Will the Democratic party become democrats again under Kerry?

[Gothic Sponge]

Are we going to have another Clinton style administration, or an administration that gets us back to the Roosevelt style of Democratic Ideals?

[Misunderestimator]

1. I can't answer... He seems to have the potential to bring the party back..

but with what he is facing and the partisanship of our country and our congress... he may HAVE to be another Clinton.

[DaveSZ]

3. I'm not sure, but I hope so

He seems to be more of a real Dem as compared to Clinton.

The fact that he picked Edwards, a man who has spoken out again poverty, leads me to believe that's where his heart may lie.

[Misunderestimator]

5. True... and with his 20 year record...

The trick will be to get a majority in the House and/or Senate. Without that... he may be incapable of doing what he wants.

[JHBowden]

2. Kerry will do what he can.

I don't expect him to move mountains, given the Congress. But as far as a clean environment, reasonable judges, and a sensible foreign policy are concerned, Kerry will do us a lot of good.

[DaveSZ]

4. Well clearly

The kind of Congress he has under him will help or hamper much of what he can do.

I believe on the envionment, he will be a great leader on that issue.

[DieboldMustDie]

8. I don't mean to split hairs...

but the Congress is not under the President, it is a coequal branch of our government. It would be more accurate to refer to the kind of Congress he has to work with.

Just my 2¢

[Crachet2004]

6. I said yes, and I hope I am right...

Many of us are giving our ticket some latitude to be politicians, and thereby win this election. But. Conservatives were'nt the ones who sent John Kerry three million dollars over the internet in one day, June 30...we did.

We own his ass, and he had better realize, he can be a one-termer too!

[Democat]

7. I don't think our party will be great again until we get rid of the wimps

Too many cowards in our party.

Even with a minority, the Republicans will probably kick our asses on many issues, because they aren't afraid and our elected leaders are.

We need to replace a lot of Democrats before we are ready to really fight. It will take many years.

Right now we need to get Kerry into office to stop Bush, but there is a lot longer fight ahead and that one involves brining up a whole new generation of Dems in the House and Senate.

[Classical_Liberal]

9. They aren't wimps. They are actually corrupt.

.

[welshTerrier2]

10. no idea ... but not overly hopeful ...

some of this, of course, depends on what happens in the Congress ... if we don't win back either the House or the Senate, I think his hands will be tied pretty badly ...

plus, i honestly think the Democratic party needs to redefine itself ... if by "Roosevelt style" you mean deficit spending to put America back to work, I doubt we'll see much of this ... remember, running up record setting deficits is a Republican idea ... Reagan set the record and bush (w) shattered it ...

and finally, i don't think we're likely to see the kind of progress on corporate welfare that I'd need to see to stay in the party ... i hope i'm wrong about this ... only time will tell ... until we take the money out of elections and also take it out of the halls of Congress (i.e. lobbyists), we will not make the kind of day-to-day progress on the issues that we are hoping for ...

[bigbillhaywood]

11. Okay, let's make this clear the FDR New Deal era reforms were due

entirely to a crisis in capitalism (Great Depression), a growing and radical labor movement and strike waves, Communist agitation and leadership in the labor movement and the Unemployed Councils leading demonstrations throughout the country, and daily riots. Without these objective historical conditions, the most well intentioned of liberal Democrats could have gotten New Deal programs to pass.

So no, since such conditions do not exist in this country now, Kerry will not institute sweeping FDR-style social and economic reforms.

[salonghorn70]

12. Political Parties Are Dynamic

They are not stagnant. Political parties are ever changing. It has been 59 years since FDR was President. Times change. There are new political problems. There are new ideas on how to solve those problems. The American people no longer want a "big government" that tries to solve every problem. The American people do believe that there are some things that government can do. I have always believed that FDR was one of our greatest Presidents. That doesn't mean that all of his policies are relevant to today. His ideals, YES.
There are new ways that our Party needs to seek to uphold those ideals.

[DaveSZ]

13. Figure of speech on my part

nt