With everything that's gone on in the last year, are you still willing to call yourself a "Democrat"

[MrScorpio]

Just wondering.

Edit: Oh yeah... and why?

[Ozymanithrax]

1. I am still a registered Democrat...

And I will continue to call myself one.

[villager]

2. Better to be an independent, and simply vote Democratic when you need to

By removing yourself from their registration roles, you can also signal your personal willingness not to be lied to or taken for granted.

[GoneOffShore]

4. Uh, yeah, whatever.

[villager]

7. uh, right. Yeah.

n/t

[secondwind]

14. I'm not sure Independents can vote in primaries......not in NY anyway

[villager]

17. Granted, that could be an issue, depending where you are

...for those seeking to influence primaries.

And it might be worth shifting your registration around -- from Democrat to Independent, etc., depending what's happening in that year's Senate races, etc.

But by being willing to remove yourself from the DLC's roll sheets when necessary, perhaps Rahm & co. will take you a tad less for granted...

[TorchTheWitch]

50. I can't in PA but it doesn't matter

By the time the primary comes to PA there is already a winner.

[pipi_k]

37. I did that, actually

Got sick of being solicited for money all the time...letters, phone calls, etc.

So I switched to "Independent" and don't get any more solicitations, but I still think of myself as a Democrat and vote that way unless (as I wrote in another thread someplace around here) the (D) candidate is a DINO.


As for sending out a message that I won't be lied to or taken for granted...I dunno...personally, I think everybody gets lied to and/or taken for granted.

[GoneOffShore]

3. Absolutely am.

I'm a fucking lefty fringe goddam hippie Democrat and always introduce myself as such when asked.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Sure. But, I'll still be voting issues rather than party.

[mix]

6. social democrat

i've always been to the left of the party

[asdjrocky]

8. I've left the party.

They can win me back, but I don't see that happening, or them even trying or caring about winning the base back.

[PeaceNikki]

9. Of course.

The Republicans I know very quickly hid from identifying with Bush and changed their "brand" to "conservative". I don't agree with a lot of things that many of party leadership has done, but I am not running and hiding.

[NJmaverick]

10. The Democratic party is my party and I am no fair weather friend or member

No political party is perfect or will ever match a person's views exactly. They are doing the best they can I will help them to do better.


PS- shouldn't there have been an answer for those at DU who were never Democrats?

[hayu_lol]

15. I am a LIBERAL, dictionary definition...

the core of the party, including the party platform is Liberal. The wanna-bees who flooded in and are now running for the fringes they came from...well, good riddance to bad rubbish.

We are where we are because of single-issue far left fringees. So go already and see what you have in whatever party you align yourself with.

If you guys bail, then maybe the Liberals can finally get rid of the Blue Dogs.

Truth sometimes hurts.

[NJmaverick]

18. I have been a Democratic and a SUPPORTER of the party since 1981

I don't give a rat's ass that you have declared yourself the only real Democrats and you want the rest of us to leave. You are working hard to destroy the party you claim to support, from where I am sitting.

[dana_b]

11. to be fair, i'm not a dem nor have I been for years

I'm an independent Why am I on this site? Because it's a good site. :)

[Heidi]

12. Yes, but they would have done better asking my permission than banking on my forgiveness

in the HCR debacle.

[piratefish08]

13. I'm gone. Back to independent.

I wish I could reclaim the endless weekends I spent away from my family canvasing and working phone banks.

I could have stayed home for 'more of the same'.

[w8liftinglady]

16. I was a Libertarian for 20 years.I have seen too much pain and suffering to be anything but ...

...a Democrat.Regardless of the whores in Congress,we can still make a united difference.

[C_Lawyer09]

21. I agree with the Libertarian party on many issues

Level of world participation and involvement and the environment are two areas that I don't feel are adequately addressed within the purview of a libertarian platform. I do agree with auditing the Fed. I do agree with increasing personal freedom and a smaller government role in peoples lives, to the extent it is possible, not a cut and dried survival of the fittest mentality. Lew Rockwell, and the Ludwig Von Mises institute post some enlightening food for thought, vis a vis the viablity and effectiveness of several one size fits all programs. To me, many within the Democratic party have become way to paternalistic and condescending for my liking. Mary Ruwart is a good example of a Libertarian that espouses views, especially regarding social issues that fit my way of thinking. A few Democratic politicians that I feel do an admirable job of attempting to represent their constituency in a genuine way, by and large are: Kucinich, Waxman, Defazio, Boxer, Kerry, Whitehouse, Feingold, Klobuchar and a few others. I do feel that it's a shame that any hope of true bipartisanship is a thing of the past. There were many good Republican politicians back in the day, that thought for themselves. Tom McCall, and Mark Hatfield and Chuck Hagel were good examples. I would have said Spector, but he's now a Democrat. Of course there remains the token two or three moderate Republicans that will step up to the plate. I'd have liked to see insurance pools created, and some industry regulation, before a 2,000 plus page cumbersome bill. Hopefully somebody can answer my question relative to sweetheart deals for specific states.

[roamer65]

23. I agree about 50% of the time with Libertarians.

But when they get on the no government kick I part ways with them. We need efficient, smarter government not less of it.

[C_Lawyer09]

35. In large part I agree with you

For example, I thought the cuts to the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency were extremely hurtful. I don't feel the right answer is necessarily shedding personnel, but most agencies have no viable metric that measures efficiency. This has become a big problem within DOD. Many of the programs designed to "help" are either innefectual or negative. Cash for clunkers accomplished none of what was intended, unless you consider delaying the inevitable its intended purpose, and it did so at a cost of 22k-24k a vehicle. Now that cannot be called a good bang for your buck program. I also have a lot of heartburn in regard to the IMF, WTO, and UN. I'm not against the mission of the UN, but in most cases I'm against the terrible execution. UN mission in Darfur and UN mission in Somalia UNAMID and UNISOM respectively, with the addition of Haiti as well. USAID, has done a horrific job in Africa. Think of how much money would be saved if we eliminated three strikes your out legislation as it pertains to non-violent drug offenders.

[Odin2005]

33. I consider myself a Left-Libertarian.

Skeptical of both state and corporate power, unlike the Right-Libertarians, which are Corporatist cock-suckers.

[TexasObserver]

19. Yes, I'm still willing to call myself a "Democrat"

[HopeHoops]

20. Yes, but I prefer to call myself "Grondor, Destroyer of Naughty People and Doer of Goodish Things".

But that won't fit on my driver's license.

[Posteritatis]

22. Those who would not allow that to fit just may be naughty. (nt)

[HopeHoops]

24. AAARGH! I need to unleash my "Slaying Sword of Discomfort for Naughty People"

I think it is with the "Disgusting Dirty Dagger of Dinging Dirty Dunebuggies", but I haven't used that in a long time.

[PeaceNikki]

26. That really rolls off the tongue!

:thumbsup:

[kentuck]

25. I'm not sure I know what a "Democrat" is...?

anymore..

[saltpoint]

27. You better believe it.

The blue is genuine and long-standing.

[Texasgal]

28. I don't know anymore.

I am very confused about what is happening and I am not sure how to react.

[Iggo]

29. Decline To State.

Always have been. Always will be.

[Odin2005]

30. Yes.

The only way to bring change is to take back OUR party from the Corporatists.

[phasma ex machina]

31. Good question. The only thing I know for certain is

that I need nose plugs from pinching my nose too much.

[Brickbat]

32. Sure, I'm proud to be a Democrat. Those posers in Congress, however...

[grytpype]

34. If you voted NO, get off this board!

This is Democratic Underground, not Screaming Crying Libs Playpen.

[dana_b]

36. speaking of screaming and crying.... n/t

[UTUSN]

38. We Democratic party voters were that way long before a yr ago and will be long after. n/t

[HughMoran]

39. I'm unenrolled (same as independent) but I call myself a Democrat

Those who are jumping ship will likely assure our defeat next fall and the impending weakening of Obama and any chance at achieving needed reform. Oh, well :cry:

[Deep13]

40. "Social Democrat"

But I'll probably accept being called a "Democrat" so I don't get fired or lynched.

[Bluebear]

41. Affix the word "proud" to it. I always was a proud Democrat until this year.

To have the Presidency and Congress in Democratic control and to have this year of non-accomplishment is embarrassing.

[stray cat]

42. I'm a registed dem but I will always be an independent in practical terms

I don't limit myself to voting or thinking a party line; I'll think for myself.

[S n o w b a l l]

43. Yes, always will be and proudly.

There's no other viable alternative for me anyway. It's the Democratic House & Senate that should be polled on this.

[Kali]

44. no shit!

good point

"It's the Democratic House & Senate that should be polled on this."

[AsahinaKimi]

45. Always been a Dean Democrat

[SeattleGirl]

46. Absolutely.

I didn't, and don't, expect Obama to wave a magic wand and make everything okay. And I don't expect that getting things through Congress will be a cakewalk.

I can't say I haven't been disappointed in some things that have happened with this crew, as I have been disappointed in past crews.

But still, I'll hitch my wagon to the Dem star in a New York minute before I'd ever think about hitching it to the Repuke star, or a marginal party.

[Raine]

47. I'm a registered Democrat but

I'll probably changed my registration the first chance I get to "Independent" or "Green".

[TorchTheWitch]

48. I switched to Independant since Clinton

The Dem party left me. Being an Independant is basically symbolic since I vote Dem only as a "not as bad as" option. I no longer really feel Dems are not as bad as.

[Forkboy]

49. Yes