Help return the Democratic party to The People.

- I'll vote Dem in 2004...but after that I make no promises. If the party can't rid itself of the right wing influence by that time...they can expect an exodus unlike any in the history of the party. I won't be alone. Many (liberal, social) Democrats will flee and find something more in line with their values and principles. A party that won't fight for itself is not worth fighting for.

- The Democratic party has lost it's way...but the faithful are too afraid to do anything about it. Worse...the Dem RWingers use the same tactics as the Neocons to keep detractors in line by questioning their loyalty. It's considered 'treasonous' to admit that the Right Wing has found a way to infiltrate and take over the party from within. The 'job' of these Right Wing Democrats is to divide the party by making the faithful doubt their own values and why they became Dems in the first place. They're also working hard to protect George W and the spoils system he represents so well.

- Is there anything worse than another four years of the cowardly lion king? You may not think so now...but there is: four more years of Bush* raping and plundering our country as the Dems stand by helpless and hopeless. Once again...I call for the once proud Democratic party to stand up for the people and investigate, hold hearings and prosecute the Bushies for their crimes against our country and the world.

- Anything less will be perceived as collusion with the most corrupt executive branch in American history. Don't allow the Wormtongue RWing Democrats to lull you into believing that everything will be alright if we can only 'vote' the Bushies out of office. What they won't tell you is that they have no plans to make them accountable whether they win or lose. FIGHT for America and the Democratic party by demanding the truth instead of concession and 'date rape' bipartisanship. Stop listening to the bad advice that we must become like the enemies of freedom in order to win elections.

- It's time to take a stand. Help return the Democratic party to The People.

at Meetup.com

All the candidates have meetups, but how many DUers attending candidate meetups also attend Democratic Party meetups?

The Party meetups should be attended by all who are attending candidate meetups. You really should.

It seems to me to do no good to have a candidate who is in the party if you can't shake up the party as well.

- And we must fight to restore America. It will do little good to have a Dem president when the Neocons have both houses, courts and the media. Like with Clinton...they will make it impossible for a Dem president to govern.

- We must change the corrupt system of government before any Dem will have a chance. The very worse thing we can do is go blindly into the next election believing that the Bushies can't steal it again.

...what prompted Q to go on such a rant on this fine Sunday morning? Here it is: all the 'Bush* is going down in flame' threads, cheering at Bush's* fake poll numbers...and the general feeling at DU that the Bushies don't have a chance in 2004.

- The rash of retrograde amnesia infecting DU is astonishing to behold. Have we so soon forgotten what the Bushies have been allowed to get away with and that they were able to take office in 2000 against the Constitution and will of the people?

- I'm very concerned that OUR party believes there is any kind of 'justice' in simply voting the Bushies out of office. I'm even more concerned that many Dems still consider the very serious problems of election fraud, 9-11 and the Iraq invasion to be little more than 'conspiracy theories' invented by 'extremists' and 'far left' radicals.

- Prosecuting Bush* crimes and misdeeds must happen whether Dems win or lose. This must be done for and in the name of the people.

:)

is the belief that defeating the Bush administration is the be-all and end-all goal for america.....Many seem to have gotten involved in political debate because of the egrgious nature of the this administration and the blatancy of its attacks on rights, world stability and the like. They will, once a democrat is elected to the presidency, simply resume their naps.......the problems go far beyond an individual or an administration and will, if left unresolved, continue to erode the spirit and direction of this nation and this world.

...is that IF the Dems don't win...they'll have a very difficult time impeding the Bush* fascist government given their willingness to cooperate with it in the past.

First we have to take back our government, then we should work on outing the infiltrators, because that is what they are. No more DINOS.

and rejoice in Clark's word. he said the magic word. ENLIGHTENMENT! less arguement, back to CIVIL discussion.

There is no two ways about it. And what's interesting is that the Party is ripe for new energy, new passion, new ideas that are rooted in the best of our past work (such as the New Deal, the GI Bill).

Here in southern Oregon, the people involved with the Democratic Party are almost to a person folks who would be more than comfortable on DU. I work with a lot of senior citizens who are great left of center voters/volunteers, and we're setting up the precincts one by one by one.

The point I'm trying to make is that it is up to us. We need to get to work, make each county fiercely Democratic, blow away the DLC and have a party that means something again. We can and we will.

It HAS to be a vote for a Democrat in 2004 first to make this work. Then, I agree, there is a BIG mess to clean up. Stick around to help us do that too.

Helps the conservatives. You put the democratic party in a pretty shitty position. Either they swing way left to accomidate people like you and in doing so risk alienating the swing voters or stay on and lose thier core while trying to remain viable.

Clearly the democratic party needs to refocus. The conservatives have done a great job of taking conrol and we need to fire back and win. I dont see how leaving the democratic party helps that. As far as I can see as long as the conservative allaince in America remains in a pact while the liberal side splinters our country will continue to be controlled by the right.

The democratic party is completely controlled by its electorate. If more liberal democrats win seats. If Dennis Kucinich gets impressive numbers, if the liberal caucus grows, the party will shift left. If moderate democrats are better at getting elected, then the party will be moderate. The answer isnt to splinter from the party, the answer is to say "ok, I need to work to get the message out so more people vote for liberal democrats"

Work on the local level to get liberals elected and help them climb the political ladder, get the message out. Support outside parties in local elections if the democrat is off message, but when it comes to getting and keeping control of washington, right now the democratic party is our party and we need to back it and work within it. I dont think the democratic party is anywhere near beyond repair and abandoning it just hands conservatives power.

...by abandoning their traditional base. That is...'people like me'. That the party needs mythical 'swing voters' to win is a lie invented by RWing Dems to 'swing' the party even further to the right.

- The advice you're giving is great for a party like the Greens...working on the local level to get lefties elected. But this party is over 200 years old and was established by lefties as a party of the people.

- I've never suggested anyone should 'abandon' the party. I suggested that this is what will happen if the Neocon influence isn't recognized and then resolved.

So you think that 50% of this country is aware progressives?

The democrats havent abandoned thier traditional base, they are trying to win elections. They cant serve any base if they dont do that. I think we are seeing a shift left in the democratic party every day. The political climate has changed.

...with more votes than any Dem in history. You've been fed a lie when the "New" Democrats tell you that Gore 'lost' because of his anti-corporate and 'populist' message.

- Why fix something that isn't broken? Ask yourself that question when you defend the Dem party move to the right.

- And yes...the Dem party is in the process of abandoning their base...motivated by RWing think tanks like the DLC. Take a closer look at their web site and see that they agree with many Bush* policies...including his illegal invasion of Iraq.

I dont think Gore lost because of his populist message. I never defended the democratic parties move to the right. I do think they are too far right and I dont like the DLC's policies.

Im sorry you got the wrong impression of what I am saying.

My point is that the party does need to be moderate to win national elections. Not DLC moderate but more moderate than say... us.

Another point is that the democratic party shifts and will shift so the best option for us is to work to shift it to the left.

My final point is that even when the party swings right the far left should still vote for democrats in national elections.

you will be voting Dem in 2004. You are right of course about all of it. I think this time we have been forced to think first of getting the evil squatters out of office. At a different time we could fight the corruption within first, that would be ideal but I think we have to do it this way at this time. IF we have enough power to govern we may be able to get some things done. If not a third party may be the only way.

...but 2004 is literally their last chance IF they don't do their jobs and prosecute the Bush* government.

that if we can't turn them around we will have to do something. I am also sick of the government for the corporations.

..and heart and soul of this party. The DLC types in leadership are a minority. I firmly believe that.

To get our party back is not that tall an order. We just need to wake up our fellow democrats.

...has nothing to do with majorities or minorities. The DLC represents the corporations and controls much of the cash flow for candidates.

- The 'traditional base' may be a majority...but they're quickly losing their voice to the DLC types who have enabled the Bushies and allowed them to do what the RWing has always wanted to do: militarize, nationalize and destroy the social fabric of the US.

- Doesn't it bother you that the Bushies have been able to take our government so far to the right without any sort of organized effort by the Dems to oppose them?