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You've expressed it very well indeed.
This is a partisan Website. But we express our opinions here but one is not allowed to advocate for non-Democrats. But litmus tests are not allowed like on Republican sites. That's what too many people here forget.
If people do not like what the Democratic Party is doing they should stop bitching and start doing something about it. Run for precinct delegate and get others who think like you to do the same. The only way the party is going to change is from within. That's what the Republicans have done -- twice!!! Once with the Christian coalition; once with the tea-hadists. The former took a couple of decades; the latter happened quickly, since Obama was elected. (But it has nothing to do with his race -- Right!)
We have to change two things. First, we have to bring liberals into the party infrastructure. We did it in the sixties; we can do it again. Second, we should realize that united we stand, divided we fall. As we see the GOP melting before our very eyes, the last thing Democrats should do is to go into the next election divided. No one issue is worth that when our opposition is so fucking crazy. And our state congressional elections may very well be the most important ones.
Thank you for your response.
The Soviet Union was full to the brim with leftist authoritarians. True libertarians (who generally don't have the surname "Paul"
are conservative but very anti-authoritarian.
The key issue is whether or not you think you should give our leaders, the people we worked for and elected, the benefit of the doubt. Should we question them at every turn, or should we cut them some slack and consider the fact that they know things that we don't know, so maybe we should defer to their judgement somewhat?
Litmus/purity tests do nothing but encourage name calling and poop flinging.
Or should I say: bad poll, but good post... 
I guess the poll is making a point, a meta sort of thing, about discussions and attitudes on DU lately. If the point is to protest the idea of litmus tests, I agree. If I've myself missed the point and the poll should be taken seriously, I feel I can't respond to the poll itself.
Given that our system always seems to tend toward two monolithic parties, both parties end up representing a wide range of ideas, goals, and agendas which may not always fit together comfortably. I spoke to an intelligent conservative recently, who felt that their side is the sensible one, because they all share one common goal, whereas our side is a collection of factions with conflicted goals and nothing in common. I think to some extent he may be correct, insofar as the Right has been able to retain its longstanding goal of promoting Capitalism, whereas the Left may have lost some focus with the decline of Marxism. (Note: this poster has only a vague understanding of what he's trying to state.) We're left (as a party) supporting Also-Capitalism, a kinder variation on the same system with regulations and restraints added. Maybe that leaves us a bit less focused and driven on the economic front, where we can't wholly distinguish ourselves from our opposition.
So what unites our side? What is our common goal, ideal, or interest? The conservative to whom I spoke felt that we have nothing, aside from a rejection of the Right. He saw us as the reactionaries, defining ourselves only in contrast with the active, forward-driving goals of the RW. Is that true? Maybe in some areas. I am pro-science, which seems like it should be a non-issue, but the Right bafflingly becomes anti-science and I favor the Democrats because I am against anti-science. Maybe with any set of dualized opposites, you could assert that either side is meaningful only as a reflection of the other. Umm. Maybe it's just a framing issue.
I'm afraid I'm starting to babble. Sorry... lack of sleep. What unites us? What do we have in common? Support of societies run by elected governments rather than corporations and their investors? Support for science and education? A belief that we should make society as kind as possible rather than as mean as possible? A "nurturing parent" rather than a "punishing father" worldview? Something else entirely? Since we self-identify with one big party over the other, we must have some reason to have done so. I wish we would focus on that, whatever it is, and stop fighting with each other. 
Editing to note that I am not a Democrat solely because I am pro-science. That was meant to serve as an illustration of my point, but, as noted... I haven't had much sleep the past few days. I may not be fully coherent at the moment. Umm.
Liberals and conservatives have different moralities. Liberals tend to favor moralities based around harm, fairness, and to a much lesser extent loyalty. We tend to have little to no belief in authority or purity.
Conservatives on the other hand rank authority and purity much higher than we do.
http://www.alternet.org/story/138303/conservatives_live_in_a_different_moral_universe_--_and_here%27s_why_it_matters?page=0%2C0
A litmus test goes hand in hand with a belief in the morality of purity.
Most of us are going to reject this poll and tell you no one issue makes one a liberal or not. I did not select any option for that very reason. We are more than the sum of our parts. Liberalism is a philosophy that covers many issues and attitudes to how we approach life. It is about being accepting and open-minded.
This inclusiveness is a double edge sword as it both makes us more informed and understanding, but also causes divisiveness and argument. In the end I think we are better for it because it makes us more informed and forward thinking than our conservative counter-parts.
Thus why we are right on just about every issue 
