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Democrats, beware: We are leaning left too far

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  • Democrats, beware: We are leaning left too far

    Democrats, beware: We are leaning left too far

    Interesting that even Ed Rendell - Former Democratic Pennsylvania Governor and self-confessed political junkie - points this out.

    As the 2018 election seasons draws to a climax, political junkies — and I confess, I remain one — already are looking to 2020 and expounding theories about what could happen. In one sense, that’s a foolish venture because politics is hard to forecast even a few weeks in advance, let alone two years. But it is fun to speculate, and there are some trends that have occurred this year that could be extremely impactful in 2020 if they continue.

    For Democrats, one trend that has taken hold is quite alarming: our swing to the far left. That trend has been exemplified by almost all of our putative presidential candidates. The two clearest examples of trying to appeal to our base by being as progressive as possible were the rush to embrace a “single-payer” health care system after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) publicly endorsed it, and the stampede to call for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    Sanders’s Medicare-for-all plan really was not unexpected; he talked about single-payer during the 2016 campaign. But when he reiterated it, loudly and clearly, his words brought a rapid endorsements from almost all other Democrats who are hinting at presidential aspirations. If you’ve read one of my columns in The Hill, you know that I think single-payer could work under certain circumstances but I am troubled by its initial expense and taxes we would have to raise to make it work early on. In the few places it has been tried, such as Vermont, it was repealed because it was simply unworkable and unfundable.

    Regardless of your opinion on its merits, single-payer is not a reasonable solution to the challenge of making health care accessible and affordable; it will never get the 60 votes necessary in the Senate, even if Democrats were to win back the chamber on Nov. 6. Our candidates should work for solutions that are politically achievable, and not appeal to voters with a plan they know cannot become reality. (That’s like saying, “Mexico would pay for the wall.”) I would respect our wannabes more if they would make realistic proposals for reform.

    The rush to declare their progressive bona fides through this topic was matched by a similar charge to pledge the abolition of ICE. Now, it’s clear that ICE is a mess, needs reforming and a serious reordering of its priorities. But among other things, ICE is charged with — and performs adequately — keeping out young people who are being forced into our country to become sex slaves, drug dealers, etc. The proper response for someone wanting to be U.S. president should be similar to the answer regarding the ACA: “Mend it, don’t end it.” Kudos to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) for endorsing this commonsense approach.

    The “abolish ICE” movement came at a terrible time for the Democratic Party because, in the weeks preceding the movement’s arise, the Trump administration was getting savaged — and deservedly so — for its idiotic policy of separating families at the southern border. Public opinion polls were so strong against the administration that the divider-in-chief was forced to sign an executive order to keep migrant families together. His unfavorable ratings were shooting up, but we Democrats came to his rescue by letting him change the subject — to say that Democrats wanted to abolish ICE and leave the border defenseless. That may appear to be a totally illogical argument, but it effectively redirected attention and halted the bleeding for President Trump.

    One more glaring incident of our far-left overreach occurred immediately after Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Let me begin by saying that I believe Christine Ford and Deborah Ramirez, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault. Had I the opportunity, I would have voted no on Kavanaugh’s confirmation because of that, and also because he clearly demonstrated partisanship and an inclination to vitriolic revenge that makes him unqualified to sit on the Supreme Court.

    However, once he was confirmed, we should have let the issue drop. But too many of our most vociferous progressive candidates and progressive media outlets promised that Democrats will begin impeachment proceedings against Justice Kavanaugh if we take back the House. First of all, that’s another promise that never could be achieved. Yes, if we win the election, and if every Democratic House member voted to impeach Justice Kavanaugh, we could send his case to the Senate for trial.

    ...
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

  • #2
    I get bored of corporate democrat losers like this idiot writing puff propaganda pieces in which they slam Dems who advocate for popular policies. His advice that boils down to dropping policies that poll well with voters and instead just losing elections by running on Republican lite policies is a sure-fire loser. What a moron.
    "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
    "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
    "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Starlight View Post
      I get bored of corporate democrat losers like this idiot writing puff propaganda pieces in which they slam Dems who advocate for popular policies. His advice that boils down to dropping policies that poll well with voters and instead just losing elections by running on Republican lite policies is a sure-fire loser. What a moron.
      Ya know, Star "polices that poll well" or "popular polices" aren't necessarily the same as what's best for our Nation.
      The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
        Ya know, Star "polices that poll well" or "popular polices" aren't necessarily the same as what's best for our Nation.
        Sure, the best policies (as seen empirically by the most successful countries like the Scandinavian ones) are further left than what polls well in the US, but the policies that poll well are further left than where the Dem party is currently at, so it's pretty obvious that Dems need to move further left.

        Fortunately the up-and-coming younger generation of voters is more aware of international realities as they have friends online from other countries, so they can learn what works elsewhere in the Western world. And a survey of US 18-29-year-olds out this week shows strong support for Democratic Socialist policies:
        US 18-29 yr-olds:

        Trump approval: 26% total
        Democratic-led congress: +34% points
        Federal jobs guarantee: +36% points
        Eliminating tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities: +36% points
        Single Payer Health Care (also referred Medicare for all): +34% points
        Requiring U.S. corporations with more than $1 Billion in revenue to allow their workers to elect 40 percent of the membership of their board of directors: +24% points
        Building a militant and powerful labor movement in the United States rooted in the multi-racial working class: +18% points
        "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
        "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
        "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

        Comment


        • #5
          Always good to see you, Star.
          The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

          Comment


          • #6
            It's false to say that liberals who favor single-payer healthcare, abolishing ICE, progressive taxes, universal income, etc are far left. That's just the regular left. The far right is composed of white supremacists, self-evident extremists. There isn't a common liberal counterpart. Also, I don't understand the moderate Democrat strategy to focus on bipartisan compromise. Republicans have fought as hard as they could to get their way and have succeeded again and again, and even their pie in sky promises like making abortion illegal or bringing God back into schools get butts into polls. They have proven that Democrats don't need to settle for less ideal policy. I hypothesize that it's coming from a place of self-serving neoliberal economics and lingering cold-war propaganda rather than practicality.
            Last edited by Psychic Missile; 11-04-2018, 12:06 AM.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Psychic Missile View Post
              It's false to say that liberals who favor single-payer healthcare, abolishing ICE, progressive taxes, universal income, etc are far left. That's just the regular left.
              Majority of republicans support medicare for all, poll finds

              Can a position supported by a majority of Republican voters be reasonably even called "left" rather than "centrist"? Never mind "far-left".
              "I hate him passionately", he's "a demonic force" - Tucker Carlson, in private, on Donald Trump
              "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism" - George Orwell
              "[Capitalism] as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of evils. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy" - Albert Einstein

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Psychic Missile View Post
                It's false to say that liberals who favor single-payer healthcare, abolishing ICE, progressive taxes, universal income, etc are far left. That's just the regular left. The far right is composed of white supremacists, self-evident extremists. There isn't a common liberal counterpart. Also, I don't understand the moderate Democrat strategy to focus on bipartisan compromise. Republicans have fought as hard as they could to get their way and have succeeded again and again, and even their pie in sky promises like making abortion illegal or bringing God back into schools get butts into polls. They have proven that Democrats don't need to settle for less ideal policy. I hypothesize that it's coming from a place of self-serving neoliberal economics and lingering cold-war propaganda rather than practicality.
                I'm just posting what one of your liberal biggies said, PM. You guys are free to duke it out.
                The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Starlight View Post
                  I get bored of corporate democrat losers like this idiot writing puff propaganda pieces in which they slam Dems who advocate for popular policies. His advice that boils down to dropping policies that poll well with voters and instead just losing elections by running on Republican lite policies is a sure-fire loser. What a moron.
                  Exactly!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                    Ya know, Star "polices that poll well" or "popular polices" aren't necessarily the same as what's best for our Nation.
                    They aren't necessarily bad either, so what's your point?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by JimL View Post
                      They aren't necessarily bad either, so what's your point?
                      Sorry you missed this post, Jim...

                      Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                      I'm just posting what one of your liberal biggies said, PM. You guys are free to duke it out.
                      The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                        I'm just posting what one of your liberal biggies said, PM. You guys are free to duke it out.
                        I wasn't specifically directing that at you, I was just saying what I think about the opinion piece.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Starlight View Post
                          I get bored of corporate democrat losers like this idiot writing puff propaganda pieces in which they slam Dems who advocate for popular policies. His advice that boils down to dropping policies that poll well with voters and instead just losing elections by running on Republican lite policies is a sure-fire loser. What a moron.
                          I get bored of know-nothing posers, who pretend to be an expert on something because they watched a couple videos on YouTube and talk to their insular bubble of like-minded friends, pontificate on subjects that they are laughably ignorant of.

                          I'm always still in trouble again

                          "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                          "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                          "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                            I get bored of know-nothing posers, who pretend to be an expert on something because they watched a couple videos on YouTube and talk to their insular bubble of like-minded friends, pontificate on subjects that they are laughably ignorant of.
                            Aw, don't be so hard on yourself, rogue.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Psychic Missile View Post
                              I wasn't specifically directing that at you, I was just saying what I think about the opinion piece.
                              The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                              Comment

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