The Blue Dog Dems Continue Their Pitch To Move Further to the Right

[G_j]

Last edited Sun Nov 9, 2014, 11:36 AM - Edit history (4)

(I changed the subject line to, hopefully, be more accurate)

http://ringoffireradio.com/2014/11/the-blue-dog-dems-begin-their-pitch-to-purge-liberal-dems-from-the-party/

THE BLUE DOG DEMS BEGIN THEIR PITCH TO PURGE LIBERAL DEMS FROM THE PARTY
Posted on November 8, 2014
by Joshua De Leon

Joe Manchin (D-WV) is a coal-backing, right-wing-minded Democrat and a conservative sellout. Crooks and Liars reported that Manchin stepped down from NoLabels, a club for other, like-minded Democrats who sell out their own party.

Democrats like Manchin not only make their party weak, but they also make the party look desperate for votes by pandering to the Republican, conservative voters. Manchin pushes coal production, bashes the Affordable Care Act, and knocks the president every chance he gets. He feels that by doing so, he will appeal to Republican voters thus sealing a spot in Congress for a Democrat. That logic is beyond broken.

According to Time Magazine:

Manchin, one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, could fill a key role next year as the Senate Republican majority tries to implement its agenda, including authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline and raising the Affordable Care Act’s workweek from 30 hours to 40 hours—two proposals that Manchin supports and believes have enough bipartisan support to reach 60 votes for passage. He called a Keystone vote a “slam-dunk,” and he considers the Obamacare fix crucial despite a nonpartisan congressional report that found it would reduce the number of people receiving employment-based coverage by about 1 million people and increase the deficit by about $25 billion over the next five years.

Democrats like Manchin only weaken the party and the liberal movement. Democrats like Manchin are why the party bungled this year’s midterms, even losing blue states to the Repubs. Crooks and Liars noted that Manchin “just wants to see the Senate work. And if it works with Republicans at the helm, passing lots of right-wing corporate agenda items, that’s totally fine with him.”

Manchin resigned from NoLabels, a group of cowardly politicians guised as a bipartisan group. He should quit politics altogether. He doesn’t help the liberals, and we don’t need another conservative on the planet.

..more..

[Autumn]

1. I will be more than happy to leave if they want me to.

Bernie will do just fine.

[True Blue Door]

3. What's the difference between a nihilistic sellout and a principled coward?

Nothing.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

54. I'm guessing Manchin is the nihilistic sellout, but who's the principled coward? nt

[MissDeeds]

8. +10000

Bernie is just fine for me too.

[99Forever]

42. I'm with you...

.. one foot out the door already.

[geek tragedy]

2. Manchin is as good as West Virginia is capable of electing.

The alternative to him is a Teahadist. There are precious few progressives in that state.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. What's ironic is Joe could get elected as a D in VT but Bernie could never get elected as a D in WV.

Last edited Sun Nov 9, 2014, 11:00 AM - Edit history (1)

When is the board going to appreciate regional differences?

[1StrongBlackMan]

14. Never. eom.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. Joe Manchin running as a conservative Democrat in Vermont couldn't beat...

Joe Manchin running as a conservative Democrat in Vermont couldn't beat a more conservative Republican


(or)


Bernie Sanders running in West Virginia as an independent socialist couldn't beat a conservative Republican?

[1StrongBlackMan]

20. True ...

But I keep reading that the solution to all ills the Party is running progressives in conservative districts.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

23. Now I'm all confused...

But one thing I'm not confused about is the alternative to Joe Manchin who is pretty far to the right is not a candidate to his left but a candidate even further to his right.


Ask Nancy Pelosi if she misses all those Blue Dogs who made her Speaker Of The House.

[merrily]

69. Stop it. Bernie has never run as an "independent socialist."

He used to run as a Democratic Socialist, but he had not done that in years. He runs as an independent, period.

And you have no clue who he could or could not beat.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

73. I can use common sense

Just like I can common sense to know that I can't beat Wlad Klitschko for the heavyweight title.

Bernie Sanders can't win a statewide race in West Virginia any more than Ted Cruz could be elected senator from California.

The paucity of common sense is astounding...

There...

[merrily]

74. Common sense: Money and Party and good campaign advisors do a lot.

Most people just vote with their party anyway.

Your definition of common sense seems to be whatever meme is being floated.

In 2007, it was common sense that Hillary was unbeatable and Obama could never win the primary, let alone the general.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

75. If you don't think there are regional differences in voting...

If you don't think there are regional differences in voting there is nothing I can do to disabuse you of that notion. Steve King can no more be elected to Maxine Waters' south Los Angles congressional district than Ms. Waters can be elected to Steve King's rural Iowa congressional district.

And my description of Mr. Sanders was anything if not objective. He runs as independent, identifies himself as a socialist, and caucuses with the Democrats...

But that's semantics, he's no more going to be elected statewide in West Virginia than Jerry Brown is going to be elected statewide in Texas.

America is a big place and not everybody thinks the same and what they think is greatly affected by where they are.

[pangaia]

10. How "progressive" does one have to be?

All it takes is a brain to think, eyes to see and common sense.

[W_HAMILTON]

62. Jay Rockefeller, Robert Byrd...

...maybe I'm remembering them too fondly, but both seemed MUCH more Democratic-friendly than Joe Manchin.

Now that Pryor and Begich (likely) are gone, Joe Manchin is easily my most disliked Democrat.

[geek tragedy]

78. That was a different WV--those guys were

grandfathered in.

The state has voted for:

Bush
Bush
McCain
Romney

In presidential elections. They are rightwing,anti-choice, pro-NRA, pro carbon pollution, anti-gubmint types.

They like to suck off the federal teat like all red states do, of course.

[Le Taz Hot]

4. They purged me in 2004.

And since "No Party Affiliation" is the largest growing category of voter registration, seems as though they're getting their wish. But tell me, who represents the 99% now?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

53. Part of that is because they don't list all the parties.

When I went to reregister as a Democratic Socialist, the party name wasn't even in the polling place's list of parties, so they marked me as 'No Party Affiliation', which I found rather annoying.

[merrily]

70. Come on, La Taz. You're better than that. No one purged anyone from the party. Ever.

This stuff about purging is drama queen bs the third way acolytes are pushing.

[NaturalHigh]

5. And vice versa...

Some liberals are beating the drums for a purge of their own.

The circular firing squad has begun anew.

&quot W)e don’t need another conservative on the planet." Can we maybe just be allowed to have a few independent thoughts of our own, even is some aren't quite pure and left enough to suit everyone?

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. There is nothing whatsoever in that article about a purge of liberal Democrats

The headline is made-up shit (I know it's not you who wrote it; Ring of Fire, or Joshua De Leon, wrote it). The article is an attack on Manchin (quite possibly justified), but the only hint of 'purging' in it is when it says "he should quit politics altogether". It's a liberal blogger calling for the purge of a Blue Dog Dem.

[Phlem]

55. "It's a liberal blogger calling for the purge of a Blue Dog Dem."

and this is an issue because........

[muriel_volestrangler]

58. Not really an 'issue'; it's just that the blogger or their website shouldn't lie

and project their own attempt to purge the party onto the people they're trying to get rid of.

And I see the DUer has used an accurate title instead - that's good of G_j.

[n2doc]

11. Blue dogs are a dying species

The one down here in Savannah (Barrow) got his ass handed to him this year. I guess voting like a repub and embracing the NRA didn't work real well for him. It sure didn't keep the attack ads away.

[aikoaiko]

41. It's not like a Democrat to the left of Barrow would have done better,

He was attacked for voting with Obama and a Democratic legislation.

[n2doc]

48. We never got the chance to find out

I guess you have access to an alternative universe. Tell me more.

[aikoaiko]

59. The leftier than Barrow types are free to run in primaries.

like Regina Thomas who had the strong backing of John Brewer from Montgomery County and the African-American vote and she still had her ass kicked in the primary. And that was the year we overwhelmingly voted for Obama in Chatham County.

We had our chance and passed.

One doesn't need access to an alternative universe when reality is staring you in the face.

[n2doc]

61. Yes, and the DLC'ers made sure Barrow had 100x the funds she had

Never even close to a level playing field. Running away from the President in a district where many of the democratic voters are minorities sure worked well, didn't it?

[aikoaiko]

65. Regina had plenty of exposure and she is very well known around here.

If her views resonated outside of her enclave she would have won.

You have to win the district and not just Savannah.

Eta: don't forget that Barrows took out Max Burns

[heaven05]

12. sad, indeed

republicrats been there killing our POTUS's legacy from day one and are, to me, worse than that group of RW racist PIGS that met at the first INAUGURATION BALL to firm up their obstructionist agenda that has been, with the help of 'bluedogs', very successful culminating in the election debacle of November 4, 2014. Way to go.

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. Maybe I missed something ...

but I don't see how the title matches the text.

[wyldwolf]

15. I don't either.

[Recursion]

16. Umm... I don't see anyone saying liberal Democrats shouldn't run in liberal districts

Did you post the wrong article, maybe?

[Enthusiast]

17. If liberals are purged from the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party will be the Republican Party.

Is that what we want?

[NaturalHigh]

19. And if moderates are purged, the Democratic Party will become the Green Party...

which I don't believe has ever won a single vote in the electoral college, U.S. Senate seat, House seat, or gubernatorial election.

[Enthusiast]

36. If populist issues are emphasized the Democratic Party will gain in support.

This is why we will hear Hillary sounding more like Elizabeth Warren.

[merrily]

68. .....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025767160

[Phlem]

57. what's the other option

keep losing elections and move further to the right?

[merrily]

67. Third Way is extreme. Good luck with the myth that a traditional FDR Democrat can't win an election.

No one won more.

[RiverLover]

71. Seriously. Enthusiastic +1 !!

[merrily]

21. BEGIN? Mr. De Leon could not be more wrong. The effort by conservatives and plutocrats

to purge liberals probably began before 1776. Left vs. Right within a party is a very old battle, much older than Republican vs. Democrat.

In modern times, one need look only at how the Democratic Party reacted to Nixon's re-election and Reagan's. The right of the Party seized on both to changes the rules of the Party to make the Party less democratic, to propagate the myth that one should never attempt to primary a sitting President, etc. (And, for the past two years, these forces have been trying to convince us that, if Hillary decides to run, she will "clear the field" of Democratic primary candidates.)

And, of course, formation of the DLC, mostly by Southern Democratic WASP males with Presidential aspirations, the two notable exceptions being, of course, Hillary Clinton, a WASP female married to a co-founder and with Presidential aspirations, and Lieberman, a Jewish male from Connecticut with Presidential aspirations.

It's amazing that someone who writes about politics for a living would make a mistake that glaring.

As far as No Labels, the group full of cowardly politicians, according to the OP, it is full of Clintonites. It was nominally begun by a Bushite, but Clintonites flocked to it immediately.

[G_j]

25. sorry, that was my choice of words

as I tried to eliminate the word "purge" from the title. I've taken out "begin" also, as your point is a good one.

[merrily]

28. I'm sorry that I did not read more closely or

click on the link.

Yes, every time Democrats lose an election, the right of the Party has used that as an excuse to take the Party further and further right. And that, in turn, takes the nation further and further right for many reasons.

I had thought their foul mission was complete because the last four Democratic Presidential nominees have all been New Democrats and it's looking as though the next one will be as well, if they succeed in anointing Hillary. But, I guess I was wrong.

After all, there's still daylight between Democrats and teabaggers. No doubt, that is very disturbing to some Democrats.

[ChiciB1]

50. And Yet... Democrats Mostly Believe That HILLARY Is

the only answer. But, I guess she's the only one that can get elected. I SOOOOOOOO Do Not Fit In!

[merrily]

56. What makes you think she can get elected at all, let alone that she's the only one

who can? Aside from all the propaganda, what makes you think that?

Republicans hate her; she has more baggage than Louis Vuitton--and no, it has not all already been thoroughly attacked- and the longer her book tour lasted, the more her approval ratings decreased.

I think she'll lose the general, if she is the nominee. I hope like hell she isn't.

[Phlem]

60. great 11,000th post.

[merrily]

64. Thank yuh, thank yuh verruh much.

I had no clue it was my 11,000.

Sure, a lot of my posts have consisted solely of "LOL!" but 11,000 is still way too many. I feel like I hit 10,000 only a short time ago.

I need to take up making lace or something.

[sulphurdunn]

22. Maybe the solution

would be to just drop the fiction of a two party system.

[madville]

29. That would probably be an edge for the Republicans

Winning the Presidency with 35% of the vote with three or four viable parties in the mix is probably about the best shot they have at ever getting back to the White House.

[sulphurdunn]

31. Would it really matter?

[turbinetree]

35. Poverty West Virgina

Year 1969 --- 22%
Year 1979----15%
Year 1989----19%

I think that this state and its leaders like Manchin and his blue dog mentality are the problem and coal has not helped
I can give you Kentucky:

Year 1969 ----22%
Year 1979------17%
Year 1989------19%

See a pattern there is NO diversification away from coal

[turbinetree]

24. Good bye

Thanks a lot for nothing Manchin, you are the problem your state was visited by Kennedy in the 60's and he saw the destitute rural Appalachian countryside and he Kennedy asked the citizens (human beings) of this country to help with such programs as Head Start and the poverty in this area, what have you really done--------nothing but coal, and now look what you have, more poverty and a legislature that has failed the citizens (human beings) of the state using fear and hate as a vehicle to keep the population in poverty.
Your third way hypocrisy is what has made WV have a 17% poverty rate and rank number 6 (haven't quite made #1 which is Mississippi), must be proud of this, right,
Your states population of little over 1, 400,000, has a median income in your state somewhere around $23,000 dollars and your option is to side with your corporate elitists buddy called the right wing republican, well guess what, three blue dog democrats lost there races this week, and its possible a fourth in Louisiana, what does that tell you.

[sulphurdunn]

33. WV is not like other states.

It's more like a coal colony, and its political representatives work for King coal.

[vkkv]

26. To those in the South: Get busy or the Southern politicians will continue to destroy the nation.

North America could be so much better with the few conservative states in the northern half having such a small minority they would be a very small voice. Democratic policies would flourish and prove that Dem policies enable all citizens for success.

The north cannot afford to continue to fund Red States that are sucking Fed dollars away, taking more than a dollar for every one dollar they pay into the Fed. Gov't. The South is not going to change any time soon, get busy or say goodbye, please.

I keep waiting for TX, MO, OK, KS, AZ and the ENTIRE South to secede so we can finally get going on that BORDER FENCE.

[sawdust]

27. In my opinion there is a "to far left" as much as

there is a "to far right" there has to be a stopping point either way...so I think I may be a blue dog

[WorseBeforeBetter]

79. "Too."

Well, I hope you're enjoying the big losses of 2010 and 2014, and many big losses to come!

[vi5]

30. "Begin" their purge?

If the past 15-20 years was not even them "beginning" their purge, I don't want to see what their level of contempt and delusion gets ratcheted up to once they get going?

[Faux pas]

32. Kickin'

[homegirl]

34. Letter to the Editor from my local paper, today

Under the big top

Editor: The greatest show on Earth has changed a few of its clowns, and now the Republicans control the Senate. Wait until 2016 when we will have a Republican president, coupled with a Republican Congress and our Republican Supreme Court. I can’t wait.

Think of the great wind of change that will sweep over our country: Obamacare will be repealed, science classes will teach intelligent design, abortion will be outlawed, vouchers will funnel taxpayer dollars to private (mostly religious) schools, this nonsense about global warming will be ignored, and it will be business as usual. Keep your money in the stock market, Social Security will be privatized and tax cuts — that panacea for the working man — accompanied by the national debt soaring farther out in the stratosphere will herald a new age of prosperity.

I’m sure the Republicans have a lot of changes in store to place us at the forefront of nations, leading us into the rest of the 21st century without dabbling in European-style socialism. After all, our nation is guided by the military-industrial-pharmaceutical complex as we approach another gilded age.

The trouble with this circus is that we only change the clowns; the show never leaves town.

[Enthusiast]

37. That's a good one, homegirl.

[L0oniX]

46. Politics is just entertainment for the rich.

[ChiciB1]

49. Thats It In A Nutshell...

ONLY there's a problem with the show. The price we have to pay for the show is going to wipe us out! My tires are flat, my car won't run and my house is falling down. People talk about how FL will be underwater from rising oceans, but maybe it's the states above us who will be wiped away by the huge storms on the horizon! I just saw news about the monstrous storm headed toward the middle of America, reaching all the way down to Texas!

How much MORE infrastructure will be blown away? My generation was the BOOMERS, we had many problems and issues to tackle, but people were much more engaged, or so it seems. I try so very hard to look/think of the cup half full, but I think the battle is lost for me. My husband is out of town, left Friday night and I holed myself up in my room with a book as far from politics as I could yesterday, didn't answer the phone, the door or even go out. I didn't even go out to feed the squirrels who are friendly and come and sit on my window sill waiting for me. I feel like I'm stuck in quick sand, my body almost unable to move!

I thought it was extremely bad these past years, but it now seems it really CAN AND WILL get WORSE!

I have to find a way to deal with all of this, really have to find a way to move forward because right now I'm lost and not even wandering. JUST STUCK!

[RiverLover]

72. God that's depressing.

[Baitball Blogger]

38. Maybe we should study his style and put it in commercials

to wake up our true base:

Here is the kind of Democrat you'll get during the midterms if you don't get out and vote!

[W_HAMILTON]

63. lol

That's one way to market it

[whereisjustice]

39. why would anyone want a Republican wannabe when there are plenty of real ones? eom

[4dsc]

40. Centrist are responsible for the midterm defeats

They wanted to set up Hillary as the savior for the Democratic Party in 2016.

[L0oniX]

45. That really IS the script for the good cop bad cop show.

[ReRe]

43. K&R

Yep... here's another one I have NO love for.

You know what, people? Even if it would reduce the Democratic Party to an all time low, I wish the DLCers would get in the Party they belong in. They should all leave, in one fell swoop, the Democratic Party. Because they are NOT Democrats.

Does anyone ever think about how confused new voters are when they try to fit themselves into one party or another? Manchin, e.g. A new voter from WV who identifies with the Democratic Party looks down the list and sees Joe Manchin (D-WV) and votes for him, not knowing that he is really a Republican, a DINO. They don't don't know WTF a DINO is. They know what a D or and R is. No telling how many voters vote for candidates that they know absolutely nothing about.

I honestly think this would be the easiest way to deal with the dilemma that the real Democratic Party faces. That is the solution. Everybody get the the Party they belong in!

The DLCer-ThirdWayers will pull the Republicans back towards the middle or at least to where the old Republican Party used to be, and the Democrats will be real Democrats, through and through!

[G_j]

47. exactly nt

[L0oniX]

44. I also predict that DU liberals, populists and progressives will be purged for 2016.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

51. The Left can only be pushed out of the party by those in the party.

So the job of discrediting the left as a political force falls to 'faux Democrats' whose goal is to continuously move the Democratic Party to the right, all while talking about 'Big Tents' and how wonderful it is to keep winning voters on the right end of the spectrum by further embracing rightwing ideology. Winning so called 'middle voters' by running pro-gun, 'pro-life', pro-fossil fuel, pro-capital, pro-police state, anti-labour candidates. Step by step working to abandon the very planks of the Democratic Party Platform in the name of 'winning more votes', despite the fact that those winning those 'middle votes' means losing votes on the left. Then turning around and blaming the left for not voting for candidates whose stances are farther to the right of even the general public, much less supposed 'base' voters.

[Phlem]

66. Amen Brother.

couldn't agree more.

[Phlem]

52. of course.

Last edited Sun Nov 9, 2014, 02:24 PM - Edit history (1)

They've done that quite successfully for years, now that there's only a few actual liberals it'll be all that much easier, unless we stand up against it.

No more opposition party?

Fuck.

[MisterP]

76. that was FAST: not even 3 days after DU's resident fuckwits open their mouths

and say the liberal purge is here and DWS's head is gonna be piked, the 3Wayers (who actually *have* the money and control of the party) launch their own purge--what a koinkydink!

and the only countervailing argument is "Dems lost because they ran from Heritagecare, fracking, war in Iraq, and a surge in crap jobs"

[NCjack]

77. Of course, running as Blue-Dog DINOs worked so well that all DEMs should

move to the right so we can win some elections. Not me.

[hotrod0808]

80. I'm not surprised.

Money has moved this country so far to the right that I barely recognize it anymore.