Populist Reform of the Democratic Party
In reply to the discussion: Safety Nets [View all]merrily
(45,251 posts)Last edited Sat Apr 18, 2015, 03:11 AM - Edit history (1)
One Party that courts the haters on the religious right (and vice versa).
Another Party that courts those who are for equal rights for everyone, including gays and women (at least in cases of rape and incest).
After that, everything, and I do mean everything, is up for grabs--and that's what we know about.
And, guess what, Republicans have been dropping some of their uglier stances. They can only go so far though, or they might lose the religious right to Democrats and they cannot afford to do that just yet.
Hence, the stands that we must put Party loyalty above all else, no matter what and vow to vote for Party's nominee, no matter what. Hence the cult of personality. Hence, the mockery of consistent principles (no double standards) at DU, on Colbert and elsewhere. I don't think DU is copying Colbert and I certainly don't think Colbert copied from DU. Party messaging to all is a much more likely explanation. Hence the ugly claims, accusations and insinuations about anyone who does not fall in line unconditionally.
If you don't like New Democrat's policies, you're racist and probably Republican and lying about policies If you don't like New Democrat Hillary's policies, either you're sexist and racist and probably Republican. if you don't like New Democrat bubba's policies, you've proved beyond all doubt that you are Republican, racist and sexist and lying about policies. Can't possibly be that you don't like New Democrat policies. Occam's razor.
I guess if anyone has a problem with a Hispanic candidate, they'll be another
Both sides have to be a little scared at this point, although both parties have also been planning for this and moving toward it.
Republicans can't steal to many voters from the left unless they give up their homophobia and unyielding stand on reproduction. However, if they do that, they may lose the religious right to Sermon on the Mount Democrats. (Tim Russert alluded briefly to Sermon on the Mount Democrats.) So, you have things like gay Republicans starting to come out, including Melman--but only after he stopped heading the RNC, and Log Cabin Republicans suing for equal rights for gays--a suit the Obama administration actually suspended until they could act. Their stand on immigration has come a long way--though not really as Reagan declared amnesty. But, now we have Jeb running for President saying the same, which he can get away with better than most because his wife is Hispanic.
Democrats can't steal too many voters from the right, unless they give up their stand on reproduction, equal rights for gays and helping the poor and working classes. After the Rick warren backslide, they went forward on gays big time just before Obama ran for re-election. A lot of the Democratic Party donors and bundlers are gay and lobbied hard during Obama's first term. Other than that they've been dialing back.
And, it's far easier to get one person elected and then control that one person than it is to do the same with 535. Although both parties sure do a hell of a job with their caucuses, even the mavericky ones. And there's always DC kabuki on closer votes. But, still one person is easier. Hence, what we descried as Bush's Imperial Presidency, we not only defend and cheeer as Obama's Unifed Executive, except, or course, when we need to claim he can't control Congress.
So much messaging, so little time.
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