Will the Democratic Party survive?

[BayCityProgressive]

I was just thinking about this today. It seems as though many people are not satisfied with the Democratic Party any longer...With the formation of groups like MoveOn.org, with the new labor pushes that are supposed to be coming up, with the Working Families Party, Progressive party, Green Party ect. Is it possible that the "New Left's" mass movement will create a new party if the Democrats refuse to change or do you think the party will be changed and worked through?

[Syn_Dem]

1. Well....

I think depending on this upcoming election...whoever the Dem nominess is centrist or leftist will decide the fate of the Democratic Party. If its Liebermenn or what not I can forsee a splintering of the Party, but I still see that as highly unlikely.

[virtualobserver]

2. I think the party will change...

But I don't know if it will change fast enough.
So many people are still asleep.

Even some liberals that I know are barely paying attention.

[mike_c]

3. right now I'm not hopeful about "party unity" anytime soon....

Politics in the U.S. has become so strongly bound to business interests that the dem leadership largely fears the kind of grassroots democracy that's causing the growth of the more left-leaning parties, or at least has no place for it in their view of the party's future. For me, the death knell of any hope for unity came when my Senator, Diane Feinstein, voted for the Congressional resolution authorizing war with Iraq even though calls from her constituents where both numerous and overwhelmingly opposed. That tells me that the interests of democractic party politics have diverged significantly from the interests of progressive politics in America, and unless those interests can be brought back into line, I see little hope for reconciling the party center-rightists and the progressive left.

Also, as a lifelong democrat AND a progressive liberal, I feel somewhat betrayed by the democratic party, at least in it's modern manifestation in Washington. I suspect that lots of other liberals do too, and once that happens, it becomes increasing difficult to reconcile. It's one thing to disagree with some aspects of the dems political philosophy, and quite another to feel that 30 years of support has been betrayed.

[BayCityProgressive]

4. I agree

I am pretty far to the left and I don't expect the party to move far left at once but their actions in the last 15 yrs are reprehensible. I really hope that the party is either put back on course or a strong alternative emerges.

[Prodemsouth]

5. Why don't you just come out and say what you really feel?

That is: you hope the Democraitc party is destroyed. And you and other "leftist" can sit around and complain about the country being so stupid for rejecting the ultra leftist pol. you like this month. Now here is what I hope: That most middle and working class voters finally see they are getting ripped off by Bush and the Repugs, that the Dems offer a crediable alternative, they win in a landside, take back Senate and House, and they have the dominace for cycle similar to FDR 32. THIS WOULD MEAN WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY WHAT THESE FICKLE LEFTIST THOUGHT AND COULD FINALLY TELL THEM WERE TO GET OFF. And you and your friends can continue to hang on to the fringe and talk about how stupid we are for rejecting your pols till when ever.

[BayCityProgressive]

6. Your are insane and in need of anger management

I am sorry I don't fit into a Stalinist fall in line party. Last I checked I could ask what people thought of something.

[Prodemsouth]

9. Who said you had no right to ask what people thought of something?

Maybe you should work on your reading comprehension, since you suggested I work on anger management. I didn't start the name calling. Where did you get "Stalinist" from? Ha, Ha, such a dated musty 60s leftish sounding insult. You were asking what people thought, so I told you.

[mike_c]

7. amazingly articulate rebuttal....

I am in awe.

[Cocoa]

8. Sharpton and Kucinich

A primary where there are two bona fide progressives to choose from in the presidential primary.

And they're both up there with the other candidates at all the forums, the dems aren't trying to marginalize them, though I'm sure the more mainstream candidates aren't crazy about them being there. No one wants to follow Sharpton at one of those things.

Not a bad time, I'd say, for progressives in the Democratic Party.

[genius]

10. If the progressives form a majority party, let me know

Otherwise, the Democrsatic Psarty is ripe for the taking next year. We need to elect someone like Dennis who will unite all the progressives.

[DrFunkenstein]

11. The IWR Blind Spot

The IWR is blinding so many people to one of the most progressive choices the Democratic party has been offered in years, perhaps since Roosevelt and certainly since Kennedy. I realize that many people just can't get past that vote, but Kerry's record is exemplary of progressive ideals. If you look at Nader's 2000 platform, almost all of the reforms he brought to the table are there once again in John Kerry.

After Kucinich, Nader picked Kerry as his second choice. And Public Citizen gives him fantastic ratings year after year.