what? So is the Democratic majority. I get as frustrated with the Blue Dogs as anyone, but the Democrats literally cannot govern without them. In most cases, the Blue Dogs represent districts that would never vote for a liberal Democrat. Having Blue Dogs in the coalition puts a check on liberal ambitions, but it makes it possible for any kind of liberal legislation to pass in the first place. That's not fun; it's very frustrating. The alternative is worse. Utopian fantasies like Berman's do nothing to further progressive causes.