Is the Democratic Party becoming a party of liberals, is it the Liberal Party?

CP

The Democratic party is moving left? I doubt it... many liberals I know have become increasingly disillusioned by the Democratic Party's movement to the right. The growing ranks of the Green Party are further testament to this.

As always, though, it serves the rhetoric of conservative ideologues to paint the Democratic Party as a wing of the vast Communist conspiracy.

The Democratic Party is in shambles, but I wouldn't go so far as to dub it the Liberal Party. Their efforts to separate themselves from Clinton have pushed them WAY too far to the right. They offer no alternatives to the GOP, no ideas, no leadership, and most importantly, no opposition. Tom Daschle is no leader. Nor is Gephardt, or Pelosi. And certainly not Lieberman. The closest thing they have is Gore and he's on political hiatus right now. However, he'll most likely be back Nixon-style. I used to be a proud Democrat, but after years of betrayal and disappointment, I am no longer.

While it is a drunkard's walk, the trend in the US for the last 70 years is the Democrats move to the left and the Republicans follow.

Bill Clinton was a centrist. The liberal part of the Democratic party is comprised of folk like Howard Dean and perhaps Dennis Kusinich (sp?).
Other candidates like Lieberman and Graham are more like Republican wannabes, an underwhelming indication of the Democratic party becoming more liberal. The Democratic Party, rather than trying to maintain its distinction of being the party of the working class, is more interested in unseating George W. by out-conservatizing the Republicans, IMO.

On the other hand, the Republican party will continue to try to characterize the Democrats as "tax and spend." Never mind the fact that Dubya, while throwing a juicy tax cut bone to the wealthy conservatives, is doing nothing BUT spend. The main thing that distinguishes him from the mainstream Democrats is that he passes the Right-wing Christians' litmus test.

I would like to see the Democrats work harder on showing their honest differences from the Republicans, because I surely do not like the current Republican regime.

I believe that generalizing the entire democratic party as being the liberal party is completely false. Then quarkhead associating the democratic party as part of the communist conspiracy, well... i won't get started
What can you expect of the democratic party right now. Of course its in shambles. The Republicans have the White house, the Senate and the house of representatives. Democrats are almost an endangered species (if i may be so brazen), but i'm getting off topic.

typically, the Democrats are more likely to be liberal, 50 years ago. this is not the case any more. The democratic party has just as many conservatives as liberal. thats only an opinion.

If it is moving more left I think it's only in response to the way Republican's have shifted to the extreme right. The democrat's may sound extremely liberal right now but who wouldn't compared to those they are competing with?

I think there is a struggle going on between those in the party that feel the only way to get elected is to try to appear as moderate or even conservative as possible. They may believe that was the only reason Clinton got elected and so everyone has to try to appear moderate. (Like Kerry). But there are also those that feel there needs to be a vocal opposition party that has to reverse some of the extreme decisions already in place and to offer a clear difference between the two parties. (Like Dean).

I don't think the moderates will get too far. Why vote for someone like Leiberman when he approaches the issues that many democrats are concerned with the same way Bush does? When he says he's the only one that can challenge Bush he really means he's the closest to him on the issues. Then again, a far left approach has historically meant failure. Still, I think in this case they have to highlight the differences in this particular campaign. Personally, I'd love to be able to vote for someone based only on the issues and not on the rhetoric of either extreme if only that were possible anymore.

I think what's really happening is that the public in general has moved to the right, while the Democratic party has stayed in one place, and the distance between the two has therefore increased. Everyone seems liberal to Attila the Hun, just as everyone seems conservative to Karl Marx. In any rational context, my own views would seem moderate on the left/right scale, with strong libertarian tendencies. Only in 2003 USA could I be considered significantly liberal. We live in a political unreality bubble that distorts our view of anything outside.

Uh, just to defend my honor here, I think you may not have looked very closely at my post... here it is again:



Now, how exactly were you reading that?

If Joe Lieberman has his way, the Democratic Party will move to the right.
We'll have to see who becomes the party standard bearer.

I must be in the minority, thinking that "Liberal" is actually a good word. It speaks of a desire to help humanity. I think the connotation of "Conservative" has become I want what's mine, and that's all I care about.

Now that must be wrong, but it illustrates that it is definitely a two-way street when Conservatives and Liberals label each other.

Well not a minority of one, anyway. Liberal is a good word - an excellent word - and an excellent concept. Sadly, it is not a word that can be used to describe the Democratic Party overall. About the best that can be said is that some Democrats are more liberal than most Republicans. The notion of a two-party system in the US is a farce. It's useful for seating arrangements in Congress, I suppose, but otherwise it's like a very tough game of "spot the difference"...

Liberal was a good word. When it meant freeing the little man from the tyranny of government.

Today's Democratic Party only looks like it's liberal because the Republican Party has become so conservative.

Putting "liberal" and "Democratic Party" is both a laugh and a insult to those of us whom are true liberals.

A long time ago, what, maybe five months?--Wertz challenged members of this forum to stick a stake in the ground as far as where we were coming from politically. I chose "liberal" for several reasons, and then some "conservative" visitors (they didn't stick around) decided to try flaming me.

Let's just say I'm an experienced dude online. Whatever flames can be made have been made, and they take on the same meaning to me, which is basically nothing at all. Just a chain jerk.

I suspect that's the spirit of this question. What do you mean "becoming" the liberal party? Shoot, it is *supposed to be* the liberal party. So the question ought to be "Is the Democrat Party returning to its liberal roots?"

As political rhetoric gains momentum, I think yes. This next election will be a challenge to both the Democrats and the voting public to change course--if this is what we want.

I'm tempted to go into a long list of things that need changing, but that's not the point. The point is that the Demos have to challenge the status quo, take the digs (you know what they are), and sell a vision of the US that takes the Cheney sneer and the GWB snicker out of it.

Ever since Carter, the Demos have been running to the right. This only worked with Clinton, and that only worked because Ross Perot munged up Bush I's reelection, and the Repubs blew (hehehe) the second election.

The last election is important. The blatant manipulation of it still reverberates as the conservatives insist this is water under the bridge. We now live in a climate that attacks any and all criticism of the status quo while denying any responsibility for this same status quo.

The sickness of this situation is, I think, becoming so undeniable that the Demos have a shot at victory if only they get out of the rush to the right mentality.

So move left. Go west young man, eh? At least as far as St. Louis. It is telling when Sharpton's rhetoric starts making a lot of sense. It is time that a Demo with guts, backbone, and a kicking butt foot comes to the ballot.