NationStates Jolt Archive

I've seen some people say that the Democrats have moved further to the left/liberal in the past few years. One guy even said that he thought "the party of JFK has become a party of extreme liberals".

I don't understand this. In my view, the Democrats have moved from being a centre-left party to being a centrist/moderate conservative party. Under Clinton they moved to the right. For example, he cut millions of welfare - hardly a socialist? He abandoned many previous Democrat support bases, such as trade unions. Left-wing?

I looked up the question in Wikipedia, where my suspicions were confirmed. Their article said that

"The New Democrat movement of the 1980s and 1990s, however, have somewhat eroded the party's previously more leftist policies in favor of a more centrist approach."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Democratic_Party

I agree that they are still slightly further to the left than the Republicans, but they have certainly moved to the right. What do you think? I want to hear from everyone, especially liberal and conservative Americans.

The democratic party is moving left left left and it will be bad for the country because they are making the republicans move farther to the right.

I honestly don't pay that much attention. I vote on a candidate, not a party and if my candidate gets into office and start carrying the party line in opposition to what he/she ran on, then I vote them out next time around.

However, I think people are a little confused on what moving would be. Liberalism is naturally progressive. Those who fight to end one injustice often think nothing of others. The founding fathers thought it was an injustice to be taxed without representation or forced into a religion they didn't like, but they thought nothing of slavery. Those who abolished slavery thought it was a bad practice, but thought nothing of treating people with a different skin color differently. Many who fought for civil rights in the 60's had no idea they might one day be fighting for civil rights for an entirely different group a half a decade later.

In contrast, the most of the conservatives of today think that slavery is bad, as is treating people differently based on skin color. These views have moved out of the "left" and into the mainstream thought.

So, it's probably not that the Democrats are moving further left, it is simply that the policies considered "left" are progressing and conservatives think each new development must be "extremist."

The Founding Fathers most certainly did think slavery was wrong, but I'm not pulling up any quotes for you right now.

Don't try and justify liberalism, just apologise for it.

The Founding Fathers most certainly did think slavery was wrong, but I'm not pulling up any quotes for you right now.

Not all of them.

Don't try and justify liberalism, just apologise for it.

Why? It is a political view, and one that only applies to me on certain issues anyways. It was liberals who made sure you have the rights you have today - so explain to me why they should apologize?

The Founding Fathers most certainly did think slavery was wrong, but I'm not pulling up any quotes for you right now.

A few of them, maybe.

But it never even occurred to them to treat women as equals.

Liberal does not equal left in any meaningful way. Infact liberal being equated to left seems to be a purely american creation since that nation itself lefts any real elements of what is a true left.


Liberalism completes lacks, in personal freedoms and equality. It never has been on the left, the same as the democrats have never been on the left.



But in the end no matter what color you paint shit, its still shit inside, give it any sugar coating you want, its still a worthless diseased core. So there movements dont really matter much.

Dempublicents, I'm not asking you about how you vote or trying to tell you how to vote or anything like that. I'm just asking my straightforward questions, as outlined in my original post.

Liberal does not equal left in any meaningful way. Infact liberal being equated to left seems to be a purely american creation since that nation itself lefts any real elements of what is a true left.

I agree with you here, hence I provided a "More liberal/right-wing (libertarian)" option. It's funny that Americans equate left-wing with liberal, and right-wing with conservative. The Libertarians are liberal, but not left-wing.

The Democrats are right-of-centre, and I don't see that ever changing.
US politics consist of the right-of-centre, the extreme right, and Ralph Nader.

Dempublicents, I'm not asking you about how you vote or trying to tell you how to vote or anything like that. I'm just asking my straightforward questions, as outlined in my original post.

And I gave you a straightforward answer. The liberals have not changed, it is the views that are considered "liberal" that have changed. Many view that as moving further left, when it is in fact simply the progression of liberalism.