If, IF, there was a multi-party Democracy in America how would you vote?

[JanMichael]

Seriously, the time may come, I can't say exactly when but it may come where you might actually have some fucking choices to make.

It's getting ridiculous now in the times of Globalisation and degraded power of People and excellerated power of Above the Law Corporations. Isn't it? Don't you feel it? Don't you? Isn't it time to destroy Institutionalised Racism, Sexism and Anti-Working People, agendas?

If so how would you vote?

EDIT: I should add that there would be some Fusion or other type of proportional representation. Like IRV.

Double Edit: This is sort of a let your mind go free for a moment threads/question. It's also a moment to not bash Dems but to voice your feelings about how a better world might be possible.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I would go Social Democrat

[JanMichael]

3. I figured as much!

I'm trending even more to the Left these days. I guess it's part intellectual, part revolutionary, part frusteration:-)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. I'd just rather the fruits of my labor go to fair housing, education

child care and healthcare than to subsidize the wealthiest of corporations

[Spike from MN]

30. Exactly.

I've always been a Socialist Democrat but we don't really have much choice when we vote so I vote "the lesser of two evils" for the most part. And example of an exceptions to that would be Wellstone and Congresswoman Betty McCollum. Those are votes I can believe in. But unfortunately those kind of votes are exceptions rather than the rule.

[Iris]

2. Does green on the outside red on the inside mean

red ast in red state or red as in communist?

[JanMichael]

4. Red as in Socialist but not Revolutionary.

The Australian Greens got called that this last election cycle:-)

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. I get called a watermelon most often by Libertarians. :^P

[mzmolly]

5. DEMOCRAT!

I feel Democrats are the most rational/balanced group of politicians in existence currently.

[ixion]

vote for who you think is best

party affiliation not an issue. :-)

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. I'd vote LEFT.. The greens allow for multi-party membership so I would

likely be a Green-Socialist-Labor-Dem.. or something to that effect. Or even if not a member of all of them, I would vote for whoever is the most left in a race. (If we had ranked voting I would automatically throw the most left candidates the top vote, but in the current system I might have to think more on it. For example, I didn't vote for Rep Michaud in the last election but voted for the socialist because Michaud is too right-leaning for me.. but he was polling high enough that I figured he would keep his seat so I could make my protest vote.)

[chimppyhater]

8. I don't know exactly

how to define myself. I'm fairly conservative when it comes to issues of economics but centerist to liberal when it comes to social issues.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Welcome to DU. If you have the time and inclination I know of some

quizzes you can take that might help you decide where you fall on the political spectrum: http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/libvsconserv.htm#compass

:hi:

[chimppyhater]

24. It looks like my impression of myself is rather accurate

Centerist on fiscal policy
Moderate Liberal on social issues

[GreenPartyVoter]

26. My husband shocked me when he took the test. Came out on the crosshairs,

but I had expected him to be somewhere in the upper right quadrant since he is a fairly conservative evangelical Christian. :)

Did you try the party selector tests too? Those are also pretty interesting. :)

[serryjw]

23. Welcome to DU

We here to challenge each others 'thinking in the box' and hopefully expand our horizons.
Explain what:
conservative when it comes to issues of economics
It takes money to fund our 'liberal' social programs!

[chimppyhater]

28. Get rid of the military and corporate state, pay decent wages

and then there will be far less problems funding social issues. Specifically, I oppose social security because I can do far better with my money than the government. I oppose ANY help given to, and want immediate deportation of all illegal aliens. I went through the process of becoming an American citizen and anyone that trys to avoid having to go through it should get nothing.

[serryjw]

32. Not bad .We almost agree

Welcome to America.Where you from? I support a 50% reduction in military funding but also support TOTAL worldwide disarmament. I support SS because NOT everyone (probably 90%) of Americans are not as smart as you are...and the wide spread corruption/manipulation in our financial markets. I 100% agree with citizenship to go thru the channels you did EXCEPT I'd have to re-think anyone whom was in our military and defended our country in wartime.

[chimppyhater]

33. I was born in Switzerland

moved to the US when I was just 7, but after college (Northwestern) I lived in England for almost 30 years. Came back to take care of my sick mom, who passed away in 1998, and spent most of my life's savings doing so. I believe it's a family's responsibility, plus I wouldn't wish the quality of care given by medicare doctors and facilities on my worst enemy.

[serryjw]

36. Not everyone has your money to spend on their mom

You where blessed that you did. It really amazes me in this great country we don't care about children and care less about the elderly. So much for the golden years when our elderly have to choose between food and meds.I was young when my parents passed on, but there would be nothing I wouldn't have done to make their last years comfortable.

[chimppyhater]

delete

duplicate post

[chimppyhater]

I don't consider health care

social welfare. If we didn't spend an insane amount on "national security" :eyes: we would have a lot more money to care care of the elderly and those who are unable to take care of themselves.

[chimppyhater]

38. I don't consider health care

social welfare. If we didn't spend an insane amount on "national security" :eyes: we would have a lot more money to care care of the elderly and those who are unable to take care of themselves.

[Iris]

41. Yes. And with our new supreme court judge, not only would some of us

not have the money, we'd be out of a job. He thinks the Family and Medical Leave Act (passed by CONGRESS!!!) should be invalidated.

[Democrats_win]

10. America needs communism like Wal-Mart needs a union! It's time.

The rich in this country think that they're better than everyone else but honestly, they've inherited it all and they're less than everyone else. Time to take back what belongs to the people.

[MissMarple]

12. That would change the political landscape. The parties would change.

I'd vote for people who represent my progressive values, and who actually care about this country and the American people. We need people in Congress who understand they cannot legislate other peoples lives to mimic some odd child quasi "christian" ideal.

I believe America prospers best when all Americans prosper. So...it really is about the economy. ;)

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[JanMichael]

13. Actually I don't believe in Parties period.

Individuals should run but be bound by laws that govern their governance.

Edited because of "ei" not "ie"...

[MissMarple]

14. Several of the "founding fathers" apparently thought the same.

They distrusted parties because of the influence of special interests. They do created another level between the people and the best interests of the people, in other words a conflict of interests.

Diluting the power of the parties can be done. IMHO :hi:

[Darranar]

17. But with party-list PR, you have to have parties.

And I cannot see an effective proportional alternative to that model.

[JanMichael]

18. I know. It's just a dream I suppose.

You have to use the terms and reality that the people that you're asking use. Don't tell anyone but I like the current Cuban model.

[Darranar]

25. I need to review that one.

I remember I had reservations about the single-candidate system, though, and the winner-take-all nature of it.

Single Transferable Vote is probably the best system there is for local elections, party list for national ones. Figuring out how to get powerful, undemocratic institutions - like corporations and leadership-dominated political parties - out of the system is an important question that really transcends electoral models, though.

[Darranar]

15. If the Socialist Left is SPUSA or SEP, they would have my support.

And under your current formulation it seems that it would be so, because the social democratic tendencies would probably vote "United Left."

[serryjw]

16. Terms confuse me

What is the difference between Ssocialist and Marxist? I have no problem with classes..it has just been to abuse when 1 % of American has all the wealth and everyone else has nothing.

[Darranar]

20. A Marxist is a revolutionary socialist who accepts Marxist theory.

A socialist is anyone who believes the means of production should be put under popular or worker control.

[serryjw]

27. More terms to confuse me

revolutionary socialist?? If I don't want to eliminate 'classes' do I beleive in EITHER?

[Darranar]

29. A revolutionary socialist is a socialist

who advocates revolution as the best means of establishing socialism. This is the orthodox Marxist point of view.

As far as the "class" issue goes it depends on what you consider to be classes. When a socialist advocates a classless society the principle is that he or she is opposed to the division of society into different economic classes, with the owners and high levels of the corporate hierarchy in one "class," and the workers in another. The proposed solution to this is the transfer of ownership of the means of production, the primary feature of the "capitalist" class, to the workers, as such eliminating the class distinction and increasing equality.

[JanMichael]

35. There were "Socialists" and "Communists" prior to Marx.

A long list of French, English and German, types preceded Marx.

Babuef: "the Conspiracy of the Equals" basically a communist idea.

English Levellers: WAY prior to Bauef.

Saint-Simon: He wanted Socialism from above and tried to persued Napoleon to institute a communistic Christian system.

Robert Owen: Utopianist.

Charles Fourier: Utopianist. Both he and Owen belived that a benevolent rich dude could do it. Revolution from above.

Then came Marx who turned the whole concept on its head. Although that's not quite true. I believe the idea of a Vanguard was still used however not composed of Rich White Guys but Not So Rich Guys.


The list is long, the battles long, the losses many, however the revolution is not over.

[sandnsea]

19. I don't fit

Repeal corporate personhood, leave entrepreneur spirit. Public/private health, but everybody has basic coverage. Clear separation of church and state, but Silent Night in a school play is harmless. Protect kids vigorously from blood and bruises abuse, leave the rest of parenting up to parents. Put down the damned guns, unless you hunt or can prove a real defense need. We should not strive to be a super power, but we have "been given much so should give much". I'm not completely socially liberally or completely fiscally liberal. But I'm more liberal than moderates are. Don't fit, would have to vote based on the individual.

[JanMichael]

21. That might be "Other" then.

There are only so many choices available on a DU poll:-)

[sandnsea]

22. Next time

I expect to see "sandnsea's party". :rofl:

[serryjw]

34. I like what you say

and agree!

[degreesofgray]

31. why separate categories

for Republican and Fascist? :-)

[Blue_In_AK]

37. I think I'm Libertarian Leftie...

Is that like anything goes, but leave me alone?

[Apollo11]

39. Confusing categories

Democratic has to be DLC? What if you want to be a progressive ,liberal, anti-war, pro-environment Democrat?

You don't seem to have a category for social-democrats - people who believe in a balance between a strong public sector (including education, healthcare, etc.), while also having a competition-based but properly regulated private sector which would still account for around 60% of the economy. Look at Canada or Europe (Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Great Britain, etc.)

Green is great when it comes to environmental issues, but you also need to have serious and realistic policies on all the other issues. This is why there is no country where the Greens have been in government on their own. They have always been part of a broader coalition with other left-of-center parties.

If I want to vote for Al Gore - which party would he be?

[Darranar]

44. United Left is the social democratic party, I would guess. n/t

[blindpig]

40. Other: Ecosocialist

In my dreams: a party dedicated to the commonweal of humankind with the understanding that a healthy and thriving biosphere is part and parcel of humankind's inheritance and necessary for survival. The socialist component would be of the democratic flavor; eco would refer to the tenents of Deep Ecology. Energy would be removed from the private sector, too important. ZPG would be a bedrock principle.

Not holding my breath but I can dream.

[Skidmore]

42. Just an observation, but it seems to me that based on this

little sample, the Democratic Party has a bit of a problem.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

43. It would be nice to have a democracy rather than the present oligarchy.

With parties that weren't beholden to their capitalist masters.

If that were the case I would probably vote Green or socialist.