What is a "mainstream Democrat?"

[Ficus]

I've read on posts that certain candidates don't represent "mainstream democrats." What does this mean to you? What is a "mainstream Dem?" What are mainstream Democratic ideas?

I think that we all probably have some sort of an idea in our heads, but I wonder how different it is from each other.


:dem: :dem:

[theivoryqueen]

1. one of the non-side-stream democrats

[realFedUp]

2. I have no idea

the center has moved so far right and Dems trying
to move the country back to a center that reflects
the real values of this country are called progressives...

[sandnsea]

3. There's mainstream and liberal Democrats

My husband said he's been noticing on TV that this is how the American voter is portrayed. Not alot of talk about any other group of Americans.

We have conservative Democrats and conservatives and right wing conservatives. The mainstream.

And liberal Democrats.

Anybody else notice this?

[Ficus]

6. Liberals are fringe

candidates, and beliefs, and blah blah. Yeah, I notice that too.

To me it seems like all "independents" are portrayed as Republicans who just dont register that way. I don't think this is true at all.

[papau]

4. respect for authority, assumes GOP tries to be ethical, assumes President

truthful, will not hear that any military death was a waste, sees no need to either own a gun or make life tough for those that do own a gun, gets pissed at "attitude" - would rather be with a con artist than a person with look down attitude, respects unions but will not fight for them, scared of losing job and not having an income. Trys to do right by everyone, but gets pissed if someone or group seems to be gaming the system for their group. Proud of America and her history of trying to do the right thing - in most cases. Wants to be moral, and associates that with religion, and gets pissed, whether personally religious or not, with those that dump on religion. Hates whinning and believes we each control most of what happens to us (I think this wrong - which I guess makes me a liberal!).

[Ficus]

7. So this sounds like

Joe Lieberman. And if that's true, why is he going to get his ass handed to him in the primaries? That would put him OUTSIDE and to the right of "mainstream" Democratic values.

[murielm99]

11. Lieberman

I think you are right about Lieberman. He is the one the DNC wanted to shove down our throats. He seems to be the one the press calls "liberal." What a joke!

I think many Democrats are far more progressive, to the left of liberal, than the press or the party bosses want to admit. I am a Democratic precinct committeman, and I hear what other Democrats say in my county, which is mainly rural. I hear many people saying they would like to support Kuchinich, but that they do not consider him electable. This is coming from farmers, and small town people, too.

Personally, I have never been a liberal. I am too far to the left for that. If things get any worse, I may get even farther left.

I have never seen things so bad in this country.

[JohnKleeb]

14. Sigh I just wish people would follow their hearts

Welcome to DU, Ive herad this so many times personally too.

[Bandit]

5. I would say those that follow the Democratic Platform as spelled out

under Gore in 2000. There was not one thing I disagreed with in that platform. I don't see many advocating for the same platform though. Dean is pretty much but not many others. Kucinich is to the core a Democrat but for some reason hasn't the appeal that it takes. The rest of our candidates seem to follow the "don't rock the boat" philosophy.

[mmonk]

8. I don't believe in the term

mainstream democrat. As soon as you try to establish something like that, you may limit ideas which may be good for the country. I do know people like Zell Miller are not democrats though no matter what they call themselves.

[Ficus]

9. You said it excelent

One of the best quotes I've ever heard about Democrats -

I was working in the Iowa Senate when some very frustrated Democratic Senators came out of caucus and were disheartened by the amount of fighting that had just gone on between party members. When a very witty press person heard them, he said to them, "Don't worry about it. Come on, if you agreed on everything, you'd be the Green Party."

That instantly made everyone feel better.

:dem: :dem:

[Fenris]

10. An often-used term developed by pundits

(specifically right-wing pundits) that attempts to distinguish between perceived moderate Democrats and what they consider the liberal fringe of the Democratic party.

[Fenris]

12. Oh, and it's a bullshit term

in case you were wondering.

[LoneStarLiberal]

13. Depends on where you are in the party

If you're a liberal democrat, then a mainstream democrat is one who would adhere to the liberal democrat line. If you're a centrist democrat, then a mainstream democrat is one who would adhere to a centrist line.

My idea of a mainstream democrat is that of a fungible periphery of issues defined by the three following core issues: Questions for but not outright hatred of the military, a stable economic program without welfare for wealthy Americans, and unwavering support for affirmative action, public assistance, and educational assistance programs while continuing to pursue equality and justice across race, gender, and economic class.