Has this ever happened? A politician goes more liberal than expected?

[riverdale]

Has a Dem candidate ever run as a moderate... ok they all do ... BUT then taken a hard turn to the left after winning the election? If so, how did that turn out for him? Maybe that would answer the eternal question of should Dems keep going more and more conservative after they win (or lose!).
It seems to me that the rightwing people get what they vote for. Left wing voters get suckered into a candidate who promises to be progressive, then goes more rightwing every time.

[Warpy]

1. FDR was born to wealth

and was run by the party leadership because they thought he wouldn't rock the boat too much, even though the country was mired in disaster.

They were wrong. He was pushed to the left by circumstances and he went there willingly after a rough first two years when he tried to play the game the way the movers and shakers wanted it played, supporting prices by creating artificial shortages instead of by supporting jobs and wages.

If a pol has any native intelligence and common sense at all, there is always hope.

[bluestateguy]

2. FDR moved left in 1935

He was very DLCish in 1933-34.

[Warpy]

3. That was rather the point of the body of the post.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. Have You Read His First Inaugural Address?

I'm not sure what you're basing your DLC comparisons on - I don't recall FDR ever acting like a Republican and attacking the working class.

[Warpy]

7. Speeches are dreams

Records are the reality.

[bluestateguy]

10. Many times, in fact

As Warpy said, it's the record that matters. In 1933-34, FDR was quite cozy with elements of the business community. The National Industrial Recovery program was launched with considerable coordination with business leaders.

Keep in mind too, that FDR never pushed the Wagner Act (the NLRA). It was not part of his New Deal proposals, nor did he bother to fight for it in the Congress. Senator Robert Wagner did all of the legwork getting it passed, and when it came to FDR's desk, he simply signed it in 1935.

[ZombieHorde]

18. "I don't recall FDR ever acting like a Republican and attacking the working class"

Unless they were the wrong ethnicity.

[MyNameGoesHere]

13. Actually he rejected the"DLC" or possibly

Tammany movement as the DLC was not in existence at that time. As governor he introduced a lot of progressive reforms. He started a relief program in 1929 that was a model for the FERA. So I am not sure really what the fuck you are talking about.

[bluestateguy]

17. I can't take somebody seriously who uses abusive language to make their point

nt

[riverdale]

4. Good example

Right. I guess I was hoping that Obama might secretly be an FDR type deep down, or at least he would give the left the time of day once elected. (He was a community organizer, for crissakes!) I was out there campaigning for the guy, and this is the thanks we get for showing such strong support. Just disappointing to see more of the same out of this guy in particular.

[MannyGoldstein]

6. LBJ and Civil Rights?nt

[randr]

8. The liberal left is a bogey man designed to scare poor little

ditto heads. Name me one "liberal" pol. Dennis K is the closest and he is more of a populist.
The existence of a real leftist liberalism is a myth.
A real liberal would embrace ideas that would scare the hell out of the status Quo.
Just a few of the "liberal" ideas I would like to see enacted.
True freedom from Government control in our lives. Our bodies, guns, and minds.
Regulation of "corporate structures". Stockholder held responsible for the management they hire.
No taxes on and equal access to the fundamental needs of life.
No lobbying or corporate contribution to political process.
A mean level of income that is not taxed.
Progressive taxation above the mean.

[ellenfl]

15. bernie sanders is a liberal. ted kennedy was a liberal.

bobby kennedy was a liberal. jesus was a liberal. oh, wait, he wasn't elected. :eyes: bob graham? i'm sure there are others.

ellen fl

[Rowdyboy]

9. Earl Warren as Chief Justice was FAR more liberal than Eisenhower intended....

However he didn't have to worry about being elected.

[mdmc]

11. David Souter, if ya can call him a politician

`

[Odin2005]

12. FDR. Ran as a Centrist who wanted a balanced budget.

His fist year in office was actually quite corporatist (the National Recovery Act was a corporatist boondogle, as some of his aids admitted). The Progressive FDR we know didn't start to appear until 1934 and the so called "Second New Deal" and it not show in full force until his "Banksters" speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1936.

[LearnedHand]

14. Excellent point. And OMG, we have to look ...

60 and 40 years back or to the Supremes to scrape up an example? Now I'm wishing you HADN'T asked the question. I'm depressed. :cry:

[road2000]

16. I'm with you, LH.

And while the OP specified a Democrat, it was a pleasure to see Barry Goldwater growing more liberal with age and experience. But hey, that was only 35 years ago, lol.

[Union Yes]

19. Justice Blackmun was a Nixon appointee. Nom'd as a conservative, became a liberal and authored RVW.

Not really a Pol per se but others have listed judges so I thought I'd add it.