Dem Party

Free

The Life of the Party: 7 Truths for Democrats
By Robert Reich

http://m.truthdig.com/report/item/the_life_of_the_party_7_truths_for_democrats_20170122

"The ongoing contest between the Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders wings of the Democratic Party continues to divide Democrats. It’s urgent Democrats stop squabbling and recognize seven basic truths:

The Party is on life support. Democrats are in the minority in both the House and Senate, with no end in sight. Since the start of the Obama Administration they’ve lost 1,034 state and federal seats. They hold only governorships, and face 32 state legislatures fully under GOP control. No one speaks for the party as a whole. The Party’s top leaders are aging, and the back bench is thin.

The future is bleak unless the Party radically reforms itself. If Republicans do well in the 2018 midterms, they’ll control Congress and the Supreme Court for years. If they continue to hold most statehouses, they could entrench themselves for a generation.

We are now in a populist era. The strongest and most powerful force in American politics is a rejection of the status quo, a repudiation of politics as usual, and a deep and profound distrust of elites, including the current power structure of America.

That force propelled Donald Trump into the White House. He represents the authoritarian side of populism. Bernie Sanders’s primary campaign represented the progressive side.

The question hovering over America’s future is which form of populism will ultimately prevail. At some point, hopefully, Trump voters will discover they’ve been hoodwinked. Even in its purist form, authoritarian populism doesn’t work because it destroys democracy. Democrats must offer the alternative.

The economy is not working for most Americans. The economic data show lower unemployment and higher wages than eight years ago, but the typical family is still poorer today than it was in 2000, adjusted for inflation; median weekly earning are no higher than in 2000; a large number of working-age people – mostly men – have dropped out of the labor force altogether; and job insecurity is endemic.

Inequality is wider and its consequences more savage in America than in any other advanced nation.

The Party’s moneyed establishment – big donors, major lobbyists, retired members of congress who have become bundlers and lobbyists – are part of the problem. Even though many consider themselves “liberal” and don’t recoil from an active government, their preferred remedies spare corporations and the wealthiest from making any sacrifices.

The moneyed interests in the Party allowed the deregulation of Wall Street and then encouraged the bailout of the Street. They’re barely concerned about the growth of tax havens, inside trading, increasing market power in major industries (pharmaceuticals, telecom, airlines, private health insurers, food processors, finance, even high tech), and widening inequality.

Meanwhile, they’ve allowed labor unions to shrink to near irrelevance. Unionized workers used to be the ground troops of the Democratic Party. In the 1950s, more than a third of all private-sector workers were unionized; today, fewer than 7 percent are.

It’s not enough for Democrats to be “against Trump,” and defend the status quo. Democrats have to fight like hell against regressive policies Trump wants to put in place, but Democrats also need to fight for a bold vision of what the nation must achieve – like expanding Social Security, and financing the expansion by raising the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes; Medicare for all; and world-class free public education for all.

And Democrats must diligently seek to establish countervailing power – stronger trade unions, community banks, more incentives for employee ownership and small businesses, and electoral reforms that get big money out of politics and expand the right to vote.

The life of the Party – its enthusiasm, passion, youth, principles, and ideals – was elicited by Bernie Sanders’s campaign. This isn’t to denigrate what Hillary Clinton accomplished – she did, after all, win the popular vote in the presidential election by almost 3 million people. It’s only to recognize what all of us witnessed: the huge outpouring of excitement that Bernie’s campaign inspired, especially from the young. This is the future of the Democratic Party.

The Party must change from being a giant fundraising machine to a movement. It needs to unite the poor, working class, and middle class, black and white – who haven’t had a raise in 30 years, and who feel angry, powerless, and disenfranchised.

If the Party doesn’t understand these seven truths and fails to do what’s needed, a third party will emerge to fill the void.

Third parties usually fail because they tend to draw votes away from the dominant party closest to them, ideologically. But if the Democratic Party creates a large enough void, a third party won’t draw away votes. It will pull people into politics.

And drawing more people into politics is the only hope going forward."

riley540

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Go Beavers

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

Free

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

Both will collapse.

BS44325

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

mrussel1

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Free

mrussel1 said:

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Yeah it depends... on the Dem party.

rgambs

Free said:

mrussel1 said:

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Yeah it depends... on the Dem party.

You could just as easily say it depends on the extremist liberals.
Are they interested in shifting the balance of power back from the extreme right toward the middle, or are they interested in self-congratulatory rejections of the only force that is capable of doing that?

Free

rgambs said:

Free said:

mrussel1 said:

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Yeah it depends... on the Dem party.

You could just as easily say it depends on the extremist liberals.
Are they interested in shifting the balance of power back from the extreme right toward the middle, or are they interested in self-congratulatory rejections of the only force that is capable of doing that?

Still unwilling to improve your party and take some responsibility, I see.

rgambs

Free said:

rgambs said:

Free said:

mrussel1 said:

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Yeah it depends... on the Dem party.

You could just as easily say it depends on the extremist liberals.
Are they interested in shifting the balance of power back from the extreme right toward the middle, or are they interested in self-congratulatory rejections of the only force that is capable of doing that?

Still unwilling to improve your party and take some responsibility, I see.

I would love to improve the party, one step at a time. That's how improvement is made, in steps, not in one giant leap for the moon which leaves you lying flat on your face.

Still unwilling to accept reality, I see.

Free

rgambs said:

Free said:

rgambs said:

Free said:

mrussel1 said:

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Yeah it depends... on the Dem party.

You could just as easily say it depends on the extremist liberals.
Are they interested in shifting the balance of power back from the extreme right toward the middle, or are they interested in self-congratulatory rejections of the only force that is capable of doing that?

Still unwilling to improve your party and take some responsibility, I see.

I would love to improve the party, one step at a time. That's how improvement is made, in steps, not in one giant leap for the moon which leaves you lying flat on your face.

Still unwilling to accept reality, I see.

Not at all, Rather, you. You continue to merely point elsewhere, which solves nothing. If you care about your party, call them out on it. They are failing you. Demand better, rather than defending incompetence.

BS44325

Free said:

rgambs said:

Free said:

mrussel1 said:

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Yeah it depends... on the Dem party.

You could just as easily say it depends on the extremist liberals.
Are they interested in shifting the balance of power back from the extreme right toward the middle, or are they interested in self-congratulatory rejections of the only force that is capable of doing that?

Still unwilling to improve your party and take some responsibility, I see.

It appears from your refusal to answer who you want as the new DNC chair that you are the one unwilling to improve your party. The time has come to take a stand.

BS44325

This is a massive red flag for the dems.

http://www.wbur.org/politicker/2017/01/23/warren-baker-poll

Warren is slightly underwater in Massachusetts

dignin

BS44325 said:

This is a massive red flag for the dems.

http://www.wbur.org/politicker/2017/01/23/warren-baker-poll

Warren is slightly underwater in Massachusetts

I doubt it, just look at the leading questions being asked in this poll. Think critically.

Free

BS44325 said:

Free said:

rgambs said:

Free said:

mrussel1 said:

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Yeah it depends... on the Dem party.

You could just as easily say it depends on the extremist liberals.
Are they interested in shifting the balance of power back from the extreme right toward the middle, or are they interested in self-congratulatory rejections of the only force that is capable of doing that?

Still unwilling to improve your party and take some responsibility, I see.

It appears from your refusal to answer who you want as the new DNC chair that you are the one unwilling to improve your party. The time has come to take a stand.

Now why would I answer any of your questions when you don't even know what party I belong to?

BS44325

Free said:

BS44325 said:

Free said:

rgambs said:

Free said:

mrussel1 said:

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Yeah it depends... on the Dem party.

You could just as easily say it depends on the extremist liberals.
Are they interested in shifting the balance of power back from the extreme right toward the middle, or are they interested in self-congratulatory rejections of the only force that is capable of doing that?

Still unwilling to improve your party and take some responsibility, I see.

It appears from your refusal to answer who you want as the new DNC chair that you are the one unwilling to improve your party. The time has come to take a stand.

Now why would I answer any of your questions when you don't even know what party I belong to?

I don't believe that is why you are not answering.

Free

BS44325 said:

Free said:

BS44325 said:

Free said:

rgambs said:

Free said:

mrussel1 said:

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Yeah it depends... on the Dem party.

You could just as easily say it depends on the extremist liberals.
Are they interested in shifting the balance of power back from the extreme right toward the middle, or are they interested in self-congratulatory rejections of the only force that is capable of doing that?

Still unwilling to improve your party and take some responsibility, I see.

It appears from your refusal to answer who you want as the new DNC chair that you are the one unwilling to improve your party. The time has come to take a stand.

Now why would I answer any of your questions when you don't even know what party I belong to?

I don't believe that is why you are not answering.

You can think whatever you would like. And who would you like to see is the DNC chair, since this is such a pressing question of yours.

benjs

Free said:

BS44325 said:

Free said:

rgambs said:

Free said:

mrussel1 said:

BS44325 said:

Go Beavers said:

riley540 said:

I thought this year would be the collapse of the Republican Party, but just the opposite happened. Super interesting to watch

Wait two years.

The electoral landscape for democrats in two years is terrible. Many red state senate seats to defend. The current platform of identity politics will not cut it.

Mid terms in the Senate are not promising. But we will see on the House. All depends...

Yeah it depends... on the Dem party.

You could just as easily say it depends on the extremist liberals.
Are they interested in shifting the balance of power back from the extreme right toward the middle, or are they interested in self-congratulatory rejections of the only force that is capable of doing that?

Still unwilling to improve your party and take some responsibility, I see.

It appears from your refusal to answer who you want as the new DNC chair that you are the one unwilling to improve your party. The time has come to take a stand.

Now why would I answer any of your questions when you don't even know what party I belong to?

Free, from what you're saying, I feel that it's reasonable to conclude that either you belong to that party and you should answer the question, or you don't belong to the party - and if that's the case, I can't comprehend why you're so disproportionately critical of the DNC when their negative traits are exhibited at least as much by the Republican Party.

The DNC is a schizophrenic at this point: a majority of its members have a Conservative agenda and no qualms about transacting with lobbyists, and a minority of its members have more Progressive agendas and are actively preaching about the dissolution of that power structure. There's also a split from its supporters - citizens who are members of the DNC because of the Conservative agenda they tout, and ones who are members because of the perceived Progressive nature of the party (though the ratio of the split can only be guessed).

How does a vocal minority who are not only fewer in numbers but also lesser in power, overturn the ruling majority? You keep preaching about how unwilling DNC supporters are to change their party, but how do you propose this radical change where the ruling majority will willingly relinquish their power should take place? Keep in mind, you don't have to convince me - I'm just some Canadian with an interest in politics - you have to convince the likes of Chuck Schumer.

Free

Benjs, as I've said in other threads I do not belong to the Democratic Party, however, it is my right to call them out on they're performance in recent months as much as everyone should! The Dem party let us down, they could've easily had this election in the bag (Clinton sure thought she did), but in the end their weak candidate and campaign, and they're cheating pre-primaries of squashing Sanders of having any sort of chance, when he clearly had more support than Clinton did. Clinton never won over Sanders supporters.

Now, with Cory Booker showing his true colors with supporting big Pharma, and like you said, those that support supporting corporate interests, what does the den party have to say for themselves? Did you read any of the articles above I posted? The Dem party could easily win people over at this point. But what. are. they. doing.

Either reform and show America that they really are the party of the people, or they don't really much of a chance in 2020. Start anew, and let more progressive and actual democratic principles - The principles that the party is based on - rule.

benjs

Free said:

Benjs, as I've said in other threads I do not belong to the Democratic Party, however, it is my right to call them out on they're performance in recent months as much as everyone should! The Dem party let us down, they could've easily had this election in the bag (Clinton sure thought she did), but in the end their weak candidate and campaign, and they're cheating pre-primaries of squashing Sanders of having any sort of chance, when he clearly had more support than Clinton did. Clinton never won over Sanders supporters.

Now, with Cory Booker showing his true colors with supporting big Pharma, and like you said, those that support supporting corporate interests, what does the den party have to say for themselves? Did you read any of the articles above I posted? The Dem party could easily win people over at this point. But what. are. they. doing.

Either reform and show America that they really are the party of the people, or they don't really much of a chance in 2020. Start anew, and let more progressive and actual democratic principles - The principles that the party is based on - rule.

Once again, how do you get those in power to willingly relinquish their power? The sad reality is that acting in corrupt ways and losing most elections will still yield greater profit for them than winning every election but not acting in those corrupt ways. If we can assume that morality is absent from the party (which its current trajectory suggests), then their primary objective is relegated to not what's best for the people, but what's best for themselves. Party reform to abolish corruption does not support that goal.

Edit: Progressive and democratic principles may have once governed the party, but just as a teenager matures into an adult and changes his or her stances, so has the party. To expect this radical change as quickly as you seem to is not grounded in reality. One person would struggle with this change, so multiply that by the structure of the DNC and you've amplified the difficulty exponentially.