Who owns the Democratic Party?

[polichick]

"The people in the suites or the people in the streets?" (Laura Flanders, BLUE GRIT)


That's the question we're batting around this primary season ~ which will it be?

[More Than A Feeling]

1. Me.

Make those checks out to...:evilgrin:

Seriously, though, it belongs to the people it represents, of course!

[Craftsman]

32. For the most part they are bought and paid for by the same companies who bought the rethugs

[AndyTiedye]

2. He Does (97-0)

[TomInTib]

3. Basically the same interests that own the GOP.

The Dems just do their bidding with smiles on their faces.

They're all bought and sold.

[Perry Logan]

4. At least it's not the religious right.

[Totally Committed]

9. Don't kid yourself, the Religious Right doesn't "own" the Republican Party.

The Republicans only let them THINK they do for the votes. I'm beginning to really believe that the same entities "own" both Parties, as well as "own" the country.

TC

[blm]

13. The fascists PAY religious right leaders to pretend they have a say in the party.

That is one huge dog and pony show.

[ProudDad]

5. This bunch does

Same bunch that owns the republicans...

[Totally Committed]

11. You got that right... add to those Halliburton, Bechtel, Exxon,

Nestle, etc.

TC

[Throwing Stones]

6. Your post showed up on the latest page right next to this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3384287

which leads me to believe that one of the owners would be the US Chamber of Commerce.

[penguin7]

7. The trial lawyers lobby?

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

8. The rich guys with a little more of a liberal stance

then their rich conservative counterparts.

[Perry Logan]

10. This is all assuming the premise of the original question is correct

The "who owns the Dems" thing is a meme you hear an awful lot.

My rule of thumb is, if everyone's repeating it, it's probably false.

[penguin7]

14. I guess the sun ain't rising in the morning.

[AtomicKitten]

12. It's an idea that is shared by

generally like-minded individuals, belonging to no one. Many factions try to manipulate it from within using various tactics (money, threats, etc.), but it is bigger than just one issue or one group.

People at DU speak about it as if the walls are rigid, but the Party underneath all the tradition and pageantry and, yes, cronyism and cash is fluid.

I think if people really believe in change, they would see no alternative and would throw their lot in with something bigger than they are, the outcome never certain, but choosing to give it a go with everything you've got, and on edit that means riding this puppy all the way to and through the general.

The Democratic Party needs an overhaul, but it is the vehicle to deliver the proverbial "us" to other side of this insanity.

[depakid]

15. I wish I could believe that

but the evidence has proven repeatedly to the contrary.

Frankly, over the next decade, I don't see either one of the two parties surviving the economic fallout from peak oil.

[zonmoy]

17. not surprising considering that not only will our country not survive

but a large proportion of the human species will not survive.

[depakid]

19. Scarcity and "belt tightening" have a funny way of showing people

where their interests lie.

As energy gets inexorably more expensive- and various activities become uneconomic (at the worst possible times), people will inevitably ask" "Why didn't _______ do something?"

The challenge for the Democratic "leadership" will be to explain why they enabled and legitimized the far right lunacy all these years instead of standing up for traditional Democratic values.

From what I've seen these past 15 years- that's not a challenge that they'll be up to.

[AtomicKitten]

20. they need a leader

[depakid]

22. Couldn't agree more with that

Just finished "Assault on Reason," and while peak il wasn't mentioned per se- it surely was implied- as were a whole lot of other things that seem to have been left by the wayside by many of the current slate of candidates.

[Perry Logan]

16. If the corporations own both parties, they seem to be buying different things from them.

If the "who owns it" meme were accurate, the records of the two parties would be indistinguishable. But they're as different as night and day.

So why do you keep repeating the meme?

[zonmoy]

18. where are the differences in the control of corporate power

or in distractions set up to keep people from removing the rights of persons from corporations.

[Hippo_Tron]

25. Off the top of my head

1) Democrats don't want to give Social Security to Wall Street, which they would love.

2) Democrats want to raise the minimum wage, corporations hate that

3) Almost all Democrats voted against the 2003 Bush Tax Cuts

4) Democrats pushed for campaign finance reform, eliminating soft money. Soft money made it far easier for corporations to buy out both parties.

[zonmoy]

27. I figure that they allow these things to allow those that recognize that

unlimited corporate power is evil enough ability to seem to limit their power so that they wont go after really removing corporate person-hood.

[Solon]

31. That's because some companies donate on a bipartisan basis, and others don't...

Not all corporations are equal, Wal-Mart donates to both parties when necessary to keep Free Trade deals in place, mainly with China, Pharma, and Insurance companies do the same to keep Single Payer off the table, etc. Others are more partisan, and some companies even make calculations taking a hit on taxes or minimum wages in return for some other handout, like a new deal with Democrats to keep their tax shelters.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

21. According to RFK, Jr., corporations control 75% of Dem & 95% of puke party. Sounds about correct.

[Hippo_Tron]

24. I think it's closer to 50% for dems, 95% is pretty accurate for the GOP

On most pro-corporate legislation that gets through congress, you get about a 50/50 split between the Democrats and about 95% of the GOP voting in favor. If you take a more cynical approach I could see saying that maybe 60-65% are corporate controlled, but I think 75% is pushing it.

And the 50% of Dems that are pro-corporate, are still not as beholden as the GOP. Pretty much every Democrat will vote to raise the minimum wage or to stop Social Security from being turned over to Wall Street. Repubs get more corporate money because they make their number 1 priority support of the corporations. Democrats have some bread and butter issues that they have to put before corporations or they could not get elected as Democrats.

[unkachuck]

23. all my life....

....I wanted to believe it was the 'people in the streets' but in my heart of hearts I knew the only ideology that counted in America was, 'money'....

....I've almost accepted as fact, that if you want to see a real progressive/liberal peoples agenda put forth in this country it won't be accomplished through the Democratic Party....maybe it can't be accomplished at all....

....all the average slobs out there have been taught to reject socialism from birth and are convinced that their capitalist 'ship' is always about to arrive....

....will they ever realize there ain't no 'ship', never was a 'ship', ain't never gonna be a 'ship'?....that those are selected capitalist 'ships' they see sailing on an illusory privatized ocean of propaganda?....

....grab your heaven/socialism today while you can and minimize the economic lotto-crap-shoot in favor of your brother and sisters' well-being, not to mention your own....

....can it be done within the Democratic Party?....well, this election will definately shine light on and clearify 'Who owns the Democratic Party'....

[freesqueeze]

26. An interesting question...

I don't know the answer but who owns the GOP is much clearer.


GOP Team Owner

[Bullet1987]

28. Nobody OWNS the DNC per se...

it more has to do with who has the stronger level of influence...and sadly, it ain't the people. With the amount of money flowing into politics from lobbying and campaign finance...the people are at the bottom of the barrel.

[LostInAnomie]

29. Whoever makes the campaign donations.

That is all that matters to both parties. Money keeps them in power, and people without it don't really matter.

[Heath Hatcher]

30. I think the people and the corporations evenly own the party

Yes I do believe the corporations have some clout within the party the Democrats have been able to shrug that off just a bit because of there progressive stances and that the party isn't really corporate friendly, never really was. Now the GOP that's a different story. In my opinion the corporations completely own the party basically because the GOP has always been a friend of big business and the wealthy 1 percent and because of that big business practically leeches off the party.

Now I could be wrong on this but I think it's a fair accumption of the two parties.

[polichick]

33. I think there's been a disconnect in recent years...

...between the people in the suites and the people in the streets, which is beginning to be addressed because of the dire situation in Iraq.

I am also grateful to Howard Dean for helping to create a much-needed bridge between activists in the states and Democratic operatives in DC, who still seem to fight him every step of the way.