Ummm....question????

[elfrangel]

I'm not really a Newbie to this board, but I am a Newbie Democrat. When Chimp boy started all of his crap (notice there was no outcry when HE lied), I changed my views. Until that, I say this with much sorrow, I was a staunch Republican. My parents are Repubs, both have College degrees and are intelligent folks. My father being a Southern Baptist Minister and my mother is a Purchasing Agent for the local college.

However, I have seen the error of my ways...my DH is a Democrat, so is his entire family. So I have a great support system. But, I have a question....

What exactly do we, as Democrats, believe???

[Maddy McCall]

1. Welcome to DU, elfrangel.

My suggestion would be for you to talk to your husband and see what he says.

Or you can read some threads in GD and that will give you a good feel of things.

[elfrangel]

2. I would..

but DH stays gone most of the time b/c of work....haven't really had a chance for much of anything.....that's why I was coming directly to the source....


What exactly is GD??


Still learning the lingo around here.

[Droopy]

3. GD = General Discussion

[elfrangel]

5. Thanks...

:blush: :-)

[Writer]

4. Welcome, elfrangel

I was a raging moderate (reg. as independent) until Bush galloped into Iraq.

After a while the lying gets a little old.

What do we believe? That's a big question. With the Republicans dominating both houses and the White House, it's difficult not to define our beliefs as what we're NOT.

Although for others, it's as clear as day - and don't stray from those views, dammit! ;)

[Maddy McCall]

11. I hold beliefs not based on what I'm not...

did that make sense?

I have beliefs that preceded Bush and I'll still have them after Bush.

I believe in gender and racial equity.

I believe that religion should have no place in any of our government's functions. I believe that spirituality is a personal, not governmental, characteristic.

I believe that it is the responsibility of a civilized society to offer assistance to the lesser of us.

I believe that workers should have more protection.

I believe that the environment deserves better stewardship than what Republicans are willing to offer.

I believe that one should not have to hock his/her future and the future of his children to attend a public university.

I believe that health care should be available to all American citizens.

I believe that reproductive health is an issue that should be managed between women and their physicians, not on Capitol Hill.

I believe in the first amendment and the Constitution. I think it is sad that the Bush administration has done irreparible damage to both.

I believe that a single-parent family is no less capable in raising responsible citizens than a two-parent family.

I believe that evolution is a theory to be discussed in public school classrooms, and creationism is something best discussed in Sunday School classrooms.

I believe that homosexuals should have equal rights as heterosexuals.

That's just a short list of my values. Others can offer their opinions if they wish.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

12. You got it.

[Writer]

20. Nice list.

:thumbsup:

[Maddy McCall]

28. Thanks, writer.

[Droopy]

6. I think a belief that a lot of us share here

is that government can be used to improve people's lives. Whereas a conservative is likely to believe that the less government the better. A neo-con believes in world domination.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Maddy McCall]

14. No, we don't.

They do. We don't do that. Or at least I don't.

[LastKnight]

8. you see thats the beauty of it.

there is no set belief. we dont lock step behind anyone, we disagree (and often fight, especially around here) but we think for ourselves, we dont get our beliefs from a senator or a politician in washington or anywhere else. we get our beliefs from within ourselves. so - the question is not 'what do we believe?' but 'what do I believe?'

welcome to DU, and welcome to the Democratic party.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

9. We are Prochoice, Proenvironment, fairly antiwar.

[MrScorpio]

10. Welcome to DU, elfrangel

You're right at home

[WCGreen]

13. To do the best for the most people

To make sure everyone gets a fair shake....

To make sure the guy that has a gripe can voice it wothout being thrown in jail....

To use our military might only when attacked....

To make sure, as the last democrat sitting in the WH did, it is all done economically and within a budget.....

And to truly be a beacon for the world by providing a shining example of how to deal with the true responsibilty of freedom.....

[Chicago Democrat]

15. We believe in helping the little guy , we invented social security

unemployment compensation
union protection
work safety laws
progressive taxation
environmental laws (well ok Teddy Roosevelt and Nixon actually helped)
The United Nations
International Human Rights Laws
Student Loans

Lots more! We are mostly good and sometimes well meaning and occassionally just awful humans, but mostly good and "Christian" because we actually believe in helping the poor with programs that give them a chance to not be poor someday.

[Maddy McCall]

16. Medicare, Medicaid, educational preschool...

and the list goes on.

Excellent post.

[Wapsie B]

17. The Wall of Separation

between Church & State is one of our core beliefs under seige these days.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

19. Where did you go?

[Maddy McCall]

33. Perhaps being labeled a troll for asking an innocuous question....

scared her away. I hope not.

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Catchawave]

21. Welcome, welcome.....

:hi:

[Blue-Jay]

22. Again.

What do you mean by this statement?

"I'm not really a Newbie to this board, but I am a Newbie Democrat."

It implies that you were familiar with DU prior to your wonderful conversion. Or am I in need of a reading comprehension review?

Note: NO DU RULES HAVE BEEN BROKEN BY THIS QUESTION!

[Blue-Jay]

30. hello?

I like your Hillary avatar, BTW. I hear that she's possibly the antichrist.

[southlandshari]

38. She's from Arkansas

:hi:

[Blue-Jay]

47. Haha!

So I see!

:hi:

[Maddy McCall]

31. Maybe she was. Becoming a former Republican IS a wonderful...

conversion.

I have no problem with telling anyone my Democratic beliefs. And, in sharing, perhaps discussing the topic will help the new Democrat to identify Democratic values within himself or herself that he or she had not realized were truly Democratic.

I see no "trollish" behavior in her post, when taken at face value. I'd rather be helpful to a troll than see an ex-Republican banned just because he or she asked the "wrong question."

[Blue-Jay]

35. Your point is?

You seem to be implying that I accused someone of "trollish" behavior. I see no evidence of that on this thread currently (har har har). I only asked a simple question about the OP. I expect that (considering only 50 posts in a year) my question will be answered sometime in December or so.

[Maddy McCall]

37. My point is that your point is blatantly obvious. And rude.

You were a newbie once.

[Blue-Jay]

39. Indeed I was once new at DU.

And you've never been rude here, I must assume.

[Maddy McCall]

40. Not baselessly so.

[Blue-Jay]

42. By that logic,

I gather that rudeness is OK with you if you have a reason? (ie. not baseless) Is that correct?

[Maddy McCall]

44. I can be a major bitch when the situation calls for it.

So, yeah, I guess you might be right.

[Blue-Jay]

46. So then you'd agree

that "baseless" is a subjective term, and not thus applicable to the discussion on this particular thread?

[elfrangel]

52. To answer your question Blue-Jay.....

You read the original post correctly sirrah...

My hubby introduced me to DU. He's been a member for some time now. I didn't join till I "converted" ;-)

[Crazy Guggenheim]

53. So where are you on things?

[elfrangel]

55. Treading slowly...

I believe that our education system sucks and testing is NOT the answer.

I believe that if things keep going the way they are environmentally, my son won't be able to breathe when he's my age.

I believe that * is an idiot and should be thrown out on his arse.

I believe that the war is a joke and we are sacrificing men and women daily just so he can line his pockets.

I worry about job security for all of us because we have a corporate society who believes in making a buck but not spending one to help workers when times are tough.

I am pro-union.

Everyone deserves the same rights and privileges, regardless of race, sexuality or sexual preference.

I believe that marriage should be a civil contract open to any individuals who WANT a life together.

I believe that the inability to provide a stable and loving home is the only reason one should be denied the right of adopting a child.

I believe that religious right is full of itself and hypocrisy. They impeach Clinton b/c he lied about (you know) but they consider * God's gift even though his lies have sent thousands to their deaths. (Can you hear the crickets chirping in their camp?)

I believe that is enough....I'm still working on some of it.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

56. Welcome aboard.

[Bouncy Ball]

57. Heh. You sound like a pretty strong Democrat to me!

Hi there, from one to another (life-long Dem here, very happy to meet you!).

[Floogeldy]

23. What's a DH?

Maybe I'm stupid but I don't know.

[Blue-Jay]

24. Designated Hitter

[Floogeldy]

27. Thank you, but . . .

I don't know what it means for an individual to have a DH.

What does that mean?

[ghostsofgiants]

32. I think it means "dear husband" or "darling husband"

Or some crap like that.

[Floogeldy]

34. Muchas Gracias

:)

[Crazy Guggenheim]

25. Welcome to DU. BTW.

[ghostsofgiants]

26. Welcome to DU!

I would say welcome to the Democratic Party as well, but it wouldn't make much sense, since I'm not a Democrat. But congrats on the leftward shift!

[Crazy Guggenheim]

29. Bump for everyone.

[Floogeldy]

36. Elfrangel, don't form your beliefs around democrats or the party.

In what do you believe, politically, in your mind and heart?

Nobody will attack you for your beliefs, unless they are unfounded or unsupportable.

Welcome. :)

[southlandshari]

41. Very nice!

:thumbsup:

[Floogeldy]

43. Thank you. Gotta keep it real.

:)

[southlandshari]

45. Keeping it real

I like that!

I'd like to keep this thread real and OPEN, if you know what I mean.

Hint, hint, to our friends upthread...

;-)

[Liberal In Texas]

49. It's a wonderful big tent.

We squabble and argue here a lot.

But the bottom line is, do what in you heart seems right.

No lock-step memos from CENTRAL COMMAND, or LIBERALS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO THINK THIS WAY messages from the PARTY.

You are now free. Now you and the husband have a life....Good for you.

[EstimatedProphet]

50. I think you should know your beliefs first

rather than pick the party, and decide what is appropriate to believe.
Myself, I believe first and foremost in the core statement of the Declaration of Independence: " We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

We are all equals, and we all have our own lives to live, and we all have to make the best of it that we can.

From what I have seen, the Republicans believe in a very self-centered worldview-it's less about how to treat people as equals, and more about how people are supposed to treat them. No taxes, being pushy in international affairs, etc. it all seems to be about me me ME! That plays well to people who feel like they have been shut out of society and to the superrich elite who believe that they really are better than everyone.

So, I'd say you have to figure out what you believe, and then the party choice will follow.

[elfrangel]

54. Makes sense....

sometimes, I like to do things backward though. I guess it's just how my thought process goes. And to be honest, my Hubby did give me a few basics a LONG time ago. (We celebrated our 7 yr anniversary on Monday) But I was definitely a republican then and didn't listen.(go figure)

I think that I asked the question b/c I wanted to see how broad the views are around here. Repubs pigeon hole everything. Black or White. I knew that I didn't think like my parents and they didn't want to hear it. So, I suppressed my thoughts to make them happy. Not an easy habit to break after 20+ yrs. I'm still learning, or trying to, and looking for a little guidance.


BTW, apologies for disappearing today. Son had a massive allergic reaction to some medication he was on. Had to spend today being Mommy. :-)

[elfrangel]

58. Anybody else????

:kick:

[Ramsey]

59. We believe whatever we want to.

As opposed to being told what to believe, like the Republicans.

Free speech and free thought. That's really the point of being a Democrat.

[crispini]

60. Well, I'm a Democrat, and I believe...

I'll have another drink. Heh heh heh. :toast: Welcome!!! :7

[carpetbagger]

61. This is what democrats believe...

1. The strength of the American economy is based on the purchasing power and security of blue-collar workers and their families.

2. If you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to make it.

3. Religion is between an individual person and his God, with intermediaries to be chosen by one of those two, not by government officials.

4. Leave the campsite cleaner than when you found it.

5. Justice is better than revenge, the thirst for righteousness better than the thirst to dominate, although both require the disciplined and thoughtful use of force at times.


That's a start. I'd also add in the current political environment that we believe in praying with your eyes closed but making decisions with your eyes open, and that we reject the divine right of kings.

[elfrangel]

62. Thanks....

this gives me a good head start....

[welshTerrier2]

63. my two cents ...

what do Democrats believe ??

first, it's always great to see people who are open to new ideas ... welcome to DU !!

the following is mostly what i believe as a Democrat ... i'm not at all sure the Democratic Party represents my views or vice versa ...

i think each and every American should be afforded respect and a real opportunity to make a life for themselves ... and i think, sitting at the core of their ability to do that are the fundamental rights afforded to citizens in a democracy ...

too much, since the Reagan administration, has focussed on the "free" market ... capitalism, free enterprise and good old economic competition is all well and good until it begins to corrupt our democratic (small "d") institutions ... what kind of country will we have, or do we have, when those competing in the marketplace become so wealthy and so powerful that they are able to direct most policies of the government ?? what kind of electoral process do we have when almost all elected Senators are millionaires ??? what kind of system do we have when common citizens cannot afford to run for office and those who do run need to raise millions from "special interests" ??

it's easy for republicans to paint Democrats as "anti-business" ... my real view on corporations and on the super-wealthy in America is that they should be as free as possible to earn as much as they want AS LONG AS THEY ARE PROPERLY REGULATED ... but this has not been the case ... and the paid lobbying done by many trans-national corporations is really nothing more than the blatant bribery of elected officials ... we really do have the best democracy that money can buy ...

so, domestically, the best interests of most citizens is not served by their government ...

and on foreign policy, it's important to understand the truth about the American government ... two books i've recently read are "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" and "The Sorrows of Empire" ... since the Spanish-American War, just over one hundred years ago, the US has been an imperialist nation ... we have failed to respect the sovereignty of countries all over the world ... we have sold our deadly weapons to evil, corrupt dictators ... we have exploited desperately poor countries by allowing our corporations to exploit their labor, their natural resources and their governments ...

this is not to say that these evils have occurred only under republican administrations ... sadly, that has not been the case ... but i think that most Democrats do not condone these abuses, be they domestic or foreign ...

anyway, if you needed a perhaps overly simplistic view of the two parties, look at it this way: the Democrats believe each citizen is part of the society and that decency requires that certain fundamental things should be available to every citizen and every family whether they can afford them or not ... this would include things like the right to a good education; the right to healthcare; and the right to have their vote count equally to the vote (and influence) of the super-wealthy ... republicans, the "me" party, think it should be all about winning and losing and to the victor go the spoils ... the sad reality is, that in following this line of thought, which is what the US has been following since the reagan years, the great US democracy is collapsing and we are nearing the end of the great American empire ... the country's economic engine has always been its middle class ... when that's gone, the US system, not unlike the collapse of the Soviet system, will be gone as well ...

much of what the US does in the name of democracy and liberty has, in truth, been evil ... the collapse of the American empire is both to be welcomed and to be feared ... on the one hand, a new populism will ultimately emerge and citizens will once again regain control over their government ... but the damage being done now to the middle class at home and the US reputation in the world will be a massive setback from which we are unlikely to recover anytime soon ...

as an activist, i'd like to be able to change the direction before it's too late ... i hope you'll join those of us struggling to regain control of our country ...

[JimmyJazz]

64. I'm not a Democrat, but a socialist - so I'm sorry if my answer differs

but, what I believe is that the decisions made by this government should be based on what is in the best interests of the people, not what is in the best interest of Halliburton.