"the only problem is that it is very lonely without the comfort of our illusions."

(I'm posting this as an OP at the suggestion of another DU'er. It was originally a response to a comment in another post).

Recently, I have notices a few well written posts regarding the current state of the Democratic party, but to me, it appears as if everyone is dancing around the issue but few are at pains to actually say what needs to be said. And that is: the institutionalized Democratic party has been artfully dismantled. And done in such a way that many people, who have been Dems their who life, still maintain this childish notion that it's the same party of FDR.

We the progressives have all suddenly become iconoclasts, not because we have risen above a corrupt system, not because we feel we know better, but because we stubbornly stick to the primary goals of liberalism, and as such, find ourselves in a position where, we haven't left the party, the party left us long ago.

There are many here in DU that still naively believe that there is still a snow balls chance in hell that everything will be just fine and dandy if we just "get out the vote" and vote straight Democratic ticket. That somehow supporting a party that pays us lip service will magically make the them pay attention to us.

The average Dem is currently having a very hard time decoupling their own long held beliefs as to what the Democratic party stands for and from what the Democratic party has become.

It's the equivalent of telling a child that Santa doesn't exist. And telling that child at such a young age where that belief is still very strong. Their mind will have a very hard time wrapping itself around the notion that old saint nick is just a fabrication foisted upon he or she by people whom that child trusted. Why would adults lie to them?

This same mind game is continually reinforced. Right wing Dems and some moderates still push the various talking points that sold well years ago, but sadly, have no relevance to their actual actions today. Many a congress person love to speak on and on about supporting unions, or raising the minimum wage, etc, but have they actually voted for such a thing? Have they actually stood up and be counted? We know the answers to those two basic questions. Sadly the very few that did stand up, just got voted out. What does that tell you?

Many life long Dems continue to believe the unreal. That the Democratic Party, at least on paper, still fights for the working man. But if one were to take the actual temperature of the Democratic Party as a whole, one would clearly see that it has moved clearly to the right and has forsaken, for the most part, workers and their rights. Yet, like many on the right who maintain that the republicans are fiscally responsible, the Dems still maintain that the Democratic party still helps the little guy.

Many enjoy living in denial. Many find it advantageous to support this new Democratic Party. Many are completely appalled, such as myself.

Yet we progressives are looked upon by many in our own party as being too extreme. Isn't it a very sad day that we progressives who stick closest to the original core principles of the Democratic party are now considered the fringe?

The nation is plunging head long into right wing extremism and while we sound the warning bell, the rest of the Dems yell us to shut up.

It's funny in that, I'd rather laugh than cry, sort of way.

(I'm sure I will be flamed and this thread might even be locked, but I just had to get this off my chest. And if you believe that I'm some sort of agent provocateur, think again, I have been here a long time. Check my journal if you like to see my creds.)

when the party sat back as Clinton was impeached and then an election or two, or a dozen were stolen, and only a few, a very few of us took notice about how our votes are counted as the crooks took over government via black box voting, what do you expect?

democracy is now an illusion. Indeed.