POLL: Democrat Opinions Needed!
Hamburger Buns
15-12-2004, 11:29
I personally think that in order to survive the party needs to cater more toward the mainstream. What do you all think.
Legless Pirates
15-12-2004, 11:32
I personally think that in order to survive the party needs to cater more toward the mainstream. What do you all think.
I think more mainstream IS more left
Hamburger Buns
15-12-2004, 11:33
Well there you go!
Torching Witches
15-12-2004, 12:22
Democrats are right of centre, so both.
The disillusioned many
15-12-2004, 12:50
i'd like them to go further to the left.
but realistically to get more votes they need to go maintream.
Compared to (insert lame liberal board name here), I'd assume this board probably represents most of the *liberal intellectual elite*.
I'm not trying to piss on your parade, but don't you think this poll is a bit optimistic?
The disillusioned many
15-12-2004, 13:07
i could never be described as optimistic...ever.
And prefer to think of myself as a commie not a liberal, liberals piss me off as much as anyone else.
Can't speak for the others that have posted, so maybe the do consider themselves to be the *liberal intellectual elite*.
Parnassus
15-12-2004, 14:35
I think the Democratic Party needs to swing back to the left, and this last election highlights a good reason why. People want a choice, a real choice, not two guys who are all but identical, only wrapped in a different color paper. Historically, every time the Democratic Party moves to Center, they lose the election and weaken the party.
What the U.S. needs is a serious leftist response to the radical right wing politics of the (current) Republican Party.
_
I think they need better candidates. People don't vote for parties, they vote because they like the man.
All Things Fabulous
15-12-2004, 19:08
I think the Democratic Party needs to swing back to the left, and this last election highlights a good reason why. People want a choice, a real choice, not two guys who are all but identical, only wrapped in a different color paper. Historically, every time the Democratic Party moves to Center, they lose the election and weaken the party.
What the U.S. needs is a serious leftist response to the radical right wing politics of the (current) Republican Party.
_
I'm a pretty strong democrat but I would've voted for Giuliani if he had run against Kerry. It's time Dems stepped up to the plate and really pointed out how backwards, dishonest, and simply unAmerican the Republican party is being right now. There are virtually no checks and balances anymore, religion is being touted as reasons for public policy, and Bush is treating the international community like a joke. After the election this year, I serious thought about leaving this country. When Kerry is considered one of the most liberal people in Congress, well that just scares me.
Neo-Syndicalists
15-12-2004, 19:14
Democrats don't have to become moderate sell-outs to appeal to swing voters. They've been trying that for years and it doesn't work. Democrats can win by using an economic populist message that appeals to both liberals and moderates while staying true to the core principles the party once represented. Democrats will win again once they stop listening to the corporate Democrats and start acting like New Deal Democrats again.
Fimble loving peoples
15-12-2004, 19:18
They should just scrap the whole system, socialism all the way. Hmmmm, being a commie is fun.
Advent Nebula
15-12-2004, 19:36
They should just scrap the whole system, socialism all the way. Hmmmm, being a commie is fun.
I consider myself a Socialist Libertarian.
Siljhouettes
15-12-2004, 19:38
The Democrats are too right-wing. They need to drop the elite image, drop gun control and put out a populist message. I don't mean become more socially conservative, I mean populism. Getting the "corporate elite off your backs", "stop wasting your taxes on corporate welfare", "looking after the poor, as Jesus commanded", and such.
You Forgot Poland
15-12-2004, 19:41
If the question is "What do the Dems need to do to survive?" this is kind of a no-brainer. They need to move more towards the center to pick up the moderates and fiscal conservatives who don't buy into the "compassionate conservative" hokum of the evangelicals. They need to field a candidate who has that sort of crossover appeal instead of a Kerry, who pretty much embodied the left of the left in the eyes of moderates and right-leaning undecideds. Kerry was left of the Democratic field, and look where that got us.
If the question is "Where ought the Dems go?" as a matter of personal opinion, they ought to hang where they are or swing left. But that isn't going to fly with the majority because the majority believes television ads that claim that same-sex civil unions lead to bestiality and trigamy. And they believe that preventing the potential of those straw man sins is more important than issues of domestic economy or education. But so it goes.
My Gun Not Yours
15-12-2004, 19:41
The reason I left the Democratic Party was Clinton.
He threw out more gays in his eight years in office than were thrown out in all of previous military history.
Largely due to his complete misunderstanding of "policy" and "orders" as the military understands them. Policy allows a commander to choose to do or not do something. Orders compel him to act.
Clinton gave orders. So a lot of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals were thrown out. I had to come back as a contractor.
Clinton, as Michael Moore said, was the greatest Republican President since Ronald Reagan. So I might as well vote Republican - at least they aren't lying about what they're going to do.
If I'm going to be f**ked in the ass, the candidate should at least give me the courtesy of a reacharound.
You Forgot Poland
15-12-2004, 19:47
Although, from the vantage point across the ocean, Siljhouettes has an excellent point. Dems have traditionally been populist and would do well to return to this stance. It continues to boggle the mind how the GOP, through emphasis on "moral values" and other non-policy issues, has won over and retained a base that the party does not favor with its policy issues. Dems need to break that connection and really make clear how GOP words and GOP actions don't really jibe.