Ezra explains...

...a great deal about the intra-party debate in this excellent post at Pandagon. You should really read it all, but let me share the conclusion...

The DLC's problem is not what Sirota is trying to diagnose it as, an unbridgeable distance on policy. Instead, it's a well-telegraphed disrespect for large, loud portions of the Democratic Party. And that's why people keep publishing barely-different versions of Sirota's article. Until the DLC starts sounding like Democrats, very few people are going to care whether they actually are Democrats. And that means few will note the promise of the PPI, the potential of the many downticket candidates the DLC spotlights, the legitimate insights in every issue of Blueprint magazine and the many policy forums they put on. The DLC is, in fact, a great, Democratic, organization. Why they're so determined to hide that is beyond me...

"Great" isn't really the adjective I'd choose to describe the DLC, but they do represent a significant and legitimate faction of the Democratic Party. The the only successful two-term Democratic Presidency of my lifetime, after all, emerged from their ranks. Whatever my disagreements with the organization might be (and they're multiple), they have earned a place in the debate.

The DLC needs to refine its approach so that its good ideas (and there are some) aren't buried in its awful presentation. The Democratic Party isn't quite big enough to afford a purge right now, so I hope they succeed in that. Ezra's analysis and advice are spot on, and I hope somebody near Mr. From is paying attention.