What, in our current political situation, do centrist Democrats want?

[ulysses]

Economically, socially, the whole thing. And not "what do you want because it's electable", I want to know what you believe to be in the best public interest.

Chapter and verse, what do y'all want?

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

1. very good question, and I'd love to read the responses

great sig, btw :)

[ulysses]

3. thanks.

:)

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. ask Joe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=119832&mesg_id=119832

[ulysses]

5. heh

Figured you meant Lieberman. :D

Interesting thread - I'll read more of the comments later, but would say that this

He's not sure if cutting down on the number of people who get to work hard and get ahead will make things better for him, better for the country. (emphasis added, of course)

is spot on. I hope Joe has indeed made that connection.

[DuctapeFatwa]

8. Yeah, I should have named him something else. I really wasn't thinking

of any particular candidate, I was just trying to think of my "voter."

If I had it to do over again, I would have named him Roger or Percival or Osama or something.

[ulysses]

10. Percival is good.

:D

[tom_paine]

4. The answer from a Radicalized Centrist with a foot in both worlds

They want to believe that the Old American Republic is healthy and strong as it was when we were children.

They want to believe that NOTHING sinister is going on and that the pendulum, as it has before in American History will swing back.

(I got news for them...the pendulum can't swing back if the clock in broken)

They want to believe that the voting systems are uncompromised and the Busheviks aren't ruthless Totalitarians bent on doing almost anything to retain power, incluidng committing crimes from RICO to murder.

All their advice stems from these beliefs/hopes. I understand it, but I cannot agree with it.

[ulysses]

9. hi, tom

The need to deny is familiar to me from liberals of my parents' generation as well. I suspect it's fairly common across the board.

[TheRock]

6. Most of my friends are middle Dem or Independant

They want lower taxes, gov services for only those that really need it, love their SUVs and off-road vehicles, private gun ownership, gov out of their bedrooms, civil rights for all, affordable healthcare but not run by the gov.

[ulysses]

11. ok...

They want lower taxes

At what price? What are they willing to defund?

gov services for only those that really need it

Define "those that really need it".

love their SUVs and off-road vehicles

Good for them. Again, at what price?

private gun ownership

I'm agnostic here.

gov out of their bedrooms

Great, as long as they want the government out of the bedrooms of others.

civil rights for all

Great!

affordable healthcare but not run by the gov

Anyone told them that they're not going to get deregulated, affordable healthcare?

edited for formatting

[TheRock]

12. I'll ask them and get back after the weekend

I'm going snowmobiling with about a dozen of them this weekend. I'll ask these exact questions and jot them down.

[ulysses]

14. looking forward to it.

I'd like to know their responses.

[librechik]

7. one, I want them to stop labelling the center as "extreme leftists"

this little smear has been killing off the party for decades.

Two, I want us to draw even with other industrialized countries as far as health care, infant mortality, living wage, and decent housing.
After we boost the minimum wage to a realistic level,the resulting increase in payroll taxes should make the worry about funding social security go away. After that we can work on uncovering the blatant racism that still secretly rules in this country, and making the racists eat their own hate. After that, tax reform so that income distribution becomes more equal per capita. After that, a new Citizens Conservation Corps employing inner city youth and other willing workers to clean up our national forests and wilderness areas, and landscape against catastrophic fires. After that, I want to trade the Mars adventure for a Manhattan Project for alternative fuels, so we can get off our dependency on oil and foreign imports.

oh, and ERA!

[tigereye]

13. what exactly is a neo-liberal?

and who/whom? would be an example? Is there a site or good article that breaks "liberal" down into it's various components and/or factions? I am curious as to where the various players ( not necessarily candidates) would be on the continuum.

[ulysses]

15. no one besides The Rock?

Not like y'all aren't out there, and it's not a difficult question. I'm really not playing Freud. What do Dem centrists want?

[ulysses]

16. one more try