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 didn’t 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 Daschle’s 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 “didn’t 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 didn’t publicly call the president of the United States “brain dead.” There was an era when in times of war, senators such as Ted Kennedy, didn’t 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 everyone’s throat, have gays jailed, and force women to have a baby every year. What they don’t 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? It’s 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 man’s 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. It’s 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 wasn’t, 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 wouldn’t 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 won’t mean it. They never have in the past and I don’t expect them to find honesty now.
The real Democratic Party was lost back in the 60's somewhere. They just do not have enought sense to go back and look for it.
When the McGovern wing of the party ascended (descended?) to power in 1972, the end was just beginning....super-factionalization began.....
Dem Shady???
They say they are mourning the age of "Enlightenment" according to the NYT. Yea..we all mourned the end of it on Sept 11th. Someone must have forgotten to tell the Islamic extremists about enlightenment and the Dems need to face the reality that in order to get enlightenment back we have to educate a few folks. The Enlightenment came after the French got their butts kicked. Funny how history seems to repeat itself. It's all about moral issues ..oh and freedom from EU rule..get a clue Dims.
Something makes no sense to me. The "Progressives" were so far left, they scared some of their own people to the right. Not they want to get them back by moving farther to the left? Good luck! I see a filibuster proof Senate in 2006.
I will be done with my parole by then and I will gleefully cast my vote for "Right" team.
Clinton (her) is no match for Clinton (him). She's just as dishonest, just as cynical, just as addicted to power. She's more to the left. But most importantly, she lacks his talent in selling snake oil to the rubes. Because she can't market the goods (whatever they are), she can only lead the Democrats to another, well-earned defeat.
To borrow a phrase, "Bring it on."
Congressman Billybob
I find it strange that these public office-holding democrats
absolutely FLEE from the words 'socialist' or 'liberal', while their bases, the average democrats on the street are
PROUD to be 'liberals' or even 'socialists'. It's a badge of honor to them. How can a party have success when in order to be elected, you have to HIDE the truth of what you are?
Also, they resort to hype to try to get the 'youth' vote.
What do all those kids at the Springsteen rallys or watching MTV's 'Rock the vote' know about issues? Nothing.
They follow because the Boss is 'cool' and MTV is 'cool'. It's the cool thing to do. You can't hold a party together on hype. There MUST be substance. Issues that can hold up for years and decades.
The real Democratic Party was lost back in the 60's somewhere. They just do not have enought sense to go back and look for it.
======
Yes, I have always held the opinion that JFK was the last of the REAL DEMOCRATS. During that period, the party was swinging so far to the left, and very rapidly, that what was left of any sensibility and American values vanished. Just look at what they are today, and planning to run a hard Marxist like Billary in 2008...but you can bet she and her ilk (Billy Boy et al) will be working very hard to CONVINCE THE IGNORANT DEM MASSES that she is really a true American, with American values, and NOT A RADICAL SOCIALIST. We sure as hell know better than that Hillary...
She will lose easily anyway, since she is in no way qualified to be Commander-in-Chief of this nation...just another hard-left mouthpiece of the far-left...
I'm hoping this is the beginning of the end for the Roosevelt socialsts. The damage they have done is enormous. Individual rights and initiatives have been replaced by judicial dictates to promote the "common good," a putrid marxist dictum.
The state and federal bureaucracies are filled with socialists, illegally writing policy and laws. It will take years to weed these marxists out. Congress and state legislators should do their job and rein in these left wingers.
"the average democrats on the street are PROUD to be 'liberals' or even 'socialists'. It's a badge of honor to them. How can a party have success when in order to be elected, you have to HIDE the truth of what you are?"
Hillary has already started changing spots. By 2008, she will be farther to the right than I am. In words only!
They just don't get it. This electorate DOES NOT support the populist, socialist agenda. The problems are seen as failures of the individual NOT failures of institutions. Each individual must take responsibility for him/herself and stop blaming the system, the economy, the government their bad childhoods, their genetic propensities (alcoholics). Does this mean values, yes, does it mean walking the straight and narrow pathway, yes, does this mean looking at oneself in the mirror and dealing straight with that person, yes, does it mean coming clean about your wrongheaded life choices to your God, yes, and charity begins at home, yeah, that too No wonder the paper said today that red states give more to charity. You wanna know what millionaire John Kerry gave last year to charity? One hundred dollars. Just ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Pathetic. Disgusting. If people believe that the reason they have problems is because the big Uncle Sugar didn't solve them, they learn helplessness, laziness, irresponsiblity. But a country full of individual people who are responsible and accountable to and for themselves is a mighty country.
Interestingly, Hitlery may not have that problem. She can possibly get the nomination without running as a socialist.
Yes, I was even mad at Ford for pardoning Nixon. Then I saw Jimmy Peanuts' incompetence and pessimism, compared it with Ronnie's optimism and love of America -- and became a conservative.
The Liberals keep bashing the Red states. They better look at the county by county map, several of the Blue states are mostly RED. California is almost all RED except for a small strip down the coast from LA to San Francisco. They keep trashing the Red state voters and soon the whole country will be Red except for a few isolated idiots like themselves.
Pray for W and Our Troops
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