We need REAL Democrats, not Rodney Tom Democrats or Barack Obama Democrats

The events of the last several years are a learning opportunity for Democrats, both in Washington State and nationally.

The case of Rodney Tom exemplifies the dangers of supporting “centrist” Democrats who are eager to compromise with Republicans. Tom’s “bipartisanship” is inconsistent with Democratic values.

Yes, Rodney Tom is better than most Republicans. (See the state senate 2012 scorecard, which shows Tom to have been centrist indeed, voting against Labor particularly often.)  No, that is not good enough.  We need REAL  Democrats, not Rodney Tom Democrats.

The same logic applies nationally. Though many Democrats will be averse to hearing this inconvenient truth, President Obama has done great damage to the Democratic brand, by his eagerness to be “bipartisan” and his willingness to compromise.

Yes, Barack Obama is better than Mitt Romney. No, that is not good enough. We need REAL Democrats, not Barack Obama Democrats.

As Obama recently said of himself, “My policies are so mainstream that if I had set the same policies … back in the 1980s, I would be considered a moderate Republican.”

Now that the President is safely elected, we are free to hold him accountable.