The US is a Center LEFT country! Broad Support for Progressive Proposals among 2016 Voters!

[sabrina 1]

Remember how often we are told 'we can't do that, or we can't do this, because this is a Center Right Country?

Despite polls consistently showing that Progressive Policies have support from across the Political Spectrum.

The results of this latest 'Big Ideas' poll confirms that we are a Center Left, actually on some policies, VERY Left, country:

National poll of 1,500 likely 2016 voters conducted by GBA Strategies on behalf of the Progressive Change Institute. More details on the poll can be found on the last page, including poll dates, sample sizes, and margin of error.

Likely 2016 voters (Republicans, Independents, Democrats) were asked to say if they support or oppose the below proposals.

You need to click the link to see the charts which are eye-opening as far as the REALITY of what voters want, and the decades long LIE we are told regarding where the Country stands on Progressive policies.

I can't copy the charts. But, eg, let's see where the Voters stand on Social Security eg.

These are the questions that were asked of the voters.

We are told Republicans hate SS. So we have to 'compromise' on SS!!!!

Really?

EXPAND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS (MESSAGE A)

Increase Social Security benefits, so that a
worker at age seventy-five receives
four-hundred-and-fifty-two dollars more
in benefits per year and at age eighty-five
receives eight-hundred-and-seven dollars
more per year.

Overall support for this proposal? 70%!!

Broken down into party support:

Dems: 83% FOR
Repubs: 62% FOR
Indeps: 63% FOR

Then this question regarding the Wealthy paying their fair share into the Social Security Fund:

EXPAND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS (MESSAGE B)

Increase Social Security benefits and pay for
that increase by having the wealthy pay the
same rate into Social Security as everyone
else.

Overall support for this proposal? 70%

Broken down into party support:

Dems: 85%
Repubs: 62%
Indeps: 58%

I picked that one because Social Security is the most targeted of our Social Programs by Wall St puppets.

And they are not even CLOSE when they try to convince us that SS 'is in trouble and needs to be privatized' or whatever lies they tell.

Clearly both SS and Medicare (see the charts they are worth looking at) are two of the most popular programs with voters in this Country.

So, ENOUGH of the lies. This IS a more than Center 'Left' country, it far more Left than Right, past the Center, further to the Left than to the Right which appears is most UNPOPULAR with voters across the political spectrum.

So, the question is, WHY are Dems not RUNNING ON and PUSHING for these proposals? This is how to win.

From someone who DID run on Progressive Proposals in the Mid Terms and won with an overwhelming majority:

De Blasio: ‘Bold, progressive ideas win elections’


New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered a strong message on behalf of progressives to the Democratic Party in the wake of the midterm election losses:

As a Democrat, I’m disappointed in last Tuesday’s results. But as a progressive, I know my party need not search for its soul — but rather, its backbone.

The truth is that the Democratic Party has core values that are very much in sync with most Americans.
We believe in taking dead aim at the income inequality that infects our communities — from big cities like New York, to small towns and rural areas across the United States.

We believe that the wealthy should pay their fair share so we can lift people out of poverty and grow our middle class.

And we believe in rules that prevent big corporations and Wall Street banks from unraveling workers’ pensions, suppressing employees’ wages and benefits, and rigging the system to reward wealth instead of work.

This year, too many Democratic candidates lost sight of those core principles — opting instead to clip their progressive wings in deference to a conventional wisdom that says bold ideas aren’t politically practical.

To working people, it showed Democratic weakness — a weak commitment to the change desperately sought by struggling families,] and a weak alternative to a Republican philosophy that has held America back.

Bold, progressive ideas win elections.

Emphasis mine

So the Conventional Wisdom once again, has been exposed as FALSE.

Every Dem should carry this 'Bold Ideas Poll' around in their pockets so that when the Big Lie is told to them, they don't need to waste time talking anymore.

No more Third Way Policies. They are LOSING elections for Democrats.

So why is our Party still listening to them? That is the million dollar question. Their ideas are OLD, they are REAGAN anti worker ideas, and the public doesn't WANT THEM.

We have a growing number of elected POPULISTs now speaking FOR the people.

Hopefully they will give courage to others to join them.

America is a Left of Center Nation. All Dems need to do to WIN BIG is return to their Core Values and say goodbye to the 'centrists' and their 'conventional wisdom' wrong way policies!

[msongs]

1. from obama down it is governed as a center right country. voters be damned nt

[sabrina 1]

2. With these polls, and so many more, not a single member of Congress calling themselves a Democrat

can vote to cut SS or any other Social Program.

As for the people, they are deciding more and more they will no longer put up with DC politicians ignoring them in favor of Corporations.

See the mid terms. De Blasio and Warren ran on a populist agenda and WON. Voters did NOT vote for those who have abandoned the Dem Party's 'core principles'. They voted for Progressive ISSUES though.

The tide is turning .... Warren speaks for the Working Class. Dems need to follow her lead in order to win.

[KoKo]

5. I hope the "Tide is Turning"

There's a whiff of fear in all the backlash.

Fear often causes backlash meaning a "weakening of power" makes them more vicious and overbearing in their use power...but, we have to hope the "Voices of the Global 99%" who have been so besieged will finally prevail.

[sabrina 1]

7. Well we saw that during OWS, the fear and viciousness of their response. And we saw them

react, the Third Way, coming out in the open for once, losing their cool, to attack Elizabeth Warren. But there ARE more of us than of them.

And the way they maintain control is to keep us divided.

When they see polls like this, they realize we are not so divided after all.

So they LIE. And we need to keep exposing their lies.

Mostly we need to take away their power, which is MONEY.

Boycotts, strikes, whatever it takes, to starve them of their source of power.

I do see signs of the people no longer buying into the divisary, childish games we used to play 'Oh, did you see what Sarah Palin said today'. Notice how little response those kinds of posts get now, while in the past they DOMINATED Liberal forums.

Who cares what she says, we have far more important people to watch and what they are doing. And that is a change I see happening.

Social Media has helped of course. There are fewer controls on what people say. Old forums were easy for the operatives to control. So people have moved to a more free environment, absent those who try to censor what people say.

Which is why they are trying to control the internet also.

[KoKo]

30. Good Points...

particularly noticing there are more of US than Them.

[Scuba]

3. There's a well-cultivated myth that Americans are more conservative than they really are...

http://www.democracyjournal.org/arguments/2013/09/politicians-think-american-voters-are-more-conservative-than-they-really-are.php

To be effective, representative democracy requires that elected legislators understand what their constituents believe and want—and American politicians regularly declare that they are championing the priorities of voters in their districts. But are they? In late 2012, prior to the November elections, we surveyed nearly 2,000 candidates running for state legislative offices across the United States. Our questions were straightforward: we asked the candidates to estimate the percentage of the people in their districts who would agree that:

same-sex marriage should be legal
the federal government should implement a universal healthcare program
all federal welfare programs should be abolished

We then used a large national survey and information about the characteristics of the voters in each district to estimate whether the voters truly supported each issue in each place. We found major disconnects between voters and their would-be elected representatives, and our findings raise important questions about the health of U.S. democracy and what might be done to make politics more truly representative.

...

When we compare what legislators believe their constituents want to their constituents’ actual views, we discover that politicians hold remarkably inaccurate perceptions. Pick an American state legislator at random, and chances are that he or she will have massive misperceptions about district views on big-ticket issues, typically missing the mark by 15 percentage points.

What is more, the mistakes legislators make tend to fall in one direction, giving U.S. politics a rightward tilt compared to what most voters say they want. As the following figures show, legislators usually believe their constituents are more conservative than they actually are. Our attitude measurements are most accurate on the questions about same sex marriage and universal health insurance—and in both instances the legislators’ guesses about their constituents’ views were 15-20 percent more conservative, on average, than the true public support for same-sex marriage or universal health care present in their districts.

[sabrina 1]

4. Another excellent article on the fallacy that we are a Right leaning nation. Only thing I would

question is that our 'leaders' actually believe it. I think they KNOW the facts and are deliberately trying to create a false impression.

Not all of them but so many are now funded by Wall St they seem to take their orders from their Corporate bosses.

To admit we are NOT a right leaning nation would mean electing the kind of candidates who represent the PEOPLE.

From my observations, the Dem Party leadership will choose a Third Way/Wall St candidate over a real Progressive every time.

For a while that worked, most of us went along despite misgivings, but it seems the tide is changing now and voters are no longer willing to do so.

De Blasio eg, ran on Police Reform and received an overwhelming majority of the votes.

This was against the Conventional Wisdom.

Warren is hugely popular by pushing a populist, people oriented, protect SS/Medicare agenda, while some of the Third Way candidates didn't make it.

Otherwise I agree with the article.

Thanks for posting it in this thread.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

51. Agree, and if ever there was a time for a left progressive, like Bernie, it is now

I am not sold that Liz is that left progressive, yet.

Bernie, yes.

[KoKo]

11. Thank You, Scuba....More MSM Disinfo that we hear 24/7.

Reminds me of the "Old DU" when we analyzed and fought against (even then) the MSM's Take on issues we knew we were being screwed over and had much more support, here.

[HereSince1628]

6. But the oligarchs who own the nation and for whom the politicians work

Last edited Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:13 PM - Edit history (1)

are right of center.

[sabrina 1]

15. People wonder why we are losing. We are losing because we have the Right of Center

Third Way dictating the message for Dem Candidates. And it is being rejected.

If we had actual Dems like de Blasio eg, talking to the voters, we would not be losing.

[HereSince1628]

16. Third way mantra is winning is everything... so they gotta serve the overlords, ya know?

But, the republicans also serve the overlords.

By owning controlling interests in the only horses in what is essentially a match race the oligarchs gotta come home with the purse.

It's a great system, at least for the oligarchs. It gives the illusion that the blame for the terrible state of things should be placed on the sham government, and it lets the overlords do their lording over us in the peace that anonymity allows.

[JI7]

8. so 62 percent of republicans are center left ?

[sabrina 1]

12. On issues that directly affect them and their families, yes. We have been sold a lie. In fact

if you think about ordinary people you know, as I do, Republicans and Dems, Independents all want their Social Security and their Medicare. I have not yet met ONE real life Republican who wants to cut or end any of those programs.

We are being hugely propagandized by Wall St and their puppets in the media and in DC.

[Oilwellian]

38. Sabrina, I live in a very red district in Virginia

and I have several Republican acquaintances who support increasing SS and equal rights for the LGBT community. They're very much against any new trade agreements so even republicans will be getting an earful from their constituents about giving Fast Track to Obama. We also agree that both parties are corrupt and money in politics is a big problem. There is common ground on several issues and we should take advantage of that when possible.


K&R

[sabrina 1]

39. That has been my experience also. And this poll confirms that across the country.

It's so odd that those who will trash anyone who wants to find common ground, because the more people who are on board for issues that benefit the people the better, have zero to say about the President's 'bi-partisan' policies to the point of placing so many Republicans in his cabinet.

I am FOR the people uniting on issues where they can. But the inconsistency of some regarding Republicans when it comes to the 'little people' v our 'leaders' is simply stunning.

Thanks for your comment, Oilwellian. The worst nightmare of those who are controlling this country is that the people will unite against them. Keeping the Us V Them going benefits only those in power.

[Jefferson23]

9. Yes, remember, Obama won because he went further left in his message in 2008. n/t

[KoKo]

17. He did.....

and, maybe he believed he could do Great Good...and then the PTB wore him down. He had to become a "Practical Realist" and his own Party was not so willing to support him.

I'd like to believe that. But, I do believe he was "Hand Picked" and I'm not sure if what he OWED to those who Backed Him....didn't win in the end.

For clarification....I was never sure about Obama ...but, then, as an older DU'er remembering Jack Kennedy and his death and then Bobby and Johnson years....I have a long history of being enthralled by my Dem Candidates and being disappointed when they got into Office: Carter, Clinton, Obama and those others I thought had a good message who had problems because of sexual problems...Gary Hart and then on down to "Two Americas" John Edwards. And Al Gore who got trashed by faulty Voting Machines in Florida which ended up with Consumer Protectionist, Ralf Nader being BLAMED (Unfairly) for that loss when it was the U.S. Supreme Court who Intervened in that Election...but Nader is "Under the Bus" and blamed.

What an incredible "trail of tears" with my years with my Dem Party it has been. But....yes...the ALTERNATIVE has worked out to be WORSE in most cases. BUT....WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN....

[Jefferson23]

19. It's a struggle, KoKo, one you know all too well.

Public funded elections after CU is reversed....and why I am hopeful, somewhat, for
the very good Senator Sanders.

A worthy fight that can resonate with Republican voters too, I feel.

[KoKo]

27. Back Attacha!

Gotta Keep Hope..

[HereSince1628]

66. Most important thing the defense dept can defend is oligarch-proof government

To that end, the most effective thing the government could have the military do in that defense is to reduce the money in the defense budget and take it to fund the support of national elections.

The new airplanes and 'littoral' warships would never be missed by the military.

Casting off the oligarchs would be a revolution that re-establishes democracy.

[Jefferson23]

74. I like the way you think.

[sabrina 1]

35. 'What could have been'! That is what is so sad. We won it all in 2008!

After 8 years of horror I will never forget the HOPE we had that night.

And then came all the excuses, the statement 'we are moving forward' from war crimes and Wall St crimes.

Even winning wasn't winning for Dems.

Words mean nothing to me anymore. I have fallen for great speeches in the past.

Action is what I look for.

I too wonder if any president can do much. Even if they have great intentions when they get there. But like you, I also think no one gets even close to the WH unless they have been identified as someone who will protect the status quo on Wall St and the MIC.

So, my interest is now in Congressional races. That is the only hope we have, the people, to even try to reverse the policies we though were just temporary until we could get rid of Bush, is Congress.

[hobbit709]

10. If it is so CENTER-LEFT why do rightwing lunatics keep getting elected?

[sabrina 1]

13. They don't, we WON remember, in 2008 when Dems ran on a Dem agenda.

We LOSE when Dems shy away from their core values, as happened in the last two mid terms.

But even though Third Way candidates lost, Progressive Candidates stayed. And populists, running on the Dem Party New Deal politics WON.

You can't call the Republicans seeming victory a 'win'. It was the lack of a message from Dems that caused people to focus their attention where they have some power, locally. And there, agaiin, Progressive Issues WON.

[former9thward]

14. Because those are not the only issues people vote on.

There are many. And some are much more conservative that the OP will admit.

[KoKo]

18. Are you suggesting "Guns and Freedom?"

Last edited Wed Jan 21, 2015, 08:24 PM - Edit history (1)

And that many Rural Pockets of America feel their Beliefs, (Religious) and their lifestyles of Roaming where they want to go hunting and killing the defenseless when they mostly eat at "Chick-Fil-A!.......and their views of GLBT which are antiquated but they think "Some Group" or the other are making fun of them and, therefore, they "go to war" to trash even the people they live amongst?

We HAVE ...as Dems ...marginalized those people....making fun of them rather than engaging and educating them. But, they've been seen as some kind of retrograde thinking people and mocked and made fun of rather than engaging and asking and recognizing what MADE THEM...WHO THEY ARE. (I would agree that some can NEVER be ENGAGED)...but, we Dems should have done better dealing with their ISSUES that driving them further into their ideology because to THEM we seemed ARROGANT.

I don't know...but, I think we Dems need to do better to reach out to those who would be WITH US.......on some issues if we weren't so intent on belittling and trashing them.

They take out their hurt of the failure of the American Dream on Democrats ....ignoring their own corrupt systems of Republican Rule ..Raping them....(they think and feel).

They are WRONG....but engaging rather than RIDICULE to deal with them would be more reproductive to get into Dialogue ...than what we Dems are doing these days.

Just a thought...and only My Humble Opinion..

[sabrina 1]

22. No, they are not. That is why you need to click the link to ALL the issues they voted on.

Dozens of issues were polled. I just selected the SS results since the link is a PDF file, to show that even on the most supposedly contentions issue, voters do NOT agree with DC and the Political Class at all.

And on ALL the issues polled, Big Banks, Minimum Wage, Corporate control of our system, College Tuition, all show that this country is far to the Left of those who claim to represent them, across the political spectrum.

[former9thward]

24. Not a single word about guns or abortion restrictions.

Two issues that a lot of people vote on. I wonder why no mention? No I don't.

[sabrina 1]

25. And you discount all the Social issues that affect people's everyday lives. Okay, this is why we

lose to the Right. THEY focus on GUNS and Abortion. There have been many polls on those issues and the results have been surprising. Eg, a majority of Republicans, not the extreme kind from Faux, don't care about abortion one way or the other. Many are supportive of abortion rights. Especially Republican Women.

Guns are not a bread and butter issue for voters. Most Americans have guns, are not looking to own Military grade weapons, so are not as rabid as the minority who think EVERYTHING is about guns.

This poll was about what affects people directly in their daily lives.

Not much point in owning an arsenal if you can't get a job, or your grandma is starving.

[former9thward]

26. A majority of Americans (58%) oppose abortion or want it legal

in just a few circumstances. That is not a progressive position.

The ones that want it legal under any circumstances is just 28%.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1576/abortion.aspx

The pro-life, pro-choice split is almost even.



But go ahead and think that people vote on a candidate's opinion of Glass-Steagall.

[sabrina 1]

33. Aren't you happy to discover that the country is on OUR side? You seem to be looking for

reasons to deny that fact.

Abortion is legal.

That's not likely to change.

But Social Programs that keep people alive are under direct threat right now, under the pretext that America is a Right of Center country. THAT turns out to be BIG LIE.

So, now that we know for sure that those trying to cut benefits they have no right to touch, are lying, we can stop them!

As a Democrat I would think you would be thrilled to learn that.

[former9thward]

40. I like to win elections.

I don't live in fantasy. I have been involved in election campaigns for various candidates, including myself, since 1968. I know what issues people vote on. Others want to pretend.

[sabrina 1]

41. Well, you're not winning elections, are you? You have to know what voters want in order to

win. Now we know, so those who have been lying about it, are responsible for Dems losing elections.

De Blasio and Warren won. Why? Because they listened to the voters.

Blue Dogs/Third Way lost, because they wanted to believe the Big Lie that we are a Right leaning nation.

I want to win. Voters are not going to vote for those who do not fight for what they elected them to fight for.

We won in 2008 when Dems ran on their 'core values'.

And then they stopped doing that and lost the House, now the Senate.

Maybe they should rethink their strategy and follow the example of those who HAVE WON.

[Hissyspit]

42. Gerrymandering, voter suppression, Citizens United...

[MFrohike]

77. Partly, the team mentality

Partisanship is quite strong in America, but the differences over policy are not as wide as advertised. Hell, I once heard an admirer of the tea party tell me that what America needed was wealth redistribution. It's been a couple years and I'm still in shock.

Anyway, American politics is conducted much like bigtime sports. Everybody's got a team, whether they admit it or not, and that's the constraint on policy. Most people want most of the same things, but people can get in their own way when they elect sleazebags and liars.

[pa28]

20. Politicians Think Voters Are More Conservative than They Really Are

http://www.democracyjournal.org/arguments/2013/09/politicians-think-american-voters-are-more-conservative-than-they-really-are.php



If we can't stand up for issues that are overwhelmingly popular with the public but not necessary the mega donors that now fund both parties how feckless does that make us look? No wonder we can't seem to find anybody willing to vote for us.

[stillwaiting]

55. I think politicians "think" voters are more conservative than they really are.

In other words, politicians will SAY voters are more conservative than they really are, and they will pretend that's the case, but there is so much polling out there that clearly shows that on economic issues the large majority of voters support liberal/progressive policy positions.

Democratic politicians are not ignorant of that polling. They pay very close attention to polling.

Democratic politicians choose not to pursue a platform or a strategy that clearly communicates to voters that they will fight to implement the progressive/liberal policy positions that are supported by the majority of Americans. Elected Democrats don't build political consensus or work to build future support for these liberal policies (i.e. saying "Send us more progressive Democrats and we can increase Social Security benefits for Americans. Republicans will block this so don't vote for them!&quot . So, most Americans don't believe (or even know) that elected Democrats want to (and will) implement policies that they support.

Caveat: Elected democrats do become much more vocal about their support of progressive/liberal policy positions when they are in the minority in Congress. We can expect them to be much more vocal about wanting to implement all manner of progressive policies now that the Republicans are in control. Those liberal positions will not be passed though. What will be passed in Congress will be very right-wing economic policy, and the worst of it will probably be done on a bi-partisan basis with people from both parties voting for it and people from both parties voting against it (i.e. TPP).

[sabrina 1]

72. 'and the worst of it will be done on a bi-partisan basis'. Yes, but despite the attacks on voters

blaming THEM for the party's losses, voters have been busy. Watching this, being told 'we can't do this or that because of the Blue Dogs' eg, voters helped out by getting rid of a lot of those Blue Dogs. But voters can't win, after they did, keeping the Progressives, again they were blamed 'for not voting for Blue Dogs'. If it wasn't so tragic it's almost like a comedy skit.

I agree with your last paragraph. I wonder sometimes if they like being in the minority because they can TALK about the issues they KNOW the people want, then blame the 'majority' for not being able to do anything about it.

[hughee99]

21. In all fairness, De Blasio did run on a progressive platform, but NYC isn't exactly a good

representation of the US as a whole.

[sabrina 1]

23. No one said it was. The link leads to the polls which represents people across the country

and across the Political Spectrum. It shows how voters feel on dozens of issues.

As for de Blasio, NYC voted for TWO REPUBLICANS, yes, Bloomberg switches parties as fast as he changes clothes, but he IS a Republican, over the past, nearly two decades.

The conventional wisdom was that de Blasio running on a Progressive Agenda could not win.

So much for the CW. DC is so out of touch with the voters it's hard to believe anything coming from those who set them up as experts on what voters want, anymore.

You need to click the link if you want to understand why this poll is so important for Democrats.

[WillyT]

28. Huge K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[RiverLover]

29. We're supposed to BE the "Left" & "Progressives" as Democrats, you know, the choice other than

rightie, conservative Republicans.

Why isn't this good news here, with 100s of Recs??

Great news & info Sabrina! Thanks!!

[sabrina 1]

36. 'Why isn't this good news here'? Lol, I just asked that same question above of someone who

seems not to be very happy about it.

It's interesting though, isn't it? It SHOULD be good news and IS to DEMOCRATS.

For the Third Way however, it is very bad news. It removes all the excuses that we have to 'compromise' in 'order to win', which we didn't btw.

So whether it is good news or not, it is all over Social Media and Democrats ARE happy to hear it.

We'll see what happens. But I would expect now to hear Dem candidates pushing these issues, which they did not do in the mid terms.

[sabrina 1]

43. Lol, love your enthusiasm Willy!

For Democrats, it IS good news, for others, not so much!

[MannyGoldstein]

31. Why doesn't this post have 200 recs?

Most important post this month.

[sabrina 1]

34. Maybe because the truth is uncomfortable? It does kind of take away ALL the excuses for

Dems not running on a Democratic agenda. And what would they do if they had no more excuses for, for eg, TAKING SS OFF THE TABLE for the Right to grab and invest in that Gambling Casino on Wall St?

After all, 'we Dems can't go against the fact that we are a Center Right nation'.

I don't know, I guess words mean more than action and facts or something.

I just posted it for my own reference to be honest. I know we will hear that excuse the closer we get too 2016 and I wanted to be able to reference some facts.

[aspirant]

44. CENTER left

Does that allow the centrists to still be relevant?

[sabrina 1]

50. The 'Center' has been constantly moving, towards the Right. But nearly all polls show

that is not what the people want. The facts seem to be that the country is more than 'center Left', it is way to the Left of what we are told is the Center, on the issues.

Can centrists be relevant? I think we should abolish the word altogether.

[truebluegreen]

69. I think that what is defined by the media as the "center" has been moving to the right:

not the actual "center", which is much further to the left than the media or either party is willing to accept. However, the oligarchs are fine with the current framing....

[sabrina 1]

73. Exactly, thank you ....

[truebluegreen]

62. Don't fall for the lie that DLC / Third Way is a "moderate" or "centrist" group.

They are Republicans, just not as crazy as the Party has become lately.

[aspirant]

68. If we remove the word

"CENTER" from center left and substituted another, would that squash the Third Wayers claim of being centrists and dems simultaneously.

The times of repubs being centrists has passed, so the middle-of-the-road promoters and compromisers are primarily corporate dems. Let's use wordage to force them to stand on dem principles and not wiggle around in an undefined middle position.

This isn't Humpty Dumpty where if you fall off either way you break apart and only in the middle can you remain in one piece.

[woo me with science]

32. A blast of honesty. Thank you.

We marinate in lying propaganda insisting that 2+2=5.

Time to break the corporate stranglehold on our government and the mouthpieces of this nation.

[ND-Dem]

37. ‘Bold, progressive ideas win elections’ = k&r

[Scuba]

45. Kickety kick kick.

[aspirant]

84. Kick back, Kick up and Kick it in gear

[xchrom]

46. du rec.

[annabanana]

47. k&r . . .n/t

[MadDAsHell]

48. I agree that America is a Center Left Country. So are liberal eligible voters just lazy?

Even if you account for some voter/vote suppression, it doesn't explain the vast difference between what people say when they're polled about their beliefs, vs the vote counts on election days...

[sabrina 1]

53. Liberal voters are far from lazy. Eg, in the mid terms they were very busy

finding and promoting Progressive Candidates in local elections. They voted for people like Warren, worked hard to get her into the Senate, eg. And helped keep other Progressives in Congress.

But they apparently won't help keep Corporate Dems around any longer. They did vote in primaries and are building organizations like PCCC to make sure they get candidates who represent THEM.

Not just Liberal voters, but voters in general, want people who represent them. Dems did not run, in general, on the issues listed in the poll in the OP. Those who did, won.

[stillwaiting]

58. Most Americans are just not very savvy politically.

Most do not want to talk about politics or pay much attention to what happens in their local, state, and federal governments.

This makes them highly susceptible to the flimsy marketing and propaganda that gets launched during elections. Those of us that pay attention see through it easily. But, only a very small percentage of Americans are paying attention.

When you factor in that Democratic politicians just don't fight to put together a platform that includes fighting to pass liberal/progressive policies that Americans support while clearly illuminating the fact that Republicans will prevent these things from happening, it allows the Republicans to garner support when they just shouldn't. Democratic politicians fall all over themselves (for the most part) talking about wanting to work together with Republicans in a bi-partisan manner. NOTHING progressive can ever be passed this way. Ever.

Elected Democrats should consistently hold elected Republicans responsible for the many horrible things they do, and the many things they block from happening. They don't ever seem to know how to do that effectively though for it to resonate with average Americans. And there is just no good excuse for that. There can only be one reason. They aren't stupid.

[sabrina 1]

75. Well said. Especially this: 'And there is no good excuse for that. There can only be one good

reason. They aren't stupid'.

No, they are not. Though considering all the data that is available as to why they have lost the House and the Senate, you would think they would 'get the message'. But their reaction in 2010 and 2012 makes you wonder. Apparently they do not get the message. As you say, they are not stupid. So that leaves 'they don't want to get the message the voters are sending them'. And it doesn't take a lot of imagination to understand why.

[aspirant]

78. Making the message

is a one-way street.

[slipslidingaway]

49. knr nt

[bravenak]

52. Kick.

I agree with this message.

[Phlem]

54. K&R!

excellent op Sabrina.

[Beowulf42]

56. Question?

Why do we have to use euphemisms like, Center Left? Why can't we just say the American voters are liberal and progressive. We're just waiting for leadership to catch up. The last election was a disaster because the Democratic candidates ran away from the liberal policies that are at the core of being a Democrat. Wake up. The DCCC leadership is made up of Republicans who left their party and have nothing to offer the majority of the people of this nation.

[sabrina 1]

60. I absolutely agree with you. I hate that term and think it should be abolished. No doubt it

came from a Think Tank. I just said this in another post above.

These terms are designed to make categorizing and separating voters easier for Political Strategists.

I used it because the poll was aimed at finding out where people actually stand on the issues and for those strategists, who have their own language, maybe they will finally get the message.

[rtracey]

57. ok great...

Ok great, center-left, but sorry, where in the f' were they in 2014. Look at this mess we have to deal with for at least 2 years..2 years of typical right-winged bullshit, cut this, slash that....pipeline, Obamacare, pipeline, Obamacare, pipeline, Obamacare, pipeline, Obamacare is all we are going to hear, along with too much government, no to unemployment benefits, and the best of all......"see now that the republicans are in charge, the economy is improving"...lies, BS.....why? because our center-left didn't bother to vote.

[sabrina 1]

59. Better question which might help with the answer. Where were the Center Left candidates pushing

these issues? Voters found them and voted for them.

De Blasio eg, Warren, and several who were running in Congress were fully supported by voters and either won new seats or held their seats.

I heard no one in the Dem Leadership or those who were supposed to GOTV, push those issues, or even some of them other than those I mentioned, which is why THEY won.

Telling people to just vote, assuming the voters are stupid, while not listening to what they are saying, is a very bad strategy and losing based on those tactics, should not be a surprise.

And they're still not listening. Despite all the data available now as to why Dems lost in the Mid Terms, the leadership, once again, thinks they didn't go FAR ENOUGH to the Right.

Is this the fault of the voters, or the party leadership, the so-called experts?

[rtracey]

64. totally agree

Where were they, and even more, where were the arrogant candidates who refused to acknowledge President Obama, and all he did for this country, but he was basically pushed out too pasture.....

[wavesofeuphoria]

61. But as a progressive, I know my party need not search for its soul — but rather, its backbone.

Thanks for the OP, sabrina

K&R

[sabrina 1]

71. Yes, that struck me also, they know what to do, all they need is the courage to do it.

Thank you for your comment, wavesofeuphoria ...

[Utopian Leftist]

63. Excellent OP!

As the old phrase goes, way back to Poppy Shrub, I think, "It's the economy, stupid."

The American people are to the left of President Obama on the economy. But maybe, just maybe, by Obama kowtowing to the one-percenters, he has set the stage for a takeover of progressive economic ideas in 2016, such as raising the minimum wage and Social Security benefits. Warren or Sanders can argue that America tried trickle-down for 30 years and that the CONS HAVE NO OTHER ECONOMIC IDEAS! That same old, Stockholm Syndrome song and dance they do to worship their corporate masters has now demonstrated itself to be as false as their corporate-financed pseudo-science on the environment. The only realistic economic ideas that have not been tried so far are those of the progressive left, and the reason is simple: they solve everything.

Stop poverty and war stops too! The average citizen of Earth wants peace. Period. Give them the ability to meet their basic needs and guess what? They CHOOSE to live in peace with each other!

Stop poverty and people worldwide will rise up to stop the pollution and destruction of their environment!

Stamp out poverty, worldwide, which could be done, yearly, for less than what the world spends on war in 8 days; and you will indirectly stamp out all of the world's most pressing problems.

SO IF THAT IS TRUE, WHY WOULD ANYONE BE AGAINST ELIMINATING POVERTY?

It's easy. Because in a world without poverty, the wealthy would be forced to assume a larger percentage of the taxation burden than the rest of the world. AS IT SHOULD BE!

But we mustn't do it for the people. CONS hate to institutionalize compassion. They don't want compassion forced on anyone, you see, because they believe quite vehemently in their right to behave WITHOUT compassion. So forget the hungry and poor of the world for just one moment. Do it for the children? As Leonard Cohen sang in "The Future," "We don't like children anyhow." Again, forced compassion. The animals and plants? No, we don't want to be forced to show them compassion, either. Then how about doing it for the sake of the planet? Ha! The planet will be laughing at us long after we, the human race, have annihilated ourselves. Do it because it's the right thing to do? For whom is it right? Certainly not for our corporate uberlords whose bottom line is, was and shall remain, profit?

"Nobody in the world, nobody in history has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them." ~ Assata Shakur

The simple truth is that we cannot appeal to conservatives! They will never let go of what they do HAVE because what they don't HAVE is a conscience! And it takes a conscience to want to save the planet, to want to help people. Fortunately, they only form about 30 percent of the population. We CAN overcome their ignorance and greed if and only if we join together and grow a spine. And that begins, as the OP so eloquently stated, by standing up for progressive ideas, or as De Blasio said, by growing a backbone . . . especially on the economy.

If Obama's betrayal on the economy was an honest attempt on his part to negotiate with the terra-ists (I mean the CONS), then he failed because, you see, negotiating with them was never truly an option. But Obama may have inadvertently given Warren or Sanders a chance to differentiate themselves from him--to stand just far enough apart from Obama that they won't be painted with the same broad brush that the CONS will use to whitewash their own candidate.

[mvd]

67. Excellent, excellent post!

Wish I could recommend this post like the OP.

[sabrina 1]

70. That is one of the best posts I've ever seen on DU. It should be an OP on its own.

There is so much in the post that I want to highlight, it reads like a stirring speech that one of our Dems might want to make.

But this part eg:

Stop poverty and war stops too! The average citizen of Earth wants peace. Period. Give them the ability to meet their basic needs and guess what? They CHOOSE to live in peace with each other!

Stop poverty and people worldwide will rise up to stop the pollution and destruction of their environment!

Stamp out poverty, worldwide, which could be done, yearly, for less than what the world spends on war in 8 days; and you will indirectly stamp out all of the world's most pressing problems.

SO IF THAT IS TRUE, WHY WOULD ANYONE BE AGAINST ELIMINATING POVERTY?

Why would they indeed? But you answered that question so perfectly people should read it for themselves.

And this:

The simple truth is that we cannot appeal to conservatives! just begs the question 'if we all knew that already, why didn't the President know it'?

What an eloquent comment. So dead on accurate in every sentence!

More

[Utopian Leftist]

81. Thank you for the kind words, you are too kind.

I have been admiring many of your posts for quite a while, sabrina.

If you decide my post should have its own thread, you are welcome to start it--heaven knows no one will open it if I start it, LOL.

I mostly keep quiet on here, as I often do in real life, until I feel certain that I have something worth saying. I'm glad I took that chance today.

[sabrina 1]

83. I'm glad you didn't keep quiet this time. That is very kind of you, but I know I would open it.

I would love to see it as an OP and think you should do it.

But I would consider it an honor to do it for you, giving you the credit of course.

[suffragette]

65. Very glad to kick and rec this

[VanillaRhapsody]

76. AND 61% of us Support Hillary Clinton....

since you want to talk numbers....

[sabrina 1]

82. Unless we have a choice, such as Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sander. Since numbers are the topic,

have you seen the polls when Hillary isn't the ONLY Democrat in the race? They aren't even close.

Dems, including me, will answer 'yes' if asked if we are going to support the Dem, no matter who it is.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

79. A thousand recs!

[JEB]

80. K&R for the original post and subsequent informative posts and links.