Posted on 11/12/2004 6:42:59 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Like a living being with a split personality, the Democratic Party is pulling itself apart.
The finger-pointing has begun. The questions are being asked. How did John Kerry lose this election? Was it the Moral Majority flexing its muscles? Is the Democratic Party out of touch with America? Was it feared that Kerry was weak on national defense? Was John Kerry just too liberal for most Americans?
In truth, it was all of those and none of those. The problem is the Democratic Party is having a serious identity crisis. Like a living being with a split personality, this party is pulling itself apart.
This split was never more apparent than this last presidential election. On one side there are the traditional Democrats such as Joe Lieberman, and on the other are the extremes like Howard Dean and John Kerry. Kerry tried very hard to swing to the center, but people just didnt believe him. Americans not living on either coast are, for the most part, conservative.
If one listens carefully, this far left side of the party has even renamed itself. It often calls itself the Progressive Party. What does Progressive mean? I feel it is interchangeable with Socialist Party. There is a fair amount of evidence to prove that statement. The frightening thing for America is this: the far left, or socialist wing of the Democratic Party, is taking control of the party.
A list of members of the Socialist Party of America was once proudly displayed for members to see until that list became public. On that list were such prominent names as Nancy Pelosi, now a powerful force in the House. All the members of the Black Caucus were listed. A new caucus has been formed called the Progressive Caucus. What is their goal? As stated their goal is to advance the socialist agenda in America. Their names are listed on a page called Socialism in America.
No senators were foolish enough to actually join this group and allow their names to be published. But those Progressive senators are not hard to identify. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, Hillary Clinton of New York, John Kerry of Massachusetts, Barbara Boxer of California, Diane Feinstein of California, and Patty Murray of Washington are the most visible and powerful. It is these senators who are on the most important and influential committees. If Tom Daschle of South Dakota had been re-elected, he would have also been on that list. But Daschles far-left assignment of bringing the Senate to a virtual halt many times to block any bill or judge that the Progressives found unsuitable to their cause, was more than the people of conservative South Dakota could stand. The others, however, are in states that are firmly under the control of the far left of the Democratic Party.
Zell Miller, a member of the the old guard of the Democratic Party, has said that he didnt leave the party -- the party left him. This is a true statement. There was a day in this country when prominent senators such as Joe Biden of Delaware didnt publicly call the president of the United States brain dead. There was an era when in times of war, senators such as Ted Kennedy, didnt call the president a liar who deceived the American people. The rhetoric has never been more hateful.
Post-election comments from the supporters of the Progressive Party were bitter and spiteful. Those Americans who live in the red states were called ignorant. The youth who did not turn out in droves to vote for Kerry as expected were called unreliable brats. Anyone living in a Bush state has been labeled a member of the radical religious right. Warnings have gone out that this group will force religion down everyones throat, have gays jailed, and force women to have a baby every year. What they dont seem to realize is that those old Democrats crossed over and voted against John Kerry. They had to for Bush to win.
A liberal site I visit had perhaps the saddest picture that I have seen thus far. It was picture of a man with his little daughter in his lap and they were holding a sign that said, Sorry, a bad guy won Washington. It had a little crying face drawn on it. For socialists, this was a crushing defeat. So devastating was this defeat that this man apparently wanted to teach his child at a young age that Republicans are bad people. How sad.
Why do these Progressives hate George Bush so much? Its more than the fact that he is a Republican. Bush represents everything they hate about America. George Bush does not put great stock in the United Nations. He is vocal about his belief in God and perhaps the most unforgivable, he is pro-life. Bush supports a strong military and has shown he is not afraid to use it when the country is threatened -- with or without United Nations approval. Bush does not believe in the redistribution of wealth. He actually wants to tax Americans less. Progressives are horrified at the very thought of lowering taxes. Progressives were also horrified to learn on November 2, 2004 that much of America does not agree with them.
Make no mistake, these Progressives are passionate about their beliefs. A man, supposedly so overwhelmed with grief that Kerry lost the election, went to ground-zero in New York and killed himself. Liberal web sites are blaming Bush for this mans death. The fact that this man was probably psychologically unstable long before the election would never occur to them. Michael Moore is telling despondent Americans not to slit their wrists over the Bush win. An angry Nancy Pelosi held a press conference where she demanded that Bush must reach out to the other side if he wishes to get anything done.
Adding insult to injury, the Progressive Party not only lost the White House, but Senate and House seats as well. Its well on its way to being a long-term minority party. That was not its plan. That was not the way it was supposed to turn out. Some Kerry supporters are so depressed they have threatened to move to Ireland or Canada and one is rumored to be recovering from the shock in a monastery.
This radical group -- these Progressives -- will regroup. They will examine their mistakes and try not to make them again. Bill Clinton was able to fool Americans into thinking he was a centrist. But he wasnt, not really. The people were not fooled in 1994 either and hobbled Mr. Clinton by electing Republicans to the Senate and House to control him. Fearing he wouldnt be re-elected, which is all he cared about, Clinton turned on his Progressive followers and caved in to many of the Republican demands. Clinton then embarrassed them further by showing that the far left had few, if any, morals as well.
So this brings us full circle. Morals. Did the majority of Americans sicken of the Progressive agenda? It seems they did. So expect, within reason, the far left to suddenly find God. The Progressive branch will never give up the abortion issue but will abandon the gay community if it must. These socialists will do and say whatever they must to win. The problem is, they wont mean it. They never have in the past and I dont expect them to find honesty now.
While we're on the subject, the real Republican Party got up and left many conservatives in the 90s. Both parties have moved to the left. It's about time for a Freeper Party.
I agree with you on that. Even the president has done things I am not proud of.
I'm all for a strong Two Party system. Checks & Balances. One can prevent the other from going overboard. That is what has happened, the Dems have gone ULTRA liberal and are now paying the price for it. The GOP has their chance to really put their STAMP on things. IMHO the biggies are the Judges, get judges in there that WILL NOT LEGISLATE from the bench. For the past 20 years it has seemed that the Supreme Court and the lessor Courts in the country has been the biggest inroads for many liberal ideas and laws.
The GOP has 2 to 4 years to get this going and the other changes like Tax Policy before the pedulum swings the other way. To help keep the White House they need to find Dem govornors and keep an eye on them and also to start NOW to poke holes in Hillary's boat. Force her to make votes on bigg issues - either she votes conservative or liberal and either way it hurts her......Just have to get the spotlight on it
"Hillary has already started changing spots. By 2008, she will be farther to the right than I am. In words only!"
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Yes, the wicked Marxist Witch of the East will be lying her unqualifed butt off for the next 4 years...doing what all far-left Dems do, trying to convince voters they are something other than hard Socialists who are only concerned about power and control. She is no different and will never be anything else, since her resume is a blank sheet of paper...
Second, we need to help those Democrats who are aghast at their current party but who just can't bring themselves to join the Republicans to leave the Democrat Party for either a new centrist replacement party or some existing party (I don't know of any offhand) that would fit their views better. I'm thinking of the relationship the Republicans had to the Whigs in 1856. We might lose some of the more liberal Republicans to such a party, but that would be OK I think.
I think it's important to have at least two major parties in the country, and that the current Democrat Party can no longer serve the function of one of those parties. So how can we help disaffected Dems jump ship?
Goodbye and good riddance!
What amazes me is that "progressives" (I have many friends that carry the label on the East Coast) think that progressive equates with intelligence. This article proves it wrong. Progressive equates with being anti-American.
And, if guilt by association is acknowledged, then any club with Patty Murray in it can't be called "smart" or "intelligent."
If your ideas and ideals are correct, you don't have to hide them by changing your label from liberal to progressive.
Very good point.
The county by county map gives the blues very little hope and is a much different indicator of where America stands today.
The "progressive" base is ever dwindling.
The pockets of "blue" support, i.e., socialists or the more "PC progressives," are areas where the people truly think they can invent their own utopian world, which includes a new morality.
Areas like Hollywood, Vermont, the european "Enlightened" socialist population centers of New York City and Boston; these all think their own ideas are superior to the historic cherished values that first birthed America and then attacted others to come here and then finally have made her (and continues to make her)a great beacon for Light in a corrupt and dark world.
Thank God for the vast display of red counties. That's the hope of America!
Progressives also denote Socialist.
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