So... does the Democratic Party even share my values anymore?

[Political Heretic]

I'm trying to figure out what "core" of the Democratic Party even represents my values anymore.

See I value a fair economy where ordinary people unprotected by multi-millions of dollars to solve their every problem are protected from predators by a responsible regulatory government, where the people's money isn't recklessly handed to banks without accountability and despite their practice of fraud, deception and criminality. I thought Democrats did too.

I value Labor, as the only bargaining power available for many of not most working class individuals. I thought Democrats did too.

I value teachers, and I stand with teachers against the nonsensical meme that they are problem and not part of the solution to our education crisis. I thought Democrats did too.

I value unambiguous equality, and given that the Democratic party expects and demands the votes of LGBT people everywhere each year, I guess I sort of assumed the Democratic Party did too.

I value affordable health care for everyone, not less expensive insurance mandated for not everyone. Heath care and health insurance are not even close to the same things.

I stand for responsible energy and environmental policy that is not served by stealing the Republicans talking point of "DRILL BABY DRILL." And I could have sword that Democrats did too.

I value peace over wars of aggression. I value civil rights and oppose the Patriot Act, unregulated detention gulags like Gitmo or Bagram (which to my knowledge, will still be completely operational even if Gitmo ever does close, so what's the difference?) The Democratic Party appears to be fine with all of these things.

So seriously.... I guess I should just GTFO. Is that the deal? The "new" Democratic Party is actually stands for things completely different than what I do now?

Who decides what the Democratic party stands for anyway? Is it the handful of politicians we elect, is the the party "leaders?" Or is the millions of regular Americans who identify as Democrats.

Who should leave - us or them?

[saracat]

1. Well I have those values you mention and I REFUSE to GTFO. Let those who compromise and

distain those values GTFO. I am a Democrat amd I refuse to have DINOs dictate to me.

[Skidmore]

12. Disdain.

[provis99]

2. your Democratic party died with the Reagan era.

Now we have a corporate monstrosity pretending to be a political party of the people. I ain't voting in the 2010 midterms, and if the Democrats get whupped, too bad for them. They should go back to their corporate buddies and collect more corruption money. Liberalism is dead in the Democratic party.

[ima_sinnic]

3. at least

write in a name rather than not voting at all.

Switching to Independent party affiliation on your voter registration also sends a message.

[Sherman A1]

4. Agreed and Well Said.

I will be voting, but I may skip many of the particular offices (including an open US Senate Seat here in MO). I am exceptionally displeased with the Democratic Party and it's move to the corporate right, but we still have a few local issues that I will vote upon and other such matters.

Then the Party can look at the election totals and make up their own mind.

[ixion]

7. Which is why I became an Independent in the 80's, and have never looked back

When the Democrats feel like supporting populist values again, maybe I would come back.

[truedelphi]

15. I very much understand where you are coming from.

I look at California and the problems are Gigantic. Yet all it would have taken for Geithner to have saved this state was to LOAN it half of the money that Geithner's cronies on Wall Street offered themselves as bonuses. Was that really too much to ask?

But we in California were denied that loan.

And whose money is it? It is ours - it shouldn't even be loaned - it should be given. Thirty million people live here - and we pay the Federal government year after year $ 1 for every 78 cents they give back to us.

I grew up way back in the day when Eisenhower's Generals came and told him about the importance of fighting a war in a place called Vietnam. And Eisenhower looked at the overall budget, and then he said, "Sorry Fellas, no can do. We are still paying off WWII and Korea."

Why is it so hard for the people at the top to understand that spending money on endless wars is NOT strengthening this nation, it is destroying it?

Doesn't seem to matter which party we vote in, they all like these wars.

[Echo In Light]

5. The first time I voted was Clinton's first term, but have always been partial to Green/lefty indies

... over most Dems, who more often than not were more so aligned w/RWers and cons, policy wise. Which is to say I've always felt that, hypothetically, if the ship sank, and I'm treading water, the Greenies in their life boat are far more likely to pull me aboard after the Dems sail right on past

[ixion]

8. an apt metaphor

and very true, sad to say.

[nickinSTL]

6. I think many of us on the "left" are feeling the same

and I think it will cost the Dems in November.

Whether it will be enough to offset gains on the right, I don't know.

However, I've already decided that I won't be voting for the Dem because he/she is a Dem - I'm seriously considering 3rd party candidates, and in some cases, writing in someone who's better than those running, if there's no good candidate from any party.

Obama's corporatism is continuing the push to the center - it may soon be time for the left to abandon that centrist party and commit to moving to another party.

[quaker bill]

9. Of course it does

Sharing beliefs is easy. Making laws is hard. It is always good not to confuse the two.

[Faryn Balyncd]

10. Unfortunately, the "less expensive insurance mandated" will prove to be MORE expensive.

Mandating purchase in the absence of effective cost controls is not a formula for reducing out of control costs.

Before his U-turn, Obama told us repeatedly a public plan was necessary to provide the competition needed to reduce costs.... Before his U-turn, he was right.

The CBO estimates that the (increasing number of) people forced into the individual market will experience a RISE in the rate of inflation in premiums, and that those in group plans will see their premiums rise at the same rate of premium inflation as if no bill had passed.....Both of these DESPITE the fact that decreasing the amount of uncompensated services to those without insurance was SUPPOSED to REDUCE prices.

[Starry Messenger]

11. Did they ever?

I seriously doubt it at this point. The brush with "liberalism" was apparently a brilliant miracle of branding.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[flyarm]

14. in a simple answer..NO...every democratic principle has been shit on!

busting teachers
busting teacher unions
is filling our public schools administrators with military people!
fucks us on health care
oil drilling off our pristine coast lines
the eco system is fucked
our money has gone to the very fuckers who destroyed our economy
This pres hired Kissinger to represent his administration
70,000 more soldiers sent to war zones
keeps Gitmo open
gives immunity to the telecoms who broke the laws of our constitution
re-authorized the Patriot act
gave bailouts to the banks that fucked this nation and won't even loan us our own money!
Gave us Romney care..and brags about it.
Hedge fund managers made billions ..record numbers in 2009

did i miss anything????????

-look there is a pattern..the shadow government split the republican party under Bush..with posers ..with paid propagandists to shut up the Republican majority..
-they are doing the same thing now with the democratic party..there are posers trying to shut us up, those of us with democratic values and prinicples...they tell us our principles and values are worthless..they do this with posers/propagandists...sleepers if you will....there is an absolute pattern..

don't forget this was brought up many times on DU during the Bush years..

I heard the same things from my republican friends..they would ask ..where has their party gone..people who were lifelong republicans ..that didn't do the bullshit crap, and weren't fundies or irrational people..they had no idea who was putting their interests on the back burner and destroying their party.

Same shit different party now..we have the same posers with the same M.O...they are trying to stop the flow of truth and information..silence the truth to power.

We must shut them up..we must expose the posers or we lose the party of our values and principles.

WE MUST EXPOSE THEM EVERY WAY WE CAN.

AND WE MUST NEVER ALLOW THE SILENCING OF TRUTH.

What is being done to the American people and our nation is bigger than a party or one or two instances. It is being done methodically and systematically to us.

We either recognise it and stop it now...and take actions to stop it ..or suffer it's grave consequences.

Do not let the posers silence you.

Do not let the posers attempt to intimidate you.

Stand for truth and understand ..truth does prevail..maybe not always on our timetable..but stand with truth and you stand with and for your nation.

Expose the posers..recognize them..they are obvious.