The Democratic Party and the Democratic base

How do you see the Democratic Party responding to the interests and values of its base?

Is the Dems' traditional base same as it ever was, or is it changing?

If it's changing, what's causing the change, and is it a good, bad, or ugly thing?

The Public Option is a glaring example.

Exactly who is "the base"?

Seems to me that if you asked a hundred Democrats that question, you'd get a hundred different answers.

Everyone claims to be "the base" ... who are they?

:shrug:

The left
Minorities
Feminists
Unions
Environmentalists
And the like

that man the phone banks, walk the precincts, send in small donations and GOTV for the parties' candidates.

Alienate them- and they stay home, resulting in Democratic loses up (and particularly down) the ticket.

This last year was a particularly bad time to take key constituencies for granted and pander to the right, because the outcome of this election will have a LOT of bearing on redistricting and hence, the odds of winning elections through 2020.

It's the voters who vote Democratic time after time after time. Not necessarily the same as activists who threaten to vote third party or stay at home each time they feel slighted over some issue.

doing the same things over and over again expecting a different outcome in the era of the "third way".

Because it has no incentive to do so. Its sheer size allows it to crush would-be upstarts, and it uses its money to beat down any challengers that do get through. Monopolism breeds largesse, inefficiency, and an insulated corporate environment that is averse to change and innovation. The people? They buy the product because there are no alternative choices.

That's a monopoly, and the Democratic Party is a monopoly on the left in all but name only. The Green Party? Not a real threat. It's been contained.

Taking turns with the GOP in maintaining the corporatist, militaristic status quo?

Otherwise, if we're just discussing the leftward spectrum of politics, the Democratic Party really is the only viable game in town, and that's kind of sad. Besides, few leftists worth their salt would go and vote for a Republican.

.. giving a perfect example of why I voted "Abusing the base" on this poll.

..laughing all the way to their corporate bank.

I believe it is better for the long term future of our society to say "enough!" to the bought and paid for national leaders and elected representatives in the Democratic Party. Stop voting for them, and vote for persons of principled commitment to the working class instead. Remake the Democratic Party into something that represents social and economic justice.

The ruckus that would be created in the short-run (the republican power-grab attempts to fill short term vaccums of leadership, the chaos created inside the party itself) would be worth the long term gains for our country. The republican power grab would not last - it never does, because republicans simply cannot effectively lead.

But the difference would be that next time, a Democratic Party representing a clear and honest alternative way would take over, and structural injustices embedded in our modern political and economic system could be addressed.

It would be a difficult fight, and the period of short term chaos created by cleaning out the party of corporate suck offs would not be easy or pretty. But that's what fights are - they're difficult. They cost. But sometimes when the need is dire and the cause is critically important, they are fights worth fighting.

I care about the People, and the Democratic party is doing a damn poor job responding to the interest of them.

And, I agree, that Party shows the opposite of interest in us and our values.