Letters to the NY Times Bonanza: Dem's & Faith--LOL Must Read

The New York Times ^ | November 21, 2004

[publius1]

Democrats Have Faith, in the Issues (6 Letters)

Published: November 21, 2004

To the Editor:

Re "Some Democrats Believe the Party Should Get Religion" (news article, Nov. 17):

There is only one lesson Democrats need to take away from the recent election: voters admire candidates who are unwavering in their convictions.

Democrats should not be trying to figure out how to change their stance on core issues like abortion rights or gay rights. This will only give the Republicans another chance to point out that Democrats merely blow with the prevailing political winds.

Rather, Democrats should recommit themselves to their core values. They should stand firm for a woman's right to choose to protect her life and her health without government intrusion.

They should stand firm for equal rights and protections for all adults, gay or straight, who wish to enter into permanent relationships that should be recognized as such.

Fifty-seven million people voted for the Democratic candidate this presidential election. The party should not lose them by losing its convictions.

Linda Susswein New York, Nov. 17, 2004

•

To the Editor:

I would like my party - the Democrats - to know that unlike the Republicans, I did not and do not get my moral values or religion from politicians. I got them from my grandparents and parents.

If the Democrats start marketing religion and morals to me, I will look for another party.

Terri Pasha Pompano Beach, Fla., Nov. 17, 2004

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To the Editor:

The Democrats need to think long and hard about whether their strategy should be to win away voters from the Republican Party. With only about 60 percent of eligible voters going to the polls, there are plenty more votes to be had.

The Democrats need to dig deep and reach those they should have reached in this election, mainly the young and the poor. Reaching these potential voters costs time and money. It's not that the Democrats lack a voting base capable of bringing them the presidency, it's that they were unable to reach it.

The belief that more people should participate in our elections should be a guiding democratic principle for all.

George Samuels Washington, Nov. 17, 2004

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To the Editor:

Let those Democratic leaders who think their party should show more religious faith and moderate its stand on abortion know this: If the Democratic Party does so, it will lose millions of lifelong members like me.

Moving to the right is not the answer. The Democrats got 48 percent of the vote in the 2004 presidential election. They don't need to change their positions. They need to take control of the debate, get their voters to the polls and make sure that Republicans don't pull dirty tricks.

If the Democratic Party moves to the right, I will defect to the Green Party, as will many of my friends and family.

Paula Berinstein Thousand Oaks, Calif., Nov. 17, 2004

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To the Editor:

The Democratic Party needs to forget religion.

The Republican Party, and indeed the country, seems to be falling more every day under the conservative Christian spell. We need a strong opposition, a return to the secular humanism on which our nation was founded.

This doesn't mean that the Democrats should forget about moral issues. They should offer rational solutions without the encumbrance of a particular ideology.

The Democratic Party has historically been the party of inclusion. It shouldn't alienate more voters with Christian rhetoric.

Stephen Teti North Brunswick, N.J. Nov. 17, 2004

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To the Editor:

It's bad enough that the Democratic Party has tilted as much as it has to date toward Republicanism. Now it wants to shake its secular image?

Do the Democrats really want to win back the Christian right on religious grounds? If we're going to vote religion, which religion do we choose?

Four years from now, members of the (shrinking) middle class may find that their economic circumstances either have not improved or have deteriorated under the leadership of the faith-based president for whom they voted.

Leah Aronoff Cincinnati, Nov. 17, 2004

[publius1]

When I was a kid, my youngest brother would sometimes say or do something deeply at odds with reality, and on learning he was wrong, often through painful misadventure, would stand in his room yelling back at the world about the cause of his problem, e.g., "I can too fly, I can too fly, I can too fly"...

Are these letter-writers any different? My favorite line: "The Democratic Party needs to forget religion." You mean they haven't?

[Hardastarboard]

To all of these letter writers, you are exactly right. The Democratic Party needs to stay as far to the left as possible to align with the American people's view of the world. In fact, you need to move even further to the left, and be much more vocal about it. You really didn't get your message out the last time. The more public and agitated your acting out of your views is, the better. That way you'll get everyone's attention and they'll vote for you.

[Smacky]

"a return to the secular humanism on which our nation was founded."

Laff. 'Humanism' doesn't work. It's how dictators are born.
Maybe this guy lives in Cuba.

[conservativecorner]

Here's praying these goofballs are expressing the feelings of all demon-rats. If so, as the song says, you ain't seen nothin yet!

[Semper Paratus]

At the next 'rat convention they'll be passing out Bibles to the delegates instead of a list of safe escort services.

[Liz]

....Democrats should recommit themselves to their core values. They should stand firm for a woman's right to choose to protect her life and her health without government intrusion. They should stand firm for equal rights and protections for all adults, gay or straight, who wish to enter into permanent relationships that should be recognized as such....... Linda Susswein New York, Nov. 17, 2004

Oh yeah, Linda, baby. Couldn't sgree with you more (you airhead---no surer way to descend into irrelevance).

Go for it, Linda, honey. With my "prayers and blessings."

[boop]

Hmm I must have missed that in history class how our rights descend from "secular humanism".

[Baytovin]

"I would like my party - the Democrats - to know that unlike the Republicans, I did not and do not get my moral values or religion from politicians. I got them from my grandparents and parents".

...while they may have TRIED to instill such values in you, it didn't take. Remember...these are the same values you 'rebelled' against because they didn't allow you to behave as you wanted without feeling guilt or remorse....

[eagle11]

"The Democrats need to think long and hard about whether their strategy should be to win away voters from the Republican Party. With only about 60 percent of eligible voters going to the polls, there are plenty more votes to be had"

[cripplecreek]

"The Republican Party, and indeed the country, seems to be falling more every day under the conservative Christian spell. We need a strong opposition, a return to the secular humanism on which our nation was founded."


My favorite line. These people will do anything to keep the fantasy alive. They like to think that evangelical Christians won the election for Bush but the numbers don't add up that way.

In 2000 some 4 million evangelicals didn't vote. In 2004 some 9 million more people voted for Bush than in 2000. There are the 4 million evangelicals PLUS another 5 million who can't be accounted for.

[madprof98]

Let those Democratic leaders who think their party should show more religious faith and moderate its stand on abortion know this: If the Democratic Party does so, it will lose millions of lifelong members like me.

They're caught between a rock and a hard place, aren't they? If they keep pushing their pro-abort pro-homosexuality agenda, they alienate more and more of their base, not only Hispanics but also African-Americans. But if they give so much as a tiny morsel to the cause of decency, the Marin County lefties will bail out. The best thing would be just to dissolve their party.

[sneakers]

bump to read later.

[SirLurkedalot]

That one cracked me up too.

[Time is now]

"reach those they should have reached in this election, mainly the young and the poor"

Gotta love that one. Reach those who don't know squat about the issues, and those who vote to maintain their own interest in others money. What a wonderful bunch of leeches they have become.

[onevoter]

Leah states, "Four years from now, members of the (shrinking) middle class may find that their economic circumstances either have not improved or have deteriorated under the leadership of the faith-based president for whom they voted. "

More likely her party's platform would move us out of the middle class into the "working poor" with their policies of wealth distribution - meaning of course that the middle class pays for the welfare class while the truly wealthy pay the 12% tax that Ms Heinz Kerry paid. I'll take my chances with President Bush!

[schaketo]

Also, we must all work diligently in the coming months to convince “progressives” that the Democratic Party has let them down. They must abandon the party. Their only recourse is to join and work for the Green Party moving forward. I may even register as a Green Party member to swell their voter registration rolls. Divide and conquer.

Begin with putting all known “progressives” in your sphere of influence on the Green Party mail list from their website. Great fun. Start inundating them with information now.

[Mark in the Old South]

I hope the DNC follows ever word of advise sited in the above article.

Still I worry why should the DNC move to the right when "W" is moving so far to the left. The GOP is losing me. The Specter factor, along with illegal immigration, runaway budgets among other issues will be weighing heavy on me for many years to come.

I am just not that big on "kool-aide"

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "...while they (grandparents and parents) may have TRIED to instill such values in you, it didn't take."

Don't be so sure, Bolsulvism has been around for a few years now. I heard once that the first nation to permit legal abortions was the brand new Soviet Union. Perhaps someone with more information on the history of abortion can enlighten us?

[UltraKonservativen]

move even further to the left, and be much more vocal about it...YES!! We need to hear more from Hollywood stars with strong convictions that support abortion, gay rights and PETA. We need more books explaining the wickedness of conservatives and more stunts on Monday night football and SNL. This will clearly get the rest of America to feel positive about our party and the direction we want to take the country. In 2008,Democrats will regain power over the reds.
(Sarcasm)