If MoveOn became an official party would you still be a Democrat?

[MessiahRp]

I ask this not thinking it would ever happen but I think it's an interesting question. As more of the Democrats in the beltway show their corporatist/neo-con warmonger selves these days, does MoveOn.org represent our views more closely than they do at this point?

I am a strong Democrat but I have to admit my deep seeded confidence in the party has been shaken thanks to certain factions of the party in Washington D.C. abandoning our core principles and acting more like Republicans than Democrats.

What do you think. Does MoveOn.org represent us more than our own party at this point?

I just want to point out no answer is wrong and everyone is entitled to their beliefs on this. I just want everyone's personal, honest assessment.

Rp

Edit: Try to answer both questions -
1. Would you be a Democrat if MoveOn had their own party?
2. Does MoveOn represent liberal/progressive views/values more than the Democrats at this point?

This question is meant to be a little bit of a social experiment.

[burythehatchet]

1. no

[MessiahRp]

3. No you wouldn't be a Democrat or no to MoveOn representing our values more than the Dems?

Curious on your take on both questions.

Rp

[waiting for hope]

2. I think that there are four parties

with the Dem and Repuke camps:

____________________________________________

Republican (have we really seen one of those in a while?)

Neo-Con Fundie Wing Nut

____________________________________________

Democrat

Progressive



Just my thoughts on the subject.

[MessiahRp]

4. By Republican I think you're talking about "Conservatives"

The problem is while the Neo-Cons have mostly run them out of the Republican Party, they seem to have taken hold of the power structure within the Democratic Party. Hence my question. :)

Rp

[waiting for hope]

13. I see what you are saying -

Conservatives = Blue Dogs (uck, I have one), but I think liberal has turned more to a Progressive stance (re: one of your replies below). While I love being a "liberal", I kinda like the idea of a Progressive, I think it takes the best from Liberal and moves it up a notch by looking more into the future.

[terisan]

6. I would join a party different from Democratic but would still vote Dem if not voting

dem would cause Republicans to stay in power.

[MessiahRp]

12. Here's the real question to that...

What if voting Democrat keeps the Neo-Con out of power but elects a Conservative who before the Bush ideological party shift would have been or should have been a Republican?

Aren't we then voting a Republican philosophy in just to spite another type of Republican?

When do we get progressive/liberal values from our candidates? Or should we just accept that corporatists rule Congress and that we have ultimately lost the social/class war that has been waged on us since 1980.

Rp

[terisan]

27. I think it often happens that activists in a field create openings that benefit others

who are less progressive or liberal and less willing to take risks.

I prefer a middle-of the roader to a hard right fascist or a hard left tyrant (haven't ever had one of these in US yet but I would use Hitler and Stalin as examples of two extremes.

I think the class war goes way back, but agee that the latest phase started with Reagan.

I think 4 more years of a Bush/Neocon government is one from which we will never recover and I don't want them in power when the Global Climate Change Storm hits or even the when the economic results of their polices hits. I think the latter is almost upon us now.

I believe our best chance for survival is a popular movement with leadership outside the government.

[Selatius]

5. The winner-take-all system would mean Moveon splits the vote on the left, giving Repubs victory.

Repubs would win simply because they could easily gain the plurality of votes needed to win, even if a majority of voters didn't vote for Repubs.

Single-member district plurality systems generally lead to only two parties becoming viable. We have such a system. There are examples that run counter to that with three parties being viable, but in general, they are not common.

[MessiahRp]

10. True but I wasn't really discussing the hypothetical election...

It would be interesting to see if the Democrats remaining in the Democratic Party would end up being all Conservatives or not. There were certainly a lot of duped Dems who voted for Lieberman out of loyalty in CT even after he got his ass handed to him in the Democratic Primary. So I'm sure some would stay.

I think this time period in history could be one of redefinition of our party similiar to how our party realigned after the Civil Rights issues of the 1960s.

Chuck Hagel of all people mentioned that both parties were in realignment on Real Time with Bill Maher and he's right. The Republican party is the Neo Con party, maybe the Democratic party is the Conservative Party and maybe it's time for a liberal party to spring up.

I don't know. I do know that I am having a hard time justifying a lot of the things our party has done since taking control of Congress and every time I defend them they do something else that is indefensible.

Their constant abandoning of our principles makes me change my opinions and emotions about this group so often I feel bipolar because of them.

Rp

[Selatius]

16. I think what's happening is the alignment is stretching the Dems to the point of breaking

The Democrats are starting to absorb a large number of once Republican voters, and their views have not changed remarkably except that they think Neocons are too far right. The problem is now they're in the same party with liberal voters.

The result is a Democratic Party that's increasingly suffering from split personality disorder. The right wing of the party does not agree with the left wing of the party.

I think this might open up the door for regional parties to emerge, as opposed to national parties. India uses a voting system similar to ours, yet there are multiple parties in their parliament because those parties are regional in nature, that they cater to regional or local interests instead of national interests.

I think that's the future trend: The resurgence of regionalism and regional parties, something not seen since the decades before the Civil War.

[mike_c]

7. MoveOn certainly represents my interests more than most...

...of the dem leadership does, yes. Frankly, once I was shaken out of the democratic faithful the green party seemed the best landing place for me. It's hard to evaluate whether I might support another hypothetical "party" without seeing a comprehensive platform.

[onehandle]

8. No. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Probably. But, being a Democrat doesn't mean the party owns my vote.

And, if there was a MoveOn Party whose candidate was more progressive, more anti-war than any other candidate, he/she would get my vote.

[MadBadger]

11. Yes

[Hoof Hearted]

14. Yes.

1. Yes
2. Who exactly is the "our" in the our values of your question? I thought this was Democratic Underground?

[MessiahRp]

20. I suppose I should qualify that statement

I apologize I will attempt to fix that.

Rp

[Nimrod2005]

15. No and Yes

Did I pass?

[Disturbed]

17. If the USA had an actual Multi-Party System I bet that millions

would change from Repug & Dem Parties.

[Nimrod2005]

18. Of course, one day we will, and we all will.......nt

[TahitiNut]

19. Being an independent means never having to say you're sorry.

... except on behalf of my entire nation. :cry:

[daninthemoon]

21. This election ? No, I wouldn't want to split the vote ala Nader. After

this election, especially if we don't see a massive improvement in everything the rethugs have done to destroy the US? Hell yes.

[BlooInBloo]

22. I would destroy the entire world and all its inhabitants to show DU how mad I am....

... at our wuss congresscritters!

Is that good enough? Can we stop with the upset-er-than-thou bullshit?

[in_cog_ni_to]

23. Depends on if I thought they could win an election. We cannot have another repuke in power.

This country can't withstand any more damage.

If I thought there was a very good chance of them winning...hell yes, I'd join the Moveon party!

Yes, they represent us better than our own party does.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

24. www MoveOnDotOrgUnderground.com ????

or www.MoveOnUnderground.com?

[Capn Sunshine]

25. Erm

MoveOn defines ourselves as an interest group within the Democratic Party.

And YES they certainly represent the populist wing of the party better than the Blue Dogs.

[bemildred]

26. The idea is to take control of the Democratic Party, not to start another 3rd party. nt