2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Mustn't we reevaluate our party since it is is going through a right wing realignment? [View all]Armstead
(47,803 posts)I don't want to convey false nostalgia. Democrats have always had a mixed platform, and most politicians, including the great ones, had feet of clay. And they were products of their time.
But on balance I'd take the approach of the old Democratic Party when it did stand for many liberal principles and fought for them. LBJ, well you know Vietnam...But he also pushed the War on Poverty/Great Society/Civil Rights agenda, and did a lot of good things that would be scoffed at today as "ponies.'
Carter was ineffectual in some ways, and a little too conservative on certain economic issues -- but he was a thoroughly decent man who tried to bring integrity to foreign policy and the behavior of politics and government. He didn't get in bed with the oligarchs to make bug bucks.
Truman dropped the Big One. But he also fought for a lot of liberal things.
Humphrey got tarred in his later years for his association with Johnson and the war. But he was also a fighter for civil rights back before it was given much thought, and he also championed a lot of good liberal causes.
Frankly IMO the problem today is not that there are no good Democratic leaders. But too many have the feet of clay rather than the strengths of past leaders. It has lost its compass, and has jettisoned too many of the positive elements of the past.