Democratic or Third Party?

[unkachuck]

Many believe we're a center-left nation being governed by an entrenched coalition of far-right corporate elites with a conservative hoi polloi minority. Progressives need an uncorrupt political vehicle if we are ever to gain our rightful majority status. Should we work to clean-up the Democratic Party or form a new Third Party of our own?

We need a united strategy that focus' our energy and resources on Party growth, winning elections and progressive governing solutions to Americas' problems. I say:

[NNadir]

1. You Nader guys did a great job during the run up to the Iraq war covering

the tremendous tragedy of NBA officiating.

Why do you still seem to think we give a rat's ass about what you think?

You get your chance all the time to vote for Ralph and Denny and lose elections by wide margins while announcing that you won and you're better than we are.

Take your ball and go home. I for one, couldn't care less.

[SIMPLYB1980]

2. LOL! To True. nt

[unkachuck]

5. ouch....

I never votes for Ralph in my life....although I do like him....

....they won't even pass a crappy Public Option....they are not solving our problems in a way that benefits us, the American people....how would you correct this situation?

[w4rma]

16. I remember that. It pissed me off then and it still does. (nt)

[Swamp Rat]

3. Work within the Democratic Party

um...... we recently WON. :shrug:

Time to stop falling for the GOP's divide and conquer tactics, especially since they have little power now.

[unkachuck]

7. no....

....time to stop falling for 'bait and switch' political parties....the Dems have a complete majority....

[Swamp Rat]

8. No, WE do not have a complete majority because some of the Dems in congress

are bought and paid for by corporations. Time to kick them out, starting with Max Baucus.

However, we have a lot of great, new progressives working within the Democratic Party..... Al Franken comes to mind.

[unkachuck]

11. there is hope....

....within the Democratic Party but there is also much corporate influence there too....do you suggest we wait another generation or two for meaningful Universal Healthcare for ALL Americans....will America be once again disillusioned as insurance companies and wall street loot the healthcare treasury?

[omega minimo]

23. You're both right. Is there a choice for "polish the gems" and "flush the toxic assholes"?

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. I bet if we could get mandatory publicly funded elections we could really

get a lot more progressives elected. (But I fear I will not see this sort of thing done in my lifetime.)

[omega minimo]

24. that really is the answer

:thumbsup: a worthy lifetime's work.

[Douglas Carpenter]

29. to get mandatory public funding , especially one that included alternative political parties

there would have been such sweeping change in the political order and established power would have already been already so altered - that one or both of the existing major parties would probably already have moved into the truly progressive category.

[TexasObserver]

4. I am a Democrat because it's the best of several bad choices.

The GOP is completely and utterly unacceptable, and going third party is ineffective in a world run by the Supreme Court, the president and congress.

It sucks, but that's it.

We'll never get control of the Democratic party, either. It's a never ending battle that we are fated to lose over and over.

[DJ13]

6. If our voices are only heard when our party needs votes, whats the point?

Why stay when real liberals are treated like lepers by the party elites?

[Thickasabrick]

9. Either we form a progressive wing of the Democratic party or

form a new true Progressive Party . Does ActBlue give to Blue Dogs?

[EmeraldCityGrl]

10. I'll support the Democratic Party when the candidate

deserves it. In 2004 I voted for the Green candidate because Cantwell supported the war among other things. It was the first time in my
life that I voted outside the party and I have no problem doing it again.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

20. Me too. Cantwell is an opportunist who blows with the wind of the polls.

[dhpgetsit]

12. Other ... Both

Let's face it we are a 2 party system. So we have to work within the Democratic Party to make it better. But other parties are also a good way to put pressure on the major 2 parties. There is no reason you can't work for and support candidates from different parties.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

14. "There is no reason you can't work for and support candidates from different parties."

Except, you know, on DU.

[omega minimo]

25. Well there's that

:eyes: :spray:

[unkachuck]

15. cleaning up....

....the Democratic Party is fine with me....but we shouldn't split our energy and resources....clean up the Dems or build something new; which is more doable in a timely way?....

....is there a strategy for cleaning up the Dems that won't take a couple of generations?....the pukes and the corporate Dems will be gaining and attacking as we try to do either....

....how do we stay unified, agressive and focused, to overselves and the American people?

[Selatius]

17. I do not support the Democratic Party. I only support individual candidates within the Party.

The Party as an organization is simply unworthy of help.

Only people who are serious about government regulation of markets and corporations, serious about labor reform/worker rights, serious about REAL health care reform, serious about equal rights/civil liberties for all, serious about the environment, and serious about real election reform are people I would seriously consider supporting.

The rest of the party can fight for its own corruption. I'm not going to help those. As you could guess, my list of Dems I like is quite small.

[stuball111]

18. Build on a party that's already there...and

Work to get the Greens on board, by including their agenda.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. I vote issues. Not party. If the candidate earns my vote he/she gets it.

[Le Taz Hot]

33. +1

n/t

[conflictgirl]

21. We have a Democratic president and majority right now and what good is it doing us?

we can't seem to get anything done and the reality looks remarkably similar to when we had a Republican majority. Yes, I know there have been a few changes, but for all intents and purposes? 2009 America looks an awful lot like 2006 America.

I haven't decided how to proceed from here but I am feeling pretty disillusioned with the Democratic party right now. It feels like the Dems and Repubs are all just different sides of the same coin serving the same corporate masters than the people. Isn't government supposed to be for the PEOPLE, not the corporations? I'm tired of voting for the parties of the corporations, just because those are the ones that can actually win! I want REAL change, not the kind of "change" that sounds good in speeches but never ends up happening.

[Cleita]

22. Too bad there isn't excommunication for those who don't

uphold the principles of the party. By that I mean that they should be no longer allowed to run as Democrats or be registered as Democrats. I mean we should have excommunicated Joe Lieberman years ago. At least he finally did the honest thing and became independent. Now, it's too bad that we can't excommunicate the Blue Dogs who are in fact Republicans not Democrats. The DNC shouldn't let their lying asses run as Democrats.

[Douglas Carpenter]

26. if a third party was an option, I would likely support it. But it is not.

Trust me I've tried - 3 times. Socialist Party USA, Peace and Freedom Party and Citizens Party - the only thing we accomplished was being one very small factor contributing to the election of Ronald Reagan.

The last time a permanent new party appeared on the seen and lasted as a viable force was when America was on the brink of the Civil War in 1860.

Our political system is simply not configured that way.

I support the Democratic Party Party - not because it is consistently progressive. It is not. I support the Democratic Party because the alternative is to support a movement that will in fact help elect an even more radicalized - extremist Republican Party - more right-wing and more extremist than anything we have ever seen.

[Ozymanithrax]

27. The barrier to creating a thrid party is enormnous.

You have to create the party in each of fifty states. Each state has different laws covering what it takes to register a third party and get on the ballot. Texas is the most dificult, where you must register new voters that have never been part of any other political party. California is easy to register but getting your party on a ballot requires registering a lot of voters. This is enormously expensive.

If there is no public option, I will reregister as a Green even though I don't expect they will win much. I've already told the Democratic Party that when they called asking for money.

[LooseWilly]

28. Drink heavily and cynically dismiss the idea that the Democratic Party will ever be progressive?

Vote for progressives, and ignore pleas from the Democratic Party to help them bolster their "majorities", since those "majorities" are irrelevant while the party isn't concerned with progressivism.

Or progressives could, like the progressive caucus in the House, band together as a sort of "sub-party" within the Democratic Party... and "sell" their votes to the greater party when it's not an onerous issue... in exchange for Party Line support for some progressive issues... and withhold those votes if the Party As A Whole won't "play ball"...

Like a third party in coalition with the Democratic Party As A Whole... which is willing to play hardball.

In fact... if the Progressive Caucus began soliciting contributions to a fund of their own... they might be able to break away as a viable third party down the road as the Democratic Party As A Whole pursues non-insane conservatives abandoned by the Hard Line Republican Party, and as a result the Party As A Whole (continues) to drift "rightward".

[redqueen]

30. Clean up the Democratic Party. Why?

Because of our electoral system.

To quote Dennis: "HELLO!"

[Echo In Light]

31. 3rd party all the way

[Peacetrain]

32. Third parties will just give us the Republicans back in control..NO THANKS

Even in third parties, you would have segmentation.. and certain groups calling for loyalty oaths to their vision of what is progressive enough, moderate enough etc.

[harun]

34. Ask me after a HC bill get's passed. They get a strong PO then Dems

if they can't then they are hopeless and I will ditch them.

[Toasterlad]

35. Change Will Never Come Without a Third Party

The Democrats are free to do as they please, because they've conned Americans into believing they have no alternative. "It's either us, or the Republicans", they say.

They will never change their ways unless forced to by a legitimate, outside threat.