"the Democratic Party has become a pale doppelganger to the Republican Party."

[RiverLover]

Backing Hillary in 2016: Bad for Progressives and Bad Politics, Too
11/29/2014

...Let’s face it, the Democratic Party has become a pale doppelganger to the Republican Party. They pursue job wrecking trade agreements in secret; they engage in foreign wars cavalierly; they are limiting our civil rights; they cozy up to Wall Street and the big banks; they contribute to the grotesque income inequality that is destroying the economy both passively – by not directly opposing Republican fiscal plans – and actively -- by proposing their own deregulation such as repeal of Glass-Steagall.

As a result, only a little over a third of the voters showed up, and those who did were motivated by fear, greed, anger, hate and bigotry which were integral parts of the conservative campaign.

Bottom line, many progressive and independents feel like they have no real choice in elections – and if Democrats don’t embrace a progressive candidate like Elizabeth Warren who offers them a real choice, progressives won’t show up in 2016, either.

Third, if you stand for nothing you can get beat by anything. Quick, try to characterize what the Democrats stood for in 2014. About the only thing that comes to mind is “We’re not with the black guy.” Ironically, whatever glimmer of good news the country had going into the election came from policies Obama pushed on those rare occasions when he wasn’t preemptively capitulating to Republicans.

The thing is, for the last 30 years, Democrats have been too focused on chasing corporate dollars to formulate a coherent set of values and policies, let alone run on them.

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/11/29/backing-hillary-2016-bad-progressives-and-bad-politics-too

[TheNutcracker]

1. This is why Hillary no longer polls well. Bernie Sanders is lighting the way, every time he speaks!

That man never wastes a syllable!

[FSogol]

2. Bullshit. Nothing more than more "both parties are the same" crap from commondreams.

[stevenleser]

7. Yep. Practically the same article everyday. nt

[Cryptoad]

16. Bet if you dig deep enough

you will find Koch funding of "CommonDreams"

[Andy823]

8. Yep

The same bullshit from the same bullshit slingers day after day after day. Of course there are new slingers coming on board daily to help out the old slingers, but it's pretty much the same message. The keep trying to make the "both parties are the same" meme stick. Why? Well my thoughts tend to think they will be pushing voters to some "third" party person like say "Rand Paul" maybe?

When someone's agenda day after day is to link the democrats as being the same as republicans there has to me an alternative that they want.

[Eleanors38]

23. Respectfully, the piece is on target. Time is short.

[unblock]

3. i don't think you can separate the politics from the money. we've become bought and paid for

by corporations. perhaps somewhat more reasonable corporations than the owns that own the republican party, but still, the democratic leaders are beholden to them because they can't compete without money, and there's too much money without going begging to corporations.

i don't think democrats ran away from obama purely based on poll-reading. i think much of their behavior reflects the money behind them. they needed money and went begging to corporations, and corporations gave them money on the condition that they didn't defend obamacare. oh, it wasn't an explicit quid pro quo, i'm sure, there's a game played here and they all know the rules.

point is, i don't think we can have a democratic party that relies heavily on corporate backing yet focuses all its appeal on liberal populism. i.e., if warren were to become the nominee, corporate funding would shift heavily to the republican party. we can hope that real people will make up the difference financially, and also turn out to vote, and to some extent that might happen, but without a stronger liberal infrastructure i don't think we're ready for that yet.

that said, the groundwork needs to be laid, as between the worsening concentration of wealth and the shifting demographics, we certainly will be there a few years down the road, and we should start planning for that now.

[RiverLover]

4. "bought & paid for" yep

We really need to put people in office who are willing to reign in lobbyists and go publicly funded elections only.

[Duval]

14. Wise post,unblock. n/t

[fredamae]

5. The Dem Party Has Already Self Destructed

under it's "leadership" over the past 3+ decades.
Clinton latching on to Reganomics sorta finished us off.

"The thing is, for the last 30 years, Democrats have been too focused on chasing corporate dollars to formulate a coherent set of values and policies, let alone run on them."

It is way past time to "Release Reganomics Back Into The Wild". It took a couple decades for it to really kick in - you know, the Destruction of the Middle Class. The Fat Cats they worked (work) for are laughing all the way to the Caymans with Our wealth. And they're Not finished.

The Dems have been trending right-ward Corporate Friendly ever since "reganomics" began rolling out in the 1980's and They (dems) Helped roll all that out and helped to strengthen and expand it-side by side with the greedy GOP.
The difference now is the fact the GOP doesn't even try to hide who they work for anymore...the dems still deny, avoid and make feeble attempts justify their actions to us, the base.

It's hilarious when I look at the recent polls-the respondents "believe" things are good and heading in the right direction...hahahaha We're Still a month out from the GOP assuming full throttle control...Lets review and run the Same poll....about next May, shall we and see if those answers change.............

[Thinkingabout]

6. Since it appears to be in your opinion Democrats are chasing corporate money could we have you to

pledge to contribute the necessary funds? Just to wrap a figure the DNC will need probably more than $100m per state. OH, and the DNC will need the same amount for the General election and this would be an amount for the presidential race and will need more for any other offices.

[RiverLover]

12. I'm Thinkingabout it.

[Bobbie Jo]

20. You Better Believe It.

[Stellar]

9. Just some more b.s....

[Scuba]

10. We'll never match the right's money, we have to win on policy.

And Republican-lite isn't the policy platform that's going to motivate voters.

[Eleanors38]

21. You're right, and we don't have to match the FR.

[bhikkhu]

11. Since Citizens United, its more difficult, but the principles stand

so I disagree. I'll take it as constructive criticism though - people need to evaluate what they believe in and what their politics require, and demand that of their representatives.

[DeSwiss]

13. K&R

- Sometimes putting the TRUTH to music helps......

[Fuddnik]

17. yep

[Cryptoad]

15. Papa Paul likes this post!

[raouldukelives]

18. Yep. There are those who believe in open, honest democracy & justice for all people.

And there are those who invest & provide material support for the corporations dedicated to destroying it.
So far, the turncoats are winning. For them, no injustice is too extreme to not be placated by the love of money.
They labor day in and day out for those who are killing us. They profit when they profit. On top of that, some still have the chutzpah to consider themselves a force for good. By their fruits you will know them, indeed.

[kentuck]

19. Very important questions for all Democrats..

...who care about their country more than their Party.

[msanthrope]

22. You Better Believe It! nt