So... Does The "Little Guy" STILL Turn To The Democratic Party ???

[WillyT]

Is the Democratic Party still the champion of the underdog, the down-trodden, and the turned-out?

I ask this, because:

1) WE USED TO BE! That's why we pretty much had both houses of Congress for 40 some years after FDR. It's a major reason FDR was elected 4 times.

But last night as I was watching this segment on 60 minutes though a thousand tears:

Video: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6001703n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel

Story (Text): http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/17/60minutes/main5996883.shtml?tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel

2) I, for the first time in my life, felt I couldn't reach out to these people. Not on behalf of the Democratic Party at least.

I mean... for some reason, I couldn't see myself bringing up a political party in their current hardships. Because I'm no longer convinced that either party gives a shit anymore.

And what a monumental mistake of my party... to play footsies, third-way neo-corporate assholery with Wall Street and muli-national Corporations at the exact moment we have a near depression.

I know I'm rambling... but I'm just so flummoxed by the moves our side has made this year.

Please Mr. President... Just kick SOMEBODY'S ASS !!!

Just let us know ya got it in you.

:banghead:

[begin_within]

1. Not me,

at least until publicly funded elections. The Democratic Party is too tied to corporate donations to be of any help to the "little guy" so they don't deserve my support. Well, Kucinich does but offhand I can't think of anyone else currently in Congress or the White House who does.

[WhiteTara]

14. your support shouldn't be measured

in dollars. Your support is knocking on doors for a candidate you want to represent you.

This is not a direct democracy. This is representative democracy...maybe not the best form, but it is the reality of the day. We need to keep working. It took a * to get the majority of people to awaken enough to make this SMALL change and it will require us to stay awake and keep on knocking.

[grantcart]

2. After 10 years of getting no medical care I am going to be able to see a doctor

and my wife certifies me as a "little guy" so I would have to say the answer is "yes".

[WillyT]

5. Not Being An Asshole Here, But May I Ask WHEN You Will Get That Appointment ???

Seriously... will the bill, when passed, afford you the ability to see the doctor this coming year?

Just wondering when it kicks in for you.

:shrug:

[grantcart]

8. It doesn't have to "kick in" we avoid going now because if we got

something diagnosed then we would find it impossible to ever get any insurance.

The day after the bill passes I can see a doctor and not worry about the fact that what the doctor finds will be used as an excuse to deny me care.

There are millions and millions in my situation but I was prepared to hold out against a bill that would have helped me because it didn't have a public option. Like Nate Silver, Krugman, and all Democratic Senators I found upon actually reading the bill is that there are lots of very good things in the bill and some of the things that the public option would have addressed can now be addressed in another way.

Go PISS

Pass the bill
Improve it in conference
State Public Option (the bill establishes some critical floors but allows states to improve upon it.
Single Payer eventually. Canada didn't pass a a national health care plan, Saskatchewan did. Eleven years it had spread to the entire country.

[girl gone mad]

11. Can you still travel to Thailand?

I think it's a bad idea to wait 4 years because you're afraid a pre-existing condition will make your premiums too high.

Even if you get coverage, insurance companies will still do whatever they can to screw you.

You have many options right now. I lived without insurance for over 10 years. Every doctor I went to was willing to negotiate prices. I even negotiated with a hospital before going in for non-emergency treatment.

There are clinics and doctors who will see you without identification, so you can avoid having anything turn up in your medical records. If nothing else, at least drive to Mexico and go to a clinic there. There are many very excellent facilities that charge next to nothing and have no waits. You do not have to show them ID.

[WillyT]

20. I Understand Your Reasoning, But...

I find it hard to accept the incremental crumbs we're being thrown.

:shrug:

[girl gone mad]

7. Do doctors make appointments 4 years in advance?

Why would you wait that long if you need to see someone? Are you concerned that you'll be diagnosed with a pre-existing condition? In my experience, some doctors and clinics are willing to take you on an anonymous, cash basis and there are many, many physicians who offer discounts for oop payers. I've actually never been to one who wouldn't negotiate. It's worth a try, at least!

Are you anywhere near the border??

[cliffordu]

10. Your better half did say you were "diminuitive" after our last 'massage'.

But somehow I don't think the OP was talking about that kind of "little guy".....

[RainDog]

12. no, that's just one part of you she refers to in that way...

j/k :)

[UrbScotty]

3. I'm a little guy - and a proud Democrat.

Better to change the Democratic Party from within, than leave the Democratic Party and let things get worse.

[PufPuf23]

19. I am remaining a Democrat

Have been since Eugene McCarthy.

I was a student at UC Berkeley when Reagan and resigned from a 16 year Fed career when Reagan was POTUS.

The Machivellian neo-liberals do not represent traditional Democratic values and rely on the media "Big Lie" just like the Neocons.

[treestar]

4. Taking your strained conclusions for true does not lead to any logical end

This helps the little guy.

[girl gone mad]

9. I disagree.

It was very logical and straightforward to me.

[napi21]

6. The little guy hasn't been very voca lately! I think that's one

reason he's not being heard. Unfortunately, we live in a 2 Party system in the US. I understand all the support Bernie Sanders has, and I am part of that, but even Bernie will tell you it's very hard if not imposswibleto get an indepenant elected! You sure don't want to consider the Pub Party! They won't even recognize you even exist! I honestly don't believe the Dems don't care. It's more like they simply can't get elected or re-elected without all that $$! We don't have it, or we could demand they boot the greeders out, so I don't see a choice except to elect Des and keep the pressure on! Some very good Dems have been recently elected. That's the direction we need to go in. Improve the caliber of new Dems and we'll get back to a real democracy FOR THE PEOPLE!

[RainDog]

13. I'm a "little guy" - but I'm a woman

I do not have health insurance now.

I was married and my ex husband treated me in such a way that I have struggled with anxiety, depression and PTSD for years. when I got a divorce (because of psychological abuse from my bipolar husband who tried to kill himself several times while I and my small children were in the house) I couldn't get a job, even with excellent credentials.

so I went back to grad school. I still can't get a job, even tho my field is highly employable. but I'm not a kid anymore. I started looking in a bad job market that got worse. A biz management prof. guy told me to dumb down my resume. I can't even get a call for a job as a secretary - tho I have a masters degree.

anyway, during all this, I stupidly (or not, because I still think it was in my children's best interests) agreed to share custody, which meant my ex blocked me from moving to other places where I could have a job - or he would've forced me to leave my children.

while in grad school, I improved the performance of the dept I managed. now I'm working part time and my boss said my work has increased her biz by 4% in a bad economy (and this is a small biz and this boss is so not on top of the new economy it's sad.) I've not done anything wrong. except I got older and put my kids first.

and I got very depressed and anxious when I was a Phi Beta Kappa student, had a grant from the nat'l endowment, was recognized for my work in grad school, but couldn't get a job. then the self-doubt really sets in. and the suicidal thoughts.

I'm about down to it. I have some books I'm going to sell - including here.

I'm so down to it now that I have qualified for a needs-based program that is staffed by volunteer doctors - and I'm receiving the best health care I have ever had in my life -- because no insurance co tells the drs what to do to provide the health care I need.

when my ex husband was getting treatment for his bipolar disorder (btw, he's a tenured prof. who does theoretical research that has benefited all areas of science... just to clarify what sort of person deals with these things) the insurance company tried to deny his claim of admission to a mental health care facility because, she said, "they don't pay for people to go to spas."

I told this woman, look, my husband just tried to fucking kill himself. how dare you say that to me. I asked to speak to her manager. The university that held this insurance started to bring a class-action suit against the insurer (anthem) because I wasn't the only person who had to deal with this kind of bullshit from insurance cos.

I do not trust insurance cos to run a health care program to the benefit of American citizens. that's not their charter. they have to answer to shareholders.

I don't want insurance. I can't afford insurance. I want HEALTH CARE.

and a job. okay, I have a job. I just worked 10 days straight. I was going to be working 15 days straight, then one day off for christmas, then back to work the next day. but someone else kindly offered to work for me on the day after Christmas. my boss didn't want to pay me overtime, when she's the one who asked me to work. we made an arrangement. because I have no other job prospects at the moment.

well, that's not entirely true. I have a couple of other part-time things and I might be able to cobble together a living wage with three jobs.

I have a masters degree. I'm not stupid. I have skills. I have no insurance. I have no job that pays a living wage. I guess that more than qualifies me as the "little guy."

[glitch]

15. Only the members of the Democratic Party who do not follow the precepts of the DLC

There are still a few, they just don't happen to be in the top positions at present.
But that doesn't mean they aren't worth supporting or working for. In fact, they are heroes and well worth fighting for.

[ipaint]

16. Primarily they are the party of wall street.

They left the little guy (working class) on the side of the road when reagan started busting unions. They've been driving away ever since.

[ipaint]

17. Corporate democrats.

ROBERT KUTTNER: Right. And I think it's not accidental that the last three Democratic presidents have been at best, corporate Democrats. And one hoped because of the depth of the crisis and the disgrace of deregulation and ideology, and the practical failure of the Bush presidency, this was a moment for a clean break. The fact that even at such a moment, even with an outsider president campaigning on change we can believe in, that Barack Obama turned out to be who he has been so far, is just so revealing in terms of the structural undertow that big money represents in this country. The question is: Is he capable of making a change -- he's only been in office less than a year -- in time to redeem the moment, redeem his own promise?

BILL MOYERS: When you talk about corporate Democrats, exactly what do you mean?

ROBERT KUTTNER: I mean Democrats who are reluctant to cross swords with the corporate elite that has so much power in this country, whether it's the Wall Street elite or whether it's the health-industrial complex.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/12182009/transcript1.html

[unkachuck]

18. "Does The "Little Guy" STILL Turn...."

....nope, times have changed....

....today, the 'little guy' seldom benefits directly from the concern of either party....the political parties in this country are there mainly to benefit corporate interests and only indirectly, after being served a profit-tax on all goods and services, the 'little guy's interest....

....this country is of the business, by the business, for the business....it's no longer politically one man, one vote, but rather, one million dollars, maybe one vote....

[Laelth]

21. The Democratic Party

"Still better than the alternative, but you need a microscope to see the difference."

Kill the bill.

Forcing people to buy insurance is no more the answer to a failed health care system than forcing people to buy houses is the solution to homelessness.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Historic NY]

22. Yes keep hope alive.

[Blue Owl]

23. Good Question

I was wondering that myself.

[LynneSin]

24. Are you asking the "little guys" here at DU or the rest of the country too

:shrug: