The GOALs of the Democratic Party have always been centrist

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

Basically FDR's 4 Freedoms

Freedom from Fear
Freedom from Want
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of Speech and Expression

Remember that Richard M. Nixon was a proponent of universal healthcare.

It is the LABELING of our goals that moved left not the goals themselves. And this labeling and caricaturing was successfully done by the Right who then threw the "Centrist" "Moderate" mantle on themselves.

They are trying this again now by attempting to label responsible, moderate people with goals reflective of the vast majority of the American people (that would be us) as "Socialists" "Marxists" and even "Bolsheviks"- going even further to the left in their referencing of us.

There would be NOTHING BETTER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD than for us to start calling ourselves "centrists" because it would be the truth.

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Today's Democrats Are Far To The Right Of Republicans In The 1950s

We had a 91% top tax bracket then - with a Republican President and the Republicans held both houses of Congress for two years. Can you imagine today's Democrats proposing a 91% top tax bracket?

Today's Democrats are generally slightly to the right of Nixon. The Clintons are basically Goldwater Republicans.

[Fovea]

4. Put your shoulder to the Overton window

and shove leftward with all your heart.
We control the window now.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. OK - I googled and I just found out what an Overton window was.

Fascinating. Thanks for the reference.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Wow. Thanks For Teaching Me About The Overton Window

It's a great concept, and I hope we can use it to good end.

[arcadian]

9. One way of thinking about the Overton window

Is to imagine various people in those stages. With the lone protester holding a sign at the "Unthinkable" stage and the President at the "Policy" stage. Pundits occupying the "Acceptable" stage... etc.

[Nite Owl]

2. Absolutely

They succeeded in moving the bar, moving the so called middle to the right so people would identify with them. Conservatism is not real anymore, fiscally conservative is a joke with what they have done to the economy. Fiscally responsible is the correct term.

[Armstead]

3. You make an excellent point -- With one quibble

The conservative, anti-liberal DLC Democrats also call themselves "centrists," when in reality they too are right of center, in terms of favoring the interests of business over those of the majority.

Therefore, I prefer the term Moderate Liberal to differentiate true 4-Freedom style policies and values.

IMO Moderate Liberalism IS the center on issues of the economy and power.

[BridgeTheGap]

6. Notice that many of them Dems who were elected in '06 were referred to as

Populists. They've been the ones bucking the tide for last 2 years, trying to impeach Bush, etc.
Are populists also centrists? As with most people, you have to get specific about what this means issue wise. That's when it starts going all over the place and the term "centrist" starts becoming meaningless.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. Are populists also centrists? I think so, yes.

That's also why the constant drumbeat of "the middle class, the middle class, middle class tax cuts, etc."

Appealing to the middle class, the common man, the wage earner, call it what you will, is an appeal to the CENTER. The population center of this country. It's fine with me to also call it populism, because I think that is technically correct too.

The Republicans are fringing themselves out with their adherance to social values issues vs. pocketbook issues. They didn't harp on abortion and gun control that much, they hung their hats on "patriotism" and covert racism with a dollop of xenophobia and hoped that would drag them through and it didn't.

They really have lost their way and if we have any smarts at all, we will reclaim the vast middle ground. Of course, we have to actually produce results that change the life of the average American for the better in a meaningful way and we really only have two years to do it before the next mid-term elections.

[BridgeTheGap]

10. How about civil liberties? There certainly seemed to be a movement

that implied that most Americans (the center?) didn't mind sacrificing civil liberties for the sake of security. Will an Obama administration address what Bush & co (and a complicit Congress) have done to the Constitution & Bill of Rights? Will Obama take advantage of the increased Presidential powers Bush has taken or will he bring checks and balances back into vogue?
Does the "center" care about these things or does the economy trump all?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

12. Whether Americans realize it or not

I would lump that under Freedom from Fear

we have the freedom to not be afraid of our own government as well as external threats. The people ok with sacrificing civil rights were scared into by the fear-mongers who were hyping the external threats. I really don't know if they were in the majority or not and yes, I fully expect Obama, and a primarily Democratic congress to rectify the excesses and illegalities.

You also have to remember that due to stonewalling and a complicit press, the majority of Americans don't even have the knowledge of the rights that have been taken away from them. How many people have even HEARD of the so-called "Constitution Free" Zone? I really found out about this myself not all that long ago.

I do think pocketbook issues most clearly impact and sway the majority of people. Civil rights are esoteric until you yourself or a family member suddenly is confronted with their loss. Until then, it's always someone else's problem.

[Skidmore]

11. And there are all to many "progressives" and "liberals" who are willing to

play their game. Obama is about doing away with those labels and working for the good of all. I stand in utter amazement when I hear people glom onto labels because someone doesn't embrace EXACTLY what they want them to.