Do you plan to stick around (with the Democrats)?

[ecstatic]

Now that the smoke has cleared, how do you feel about the Democratic party? Is it a party that you will continue to support? Is it conditional support? If so, what would ensure your staying around?

[Cocoa]

1. I question the premise

the whole idea that yesterday's challenge would in any way make anyone want to leave the dem party strikes me as a huge lie perpetrated by people who hate the pary in the first place.

[ecstatic]

4. it was a great reminder--74 to 1... go figure

[Misunderestimator]

2. Why would anyone stay with a party unconditionally?

[Stand and Fight]

5. Exactly.

Could not have said it any better myself, but I have no plans to leave my party because of yesterday's events. If anything, it encouraged my sense of fellowship -- despite the ironic moves of some of the Senators. Barbara Boxer made a statement despite knowing that it would not change anything. I deeply, deeply admire and respect her for that, because it shows that she truly has principles and a since of conviction. She knew that her actions were symbolic, and she still was involved in the fight. I do have conditions to staying in the party, but it will take a whole helluva lot for me to leave the party, or for that matter, my country.

[Misunderestimator]

6. Well said... and I would be proud to call myself a Boxer Democrat.

[Darknyte7]

16. "Boxer Democrat..." hmmmm....

I'm gonna chew on that one for a bit...

[jahyarain]

8. changes

There will have to be changes. We could have a God/Jesus ticket, but they will not relinquish power. Those evil fucks have proven it doesn't bother them in the least to lie, cheat, and steal, but we can't sink to their level. They command the armed forces including the National Guard (Kent State). What CAN we do?

[Misunderestimator]

9. There absolutely will have to be changes...

but abandoning the only power that MIGHT have enough power SOME DAY to defeat the fascist party in power is not a viable solution.

[jahyarain]

13. True dat

Mos def, we don't have time to create a new party that will get to the level of the Democratic Party (yet). The murderers will have this planet destroyed by then. But we have got to transform the party into an entity powerful enough to crush the hatemongerers. I don't mean win an election. Our Democratic leaders (not all, but most) run away whimpering like a kicked dog every time the GOP tells them to shut up and sit down. I don't know, man. But the way we've been doing things will never work against the killers we call Republicans.

[AntiCoup2K4]

24. Is it legal for a Father and Son to run on the same ticket?

I'd vote for God & Jesus, but I doubt it would be constitutional.

Do you suppose the GOP would dispense with all pretense and run Satan against them? And who would be his running mate? Maybe the Devil could bring Nixon up from Hell as his pick for VP?

[Slickriddles]

34. They have to be from different states. n/t

[newyawker99]

25. Hi jahyarain!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Deja Q]

26. Precisely. The party needs us. If they betray us, they don't deserve us.

At this point, anyone left of center should be through with the DLC. It is, to say the very least, irrational to think that we need to give support while they're acting against our best interests. ('our' = everybody's; they're no better than the repukes and they can say what they want on their precious website. Their actions, or rather inactions, are far more interesting... and revealing.)

[arcane1]

3. hell yes, Boxer is my senator

:yourock:

[asjr]

7. After having been a Republican for most of

my life I will stick with the Democrats forever. The Democratic party is for the people of this country. The first Democrat I voted for was Bill Clinton and would have voted for him again if he could have had a third term. The Republican party started changing with Reagan. It got worse with GHW Bush and I had had enough It certainly is not the party of Eisenhower, or Nixon, believe it or not. Republicans were able to make Nixon resign. Fat chance of that happening now with Bush.

[NoPasaran]

10. Yes, but...

I demand a shrubbery!

[illflem]

11. I vote for the best candidate, could care less about the party

[DireStrike]

12. YES - with conditions.

I always thought I was one of the more volatile Dem supporters - that I would be among the first to leave. I see that I was wrong.

What the hell would we have gained from every Dem voting for this thing? It makes NO SENSE at all to condemn them for not voting for a resolution that wouldn't have passed. They already "symbolically" stood together by speaking in support of the challenge. Voting for the challenge would have been DAMAGING to the case for electoral reform, and would have made the Dems look like partisans.

Of course, the dems don't have to be made to look like anything now - you people are doing the Repugs and the MSM's work for them. Now, we don't want to be the repugs - unquestioning pawns of support - but this is a NON-ISSUE. We should all be writing LTTEs in support of what they gave us, standing with the party, but I guess it's not that important when YOU have to do it?

[Walt Starr]

14. We'll see after the DNC chairmanship is announced

:shrug:

If I were to make a prediction, the tutu they put in place will probably push me out.

[tokenlib]

15. It's a two party system...

Why should we bow out and let the corporatists and DLC win?? The powers that be are so irritated with Howard Dean and the New Deal progressive wing--that we are not exactly powerless. We can still fight from within. I'd like nothing more that to be a thorn in the side of the DNC types.

I remember the time I went to a reception for my "pro-life" democratic congressman. I was on the way back from a Bush protest and was wearing a nice big "Stand Up For Choice--Planned Parenthood" sticker. There were others in the room who were members of planned parenthood and the ACLU in the room. Even here in NRA--Pro-Lifer land, the party workers and activists are the progressives. We are the people who make the wheels turn. The DLC/ centrist types are the minority in the party grassroots. We need to make our presence known.

The battle for the soul of our party is not over.

Then again, if they put a DLC centrist corporate suck-ass in as DNC chair---I'm going to be very discouraged.

[jahyarain]

17. Never in a million years

could i have said it better.

[GreenPartyVoter]

31. You could try getting election reforms in your local area so that

it isn't a two-party system any more. Insurance in case your party runs candidates you don't like.

[faithfulcitizen]

18. Wes Clark ensures that I stay around nt

[ecstatic]

20. Wes Clark as DNC chair? nt

[elperromagico]

19. I remain a Democrat.

End communication.

[bobthedrummer]

21. I'm a true independent-don't belong to any political party but usually

support Democrats. I've put a lot of my life into the civil rights, open housing, women's rights and organized labor campaigns, but I'm an independent.

I voted "other".

[Cobalt Violet]

22. The party has move away from it's traditional beliefs.

I seems not to care about it's liberal base. It a corporate party.

[Cobalt Violet]

23. Update:

I found out my Rep. voted "yea" so I have decided to stay with the Democratic party.

Rep. Markey 7th district of Massachusetts.

[Paul Dlugokencky]

28. Rep. Israel 2nd District of New York

The Democratic Representative from my district (NY-02), Steve Israel, voted "nay"!

If most Democrats did not stand up for us, why should we stand for them? I won't be contributing to Israel's campaign for re-election, and I may not vote for him again either.

While I wrote to him to express my dismay at his vote, I also wrote to many of the 32 who remained true and expressed my thanks. These are the Democrats who deserve our support.

[MAlibdem]

27. This question is pissing me off

The best way to reduce your power to change something for the better is to leave it.

The best way to reduce the power of politically like-minded people is to fracture them.

All I can say is that the far-Right is doing one hell of a job controlling the Republican Party, so to think that the far-Left couldn't run the Democratic Party effectively is sort of silly. Not that I'm saying we need to be far-Left. We need to be us, but we need to fight harder by a lot.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CatholicEdHead]

30. With conditions

I like others here go by each canidate. I am not ruling out voting for a MN Independence Party or Green Party canidate.

So, while I am not always a guareenteed Democratic Party voter, I will not be voting GOP anytime soon, if ever.

[TankLV]

32. They'll have to EARN my vote this time around. No more "anybody but..."

[Eloriel]

33. Well, I think the party is, for all practical purposes, dead

It's just that a good many of them don't realize it -- no one has noticed there aren't any brainwaves going on while the body is kept breathing on life support.

MY fondest wish is that Howard Dean just go start another party. I don't think that'll happen any time soon and maybe never. But that's what I'd like to see happen -- altho if he were made DNC chair, there's some possibility that dead ole body could be rescussitated (sp?). We'll see. I don't have a lot of hope -- about much of anything these days.

[rucky]

35. Agree. Too much baggage now goes with the label of Democrat.

Let it become the middle-of-the-road party like it wants to.