I used to think there were certain basic principles that distinguished Democrats from republicans.

[still_one]

At a minimum it would be those who subscribe to civil rights, the right to privacy, social security, medicare, and the environment.

I don't see anything wrong with setting up a litmus test, or minimum requirement to be a Democrat

There has to be some minimum that the party refuses to compromise on, otherwise what distinguishes the Democratic party?

[Autumn]

1. I still think that way

I will never be willing to compromise on those basic principles and I would add to that helping the most vulnerable among us, the poor, and our Party seems to have let them fall off the radar.

[vi5]

2. Power Uber Alles

It's all about who holds the power. The politicians want to keep it at all costs and they've managed to sucker a large enough portion of the Democratic voters that they should help keep them in power. Yet they rarely want to actually do anything to justify it beyond "Hey the other guys are crazy!!"

The republicans rapid descent into lunacy over the past 10-15 years (probably more I know) is the best thing to happen to craven Dems because all they have to do is be less crazy than the most sane republican and they can scare people into voting for them while at the same time doing everything they can to cowtow to corporate interests and taking the safe route on every single issue.

[dhpgetsit]

3. That's a pretty good list.

Liberals are very diverse, though. We all have different things at the top of the agenda, and different ideas about how these goals should be accomplished. We don't walk in lock step with a single unified message. We are too independent for that I'm proud to say.

I'm mostly an economic justice type. But I agree with every item on your list because they are all tied in with the justice I seek.

:toast:

[somone]

4. Don't forget War

Senseless useless war whose sole purpose is to enrich corporate CEOs

[notesdev]

5. You can toss out the right to privacy

The income tax pretty much decimates any pretense of privacy, and I doubt you will find much support for its repeal in the party.

Social Security? Well... everyone supports it, but no one seems to give a damn about Ben Bernanke's war on fixed incomes. So I'd say it's fair-weather friendship at best. How much is support of Social Security worth if one is either blind to or willing to allow the currency in which those benefits are paid out to be devalued?

Same with Medicare - everyone wants it, but no one is willing to face up to the reality that health care costs are out of control (and the corrupt bargain misnamed as reform only made the problem worse).

The environment? Again, it depends. A lot of NIMBY environmentalism, but when it comes to dealing with the fact that all the pollution we chase away from our shores is showing up in China instead, you get blank looks and glazed eyes. And I see almost zero support for tariffs to discourage this practice.

As far as civil rights go, isn't the fundamental principle there "equal treatment under law"? Yet our Attorney General doesn't seem to know how to enforce the law against the wealthy and well-connected.


Let's face it - this is no longer the party of John F. Kennedy. There is nothing holding this party right now except the raw lust for power, and the inertia and momentum of the past. We need real leaders and there are none to be found among our current crop of posturers, aristocrats, weathervanes and poll-watchers.

[bluestate10]

6. Every item that you mentioned are values that democrats differ from republicans

on. Is there complete blindness going on? Has ANY one of the Left paid any attention to the bills that have been passed by the republican led US House? The argument that democrats are no better than republicans is bankrupt in content and not even marginal on sanity.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Unfortunately, the one overriding "principle" they all have is getting and retaining power.

Which eclipses any other principles they may proclaim when faced with the possibility (however remote) of losing power.

[HopeHoops]

8. Democrats see the glass as half full. Republicans see the glass as theirs.

I have that bumper sticker.