One reason I believe Democrats are inneffective is that they are

[Toots]

as complicit as Republicans in most things. It is impossible to call a Republican a liar when you do the same thing. Democrats are just as guilty as republicans just not on the same scale. Politicians lie. It is a fact. The Democrats are just a bunch of kettles calling the skillets black. That is why they have no punch. Until someone comes along that is guilt free of all the corruption we will not have a chance. Kerry was not that man though he is a very good man, he still had a record. We can not cast stones from our glass house. Democrats live in a glass house and until they move out they will be a small minority in America.

[illflem]

1. Isn't one of the prerequisites of being a politician being a liar?

Don't care what party it is.

[Stew225]

2. bingo! That fact certainly clogs things up. eom

[Old and In the Way]

3. "he still had a record"

Care to expound on that? From my perspetive, it was his record that made me want to vote for him.

[jdots]

4. semantics n/t

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

5. Ummmmmm

if we wait for a guilt free candidate won't we wait forever? I propose the difference is on a deeper level than both parties have liars. I offer that the Repubs historically favor wealth, big business and capitalisitic exploitation while the Dems represent the working class, unions and such.
Having said that, I am of the opinion the Dem party at a national level is completely out of touch with the common person.

[JoshK]

6. To understand it, one must see how the 2-party system operates.

Most liberals more or less accept the old wives' tale that "Repubs are the party of big business cutthroats, but the Dems are the party of the people." This is completely untrue. The function of the Democrats in the political system is to get the less-authoritarian and more-tolerant half of the population to go along with a program that's entirely favorable to elite interests.

It cannot do this by openly displaying its allegiance to elite interests. It must, rather, pretend to have the interests of "the people" at heart, even though it doesn't. It must pay lip service to caring about the "little guy" -- basically, token gestures. IOW, the Democratic Party is basically a duplicitous creature, sort of a phony people's party.

Many people are so grateful for these token gestures, and for the legend of the New Deal, that they become undyingly loyal to the Dem Party, whom they see as "good" against the blatant wickedness and greed of the Republicans. This is understandable. What is not so easily seen, however, is that the Dem Party is just a clever method of controlling the half of the populace that cannot be directly led by blatant appeals to racism, militarism, nationalism, and greed.

The two parties must be understood as a very effective UNIT -- they operate together in the interests of society's financial elite. They merely have different functions, and make their appeals to different sections of the populace. The point is, that they both serve the same masters, rather than the broad mass of working people.

The Republican Party is a ruling class tool, and the Democratic Party is equally a ruling class tool. They are both utilized by the ruling class in different ways, and they have distinct & different styles. There are a few good people in the Dem Party, but that is just decoration, to help them maintain their phony "party of the people" image. For the most part, the Dem Party is no more a people's party than the Repubs.

If you don't easily accept the truth of this, it is probably because a very great deal of effort has gone into making it rather difficult to see. The system is clever in its construction, & is INTENDED to deceive you. You are SUPPOSED to believe that Dems are the "party of the common man." It's extremely useful to the powers that be, that you believe this -- because that way, your energy can be channeled by the Dems into acceptance of a political framework that guarantees unchallenged domination by ruling class interests.

[DireStrike]

8. Interesting thoughts.

I'll file them in some neurons marked "important."

What are you then, by the way? Who or what do you support?

[flamin lib]

7. In my opinion

the differences are there at a philosophical level, but we've compromised far too much.

Dems can't complain about the Iraq war 'cause most of 'em voted for it.

Dems can't complain about education funding 'cause most of 'em voted for the tax cuts.

Dems can't complain about Bush's Medicare drug program 'cause most of 'em voted for it.

Dems can't complain about Condi's failed advice 'cause most of 'em voted for her confirmation.

We need to stand for our principals and clearly differentiate ourselves from Bush's failed policies.

Why would anyone vote for Repub lite when they can vote for a full bodied @$$ hole?

[Moderator]

9. I'm locking this thread

Reason :

Flamebait