Will the Democratic Party survive?

[Silverhair]

The DLC has begun to openly talk about purging what they call the extreme left, believing that the party cannot win as long as it is so far to the left. Mindful of Daschle's loss, and that many of the senators hold seats in red states, they are afraid to fight Bush on everything and then go home to those Bush voters in their own states.

But most DUers seem to despise the DLC and would be happy to see it leave the Party. DUers seem to want the party to move left. Add to that the fact that Moveon.org is about at the same place on the political spectrum as DU, and that Moveon.org supplied so many of the workers for the campaigns that it seems very difficult for the Party to continue without their labor and enthusiasm.

Will all this talk of a split vent itself and then heal, like a couple in a marriage having a spat, or will it eventually lead to divorce?

As usual, when I ask these type of questions, I will withhold my own thoughts until later as I want people to think about the question, instead of responding to my "answer".

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. Wait until the economy

totally tanks and Iraq continues being a deathtrap after the election (if they even have one), thus forcing a draft. Suddenly, the left won't look that radical. Like The "Is Liberalism Dead?" thread beneath, this reminds me of the country in 1929-liberalism was dead then too. Then the crash came...

[genius]

14. Well we can take the left and center and call it the People's Party

or kick out the DLC. I think there is more chance for a two party split among the Dems than of anyone going Green. The Dems (espcially the left) are still angry at the Greens over 2000.

[MaroonVette]

20. Let's hope that is not going to be the fate of the US

Better to make some plans based on positive actions that the people will buy into.

[earthside]

2. A Left-Center Party

Presuming the survival of the republic at all (which is doubtful if there is another attack inside the country, the results being Bush taking permanent control of the government), I suspect the Democratic Party as we have known it will go away.

More likely, since the big corporate PAC money goes to the DLC-types, the "Democratic Party" will be a center-right, establishment organization.

The left/progressive faction will team together with Moveon, the Green Party, etc., and become a new separate party ... in fact, if not in actual legal terms.

Assuming there are meaningful elections in 2006 and 2008 (a big assumption in light of the stated objectives of the neocons and Christian Recontructionists), I believe that a 'progressive' party could actually win. As Michael Moore always reminds us in his speeches, most Americans are 'liberal' on the issues. A principled, articulate, aggressive left-center party respresents most Americans.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. A Third Party Always Sinks The One Closest To It...

How can the left ever win another election if it splits in two while the right remains united?

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. Get instant runoff voting in place town by town, precinct by precinct

http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[Walt Starr]

3. I'm waiting to see how the chairmanship turns out

If the DLC muscles its way into the chairmanship, I'm done with the party and will become an Anti-Democrat.

[mrgorth]

4. It's not the position of the party

it's that the DLC doesn't stand up for our values. Hell, I may be to the right of Al Fromm on certain issues. The problem here is corporatism and the DLC loves it.

[deutsey]

5. Out of curiosity, do you have a link for the DLC talking about purging?

I don't doubt it at all, I just would like to read what they said.

[Silverhair]

9. Sorry, I don't remember where. The column has been this week.

But I read so many political items that I can't remember where I read it. Sorry. Purge is my wording, and stronger that the column used, but it meant the same thing. There was another column that reminded people that the Democratic Party, in the late 40s did indeed purge the communists and those soft on communism from it.

[LTRS]

6. "Afraid" Dems are destroying the party

And that includes the DLC. So, no, I really don't think it will survive. For the DLC to even be saying the kind of crap they are spouting is ridiculous. Kerry was one of the most liberal dem candidates to run for president in 50 yrs, and he won over moderates and independents by 10% more than Bush.

I am SO tired of authentic democrats like those on DU being used as the whipping boy for the real problems of the democratic party -- and the real problems are a crappy, incoherent, and just plain pathetic message machine with no war room and no rapid response, AND pussified dem legislators who are afraid to speak up and propose bold NEW programs that the public can relate to.

[silver10]

15. So true.

[WI_DEM]

8. yes

and why not? We won the popular vote in the presidential elections of 1992-2000 and got better than 48% against a sitting president in 2004. Why would the Dem party fold up?

[Killarney]

10. Yes.

I think the party will survive. Two reasons:
1) the second most votes a political candidate has ever received in history went to John Kerry. 2nd in history.
2) DU is not representative of most Democrats in America.

[greenohio]

11. There are team players here who will stay with the party...

no matter what happens. There are some who will probably never be satisfied with how far the party moves, either right or left and they will leave. Will we heal? Yes and we will have a good shot in 2006 and 2008. Will we heal enough to win? I guess that's up to those threatening to leave. My bet, they're bluffing and when faced with another repuke in office, they'll vote Dem.

[Jackpine Radical]

12. What

Democratic party?

[mandyky]

13. Nope, not if it takes the DLC path

Do you know a lot of DLC activists? Most of the activists are Wellstonian, Deaniacs, Greens, etc. If the DLC pisses off the activists the party is toast!

[Beacho]

16. "moving left' has nothing to do with my disgust with the DLC

It has more to do with their incompetence and kissing republican ass.

I don't care if there are conservatives in the coalition, I do have a problem with authoritarian corporate toadies taking OUR party away from us.

[eridani]

26. Exactly--

Politically, Dean is way to my right, but he believes in kicking ass, hard. That would be fine by me. We can argue policy later.

[Old Mouse]

18. only to maintain the illusion of choice n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. Not unless they miraculously become an opposition party.

Which they show little inclination to do.

[Q]

21. The DLC has pushed the party so far to the right...

...that moving back to the center will appear to be moving to the left.

The answer may be: The DLC either accepts that they HAVE TO share power with progressives...or progressives will simply stop voting for their candidates.

[merh]

22. At this point the democratic party can kiss my fat ass!

I don't care about the future of the party, I care about the future of my nation and democracy. If they don't care, then F 'em!

I hate the DLC and they can be a repukelite as they like, but they have no future.

The only thing good about the election is that the neo-cons and the repukes will be the ones that take the blame for what is to come. I am only afraid that there won't be too many around to lay the blame at their feet and it will be years before the history books contain chapters on "the collapse of the USofA".

[American Tragedy]

23. Yes, the party will survive

The Republican party endured a worse position in the early 1960s than we face today. People wondered if they would survive as well, but they ultimately prevailed. We should study what the Republicans did in terms of strategy and consider how we can emulate it for our own ends.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

27. What they did was move conservatives up the political ladder,

starting with city councils and school boards. They also developed a coherent political philosophy and got everyone on message.

[Silverhair]

24. Yes. The Party was founded by Thomas Jefferson.

It has been around a long time and weathered a lot of storms. It will be a minority party for awhile, maybe even get marginalized in the next election or two, but even that isn't a bad thing. It forces you to really get back in touch with the people and rethink the applications of your ideas and theories. The IDEALS will not change. They are and will be social and economic justice. But the methodology may change because the times and the situations have changed. We have different problems now than we had in the 1930s, and those will require different solutions. A little bit of time in the political wilderness every now and then is a good thing. It makes you wiser and stronger.

As for the current divisions in the party - yes, we will lose some people. Maybe even a major split and lose a lot, but that's OK too. After a time, the factions will reunite as they realize that they NEED each other, and will again listen to each other.

Storms only last for a while, and you need a storm to have a rainbow.

[eridani]

25. Not unless something is done about Diebold

Dean seems to get it, at least.

[Cookie wookie]

28. Maybe they never considered that Daschle may have lost

(if he didn't because of voting fraud, which I don't have any information about one way or the other), because he was such a weakling and didn't stand up to *? Everyone said he was a great guy, but whenever I saw him, he seemed *-lite.

:puke:

So, will the Dem Party survive? I'm looking to see what Dean has in mind -- and at taking over the party from the ground up. Power to the people!

[RetroLounge]

29. Survive what?

It's already dead...

RL

[Stinky The Clown]

30. To "kick out" the DLC ... or the far left .... is not the answer at all

To do either - or both - would result in either a significantly diminished party or to have three parties competing for a similar slice of the electorate. Any of those scenarios is political death for all involved. Nothing will be gained except the salving of certain egos.

It seems to me far better to change the party leadership. In much the way the far right has taken over the republican party with a death grip, so has the DLC taken over the Democrats. But a change in leadership should not be in the form of a purge. We need every voter we can get. If some of the DLC go to the other party as a result of a more democratic Democratic party, it would be sad. I suspect most would stay however, and move, grudgingly perhaps, in the direction of the larger party.

[Lexingtonian]

31. Lessee...a great candidate, 59 million votes...

Stop posting stupid questions, Please.
Thank you,
the Management