Which do you prefer--the Democratic party of 1932 or the Democratic party of 2009?

[geek tragedy]

There's been some talk about how people miss the Democratic party of FDR and its populism. So, let's put it to the test.

Do we favor the New Deal, the WPA, and segregated lunch counters?

Or do we favor racial equality, the current health care bill, and TARP?

[Aramchek]

1. for those voting for 1932, were you even alive then?

[geek tragedy]

17. apparently, most DU'ers want to roll back the clock.

Though the polls are still open. . . .

[Aramchek]

24. even when they have no idea what it was like in 1932...

[Warren Stupidity]

2. I prefer a progressive democratic socialist alternative. nt.

[geek tragedy]

3. Is Sweden taking US refugees?

If so, I might consider it myself.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. I will seriously consider the EU if the Teabag Party takes over. nt

[geek tragedy]

7. I'm heading to Costa Rica

if that happens.

[emulatorloo]

18. If Democrats sit home on their fat asses in 2010, it could happen

Because the baggers are going to be out in full force to "Take Their Country Back" to the stoneage.

[the other one]

5. How about Mario Cuomo's Democratic Party of 1984

A fully mature party of social justice that countered a charismatic Ronald Reagan with a block of petrified wood named Walter Mondale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOdIqKsv624

[geek tragedy]

6. Unfortunately, that party did nothing because it got

its ass handed to it at the polls.

[vaberella]

8. Ugh...you make me miss my state. My family were avid fanatics of Cuomo.

We advocated for him to be President.

[geek tragedy]

11. Why didn't he run? Very frustrating. nt

[vaberella]

14. We never new. I was a kid at the time and I think he said he wanted to retire from politics.

I guess he had had enough. But then I know he had a lot of opposition from peeps in New York too. I know my dad adored him and my mum was a horrible fangirl (she was a Guilliani fangirl until 2002). She didn't like him advocating for a third term.

[Mass]

9. Strawman argument. Of course, nobody supports racism.

This does not mean that we could not do with a little more progressivism in the party. It is not as if both were desperatedly linked.

[geek tragedy]

10. No, but it's a matter of priorities. nt

[Mass]

12. What priorities? Making sure people have healthcare and a job?

Or making sure corporations are happy?

[geek tragedy]

15. Priorities are: economic populism and jobs programs

vs ending discrimination in society and a more cooperative approach to dealing with big corporations

[bluestateguy]

13. Hold the phone

Everybody needs to read Donald Ritchie's book on that campaign:

http://www.amazon.com/Electing-FDR-Campaign-Presidential-Elections/dp/0700615504

Fact is that the Democratic campaign that year, and the party platform, was conservative, calling for balancing the federal budget.

FDR was vague about the New Deal and policy specific programs in that campaign.

[geek tragedy]

16. The defining characteristics are what they actually did while in office. nt

[andym]

22. Absolutely true-- in some ways FDR ran to the right of Hoover!

Franklin Roosevelt's first vice president, John Garner, during the campaign accused Herbert Hoover of “leading the country down the path of socialism."

[bluestateguy]

23. "Cactus Jack"

"The vice presidency isn't worth a bucket of warm shit"

[JackRiddler]

19. Golly, who could think there was an agenda in THAT question?

[geek tragedy]

20. What are you talking about?

I was genuinely curious about which Democratic party people preferred.

So, far, economic populism + apartheid is winning.

[JackRiddler]

21. "So far" a grand total of 13 members have taken the bait.

Congratulations if you reach 20.