Democratic Party - What Is It For?

[socoljam]

When I think of Republicans, I think of close-minded "Family Values" people. They seem to have that wrapped up. "Family Values." They're always on about something like that. Anti-choice, Anti-gay, Anti-science. It all fits into a greater mold.

What about the Democrats? I think of the Democrats and I don't know what we stand for - and I'm an active member!

This is something Chairman Dean really needs to address coming into a new election cycle. "What am I for if I'm for a Democrat?"

What do you think? What are the Democrats "for?" What should it be?

[cestpaspossible]

1. Why don't you just figure out what you are for?

Once you do that, you'll be set.

[socoljam]

7. I know

...what I'm for. Unfortunately, I'm not the national party who wants, needs to win elections in 18 months. I'm a Democrat because what I'm for usually lines up with the liberal positions.

But the Republicans have made themselves pretty synonmous with their narrow version of "family values." Their positions fit into one overall strategy or message. What's ours?

[cestpaspossible]

8. Well what are you for? The problem is not the party.

The problem seems to be that you are unable to articulate what you are for? Why don't you try?

What are you for?

[socoljam]

12. You didn't ask.

I'm for personal rights instead of corporate rights.

That means...
...the right to health care for everyone.
...tax codes that encourage hiring, not executive bonuses.
...the right to have your employer recognize your spouse.
...the right to personal privacy.
...the right to education for everyone.

Stuff like that. Articulated well enough?

That's what I mean, all of those things (all of which happen to be left wing ideas) fit under the simple statement at the top. Now let's look at a Republican:

Family values...
...the right to life.
...the right to pass on what you've earned.
...the right to keep what you've earned.
...the protection of "traditional" families.

See the unifying theme? That's what the Dems lack. A big picture.

[cestpaspossible]

14. I have no idea what you are talking about

You stated very well what Democrats are for and then said you don't know what they're for. I give up.

[socoljam]

15. Well, if you give up...

That's what I'm for. It so happens, the individual things are what the Dems are mostly for. That's why I'm a Democrat and not trying to kick start the Liberal party.

I'm not saying the Dems don't have great ideas. I think they do. But, from a campaign and strategy point of view, they need to tie those ideas into a larger whole. If I say "what are the Dems for?" and you list five things, I'm already bored and wondering what else is on.

[SharonAnn]

22. Republicans don't want to keep what they've "earned". They want

to keep what they've inherited, what they've stolen, and what they've been paid.

Stop talking about what they've "earned". There are plenty of cases where they didn't "earn" what they have.

I, personally, don't believe that any CEO "earns" hundreds of millions of dollars for year's work. That's very disproportionate, even if they helped the company be very successful.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

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[Double T]

2. Democrats need to define their goals..

and then stay focused on them. I think we should be for pro-choice, pro-environment, pro-national health care for all, pro-citizens rights, pro-privacy, help for low income families, pro-worker and separation of church and state, etc.

[Linette]

25. Actually, that's not the problem

The problem is that Democrats don't understand marketing, human nature, and social psychology like the Republicans do. This link explains it pretty well.

As the article says, "It's not the ISSUES, really, it's the IMAGE CAMPAIGN!"

Linette

[knowbody0]

3. the constitution

[DaveinMD]

4. we are for

equal opportunity for all. We are for a society where if you work hard a play by the rules, you can succeed.

[Senior citizen]

5. I'm not sure there are too many things that the Democratic Party

can be "for" without endangering corporate campaign contributions.

Being for a national health plan would alienate pharmaceutical companies and the insurance industry.

Being for a decent standard of living for everyone would alienate many taxpayers and a lot of employers.

Being for education also alienates taxpayers.

Being for "justice for all" alienates the wealthy, who benefit from our corrupt justice system where whoever has the most money usually wins.

Being for "a chicken in every pot" would alienate the fast food industry.

Being for world peace would alienate the military-industrial complex.

It takes a lot of money to win elections, and the only way to get that money is to cater to big money interests, or at least not overtly alienate them.

The only thing the Democratic Party can do to attract liberals is to oppose the pukes, but not on specific issues.

I'm a registered Democrat myself, and usually vote that way, but I still wish I could vote "for" something, instead of just voting against fascist excesses.

Two excellent books on electoral party politics are noted in my sig line.

[socoljam]

6. I don't think...

I think your attitude is even more cynical than necessary. Do the Republicans really have a monopoly on everything good? I sure don't think so, but if you do, maybe you should vote for them.

One key is to educate people. Not just say we're for education, say we're for it because it will build a stronger economy. We're for national health care because it will reduce the burden on people and businesses, especially small businesses. (As if the left gets a lot of money from insurance companies anyway.)

And one that I just don't understand: how is being for a decent standard of living going to alienate taxpayers?

You say the only thing the Democrats can do to "attract liberals is oppose the pukes." But that's the problem. There obviously aren't enough liberals to win that way. So we need to convince people that liberal or progressive is better, make them switch, don't we?

[Senior citizen]

9. To respond to a post, please read it first.

Exactly where in my post is anything that you could possibly interpret as saying that the pukes have a monopoly on anything (no less everything) good?

As for how being for a decent standard of living can alienate taxpayers, countries with higher standards of living overall, have higher taxes. You only get what you pay for.

And there are more than enough liberals to win, even without a winning strategy. All we need is free and fair elections, no voter suppression, no vote rigging, and no biased SCOTUS intervention. Gore won, Kerry won, and Donna Frye here in San Diego won, but none of them were permitted to take office. That isn't due to the Democratic political stance, it is due to puke election-rigging.

But yes, I'll cop to being cynical. It comes with being part of the reality-based community.

[socoljam]

13. I'll grant you this much...

If the Electoral College were fair, we'd still have Democratic leadership. States like Wyoming are horribly over-represented. By having three times the number of electoral votes as they have representatives in the house, they get a big jump over California or NY, having, say, 1.05 times the number of EV as they have representatives. Basically, a vote in Wyoming or Montana or North Dakota counts for 3 in Cali or NY. There's vote suppression. What happened to "one man, one vote?"

I apologize for misunderstanding, but it sounded like you were saying every Democratic position was bad.

How about higher standards of living through better education? Make college tuition deductible, and it lowers taxes, and helps people make better lives.

[Senior citizen]

18. Somebody said it much better...

...here's the link from the home page today where somebody more articulate posted what I'd tried to say.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1824875&mesg_id=1824875

[dajoki]

10. simple

whatever the republicans are against, i'm for. whatever they're for i'm against. sound too simple? think about it. anti choice vs pro choice; anti union vs. pro union; feed the poor vs taxbreaks for the rich; anti war vs pro war; decent wages vs 2 jobs and struggle; family values vs help families; health ins. vs try to afford it; etc; etc; etc;...

[socoljam]

16. True, but...

Well you're obviously on the right side of the aisle! And what you just said would be a great thing to tell someone voting for Nader because "the two parties are the same."

But we can't win by framing our argument that way. We need to paint them into being against what we're for. We're for choices! Republicans want to limit your choices. We want to feed the hungry! Republicans would rather not. We want a living wage! Republicans want you to work two jobs. Etc.

[Seeing Red]

11. The name says it all

We are for DEMOCRACY.

And no, i'm not being cheezy - we are for a true DEMOCRATIC society, where people who want to make something of themselves have access to the means to do so, without being slowed down by a societal structure that is designed to keep power and wealth in the hands of the rich.

A society where people who have spent their lives working in this country and supporting our economy and making this country run can count on the government to repay a little of that when they retire.

A society where men and women who have put their lives on the line to defend our country don't have to come back home and have their benefits and insurance cut.

A society where those same men and women, who are WILLING to put their lives on the line to defend our country, can trust that its government won't ask them to MAKE that sacrifice unless they absolutely have to.

A society where a tragic event that kills thousands of our citizens won't be exploited as a campaigning tool to get its "president" reelected.

And maybe the most important - a society where we can TRUST our government and its employees to at least sincerely try to do what's best for all of us, not just what's most convenient and profitable for them.

I could go on, but in a nutshell THAT'S what it means to be a democrat, at least in my humble opinion.

[socoljam]

17. Bravo.

I like the way you put that. Very good.

[melissinha]

19. The Left is for Rights

Sounds confusing? But it makes you think, huh? THe Right has no monopoly on "rights" (plural).

socoljam put it very well... This is the theme I came up with and then I read this post.... that is in line with me.

I'm for personal rights instead of corporate rights.

Rights protected by the left:
...the right to health care for everyone.
...tax codes that encourage hiring, not executive bonuses. (I'd rewrite this as "the right to not carry the tax burden"
...the right to have your employer recognize your spouse.
...the right to personal privacy.
...the right to education for everyone.

I add:
...the right to QUESTION the government
...the right to adequate wages
...the right to worship or not to worship
...the right to clean air, water and food
...the right to have their vote counted so this basically means the right to have representation that reflects the will of the voters not machines and the owners of those machines.



Family values rights endorsed by the right
...the right to life.
...the right to pass on what you've earned.
...the right to keep what you've earned.
...the protection of "traditional" families.

Fine..we can adjust our list to accomodate them I'll give them what the Constitution guarantees:
...the right to bear arms (BUT I would add that other citizens would have:
...the right to safety (this would mean the those who own arms be MANDATED to take a course on Gun Handling and all guns should be registered)

socoljam says: See the unifying theme? That's what the Dems lack. A big picture.

[Joey Liberal]

20. If you have to ask that question

Then perhaps you've been watching too much Faux News????

[Asgaya Dihi]

21. What do any of them stand for?

I have a hard time figuring out what either party stands for. I used to consider myself a moderate conservative, but that was back when conservatives said things like "I may not agree with what you say, but I'll fight to the death to defend your right to say it". These new types look more like new age radicals to me, there's nothing conservative about the last few years.

But, when I start looking for options that actually do stand for something I have a problem, none really do. Before you take offense consider what we've done to our own people over the last 30 or 40 years, take the time to fact check what I say then tell me what either party stands for? Both sides built this one, and neither is telling us about it. I posted this in another forum but since I doubt I'll be a regular I wanted to make sure you guys had the information.

For over 30 years everyone has told us that victory in the drug war was just around the corner, and in the Clinton Administration rather then checking our progress or anything sensible like that they handed us 3 consecutive years of record numbers of marijuana arrests and increased police powers. So, what justified it? Let's look.

They tell us that drug use has been reduced in one way or another, but it's a lie. What's happened is they went from crack to X to meth in a normal shift of styles and tastes as the generations passed, just like the kids do with everything else. Drug use in itself has remained almost flat throughout the war on drugs, and that's a demonstrable fact making use of the US Governments own records. Here's a page that shows the same info the drug czar uses, but stripped of the propaganda.

Homepage of truth: the Anti-drugwar by Brian C. Bennett
http://www.briancbennett.com /

Ok, if you guys have covered that, let's look at the results of the policy itself. If it hasn't reduced drug use, what has it done?

The single most notable result of the drug war has been to take us from being an average nation to in terms of our own people the most imprisoned nation on the face of the earth, bar none. That's not opinion, it's a demonstrable fact. Here's a link to an article that was first printed in the Baltimore Sun about the situation in Maryland in particular, it describes the situation as it stood a couple of years ago.

Locked Up in Land of the Free
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0601-01.htm

And the situation as it now stands with solid records of the science proving most of what we've done to be a lie can be found at the first link below, a link to a group of law enforcement professionals who would be glad to confirm everything I've said follows that.

Drug War Facts
http://www.drugwarfacts.org

LEAP: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
http://www.leap.cc

[ACK]

23. This should be easy

For most Republicans it is.

The old line, "I am a member of no organized party. I am a Democrat." is no more stirring and saddening as it is today for many Dems.

But there are some easy ones.

Democrats are pro-choice by and large.

Democrats are pro-stem cell research.

Democrats are pro-environment (at least they have a better record overall).

Democrats are for a balanced budget. (This is a great moderate one.)

Democrats are for keeping social security the way it is with safeguards (yes frickin' lockbox jokes aside)

Here are some broader idealogical ones:

Democrats are for a social safety net.

Democrats are for putting society's interests above corporate interests. (ok NAFTA sucked but most regulations that protect the consumer and citizens)

Democrats are pro-unions.

Democrats are pro-teachers.

(Democrats better not forget the top two and start standing up for both because they are losing ground with both groups every other day.)

A simple straightforward Populist Platform might look like this.

1. I believe the Government has a duty to regulate the power of corporations when the corporate interests conflict with public interests. In a capitalist society you have to work with business interests but you cannot be whores to them. When the rubber meets the road and the public interest is at stake then the citizen's interests must be preserved.

2. I believe that the full protection of the Bill of Rights outlined in the Constitution should not be curtailed. Keep government out of the bedrooms and out of the business of trying to dictate behavior and speech.

3. I believe in a woman's right to choose, period.

4. I believe that universal healthcare is a moral imperitive and can benefit both the public and the corporate structure of this country. This can be a great benefit to both the public and business interests in America. Free up the HR departments from having to worry over healthcare and you free up an incredible amount of money into the economy. With that kind of money back into the economy insuring the uninsured with pay huge dividends in increased productivity in the end. I see a single-payer system with plenty of options much like what is available to the feds right now. However, I am open to all options that meet the requirements of universal healthcare.

5. I believe in the seperation of church and state and that public money should not go to fund religious organizations.

6. I believe in the social safety net. I believe that government can give a hand up and not just a hand out. The real issue is connecting people with jobs in the private sector. The real issue is retraining and getting people to the available jobs in their areas. Moreover, the biggest issue is figuring out how to prevent single moms from having to choose between providing for their families and abandoning their children. A workfare system with a system of available childcare, retraining programs that work with local businesses and job networking systems that focus on the local employeement needs.

7. I believe in proper education funding. Focusing on the schools in the most need is crucial and accountability for performance is important as well. There can be no more unfunded mandates. We must have the guts to put our money where our mouth is. The money has to be connected to results but the idea of results without proper funding is a self-fullfilling prophecy of doom.

8. I believe in morality in foreign policy. Too often, being pragmatic has turned to being opportunistic and bullying. In the end, we always pay for it. We have to frame our actions within the insititution of the UN and embrace our allies. We do not have to take a weak hats in our hand approach but that is not the same as being arrogant and unilateral in our actions. We have to have a policy that understand the role of diplomacy and action.

9. I believe in protecting the environment and this can be done without being proxies for industry and without destroying industry. Any progress toward a cleaner environment has to involve business interests as well as environmental groups. A balanced well thought out approach is the answer here. When the business interests work with government and play fair -- praise them (this is tough for some of us) but you have to give them the chance. This is the noose of a chance that every polluter will have the opportunity to hang themselves on. Play the game or pay big. Enforce the laws on the books with a vengence. Come up with a list of the best companies and the worst and make it a huge public affair. Take down the punks and praise those who try to do right.

10. Fiscal responsibility is key. We have to balance the budget. The borrow and spend Republicans are giving away the future for short term economic gains. We have to repeal the giveaways to the rich. We have to move the country forward toward the goal of a balanced budget. The tax cuts for the working and middle class were warranted but they were a smoke screen for other people in the highest tax brackets who did NOT want to pay their fair share. A total reform of the tax structure, simplification of the rules and the cutting of loopholes for the wealthy are needed immediately.

11. Gun safety laws need to be strengthened but a ban on firearms is not practical or workable. This is the kind of talk that soothes the hunters and brings out the harsh nuts and exposes them for the idiots they are.

12. Corporate welfare should end. It is not the government's job in a capitalist society to bail out or give aid to failing corporations. Target the worst of the pork belley giveaways to the richest corporations and make it a reform based media event. Plug this constantly along with the next point.

13. Small business initiatives that promote competition in a free market society is not the same thing as corporate welfare and should endure to promote the ideals of small business owners.

14. I believe in a military strong enough to defend the nation. A two-pronged approach to the military is needed. Weed out waste and give over better benefits to the men in the ranks. We all know there is waste in the current defense budget. This is the only way to cut down defense spending without looking weak. You highlight the cuts as unpatriotic wastes of the taxpayer dollars. You give back at least 50% of all the cuts back to the common soldiers and the vets that have given so much.

15. Independence from non-renewable energy sources should be a national goal with a set of real deadlines. A real energy policy that focuses on getting America away from the dependency on foreign oil and onto the path of using renewable resources is an idea who's time as come. We cannot simply give away more money to energy companies and destroy our national wildlife heritage. That is not the way. Initiatives and grants aimed at promoting new ideas and technologies is the real winning plan. These are the technologies that can put America businesses on top in the long term and preserve our nation's treasured resources.

16. I believe in a worker's right to organize and collectively bargain. Any law that would take away over-time benefits or prevent the rights of workers to collectively bargain must be stopped. The minimum wage must be expanded. Illegal union busting tactics must be stopped. The business of America is business but the core of business is built on the initiative, work, sweat and pride of the American worker.

[Raiden]

26. In a word - POPULISM

n/t

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

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[franmarz]

28. A question--what are the democrats for--

There used to be a saying, the republicans are for BIG Business, and the democrats are for the working man. That was the theme as I was growing up in the 30,s -40,s -50,s 60,s and so on, but now the lines are fused and since there seem to be less and less working people, I really cant answer my own question.Lets just hope that things will get better, since maybe they could get worse.