A friend of mine: "Why are Democrats afraid to be Democrats?"

[Ardent15]

Simple question, really.

It's infuriating to see all these Blue Dogs, DLC, and other DINOs control our party in Congress.

[msongs]

1. weak leadership is why nt

[TransitJohn]

4. Not exactly.

The leadership isn't weak, so much as center right and corporatist.

[John Q. Citizen]

8. The Blue Dogs get what they want, almost always. That's not weak. Howard Dean is weak.

Anyone who accepts this bad for the people bill is weak.

We need to say "NO!" for once.

[Warpy]

15. Uh, Howard Dean is no longer party chairman

in case that fact escaped your notice. This isn't about Howard Dean.

This is about party leadership. They are weak. They knuckle under to the Wall Street gang and the Blue Dog social conservatives every time someone from those groups gives them a mean look.

Harry Reid is weak. Tim Kaine, who is the party chairman, is weak. Pelosi isn't as bad as they are, but she's weak.

Howard Dean was a tower of strength whose 50 State Strategy gave us wins in GOP "safe" districts where Democrats hadn't won for many years.

If you want to dis somebody, try to keep current.

[John Q. Citizen]

19. no, Howard runs a money machine and an activist organization. If he said, "No deal" and

asked his people to join him opposing this bad deal then the leadership would sit up and take notice.

Instead Dean is running interference for the blue dogs, the insurance industry who wants this deal, and for the insurance connected folks in the White House people like Daschle who don't want real reform, they want a big fat expensive bandaide that keeps the money flowing.

if you want to talk about Deans glorious past, fine. I supported his as Chair, and i supported his 50 state strategy.
But i'm not writing about the past.
I'm talking about this deal right here and now.

Dean could help us get a better deal, but I don't think he really wants a better deal. If they fix health care why would people keep sending in money so they can work to fix health care?

[Warpy]

20. Dean has been talking up the public plan for months

Where have you been?

He might have realized, as a lot of us do, that the wimpy Blue Dog offering is likely the best we're going to get out of this corrupt Congress unless the progressives in the House manage to twist some Senatorial arms along the line.

It's now up to us to get rid of the dead wood, both GOP and conservative Democrats, who are holding us back.

[John Q. Citizen]

24. I've been hearing Dean talk. And I heard he wants us to take this deal. I say no dice. Lets hold out

for better.

[TheBigotBasher]

26. You keep going after Howard Dean

for what reason? He agreed a fair compromise when a very high profile candidate demanded the rules were changed mid Primaries and far more importantly delivered on the 50 State strategy.

I want more like Howard Dean.

[MarjorieG]

6. More than leadership, it's decades of branding and failing media. The public option is conservative

in principles of choice and competition, yet cast as something liberals are for and moderates/conservatives against. Can't move the country overnight and re-elect Democrats.

[jonnyblitz]

7. that's it. nt

[Laelth]

2. That is a very good question.

Sadly, the answer seems to be that they have been bought off by the very same interests that control the Republican Party. Welcome to the Corporate States of America. There is no major political party that represents the interests of the people now.

:dem:

-Laelth

[John Q. Citizen]

3. We are whimps. If we weren't the progressive caucus would just say, NO! we

aren't voting for this corporate giveaway!

Howard Dean would say, "I hate to say it, but we can't accept this corporate give away. We need a stronger bill for the people before we can endorse it!"

But they won't do that because Rahm might get mad at them and the insurance companies might not give them money.

Democrats are weaklings. I hate to say it, but it's obvious.

[valerief]

5. Bribes or threats are the usual culprits. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. They would have to take a serious cut in pay(offs).

[John Q. Citizen]

11. Yes, that too. Our Democrats are corrupt and willing to sell us out. Clearly.

[conscious evolution]

10. Because they are not Democrats

They are employees of the corporations and conglomerates that pay there their deferred salaries.
Not all of them,of course.But the majority were bought long before they ever ran for office.

[tbyg52]

12. Corporations. nt

[Bluenorthwest]

13. We are Democrats

They are professional politicians.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. They would have to take a serious cut in pay(offs).

[lib2DaBone]

16. I am a Progressive......

We need a Progresive Party. The Democrats have gone so far to the right to please their corporate masters.

Nanaci Pelosi/Harry Reid... USELESS

[Kaleva]

17. 'cause no one can define what a Democrat is.

[indepat]

18. Democrats are afraid to be Democrats because of being afraid they'd shit their pants if labeled

soft on communism, soft on crime, soft on drugs, soft on terra, or weak on national defense and have therefore largely let 'pukes set the national agenda which brings us to where we are today as a nation and it's not a pretty sight. :P

Edited to remove have

[depakid]

21. They've bought into Republican corporate media propaganda

That and the fact that they're often cowardly, complicit and corrupt.

[Kitsune]

22. Because 90% of them are just as corrupt as the Republicans.

And it's getting to the point where I'm about to give up on politics entirely. If everyone involved is a fucking criminal, then voting for one batch of criminals over the other is going to make at best a minuscule difference.

[western mass]

23. Because many "democrats" are not Democrats

They're corporatists who happened to win an election with a "(d)" next to their name.

[treestar]

25. The media

They know whose side it is on and what is risky.