Just realized: Two of my prior OPs show that most Americans are Democratic Socialists.
Last edited Thu Jul 23, 2015, 06:50 AM - Edit history (2)
http://www.dsausa.org/1, "What the hell is an avowed Democratic Socialist anyway?" was the title of one of my OP's
I never knew a thing about Democratic Socialists until I did a bit of research about Democratic Socialists for an OP. As soon as I posted the OP, I tiptoed into DU's progressive socialist group and asked if they would please comment and some of them did -- great comments, too.
I learned that it is a movement, not a party and that it believes on working (a) through the Democratic Party and (b) within the basic framework of capitalism. I learned that a DUer is one of the founders of the Democratic Socialists of America. I learned that the New Deal, the Fair Deal and the Great Society can probably be described as Democratic Socialist-type domestic programs. FDR, Truman and LBJ collectively held the White House for 26 years and, perhaps as importantly or more so, FDR was considered responsible for Democrats: controlling one or both Houses of Congress for a very long time.
If you want to learn more:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12806844 (please do not skip the great replies)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Deal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Society
Okay, but how can I claim most Americans are Democratic Socialists? Well, someone kept electing FDR until he died. Someone elected Harry Truman despite two challenges from within his own party (one of them because he had integrated the military); someone made Social Security the "third rail" of US politics, someone loves them some Medicare, unemployment insurance, etc. And.......
2, "Let's talk polls" was the title of another of my OPs. It was about polling on issues, not Presidential polling.
When polled on issue after issue, without labeling the issues as Democratic, or Republican, or conservative or liberal, the majority of USians poll leftist, sometimes by majorities as great as 80%. These are not polls of Democrats, mind you, but polls of USians of all political views.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12777036
And people wonder how "an avowed Democratic Socialist" whom few outside of Vermont had heard of has been filling convention centers on a shoestring budget?
Please see also, my post in the Bernie Sanders Group about this post, aka my merrily meta post. http://www.democraticunderground.com/128028964#post2
= new reply since forum marked as read
there is a risk that that person will let it go to his or her head. The tell is in how that person behaves afterwards.
I think he's getting such huge crowds and such loud applause because, to paraphrase The American President, people are tired of drinking sand and are thirsty for water, because finally, we understand the difference. Bernie is a pretty level-headed guy, as far as I've ever seen. When he says this campaign isn't about him, I believe him.
I agree, though, that we shouldn't idolize people. Okay, Stevie Nicks, maybe, but she's where I draw the line. 
Once again, merrily, you are absolutely correct. [URL=
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Just went back to the other thread.
What is now being called "democratic socialist" used to be called "democrat."
I think it will be easier, with those that remember the cold war, to align it with FDR dems. But otherwise Spartacus is good