No More Moderates?

[Jamaal510]

I was watching Hairball on MSNBC today, and Tweety had on Michael Steal and Michael Schmerchonish. Schmerconish said that while most voters (supposedly) are moderates, there are becoming fewer moderates in office from either party. He said the G0Pee has moved rightward, while the Dems have moved leftward.
Now my question is how has the Democratic party moved to the left? I keep hearing pundits saying that both parties are becoming polarized, but I don't see how Democrats have really moved leftward. For example, while I think he is a good president overall and far superior to Mitt R0bme, Obama has mostly been governing as a moderate. If the Democrats have truly moved further to the left and there are a lack of moderates in the party, wouldn't we see them proposing things like marijuana legalization nationwide, gun control, universal health care, election reform, and a return to Eisenhower-era taxes?
Anyway, thanks for reading this. I just wanted to vent this out because it was driving me nuts.

[malthaussen]

1. Usual MSM crap

They think anything slightly to the left of Reagan is "liberal."

The number of true Leftists in national government could probably be counted on one hand. More are "left" on some pet issue, but right-of-center everywhere else. And they are almost all into this austerity rap.

I don't even consider Mr Obama a Moderate. The places where he falls down -- and there are some, after all -- are indistinguishable from the current "non-wingnut" RW positions. On one or two social issues he is as Left as anyone could want, which tends to bring up the aggregate score.

-- Mal

[Odin2005]

2. We have a conservative party and a fascist party.

[Scuba]

3. Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner!

[Wounded Bear]

4. We're pretty much relegated to a choice....

between a Far Right Party and a Center Right party.

I keep looking for real progressives to vote for in local and state positions, as well as my US Rep.

[spanone]

5. the old television 'equivalency' bullshit

the truth is that the right is going off the cliff while the left has been occupying the space to the right of center.

[dsc]

6. We have moved to the left on social issues

but so has the country. I would also say that the current House Democrats are more cohesive than the ones in the last Congress since we lost some of our most conservative members.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. With respect to the Democrats, I think it could be

in reference to the fact that about 1/2 of the blue dogs in the House + Senate were voted out of office after 2010 (hypothetically meaning "moving left&quot . But unfortunately that resulted in rethugs taking those seats.

[Jamaal510]

9. If that's what he meant, he should've said so.

[patrice]

8. Look at all of the red states in this country. All Dem leaders in those states are "moderates".

Even in blue states, they have to deal with extremist Republican minorities.

There is no Left in the Democratic party leadership. EVERYONE is being pulled to the right by money, corporate personhood defined by SCOTUS' Citizens United decision.

If MSNBC it picking up Leftie trails, it's the people expressing their frustration with any and all "representation" Dem or Rep or Ind that DOES NOT REPRESENT THEM.