If I changed my registration to a Democratic Socialist?

[kentuck]

Would I still be a Democrat?

What else would need to happen negatively to get you to support Bernie Sanders in a primary?

Would you feel that you were leaving your Party or that your Party was leaving you? I think it has come to that for some, perhaps many?

We see people that are closer to Reagan supply-side philosophy than to the ideals of the Democratic Party. That is a serious problem folks. Do not cut off your nose to spite your face.

We need to unite or this Party will fracture. It is no laughing matter. Make jokes at your own peril

[unkachuck]

1. "Would I still be a Democrat?"

....yes, I would consider you a true Democrat.

[brooklynite]

35. ...but nobody else would...

You can't change your registration to "Democratic Socialist". Party registration isn't political philosophy. Either you're a member of the "Democratic Party", in which case you're a "Democrat" or you're not, in which case you're an "Independent" until you register as a member of another Party that exists in your state. There may well be a "Socialist" Party, "Socialist Labor" Party, etc., but there's no "Democratic Socialist" Party that I'm aware of.

[Go2Peace]

2. I agree, our leadership, by talking in Republican terminology is confusing our own party

We are loosing the greater battle and our own leadership is actually reinforcing views of the nation that were first formed by Reagan.

This will become a greater and greater problem as we loose our "generational" memory. Young people who grew up under Reagan might not even know things like the fact that the majority of the population used to see social programs and safety nets as a good and necessary thing.

I am not going to change my registration though. Our constitution essentially makes a third party highly difficult to affect the country. Our best bet still is to prevail on the Democratic Party. Keep in mind that all is not yet lost, 10 years ago we did not have nearly the progressive media we now have. That media (which ironically the administration does not like) will keep the torch lit.

[dkf]

10. Have we gotten rid of so much of the social safety net?

It seems it is more used than ever with record numbers on extended unemployment and food stamps.

[Go2Peace]

21. Historically, yes

[dkf]

23. Other than Clinton's welfare reform I'm not aware of any cuts.

[defendandprotect]

28. Other than overturning 60 years of Welfare guarantees ... ???

Obama just cut food stamps --

[dkf]

31. Wasn't that just an accounting trick that they plan to reinstate?

[defendandprotect]

33. No ... won't be reinstated unless Obama can rise funds elsewhere ....

[defendandprotect]

29. More used, because corporations cut more jobs to create more profits for themselves/bonuses!!

And we haven't turned around and taxed them at higher rates to support the

unemployment insurance now necessary and the food stamps!!

[Hawkeye-X]

3. I'd welcome you to MY party, brother...

I'm a Democratic Socialist - a little left of Bernie. :)

[kentuck]

4. Thanks Hawkeye-X.

I will seriously consider it if you can talk Bernie into running? :-)

[Skinner]

5. I'm not really sure I get your point about Bernie Sanders.

He ran in the Democratic Primary in 2006 and won, and no Democratic candidate ran against him in the General Election. He has the support of the state and national Democratic Party. He caucuses with the Democrats. He's a Democrat In All But Name.

[Hawkeye-X]

7. So yer saying he's a DINO in a good way? :)

:hi:

[kentuck]

8. I think there may be some that do not see Bernie as a Democrat.

If he ran for President, I would have to seriously consider voting for him.

[Skinner]

11. I think Bernie would say he's not actually a Democrat.

But he's just about the only person who would say so. He has the support of the state and national Democratic parties. He has the support of the Democratic primary voters of Vermont. He's (basically) a Democrat, and I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any Democrat who feels differently.

[kentuck]

14. I think he is one of the best Democrats we have?

Do you feel positive or negative about him, Skinner? Do you think a campaign by him, although it would probably lose, would be a bad thing for the Democratic Party? Would it help to discuss what our Party should stand for?

[Skinner]

16. I think Bernie is great.

But I don't think he is going to run for president.

DU members are welcome to support primary challengers to President Obama. But I am not inclined to support a challenger to President Obama myself.

[kentuck]

18. I would be hesitant but...

if Bernie were to run, I would have to seriously consider it. :-)

[PuraVidaDreamin]

34. I wouldn't have to consider it

I'd just do it!

:9

[dflprincess]

17. When Bernie is on Thom Hartmann's show he does correct anyone who calls him a Democrat n/t

[defendandprotect]

30. And, therefore, Bernie Sanders could run on the Democratic ticket?

[littlewolf]

6. you might be a Democrat in all but name .. but that

name would keep you from voting in a primary .. (depending on your state)

[rug]

9. The answer pivots on whether the Democratic Party advocates capitalism or socialism.

[kentuck]

12. I don't think there's any doubt that the present Democratic Party..

advocates capitalism? We have always "compromised" with that position. But we expected a fair return in social benefits.

[rug]

13. Then the answer to your question is no.

Socialism will not come through the Democratic Party.

[kentuck]

15. I guess you're right?

??

[Davis_X_Machina]

19. You're a Democrat?

You're already a social democrat then.

In any event, you'd be hard-pressed to change your registration.

DSA-USA at least, their largest manifestation, don't run candidates, don't have state or county committees, nor nominating conventions.

[kentuck]

20. How in the world did Bernie get elected??

You make it sound impossible?

[Davis_X_Machina]

22. Because I send him money..

...whenever he runs, among other things. Been doing it since his first House race, when I found out about him from Democratic Left, the DSA's newsletter.

I'm a 20-year+ member of my town and county Democratic committee, and a six-time state convention delegate, and a 20+ year member of Democratic Socialists of America.

There are lots of us. The notion that one must either belong to one, or the other, does neither any favors.

[OHdem10]

24. Bernie started in the House, and recently moved to the Senate.

For many years he ran as a Socialist in the same
state Pat Buchanan won way back when he ran for
President against Daddy Bush. Of course was Anti-
Free Trade. Ran as Economic Populist. Bernie
changed to Indpendent when he ran for Senate.

[elocs]

25. Here in WI we don't have to register as a member of any party.

We are all free agents. In a primary you can only vote in one party's primary, but you do not have to register as a member of that party. You get to choose in the voting booth.

[AndyTiedye]

26. No and No Way. The Risk of the Teabaggers Winning is Too Great

The only way I could support a primary challenge is if the Republican party imploded so they had absolutely no chance of winning.

Palin, Huckabee, or any of the other teabaggers would totally wreck the country if they were elected President.

I like Bernie Sanders, but he could not win the Presidency. Anyway, we need him in the Senate.

[mmonk]

27. It has already fractured.

Some of us wouldn't change.

[defendandprotect]

32. Don't know if Bernie Sanders would agree to be drafted .... but I think

it may save some votes which may otherwise become non-voters or third party voters --

they won't be lost to Repugs, of course --

and that is, provided Bernie would run on Dem line.


It might also save a complete SPLIT in the party where many may decide to become

non-voters vs Obama in 2012 -- and/or move on to third parties?

28 million expected voters didn't vote in this election given their unhappiness with Obama.


What's best to do . . .

Try to keep the party together with a challenger?

Or risk having the whole thing go down with a SPLIT and non-voting?

[madokie]

36. If Bernie was to run for something where I could vote for him

I wouldn't give a shit what party he said he was with, I'd vote for the man.

how's that for a response :-)

[Yo_Mama]

37. I'd prefer to see an active group with the Dems

But my bottom line is that there needs to be a political party in this country that speaks for the working class/poor with conviction and persistence.

I am confounded and deeply troubled by legislation that seems to indicate that the Democratic party is abandoning the working, wanna-be-working, and once-working now poor class. I am even more astounded and disturbed because this is a very rapidly growing group of people.

I don't want the Democratic party to split but I do want the interests of working class/poor people to be very actively represented. I don't know how to get this done.

[socialist_n_TN]

38. I think that you could form a group WITHIN..........

your local Democratic Party and call yourselves something like Social Democrats or Democratic Socialists. I've thought about trying to do something like this within the Tennessee Democratic party, but I'm REALLY dumb when it comes to organizing.

[Yo_Mama]

46. That's a thought

Thanks.

The real battle is in the primaries, and perhaps such a group could make a difference there?

[LWolf]

39. I can't vote for Sanders, as I don't live in his state,

but if I had anything to send, I'd donate to his campaign.

Leaving the party? Party leaving me? I was an independent for most of my life. I voted for Democrats and 3rd party candidates. I registered as a Democrat in 2000 to protest the selection. I have less respect for the Democratic party after a decade of being a Democrat than I ever did as an independent.

The only LEGITIMATE, non-corrupt purpose for a party is to move issues. When the party is more interested in pleasing corporate donors and "winning" power, only to use it to please the already powerful, than in improving the condition of its own voters and the citizens of the nation, that party has no legitimate expectation of my support.

[dionysus]

40. uh, Bernie's not going to be running for president. sorry to dissappoint you.

[kctim]

41. If you changed it to that

you would just become a member of an irrelevent tiny minority.
Not very uniting at all.

[kentuck]

42. What am I supposed to be "uniting" with??

Liberals or conservatives? I don't see a lot of liberals in the Party anymore.

[kctim]

43. If you are seeking to prevent a fracture of the Party

you have to unite with ALL Dems who make up the Party if you wish to have any effect at all on legislation. Pushing a Democratic Socialist agenda would be even less effective than those who push the Libertarian agenda.

You want to work for the views of ALL Democrats, then work with the Democratic Party and help get things done.
You want to work for your own personal views, then work with Democratic Socialists, be irrelevent and get nothing done.

[kentuck]

44. Tell me again.

Who is fracturing the Party?

[kctim]

45. Those are your words

"We need to unite or this Party will fracture. It is no laughing matter. Make jokes at your own peril"

Personally, I believe the ones fracturing the party are the 13% who do not approve of President Obama and his administration because he chooses to represent ALL Democrats rather than just that 13%.

[TheKentuckian]

47. Not possible. We all don't have the same goals, some are even mutually exclusive.

The party is no use with Reaganomics as a guiding principle.

I don't want to get more "free trade".

I don't want fuckwit tax cuts for the top 20%.

I don't want to fund Pax Americana.

I don't wish to create public/private partnerships.

I don't want industry designed regulation.

I don't want the sheepish police state.

I don't give a shit about "free" markets.

Nothing is better than the flawed machinations of the "sensible centrists" that always end up as instruments to funnel money to the top.

[kentuck]

48. Amen...

Let me hear you preach the word! :-)

[kctim]

49. Not possible is very sad to hear

especially when all it is based on is 'my way or no way' thinking.

Sad not because the majority of Americans and our Constitution prevent the "flawed machinations" of Democratic Socialism from being forced onto all Americans, thankfully, but sad because NOTHING is the only thing such a narrowminded view can lead to.