Can the DLC defenders here make a positive case for their candidates?

[yurbud]

Very often, you speak up in defense of the DLC and corporate friendly elected officials and candidates, but rather than being reactive, I think you deserve a chance to make you pitch directly:

How does the DLC differ in positive ways from both the GOP and more progressive Democrats?

What have they done that would make Americans who make less than $100K a year believe they are looking after their economic interests?

What are their positions on foreign and trade policy that show they weigh the welfare of Americans and those in other countries against those of big business?

The key question in both, is when weighing the interests of corporations and the wealthy against those of the less powerful, what will reassure us that you won't let us get ground up in the gears of the business machine?

[billbuckhead]

1. Were you better off under Clinton than than you are now?

This is all Hillary needs to ask.

[yurbud]

4. that's fair. Give some Hillary facts that show she's at least on Bill's

page

[Lerkfish]

2. I'll pop some corn....

:popcorn:

I would point out that your question contains the answer: they DON"T think the interests of the less powerful are weighed equally with corporate interests.
and, I will predict what they will argue in this thread:

1. hey, side with us or lose elections.
2. progressive candidates are unelectable
3. if you don't side with the DLC you want a republican in congress.
4. you haven't worked on a campaign so your opinion is worthless
5. its better to vote against your principles and have a republican acting DLC candidate to achieve majority than to vote your Principles.
6. you "lefties" are killing the party.
7. antiwar progressives are tinfoil hat conspiracy nuts.


um..what have I left out?

[yurbud]

5. "you obviously haven't read the DLC webpage" or "snicker"

[radio4progressives]

10. Us Lefties are Killing the Party? You Righties are Killing the Country

and it's been that way ever since Kennedy's assination.

i don't which is the worse crime - the horrific act itself, or the cover up aided by Democratic Party elite, which empowered the Extreme Right Takeover of this country.


You should be ashamed of yourself for associating yourself with this cabal.

[Lerkfish]

13. um...dude? I'm not, I'm predicting their lame arguments.

I don't see a reason to be ashamed of myself, since I'm castigating the DLC.

maybe reread my post?

[hfojvt]

12. some of those seem valid

What is voting your principles? Voting for Sharpton in the primary, and when Kerry becomes the candidate vote Green instead of Democrat but deny that doing so will help elect GW Bush?
Or do not vote in the primaries, because you are not part of this compromised party, and then complain that the Dem candidate is not very progressive?

Didn't the election of 2000 show that it is far, far, far to the ten brazillionth power, better to elect a DLC candidate, such as Gore, than it is to elect a Republican?

[Lerkfish]

14. thanks! I forgot the lame primary vs. general election wedge nonissue

DLCers love to twist what you say into meaning you would not vote democratic in the general election if you support a non DLC candidate in the primary.

thanks for bringing up that fallacious strawman, a favorite of DLC supporters!

[hfojvt]

19. thanks for not explaining what "voting your principles" means

if not, that "fallacious strawman" which seems to be a new favorite debating technique. "I declare you are using a strawman so I win the debate because I hit you with a disparaging word"

Either that or I just make alot of strawmen since other posters do not explicate fully.

Like now.

If I made a strawman instead of the real argument, then WTF is the real argument?

[yurbud]

21. Most people here did vote for Kerry and if push came to shove

would vote for even Hillary in the general election.

But before we even get to primaries, it's fair to ask the DLC to say why we should trust or support them when they have a reputation of being the other corporate party (without the religious nuts)

[mattclearing]

3. *crickets chirping* n/t

[yurbud]

6. I guess it's their PR firms day off...

[mattclearing]

7. They're still on vacation.

Whaddyamean Christmas is over?

[bryant69]

8. How many DLC Defenders are there on this site?

I must say I haven't seen very many of them.

I don't like the DLC very much, and I am a moderate Democrat (who disagrees with a lot of people at Democratic Underground). In my mind they've made moderate Liberal a synonym for "Republican-lite." Going along with extreme positions because they happen to be held by people on the other side of the fence, isn't moderation. It's extreism once removed.

On the other hand the last line of your post gives a suggestion about where your interests lie - I take it you aren't in favor of continuing capitalism? Or am I reading you wrong?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[hfojvt]

11. that was my question too

Who is a DLC defender - a Kerry supporter, a Clinton supporter, a Gore supporter? Aren't they all DLC?

[yurbud]

23. No, it is a set group of ideas and a preference for business

interests over labor, consumers, minorities, etc.

[yurbud]

20. I am in favor of capitalism with rules to keep it from grinding

up people.

A pure socialist system wouldn't work because many people really do need that profit motive to get out of bed and put in a good effort at work, but there are some functions that the private sector has proven they can't be trusted with, at least not without strict regulation and oversight.

One would be something as basic as electricity. If the only imperative is to make a profit without regulatory restraints, and you have an effective monopoly, it makes sense to jack up rates, blackmail consumers, and turn out the lights to let them know who is boss like they did here in California.

Likewise, they cannot be trusted with health insurance. Insurance companies have a financial incentive to NOT provide the service you contracted for, and dump you if they can when you get sick. Their profit margin depends on collecting as much as possible in premiums and giving back as little as possible in claims. Even when they don't deny you completely, they give you and/or your doctor the run around or put you on hold indefinitely, hoping you will give up or just die.

The money that insurance companies spend on profits, executive salaries, advertising, and that corps of people paid to deny service would be going directly to providing service in a single payer model, and it would also eliminate some of the issues related to workman's comp.

Also, some private sector industries like pharma demand grants and tax breaks from the federal government and like the GOP, many in the DLC would not dream of using that as leverage to demand lower prices for seniors or even the rest of us.

Some relative moderates like Howard Dean are willing to point these things out.

The DLC difference is if they get money from these industries or hope to, they will not point out the harm they cause the public.

I do like the private sector to design my computers and tennis shoes, and decide how many of each to make.

[asthmaticeog]

9. Admirable effort, seriously,

but they won't do it because they can't.

[Lerkfish]

15. actually, I think its more "won't" than "can't".

they obviously do have some sort of platform, but they never like to actually discuss it.
I think they know its not really defendable.
Much easier to do everything but.

[asthmaticeog]

16. Point taken.

I like your post #2 above, by the way. Sums it up nicely.

[Lerkfish]

17. thanks, I've always liked your signoff avatars.

great scene from "the shining".

[asthmaticeog]

18. Wow, and you know what it is!

You wouldn't believe the number of PMs I have asking "What's with Bush and the guy in the bear suit?" I was starting to get the bewildering impression that *nobody* on DU had seen the film.

Cheers. :toast:

[yurbud]

22. I'd like a DLC free association to this: "socialize risk, and...

privatize profits."

[yurbud]

24. this was a show stopper...