This is a good thing for the democrats. Dean is a Social Liberal and Fiscal Conservative who supports gun rights and opposed a war that is going badly and is no longer supported by the majority. More importantly he is not a wuss. It's funny how republicans salivate at the thought of Dean. Kind of like democrats salivated at the thought of Regan being too conservative. I think he will be a good spokesman and fund raiser.
DNC elects Howard Dean as its' Chairman
- Thread starter Capulet
- Start date
Damnyankee
Honest Abe
luiz said:So he is a Fiscal Conservative and a Social Liberal?
Sounds good to me
Better then Kerry, anyways.
I'm his complete oposite, Fiscally Liberal and Socially Conserative
elfangor801
So cold....
Damnyankee said:
Well, I'm basically Conservative on both but less so socially. Still, I don't think making that man the image of the Democratic party is going to get them that far.
Damnyankee
Honest Abe
In the 'news, it had a political cartoon of him at a podium, with the DNC symbol below, only it was a donkey with a gun to his head and with republicans dancing below the podium
The democrat party needs to stop apeing the republican party.
the democrats natural constituency is: the working class, ethnic minorities, the educated and the urban population. It needs to get back in touch with its core voters particually the poor and working class.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3978689.stm - whats next for the democrats.
They need to show the lower earners in American society that what is important is not guns, god or gays but welfare, taxes and jobs. They need to convince these people that a leader who cuts taxes for the rich and big business and slashes funding for welfare, education and health (as well as introducing very ill-liberal 'anti-terrorist' legislation) is not acting in their best interests. In progressive Western Europe they would not have a problem, however, the issues in America are clouded by the ideas of moraliity and religion as well as the long standing views about big government etc.
the democrats natural constituency is: the working class, ethnic minorities, the educated and the urban population. It needs to get back in touch with its core voters particually the poor and working class.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3978689.stm - whats next for the democrats.
They need to show the lower earners in American society that what is important is not guns, god or gays but welfare, taxes and jobs. They need to convince these people that a leader who cuts taxes for the rich and big business and slashes funding for welfare, education and health (as well as introducing very ill-liberal 'anti-terrorist' legislation) is not acting in their best interests. In progressive Western Europe they would not have a problem, however, the issues in America are clouded by the ideas of moraliity and religion as well as the long standing views about big government etc.
SeleucusNicator
Diadoch
DexterJ said:
If they stopped taking the unpopular side of guns, god, and gays, the two parties would be equal on that footing, and when thinking "what is in my interest", the poor would naturally turn towards the Democrats.
Social liberalism is suicide in American politics. The sooner they learn that, the better.
Its a sad state of affairs when the progressive party in american politics has to become socially reactionary to win votes.
What the US needs is another great depression to show the people whose acting in the peoples interests and whose acting in the interests of the top 100. Especailly as Bush is about to privatise their welfare system which wouldnt survive a big ecomomic crash.
What the US needs is another great depression to show the people whose acting in the peoples interests and whose acting in the interests of the top 100. Especailly as Bush is about to privatise their welfare system which wouldnt survive a big ecomomic crash.
elfangor801 said:Haha, good job Democrats. They lose an election because of moral values, and they elect a Vermont liberal as head of their party. I bow down to them.
Vermont is almost a lab for red/blue divides: the cities (Burlington in particular) is a sort of lukewarm version of Cambridge or Berkeley, and the countryside is as rural-conservative as you could ask for. Dean bridged the gap partly by having a Progressive candidate doing their Nader-ish best but more importantly by being somewhat fiscally conservative and pro-gun.
Besides which, nobody voted for or against Terry McAuliffe in the last few elections, they voted for (or against) the actual Democratic candidates.
In any case, the Democrats can light up their base by getting a better candidate than Kerry AND get more of the middle by clarifying why their existing positions are moral, responsible, and righteous. Dukakis and Kerry were both victims of this - they gave up the 'moral high ground' arguments early and didn't try to justify their platforms in a way that made any sense to the lukewarm Republicans or independents.
DexterJ said:
Yeah, that'll teach us.
You think Fed-backed Social Security WILL survive a big economic crash? I don't.
Mise
isle of lucy
Which is also a problem. The US Social Security system is so messed up, I wouldn't even know where to start fixing it...IglooDude said:Yeah, that'll teach us.
And that's something I've noticed in general about social welfare programmes in the USA. They're all bloated and inefficient. It's like politicians deliberately design them to fail or something.
I agree with SN, in that the Dems should focus future debates on economic issues, like social welfare, and foreign policy issues, like Iraq. Because, as SN said, there's no way that the majority of USAns will accept the hard liberal line any time soon.
I also think the Dems should grow some balls and stop pandering to the middle ground.
Ohwell
Deity
Yeaaaarghhg!
I have a scream!
I do agree with Mise, I always thought that Bush would win the election because he stuck to his guns. I despise him utterly but he doesnt pander to the other side in a debate. He knows what he belives in. The democrats need someone with that kind of attitude.
I do agree with Mise, I always thought that Bush would win the election because he stuck to his guns. I despise him utterly but he doesnt pander to the other side in a debate. He knows what he belives in. The democrats need someone with that kind of attitude.
(bolding mine)Mise said:
Actually, some people suppose that the Republicans are doing just that. They cut taxes to gain votes and to put the country in massive debt, thereby making current social welfare plans untenable. Making them inefficient (which isn't hard, government programs tend toward bureaucratic mess anyway) would seem to be just another part of the equation.
A'AbarachAmadan
Deity
I've always liked Dean and think he will make a fine chairman of the DNC.
I strongly disagree with his position on the war in Iraq, but agree with him on many other issues such as gay rights and stem cell research. Disagree with him on huge taxes, but agree on fiscal responsibility.
I strongly disagree with his position on the war in Iraq, but agree with him on many other issues such as gay rights and stem cell research. Disagree with him on huge taxes, but agree on fiscal responsibility.
http://www.techcentralstation.com/021105F.html
Dean has promised to re-build the Democratic Party from the ground up. He wants to start winning local elections and go up the chain from there. Republicans seem to be really happy that Dean has been elected - but should they?
Dean seems to want to change the Democratic Party into a progressive one.
Don't 'misunderestimate' Dean.
Dean has promised to re-build the Democratic Party from the ground up. He wants to start winning local elections and go up the chain from there. Republicans seem to be really happy that Dean has been elected - but should they?
Dean seems to want to change the Democratic Party into a progressive one.
Don't 'misunderestimate' Dean.
JohnRM
Don't make me destroy you
Capulet said:
Can anyone say "minor party"?
Looks like fifty years of Republican domination, ahead.
DBear
unbeliever
On the one hand, it's a gift from God in that it'll make convention Democrats look like barking moonbats.
On the other hand, it will make she-who-must-not-be-named moderate in comparison. :yinyang:
On the other hand, it will make she-who-must-not-be-named moderate in comparison. :yinyang:
