Why Are the Democrats in Trouble?

[Jeff Higgins]

Here is an interesting story I picked up from our local paper. In a nutshell, it pretty much says what many of us have said about modern Democrats. Most people agree with their policies on economics, foreign relations, and the like. Where most folks disagree with their party line is on "moral" issues. Traditional family values, religion, gay rights (specifically same-sex marriage), abortion, and stuff like that. According to this study, moral issues so outweigh everything else, and they so very mush disagree with the Democratic platform on such, that that has been enough to drive them away from the party.

Speaking personally, that is precisely what drove me away years ago. I do still agree with most of their platform. There are, however, some absolutes in my life, in my beliefs, that I will never compromise on for anything. The modern Democratic party has crossed the line on damn near every one of them. It looks like lots of folks feel the same way.

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/05/08/11/100wir_democrats001.cfm

[Joeaksa]

Jeff,

I do not agree with the Democrats view of the above, but neither am I so conservative that I agree with the Repubs either! Leaves you in a middle ground and makes it difficult to vote at times.

The Democrats are a bit like a ship without a rudder and the sooner they get a platform and stick with it the better. Thats one reason I feel that they got spanked so badly in the recent elections.

JoeA

[Shaun @ Tru6]

This sadly confirms my suspicion that the Right preys upon uneducated people with a lowest common denominator platform. They play to people's emotions, not their intellect.

Democrats are intellectual snobs, I know because I am one even though I was raised entirely blue collar, lower middle class. And I'm typing now with very greasy hands after just pulling my 915 off in prep for rebuilding it tomorrow.

Only one to go to college and my dad is still angry about it. Still have blue collar and white collar and educated (physic professor, helped discover a quark or two) friends around the country. I am always saddened discussing anything of substance with my blue collar friends. they are very easily led and have poorly formed opinions.

many democrats want to genuinely help the less fortunate. Others are incensed at how "unenlightened" people are. best example is the rise in prominence of Intelligent Design Theory. No one tells you that there are two major camps in ID, one that believes in god and the other that believes in "super intelligent aliens." As a bio/biochem major in college, this is very, very disheartening. It all boils down to "if I can't understand something in 2-3 minutes, then god must have created it." What is more interesting though is that nature, humanity, whatever, is soooo flawed, there's very little intelligence in it.

30 years from now, when I run for office (I'll be 67), it will be on a campaign of rising everyone up to a higher level, not playing down to the one they are on.

Anyway, enough of egotistical, snobbery. Thanks for posting Jeff.

[dtw]

Originally posted by Shaun 84 Targa
Democrats are ^SNIP^

.......the Republican party, that is.

[tabs]

The Democratic Party leadership is one AMORAL lot....who care not for the common man....only the power to tell them what to do ...since they are so enlightened....

[rrpjr]

Originally posted by Shaun 84 Targa
Others are incensed at how "unenlightened" people are.

Therein lies the problem. People don't like being told how "unenlightened" they are. And if they aren't being told it, they can sense it. The first democrat that sheds this second skin of condescension, who drops the anger and the barely concealed contempt for an obtuse citizenry (demonstrated daily by a meddling elite of do-gooders, know-betters and frankly anti-American deconstructionists who have far more interest in altering our political system than sharing power with those they despise), who heaves Michael Moore and Howard Dean over the side, who appeals to the basic decency, common sense and fairness of America, who goes back to the everyman, Jeffersonian roots of the democrat party perhaps best embodied in the past century by a man who was not a politician, Will Rogers ("there ain't no problem but one in this country, and that's plain old seflishness"), who exudes an affection for all Americans in both the glory and shame of their "flaws," will win and win big. This spirit is the American spirit, and the left currently doesn’t get it. They just want to make America look like Berkeley. Thich Nat Han, the Buddhist teacher, recently scolded anti-war activists at a rally to learn to write “love letters" to America. I wonder if the democrats can find such a person. I hope they do.

[Jeff Higgins]

I have to disagree with your analysis just a bit, Shaun. I don't think the Republicans "prey" so much on "uneducated people". "Uneducated people" seem to have a very firm foundation on life's basics; the almost undefinable "fabric" that holds a society together and defines how we treat each other. What "feels" right deep down inside. The old addage that you learned everything you need to know about life and how to get along with one another in Kindergarten. I find it odd that the more formal education a population receives, the more they forget those important Kindergarten lessons. The Democratic party soes not seem to be aware they even exist, or they believe they are too educated and refined to have to follow them. The Republicans are not bright enough to take advantage of that, but they have stuck closer to those lessons. No, they did not prey on anyone, but they sure as hell didn't turn them away either.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Thats one reason I feel that they got spanked so badly in the recent elections.

Honestly I think it's because they put forth a candidate that was so utterly unelectable that he lost to the most reviled president since Nixon.

[HardDrive]

When are the democrats going to stop representing everyone EXCEPT the god faring, hard working middle american voters? I voted for Kerry, but I was not happy about it. It was a vote against Bush. I found the pompus Taxachusetts blow hard just as irritating as my Repulican counter parts.

That being said, I think the god faring, hard working middle american voters are a bunch of morons.

[dd74]

Blue hit it on the head.

"I'll hunt down the terrorists and kill them." I thought about this line the other day and found myself shaking my head at how pat and contrived these words still sound. Kerry came off so poorly rehearsed and unconvincing, who could believe his commitment any promises such as these. In fact, through most of the election he sounded half-dead.

Bush didn't sound much better, BTW. He too "just showed up." But Bush had a strong rally behind him that was like a blitzkrieg. (sp?) I was seriously surprised he won, in fact. But that's because the media plays politics to an extent, and failed to cover much of what the Republicans were doing tactically during the election year.

The bottom line is this: Bush has screwed the pooch since last Nov. From a crap economy to a contrived war, he's served up enough slow fat ones, an armless blind man could connect on the curve.

He's giving the election to the Dems in '08. Thing is, he doesn't give a ***** (on many levels), which is why the Republicans are falling apart day-by-day.

As it was, the Dems should have gone with McCain. But he wasn't safe (re. boring, unsurprising) enough for them.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

You mean Lieberman, yes?

McCain is still hangin' with the righties.

[speeder]

Lieberman would have lost big as well. He would have agreed w/ Bush on most things, including the big issue of the Iraq invasion, so there is not much for Dems to get behind. Why have a fake Republican when you can have a real one? (Even though Bush is a poor excuse for a Republican).

No, Kerry was just an incredibly soft target. And still he would have beat Bush if not for Ohio. Even Biden would have beat Bush back to Texas, IMO.

[dd74]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
You mean Lieberman, yes?

McCain is still hangin' with the righties.

Oopa! No, I actually meant Dean. Sorry - I had a senior moment.

[tabs]

The Democrats Progressivness rings hollow...the issues they represent don't strike at the heart of what Amercans feel is important....Smoking, Gun Control and Gay Marriage...

Americans see that integrity of ones actions is being eroded by todays mass culture which they see the Democrats as an anything goes party...eg Liberalism

Yet our Liberal friends shout down dissenting views in the name of being Politically Correct and not wanting to discriminate against anyone.

The majority of Americans are against turning back Rowe vs Wade...even a conservative Supream court upheld it ..in their last decision on the matter...Thus U only see the Bush admin only giving lip service to the Right to Life crowd...

Bush talks the talk of being a conservative right winger but walks the walk of a Globalist Presidentt...

[Franklin]

We have two parties in the US. The evil party (Dems) and the stupid party (GOP). The reason I live in the sticks is so I can pretty much avoid both of them (and fly my reb flag on REL's birthday.)

[fintstone]

The Democrats are in trouble because they have no platform and no ideas. They cannot win a major election but think that more of the same is the solution. They are the party of "anti-" anything that anyone else does...

[cool_chick]

I don't think the "democrats are in trouble."

You guys lose one election but win with electoral votes, and then win one election by 1.62% and now the "dems" are in trouble.

Funny.

[bryanthompson]

howard dean and moveon.org own the party. their entire downfall can be traced to the single event of the Wellstone Memorial. A memorial turned into a political rally, and they haven't recovered since.

[MichiganMat]

Go and read Frank Rich: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/opinion/14rich.html?pagewanted=1

The only reason the Dems are in trouble is they are the ones who are going to be cleaning up the most disasterous and failed presidency in the history of the USA, and thats the best-case scenario that I can think of for any of us.

We're out of money,
We're out of troops,
And we want some answers about how all this **** started in the first place.

Move over Nixon, theres a new ass-hat in town.

[HardDrive]

Originally posted by fintstone
The Democrats are in trouble because they have no platform and no ideas. They cannot win a major election but think that more of the same is the solution. They are the party of "anti-" anything that anyone else does...

MY GOD, I think I almost......agree...with......flintstone.

Well, he's somewhat correct.

What DO the democrats stand for? And more to the point, what positive things do they have to say?

There is plenty to rip on with Bush, but the the Bush presidency is effectively over. Regardless of who become the Republican nomiee in 2008, the dems can't keep kicking Bush. They need to offer a new direction.