Do you support the DLC?

[Mutley]

Poll question: Do you support the DLC?

I am withholding my own opinion at this time. Per this thread, I am just curious about the various percentages of supporters vs. non-supporters here on DU. Comment or don't comment as you wish, but if you are just as curious as I am, please help me keep this poll kicked. Thanks.

[porphyrian]

1. I would say I oppose them almost as much as republicans. - n/t

[Mutley]

5. Why such strong feelings against them?

Not arguing with you, just curious about your position.

[porphyrian]

18. I think they've failed the party and aren't acting in our best interests.

The last three major elections were lost following their corporate-whoring republican-lite stands and attitudes. They've attacked the liberal Democratic base and driven many of our numbers to the Greens, who they also view as enemies. They insist on pursuing the proven-to-lose strategy of pandering to some "moderate" vote that never coalesces at the polls, and attack those who question the policy. Frankly, I think they and their supporters are assholes, a sentiment I'm pretty sure is mutual.

[Mutley]

21. Thanks for clarifying.

"Frankly, I think they and their supporters are assholes, a sentiment I'm pretty sure is mutual."

Funny. :D

[SeaBob]

61. DLC

They act in the best interests of the democratic party. Who decides what best for the democratic party??? why the DLC of course.:puke:

[Tesha]

51. Probably because their tactics lose elections.

With the exception of Clinton I and Clinton II, one
could argue that the DLC has lost far more contested,
non-incumbent elections than they've won, and even
Clinton's elections may well owe as much to Ross
Perot as they do to the DLC's "Third way".

Tesha

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. I don't, but I don't hate them either.

They are entitled to their opinions like anyone else, and if people of a state or district want to elect a DLC Democrat, that's fine by me, so long as they're electing a Democrat.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Don't support them with money or votes.

All they lack is the (R) after the names of their candidates.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. I agree. n/t

[msgadget]

46. LOVE that FDR quote!

:thumbsup:

[in_cog_ni_to]

52. Thanks. It's perfect for THESE DAYS,

isn't it?:hi:

[msgadget]

53. You betcha!

Party doesn't equal fan club to me, it's an employer (me), employee (them) relationship! LOL! :hi:

[LSparkle]

4. They have corporatized the Democratic Party

and made it easier for people like Nader to say "there's no difference between the two parties." The DLC neutered the Democratic Party (IMHO), so, no I don't support them.

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. NO. n/t

[Mutley]

7. Thanks for giving me the idea for this poll.

:)

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. You're welcome.

:) You'll see what I mean.;)

[Mutley]

11. I think I already do.

:D

[On the Road]

9. I Think a Lot of DUers

see DLC as synonymous with appeasement. I don't. Howard Dean is DLC. So are Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Some of the leaders

I am against appeasement, including by DLC leaders like Al From. I am not opposed to all moderate DLC-like positions.

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. Howard Dean is DLC? I don't think so. He's head of the DNC...NOT the DLC.

His name's not on the member list either.

Jim Aldinger, Council Member, Manhattan Beach CA
Patrice Arent, State Senator, UT
David Aronberg, State Senator, FL
Toni Atkins, City Councilmember, San Diego CA
Loranne Ausley, State Representative, FL
Som Baccam, School Board Member, Des Moines IA
Brian Baird, U.S. Representative, WA
Thurbert Baker, State Attorney General, GA
Brenda Barger, Mayor, Watertown, SD
Gonzalo Barrientos, State Senator, TX
Viola Baskerville, State Delegate, VA
Alan C. Bates, State Senator, OR
Max Baucus, U.S. Senator, MT
Evan Bayh, U.S. Senator, IN
Melissa Bean, United States Representative, IL
Ralph Becker, State Representative, UT
James Bennett, City Council, St. Petersberg FL
Shelley Berkley, U.S. Representative, NV
Ethan Berkowitz, House Democratic Leader, AK
Barbara Blanchard, County Legislator, Tompkins County NY
Patrica M. Blevins, State Senator, DE
Marty Block, Community College Trustee, San Diego CA
Alice Borodkin, State Representative, CO
Lisa Boscola, State Senator, PA
Betty Boyd, State Representative, CO
David Braddock, State Representative, OK
Daniel Brady, State Senator, OH
Zach Brandon, City Councilmember, Madison WI
John Brenner, Mayor, York PA
Bob Brink, Delegate, VA
Matt Brown, Secretary of State, RI
Don Brown, Jr., City Councilman, Louisville, CO
Polly Bukta, State Representative, IA
Cruz M. Bustamante, Lieutenant Governor, CA
Robert Butkin, State Treasurer, OK
Thomas Campbell, State Delegate, WV
Jane Campbell, Mayor, Cleveland OH
Roberto Canchola, Superintendent of Schools, Santa Cruz Co., AZ
Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senator, WA SCALITO VOTE??? HELLO!!!!
Lois Capps, U.S. Representative, CA
Twanda Carlisle, Council Member, Pittsburgh PA
Russ Carnahan, U.S. Representative, MO
Tom Carper, U.S. Senator, DE
Adolfo Carrion, Borough President, Bronx NY
Terrance D. Carroll, State Representative, CO
Karen R. Carter, State Representative, LA
Ed Case, U.S. Representative, HI
Bill Cegelka, City Council Member, Lexington KY
Ben Chandler, U.S. Representative, KY
Ken Cheuvront, State Senator, AZ
Carol Chumney, Council Member, City of Memphis TN
Paul Clark, Town Supervisor, West Seneca NY
Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator, NY
Martha Coakley, District Attorney, Middlesex County MA
Mark Cohen, State Representative, PA
Steve Cohn, City Councilmember, Sacramento CA
Michael Coleman, Mayor, Columbus, OH
Fran Coleman, State Representative, CO
Kent Conrad, U.S. Senator, ND
Christopher Coons, Council President, New Castle Co., DE
Roy A. Cooper III, Attorney General, NC
Lou Correa, Supervisor, Orange County CA
Cathy Cox, Secretary of State, GA
Joseph Crowley, U.S. Representative, NY
J. Joseph Curran, State Attorney General, MD
Lou D'Allesandro, State Senator, NH
Ruth Damsker, County Commissioner, Montgomery Co., PA
Swati Dandekar, State Representative, IA
Jim Davis, U.S. Representative, FL
Ray Davis, Registrar, Stafford County VA
Artur Davis, U.S. Representative, AL
Susan Davis, U.S. Representative, CA
Sergio De Leon, Constable, Tarrant County TX
Ryan Deckert, State Senator, OR
Rocky Delgadillo, City Attorney, Los Angeles, CA
Christopher Dodd, U.S. Senator, CT I didn't know Dodd was DLC!!
Byron Dorgan, U.S. Senator, ND
Jim Doyle, Governor, WI
Doug Duncan, County Executive, Montgomery County MD
Joseph Dunn, State Senator, CA
Michael Easley, Governor, NC
Doug Echols, Mayor, Rock Hill SC
W.A. Drew Edmondson, State Attorney General, OK
Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Representative, IL tsk, tsk, tsk...Rahm, Rahm, Rahm...shame, shame, shame!
Eliot Engel, U.S. Representative, NY
Bob Etheridge, U.S. Representative, NC
Robert Faucheux, State Representative, LA
Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senator, CA FIGURES, doesn't it?
John Fernandez, Mayor, Bloomington IN
Barry R. Finegold, State Representative, MA
Eric Fingerhut, State Senator, OH
Joan Fitz-Gerald, State Senator, CO
Michael L. Fitzgerald, State Treasurer, IA
Jamie Fleet, City Councilman, Gettysburg PA
Elizabeth G. Flores, Mayor, Laredo, TX
Dean Florez, State Assemblymember, CA
Romanie Foege, State Representative, IA
Harold Ford, Jr. , U.S. Representative, TN Surprise, surprise, surprise!
Dan B. Frankel, State Representative, PA
Shirley Franklin, Mayor, Atlanta GA
John A. Fritchey, State Representative, IL
Douglas F. Gansler, State's Attorney for Montgomery Co., MD
Michael Garcia, State Representative, CO
Steven A. Geller, State Senator, FL
Allen Jay Gerson, Council Member, New York City NY
Glen D. Gilmore, Mayor, Hamilton NJ
Michael Golden, Borough Council Member, Jenkintown PA
Ron Gonzales, Mayor, San Jose, CA
Charlie Gonzalez, United States Representative, TX
Phil Gordon, Mayor, Phoenix AZ
Ken Gordon, State Senator, CO
Jennifer Granholm, Governor, MI THIS is too bad, Jen.
Darlene Green, City Comptroller, St. Louis, MO
Ron L. Greenstein, State Representative, FL
James S. Gregory, City Councilman, Bethlehem, PA
Wendy Greuel, City Council, Los Angeles CA
Daniel Grimes, City Council, Goshen IN
Peter C. Groff, State Representative, CO
Daniel Grossman, State Senator, CO
Ken Guin, Majority Leader, AL
Bob Hagedorn, State Senator, CO
Karen Hale, State Senator, UT
Lee Hammond, State Representative, NH
DeAnna Hanna, State Senator, CO
Jane Harman, U.S. Representative, CA ..... FIGURES!
Jeff Harris, State Representative, MO
Patrick Henry Hays, Mayor, North Little Rock, AR
Martin J. Heft, First Selectman, Chester CT
Robert Henriquez, State Representative, FL
Stephanie Herseth, U.S. Representative, SD
Thomas Hickner, County Executive, Bay County, MI
Brian Higgins, U.S. Representative, NY
Richard Hildreth, Mayor, Pacific WA
Debra Hilstrom, State Representative, MN
Rush Holt, U.S. Representative, NJ ....damn
Helen Holton, City Council Member, Baltimore, MD
Darlene Hooley, U.S. Representative, OR
Sam Hoyt, State Assemblymember, NY
Dave Hunt, State Representative, OR
Ross Hunter, State Representative, WA
Geri Huser, State Representative, IA
Daniel W. Hynes, State Comptroller, IL
Jay Inslee, U.S. Representative, WA .....what a shame! I liked this guy.
Thomas Irvin, Commissioner of Agriculture, GA
Steve Israel, U.S. Representative, NY
Michael Jackson, State Representative, LA
Gilda Z. Jacobs, State Senator, MI
Wendy Jaquet, State House Minority Leader, ID
Nicholas Jellins, Mayor Prom Tem, Menlo Park, CA
Evan Jenkins, State Senator, WV
Douglas Jennings Jr., House Democratic Leader, SC
Tim Johnson, U.S. Senator, SD ....voted for ScAlito.
Robin Johnson, Alderman, Monmouth IL
Donald Jones, Council Member, Jefferson Parish LA
Patty Judge, Secretary of Agriculture, IA
Charlie Justice, State Representative, FL
Tim Kaine, Lt. Governor, VA
Steve Kelley, Senate Majority Whip, MN
Randy Kelly, Mayor, St. Paul, MN
John Kerry, U.S. Senator, MA
Lynn Kessler, State House Democratic Leader, WA
Kwame Kilpatrick, Mayor, Detroit, MI
Ron Kind, U.S. Representative, WI
Victor King, Trustee, Glendale, CA
Herb Kohl, U.S. Senator, WI .....Judiciary Committee member.
Richard Kriseman, City Council Chairman, St. Petersburg, FL
Annie Kuether, State Representative, KS
Rosalind Kurita, State Senator, TN
Eric LaFleur, State Representative, LA
Mary Landrieu, U.S. Senator, LA ......Mary, Mary, Mary.....sad.
Leah Landrum Taylor, Assistant Minority Leader, AZ
Patricia Lantz, State Representative, WA
Rick Larsen, U.S. Representative, WA
John Larson, U.S. Representative, CT
Joe Lieberman, U.S. Senator, CT ....need I say more?
Blanche Lincoln, U.S. Senator, AR ...........................UGH!!!!
David Lindenmuth, Councilman, Woodstown Borough NJ
Duane E. Little, Assessor, Shoshone Co., ID
Alice Madden, State Representative, CO
Louis Magazzu, Freeholder, Cumberland County NJ
Dannel P. Malloy, Mayor, Stamford, CT
Matthew Mangino, District Attorney, Lawrence Co., PA
Jennifer Mann, State Representative, PA
Steve Marchand, City Councilman, Portsmouth NH
Jack Markell, State Treasurer, DE
Lisa Tessier Marrache, State Representative, ME
Rosemary Marshall, State Representative, CO
Barbara Matthews, Assembly Member, Tracy CA
Carolyn McCarthy, U.S. Representative, NY
Kevin McCarthy, State Representative, IA
Kevin McCarthy, State Representative, IL
Kenneth McClintock, State Senator, PR
Bill McConico, State Representative, MI
Matt McCoy, State Senator, IA
Sharon McDonald, Commissioner of Revenue, Norfolk, VA
Mike McIntyre, U.S. Representative, NC
Gregory Meeks, U.S. Representative, NY
Charlie Melancon, United States Representative, LA
Jules Mermelstein, Township Commissioner, Upper Dublin, PA
Dolores Mertz, State Representative, IA
Juanita Millender-McDonald, U.S. Representative, CA
Jonathan Miller, State Treasurer, KY
Tom Miller, Attorney General, IA
Doug Milliken, Treasurer, Centennial CO
Ruth Ann Minner, Governor, DE
Keiffer Mitchell, Jr., City Councilman, Baltimore, MD
Dennis Moore, U.S. Representative, KS
Richard H. Moore, State Treasurer, NC
Richard Moore, State Senator, MA
Jim Moran, U.S. Representative, VA
Karen Morgan, State Representative, UT
John Morrison, State Auditor, MT
Keith Mulvihill, Commissioner, Mt. Lebanon PA
Charles A. Murphy, State Representative, MA
Pat Murphy, State Representative, IA
Ed Murray, State Representative, WA
Therese Murray, State Senator, MA
Janet Napolitano, Governor, AZ ....What a shame.
Bill Nelson, U.S. Senator, FL
Ben Nelson, U.S. Senator, NE ...........No surprise here!
Gavin C. Newsom, Mayor, San Francisco CA
Michael Nutter, City Councilman, Philadelphia, PA
Martin O'Malley, Mayor, Baltimore, MD
Michael A. O'Pake, State Senator, PA
Marc R. Pacheco, State Senator, MA
Alex Padilla, City Councilman, Los Angeles, CA
Alfred Park, State Representative, NM
Sally Pederson, Lieutenant Governor, IA
William Peduto, City Councilmember, Pittsburgh PA
Beverly Perdue, Lieutenant Governor, NC
Eddie Perez, Mayor, Hartford CT
Scott Peters, City Councilman, San Diego, CA
Janet Petersen, State Representative, IA
Bart Peterson, Mayor, Indianapolis IN
Gregory Pitoniak, Mayor, Taylor, MI
Jeffrey Plale, State Senator, WI
Tom Plant, State Representative, CO
Charles Potter, Council Member, Wilmington DE
Debra Powell, Mayor, East St. Louis, IL
David Price, U.S. Representative, NC
Mark Pryor, U.S. Senator, AR.......THIS explains a lot, no?
Brian Quirk, State Representative, IA
David Ragucci, Mayor, Everett, MA
Aaron Reardon, Snohomish County Executive, WA
Stephen Reed, Mayor, Harrisburg, PA
Ed Rendell, Governor, PA
Ann H. Rest, State Senator, MN
Joe Rice, Mayor, Glendale, CO
Graham Richard, Mayor, Fort Wayne, IN
John Richardson, State Representative, ME
Bill Richardson, Governor, NM
Steven Riggs, State Representative, KY
Joe Riley, Mayor, Charleston SC
Andrew Romanoff, State Representative,, CO
T.J. Rooney, State Representative, PA
Samuel Rosenberg, State Delegate, MD
Loretta Sanchez, U.S. Representative, CA ....Loretta????!!!!! Sheesh!
Sharon Sanders Brooks, State Representative, MO
Adam B. Schiff, U.S. Representative, CA
Jefferey Schoenberg, State Senator, IL
Allyson Schwartz, U.S. Representative, PA
Timothy Scott, Council Member, Carlisle Borough PA
David Scott, U.S. Representative, GA
Kathleen Sebelius, Governor, KS
Eugene M. Sellers, Vermillion Parish Engineer, Lafayette, LA
James Shapiro, City Representative, Stamford, CT
Kenneth Shetter, Mayor, Burleson TX
Ron Sims, County Executive, King County, WA
Scott Slifka, Mayor, West Hartford CT
Adam Smith, U.S. Representative, WA
Malcolm A. Smith, State Senator, NY
James Smith, House Democratic Leader, SC
Rod Smith, State Senator, FL
Vic Snyder, United States Representative, AR
Eleanor Sobel, State Representative, FL
Andrew Spano, County Executive, Westchester Co., NY
Carol Spielman, County Board Member, Lake County IL
Eliot Spitzer, State Attorney General, NY
Debbie Stabenow, U.S. Senator, MI ....crap!
Greg Stanton, City Councilman, Phoenix, AZ
Larry Stone, Assessor, Santa Clara County, CA
Peter Sullivan, State Representative, NH
Harvey D. Tallackson, State Senator, ND
Abel J. Tapia, State Representative, CO
Ellen Tauscher, U.S. Representative, CA
Charleta B. Tavares, City Council Member, Columbus, OH
Mark Taylor, Lieutenant Governor, GA
Michael L. Thurmond, State Labor Commissioner, GA
Lois Tochtrop, State Representative, CO
Tom Udall, U.S. Representative, NM
John Unger II, State Senator, WV
George Van Til, Surveyor, Lake County IN
Juan Vargas, State Assemblymember, CA
Jennifer Veiga, State Representative, CO
Val Vigil, State Representative, CO
Michael Villarreal, State Representative, TX
Tom Vilsack, Governor, IA ...... THE reason for this list posting!
Peter Voros, Mayor, Pittsgrove Township NJ
Lewis J. Wallace, State Representative, CT
Mark Warner, Governor, VA
Steven Warnstadt, State Representative, IA
Jonathan Weinzapfel, State Representative, IN
Jack Weiss, City Council, Los Angeles CA
Peggy M. Welch, State Representative, IN
Kenneth Welch, County Commissioner, Pinnellas County FL
Steve Westly, State Controller, CA
Michael J. Wildes, Mayor, Englewood NJ
Anthony Williams, Mayor, Washington, DC
Earnest Williams, City Councilman, St. Petersburg, FL
Suzanne Williams, State Representative, CO
Constance Williams, State Senator, PA
Sue Windels, State Senator, CO
Philip Wise, State Representative, IA
David Wu, U.S. Representative, OR
Barbara Yamrick, Regional Tranportation District Director, Aurora CO
David Yassky, City Councilmember, Brooklyn NY
Caprice Young, President of the Board of LAUSD, Los Angeles CA

[acmavm]

16. Poor Howard. He's always being bunched in with out own little group

of Republican-lites.

[Pithy Cherub]

17. Former members. Both Gore and Dean.

The DLC is a dwindling empire. The DLC members garner no more time, money or votes from me.

[On the Road]

28. I Think That's It --

The DLC is on the decline, and and it does the remaining members become increasingly worse as a group. I just hope it hurries up and dies.

The DLC had some merit in the 80s and attracted some good people, but the party is badly in need of a new message and a new paradigm.

Do you know the circumstances under which Gore and Dean dropped their DLC membership? Was it just because they left elective office, or was it a repudiation?

[mandyky]

14. The DLC, esp Al From hated Dean

I think Dean used to be DLC, at one time, though.

[On the Road]

24. Yes, I Know

Some of the things that Al From has said I absolutely despise. But that's him as an individual.

The DLC has a broad spectrum, and whether a politician is officially DLC does not concern me that much. It DOES concern me when a Democratic politician tries to kill his own party's progressive efforts or slanders a fellow Democrat. But that seems to be coming from several different quarters.

[Czolgosz]

13. I'd support the idea of an organization like the DLC if its only purpose

was electing Democrats in states where it is otherwise very difficult to elect a Democrat (for example, if Sen. Evan Bayh needs some cover to bring Indiana into the fold, I don't begrudge him the tools he needs to accomplish that greater goal), but when the DLC waters down what the party stands for (or should stand for) in states where we have every reason to expect a real Democrat would be welcomed by the voters, I'm against that in spades.

[T Wolf]

15. The DLC has killed a lot of support the Party may have had.

Not just for the party as a whole, but for individual politicians who have decided that supporting Bush* is the way to win elections.

In PA, I am stuck with one for my current Representative (Schwartz) and another (Casey) running against Santorum. Especially after statements by both regarding censure, etc., neither will get any support from me.

IMO, they are worse than repukes. They have sold out real Democrats for the comfort of corporate dollars. Fuck them!

[The Magistrate]

19. My Attitude Is Neutral, Ma'am

The organization accurately identifies one large problem facing the Party, namely that without recovering the bloc of voters loosely termed "Reagan Democrats", the long term prospects for the Party gaining and maintaining power are poor. This bloc of voters is mostly working class, and once formed one of the most reliable blocs of support the Party enjoyed. As a means of solving this problem, the organization urges a downplaying of "life-style" issues, and a muting of criticisms that can easily be styled as un-patriotic, as they feel these two items are a large part of what has alienated this bloc, and they urge concentration on economic issues, hoping that material benefit will win votes. In this latter, they do buy into the conventional "free-marketeer" school of economics, and that is certainly an error, as the policies of this school will not bring benefit to workers. For their other propositions, there are certainly sound arguments to be made in their favor, just as there are sound arguments to be made against. But they are at bottom simply a set of strategic proposals towards rebuilding the power of the Democratic Party.

There is a small clique that takes the view this organization is some conspiratorial stalking horse that somehow runs the Democratic party today from the shadows, and is openly collaborating with the Republican Party to ensure the latter's continued predominance. This is not a view that leaves much room for rational discussion: it is more an article of faith that one eother believes or does not. There is no real evidence either for the power, or the intent, proclaimed. A sub-set of this clique uses the organizatuon as a cover for threats against the Democratic Party, loudly proclaiming that "if the DLC is in charge, Democrats are just Republicans", and take this as a text to recommend opposition to Democrats and establishment of a third party. This complicats discussion of the matter even further.

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[Mutley]

23. Thank you for your input, sir.

Very informative post. :)

[T Wolf]

29. Yeah, we really need a bunch of racist assholes on our side.

By that rationale, Democrats should not have supported civil rights because it eventually cost them the south.

Take it further and abandon all the principles that (I thought) the party is supposed to stand for. Become anti-choice, anti-environmental protection, anti-living wage, anti-gay rights, pro-pre-emptive war, anti-church&state separation. At least "we'd" win some elections. Right?

If that is the kind of country you want to live in, you are welcome to it.

[The Magistrate]

33. The Basis Of Politics, Mr. Wolf, Remains Simple Arithmetic

The parry that gets the greater number of votes will win. The defection of a large proportion of working class voters from the Democratic Party fold has put the Party in an electoral hole it must somehow get out of if it is to win. Your suggestions on how a sizeable enough sum of votes can be assembled without reference to this bloc are eagerly awaited. Calling them "racist assholes" is unlikely to move many of them to range alonmgside you on issues where you might actually have some overlap of desire with them.

[T Wolf]

41. Two steps.

1) Fight like hell for fair elections, not electoral masturbation where the pukes count the amount of "discharge" in the beaker.

2) Clearly and simply (you are talking to Americans to whom a 30-second commercial is too long to pay attention) articluate a real progressive agenda.

Then, if the majority of Americans still want to go further down the road to fascism, either find a way to live here with as little interference from them as possible or find a new country to move to.

Question for you, your Honor: Should the Dems have not taken up the civil rights struggle? After all, it did cost the south and untold election losses. Are you saying that winning is the only thing that matters, no matter what alliances you have to make?

[The Magistrate]

44. Regarding Your Two Points, Sir

The matter of electoral fraud is rapidly taking on the lineaments of religious belief: if the entire system is as controlled as some profess it to be, there is nothig to be done short of armed revolution, which is not going to happen. There is certainly some fraud, and it needs to be opposed and exposed, but there has always been a good deal of fraud in elections, and always will be.

You might want to try your hand at compressing a "real progressive agenda" into thirty seconds of verbiage. It sounds quite a challenge to me.

The history of the Civil Rights laws is a good deal more checkered in terms of party affiliations than you seem to suppose. The votes that pressed those enactments through the Cingress were hardly cast along Democrat v. Republican lines. A great many Democrats voted against them, and a great many Republicans voted for them. The split was more along regional lines, with Senators and Representatives from the north and midwest voting for them, and those from the south and southwest voting against them. Those northern epublicans who voted for them ere, for other reasosn, driven out of the Republican party by its Goldwater wing as "Rockefeller Republicans", and many migrated in the Democratic Party, while many of the Dixiecrats have migrated to the Republicans.

[T Wolf]

50. Again....

There has been fraud, but never on the grand scale that exists todays whereby the entire process is bogus. Unless the Dems stand up and fight for verifiable, paper-trailed, and independently-counted elections, there is no point to casting a vote that will never be counted.

What I meant was that each point would have to be summarized in a 30-second clip, not the entire agenda. Dems lose the attention of Americans when we try to explain anything more involved than when the pukes recite "Lower Taxes" or "Kill all the AY-rabs."

Fighting harder with a clearer message MAY win. Fighting weakly with a message that tries to echo the pukes never will.

And I would say that many more Dems abandoned the party when civil rights became a part of our agenda than "Rockefeller Republicans" who joined. Those so-called moderate pukes primarily stayed in their party because their goal was always the accumulation of more wealth. The racism of the GOP might have made them a tad uncomfortable in their elite circles, at least, openly expressed as it became permissbale to do. But their core value of exploitation of everyone beneath them, regardless of color, was not going to be compromised. The "social" agenda of the party just enabled them to peal off millions of southern and western voters who didn't like people who were different from themselves.

[porphyrian]

35. "Reagan Democrats" no longer exist as such, and likely never will.

The DLC strategy is proven (three times) to be a failing one. A far more effective and valid strategy would be to return to our Democratic base, stand up for what most of us believe in (though they like to say this is "looney left," or some such horseshit), and fucking FIGHT FOR US! The enemy is giving us no quarter, and showing them quarter has won us nothing. Pandering to republicans is tantamount to treason at this point.

[The Magistrate]

42. Not Quite True, Sir

Not only are there a number of persons still living and voting who fit the classic description, but the term has become a sort of short-hand for the bloc of working class voters who vote Republican though it is clearly against their material interests. This is a vey large bloc, and the Democratic Party needs to make inroads into it.

One other eleement that bothers me somewhat in the line you press is the loose use of the phrase "return to our Democratic base". Doing this would be recapturing precisely the bloc of working class voters the D.L.C. aims at, whether in a useful manner or not. That isd the traditional base of the Democratic Party.

[porphyrian]

45. Not Quite True Yourself

While the people you choose to call "Reagan Democrats" may indeed be a large bloc, our hopes of getting the majority of their votes is slim to none, as evidenced in the last three major elections this strategy was employed which handed victory to the republicans. One definition of insanity is repeating the same action continuously expecting a different result each time. A larger bloc exists in non-voters and those alienated by this same failed strategy.

As for the base, that just depends on who you are referring to. I was referring to the base we had under Clinton, the last defining moment of our party in power, not the origin of the party. I'm pretty sure a similar situation applies when people refer to the republicans "returning to their base" after nixon.

[The Magistrate]

48. If You Say So, Sir

It is not necessary to gain a majority of that bloc, only to reduce somewhat the proportion of its attachment to the enemy. That is probably a goal that can be achieved.

One of the features of President Clinton's election victories was precisely the recapture of a proportion of the "Reagan Democrat" bloc, most noteably the Catholic portion of it. In his first victory, of course, he was greatly assisted by the peeling of another portion of the enemy's strength to the Perot insurgency. During President Clinton's administration, he was frequently under attack from the left flank, on matters ranging from military enlistmnent for homosexuals to changes in the welfare laws and the like, which lines can still be seen frequently here, often from people claiming to constitute the "base" of the Party.

[porphyrian]

67. I take issue with the DLC claiming right wing positions as "moderate."

But I guess we can't control the words other people use just because we don't agree with them.

[in_cog_ni_to]

20. KICK!

:kick:

[Marie26]

22. I love the DLC

Lieberman especially. Their ideals will rocket the Democratic Party to policital success once more! Go DLC! {/flamebait}. Actually, I didn't even know much about the DLC before coming to DU. They're centrists, & seem suspiciously pro-Iraq war, but I don't think they're the source of all evil. I don't really know enough to be a supporter or non-supporter. Is there an option for "indifferent"?

[Mutley]

25. It may be too late to include an "indifferent/neutral" option as there

are already many votes, and it wouldn't really be fair to those who have already voted. Maybe just vote "other" or "undecided". :)

[Marie26]

27. It's okay

I was sort of kidding. "Other" it is.

[jackpan1260]

26. When they are running against republicans I ABSOLUTELY support them

with my vote.

I think there are some good democrats and not so good democrats both in and out of the DLC. Why I disagree with many DLCers on many things, I think the democratic party has a big enough tent to accomodate them.

[Mutley]

30. kick

What's the problem with self kicking, anyway? :D

[in_cog_ni_to]

31. kick!

:kick:

[Iniquitous Bunny]

32. I'm sorry, but the DLC...

takes centrism and gives it a liberal stamp. I think the Democratic party can do better than centrism. I think we need to give people a stronger difference. I believe apathy is more likely to remain when all you see is more of the same.

[Minnesota Libra]

34. Until I find something better I guess I'll stick with the DLC....nt

[Coexist]

36. how do you do that thing

where your word "here" links to something?

tia.

[Mutley]

37. Without the spaces I include below, type in the following...

< link : URL | here >

Be sure to take out the "http://" part of your URL or it won't work. Oh, and you need the brackets on either side, not the arrow things. I don't know why they showed up instead of the brackets I put in.

[Coexist]

39. much obliged mutley!

[Mutley]

43. That's adorable! Thanks!

:D

[Hubert Flottz]

38. Does the DLC support YOU?

[in_cog_ni_to]

40. GREAT question! NO, it does not! n/t

[Pastiche423]

47. The corporate wing of the Dem Party?

Hell No!

[Buck Rabbit]

49. I support them when they win an election in a Red/Purple district.

The Oregon Progressive-DLC team.

Two of our congressional districts in Oregon are deep blue. They are the urban areas that carry statewide elections for Democrats. The representatives of those districts are true progressives, Blumenhauer and Defasio.

The rest of the state is purple to bright red. But DLC Democrats hold two of the three seats in those more conservative areas that could easily and often have elected Republicans.

Having 4 Democrats, two of them true progressives beats the heck out of having 2 Democrats and 3 Republicans.

[depakid]

59. DeFazio's district isn't deep blue!

Yet he get elected because he's honest, principled and has integrity.

David Wu and Darleen Hooley, on the other hand, have neither principles nor integrity- Wu ended up being THE deciding vote on Bush's Medicare scam- and he voted for the bankruptcy bill.

Hooley just voted to premempt ALL state laws on food labeling. ALL OF THEM. Including Oregon's law that requires disclosure of "salvaged" food. Fuck her.

Those two DO NOT stand either for the interests of the party or for the majority of Oregonians.

Much better candidates could and should run in their districts- and quite frankly- I'd rather see both of them get beaten in the general election, if that's what it takes to replace them. The Democratic party AND the state of Oregon are better off in the long run without the likes of them in office.

[depakid]

62. delete

[Pastiche423]

66. What he ^ said

Plus, thank you for spelling Pete DeFazio's name correctly.

I live in Rep. DeFazio's district and there are only pockets of blue here. And after twenty years, he still gets elected by wide margins.

[DemGirl7]

54. I'm not a friend to the DLC...

I see them as Republican-lite, so I don't support them. Even through there are certain members of the DLC who seem not to fit in with the DLC, and I kind of support them. Why these politicans are members of the DLC, I have no idea. :shrug:

[ulysses]

55. no.

[Ksec]

56. no . Theyre tools

of the repukes . I say fk em.

[Mutley]

57. A little kick

one last time before I get out of here for the night. :D

[More Than A Feeling]

58. I support DLC Democrats in areas where no other type of Dem can win.

Also, if they are the nominee in a general election. For example, if Vilsack somehow got the Prez nomination, I would vote for him.

[im10ashus]

60. I don't support them.

They are right-wing implants and corporate whores. Republican-lite.

[depakid]

63. The question should be rephrased

Do you support right wing policies- and/or the people who enable them and vote for them?

Beacuse that's what this is really all about.

[Spiffarino]

64. For the record, I don't dislike DLC supporters

I think they're taking the Democratic party to places it doesn't belong. Democrats sucking on the corporate teat is appalling. That's the Republicans' job and they're already very good at it. Somebody has to represent the people and the DLC isn't doing it.

[mmonk]

65. No

I support the constitution and the Bill of Rights. I also support the idea of real solutions concerning healthcare and a decent safety net and the concept of a living wage. I support the concept of international law and of course, the Geneva conventions. I'm against the pre-emptive war concept or a security state that invades all privacy. I believe the DLC opposes me on some of these issues.

[mvd]

68. Generally no

On a national scale, I'm opposed. They thought their strategy worked for Clinton, and haven't yet realized that the same philosophy has become stale. I think it was Clinton's charisma more than anything that got him elected. Now, I think the DLC influenced both the Gore and Kerry campaigns to their detriment. Voters want to hear what separates Democrats from Repukes.

On a local level, if the DLC candidate is the only one with a chance, I support voting for him.

[MyNameGoesHere]

69. Why? Are the purges

gonna start here on DU?