Party Direction NOW?

[rucky]

And the pre-nomination debate continues, where does the party go from here?

[nofurylike]

1. rainbow, womon majority, radical political economics. n/t

[Quetzal]

2. Fuck DLC style politics

A la izquierda bebe!!!

[Gothic Sponge]

3. Left

[Chili]

4. I don't believe we need to move in either direction

...because a move to the right means compromising our basic beliefs; a move to the left won't get anyone elected anywhere, the word "liberal" scares these bigots to death. I think we need to stay right where we are - wherever that is! - while fiercely defining and fiercely defending what we already believe to be important to all of us... and change the way we express it... starting with less emphasis on the right's anti-intellectualism and religious hypocrisy, and more emphasis on our own spiritual beliefs while still firmly defending the rights of ALL the groups within our coalition. We already have half the country with us... all we need is to reshape the way we get the message out in order to end the defensive stance of those who just might join us - without changing the message itself.

[69KV]

5. Big tent.

We need to welcome the left *and* the center into the party. Any attempt to narrow the party's focus instead of expand it will lead to disaster.

[rucky]

6. The GOP narrowed their focus and won...

why would we be any different?

[JI7]

10. because there are more of them

democrats are more spread out.

[Bombtrack]

7. that's a dumb, simplistic, false premise. It's direction is toward neither

it should be getting people who think on a left-right worldview to evolve ideologically

[rucky]

11. I'll be sure to add "no direction" to the list of choices.

wouldn't want to be dumb and simplistic, now.

[cyclezealot]

12. We all know this fact.

As Jim Hightower says..The center of the road is only for dead armadillos....Stand for something...Left of center to me..Basically, we take on the monied interests and stand for human interests..

[Hatalles]

8. Don't give 'em an inch!

[msgadget]

9. Hard left

[Eloriel]

13. Actually, there IS another alternative

And it's transcendence, which is the only word I can think of to describe how Dean simply erased the polarization inherent in the two words by again and again and again zeroing in on the pragmatic, flat-out truth -- doable, workable, irrefutable. Guns? Let the states decide, they each need something a little different anyway. Gay civil unions? We need to ensure they have the same rights everyone else has -- it's a civil rights issue. Abortion? It's a medical decision, Congress needs to stop practicing medicine. On and on.

It was utterly fascinating to watch, extremely energizing (to me, at least) and it certainly made me not a liberal anymore (tho I certainly don't shy away from the label), but a Dean Democrat.