So who are the real DINOs??? The Intolerant ones.

[Perky]

Those who so eagerly vilify the republicans for wanting to turn back the clock to the 1950s conservatism that never really existed; while at the same time clinging stubbornly to their own 1960s liberalism mythology. Don’t we need is 21st Century solutions to 21st Century problems?

Those who would decry the intolerance of dissent in the present administration and yet in the next breadth would seek to purge any moderate and DLC voices from the party they self-importantly claim to own. Are we not the big tent?
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Those who would accuse religionists on the right of attempting to create a theocracy that is at once intolerant of others, angry, militant and mean-spirited while at the same time militantly craving an atheocracy in which the public square is devoid of religious political content or religious pluralism, and is hostile to any religious expression informing public debate. Is the answer to the religious right really pushing people of faith to the back of the bus?

The point is this: there is nothing wrong with liberalism so long as it proponents are willing to progress beyond the corner of Haight Street and Ashbury, the West bank of the Charles River or Selma

The point is this: the Democratic Party has always been one that has had within its core Dixiecrats and Rust Belt Catholics, and we have never had a truly liberal president. The idea that we can purge or push moderates from our midst and field winning presidential candidate is absurd. Parties win the White House only when the other party seems too scary to muddled middle. Yes most Americans are liberal on social policy issues; the problem is that they are scared to death of liberal solutions to those problems. You may curse moderates all you want, but moderates have been pivotal in electing every president sense Truman. We purge those voices at our peril.

The point is this: that however detestable we all find the religious right on political grounds, be assured that there are many more who reject them on religious grounds. If we mock and belittle people of faith because they believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, if we tell them there is no place for them in our party or that they are morons we only serve to ratify and bring credence to the GOP mantra that we are hostile to the beliefs of many, many millions of people of faith.

The point is that it is fine to ardently believe in liberal ideology, but intolerance is intellectually lazy, juvenile and hypocritical. Some of you would rather pick a fight, pick up a protest sign, purge the infidels, or joust at windmills than actually govern.

Folks, it is as much about listening as it is about yelling at the top of lungs. When we become intolerant of other views, when we fall in love with out own voice, we fail to live up to democratic or American values. When we reject the big tent we become Democrats in Name Only.

[LSdemocrat]

1. There really aren't any true DINOs anymore

The last few election cycles have really wiped out the last of the truly conservative "Democrats". Essentially the DINOs were old southerners whose families had been "Democrats" for generations going back to the Civil War. Perhaps they still have a few remnants in some state legislatures, but they are a dying breed. That generation's kids and grandkids became Republicans (think Trent Lott) during the ascension of the Republican "Southern Strategy" in the aftermath of 1960's and 1970's civil rights laws and cases.

What we have now is a group of progressives, liberals, populist centrists, and DLC type centrists nearly all of whom are more liberal than the most "liberal" Republicans. Both parties are more ideologically unified than ever before, and, perhaps for the first time in modern American politics, the Democratic party is actually more ideologically unified than the Republicans (just about the only thing we can thank Dubya for).

If we play our cards right, and this doesn't necessarily mean following a centrist or liberal philosophy, along with nominating a solid candidate in 2008, we'll have the opportunity to build a brand new, lasting consensus to lift this country and the world out of the collective nightmare we're all living in now.

[Perky]

2. very astute (n/t)

[Perky]

3. kick until morning. Good night everyone

Nigh

[stillcool]

4. all these labels..

I wonder how it will end up.... what it will take to inflict that first big irreparable crack in the veneer of American mythology.

[Solon]

5. The muddled middle isn't so muddled, but isn't so "middle" either...

Besides, you are wrong anyways, most Americans are in the Middle or slightly Conservative on social issues, and are very liberal on Economic issues. That's the biggest problem with DLCers and many moderate to conservative Democrats is that they are moderate or conservative in EVERYTHING they advocate. No rust-belt Catholic is going to vote for a pro-Free Trade Democrat, even if he calls for a banning of Gay Marriage. At most, they will stay at home that day, bitching about both parties being equally bad, shit like that.

Also, what the fuck is with this rant about "people of faith" and intolerance. When Bullmoose tells religious minorities like myself to SHUT THE FUCK UP, cause it MAY upset the Christians, well, he can kiss my ass! You ask for tolerance, I say you first! I'm a "person of faith" just the wrong KIND to you people! :puke:

[Bluebear]

6. You lost me at "Those who so eagerly vilify the republicans" :)