Democrats who resort to red baiting are not Democrats

[phleshdef]

That is all

[in_cog_ni_to]

1. I agree.

We can't call them what they really are or we'll all be alerted on by them. But, we know what they are.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[phleshdef]

2. I've stayed respectful towards Hillary Clinton supporters

... this entire primary season. But now I'm starting to get very very pissed off and I'm starting to remember why I voted for Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2008.

[TDale313]

7. I feel exactly the same way. n/t

[roguevalley]

20. they are slagging my family when they slam socialists and me as well

[bkkyosemite]

3. She said she would do anything to win.

[sufrommich]

4. It's not "red baiting" to acknowledge how the GOP

would attack Sanders and what weapons they would use. I see a lot of Sanders supporters who would rather not talk about it, but react with glee daily here at the GOP's fake email "scandal" and report it with as much gusto as Drudge does.

[phleshdef]

5. Hillary is just an easy target for the GOP as Bernie is

Real Democrats should stand against this red baitng shit. It is what Republicans due to all of us. Stop being political cowards.

[sufrommich]

6. Nice dodge. It's explained to Hillary supporters in countless OPs on DU

that their attacks on Hillary are exactly what the GOP will do to her,every single day,but we shouldn't dare mention how they will attack Sanders. It's pure hypocrisy.

[phleshdef]

9. I didn't dodge anything I'm not one of those people

I've been very respectful of Hillary Clinton and her supporters throughout this entire primary process. I applauded the way she handled the 11 hours of grilling on the Benghazi stupid bullshit. I've defended her on that to conservatives on numerous occasions. But now I'm starting to get pissed off. Bernie should be defended by fellow Democrats when it comes to Republican attacks against him. It seems that some want to aid and abet instead.

[randome]

38. 'Fellow Democrats'? He isn't a Democrat. He's co-opted the Democratic Party for his own use.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]“If you're not committed to anything, you're just taking up space.”
Gregory Peck, Mirage (1965)[/center][/font][hr]

[phleshdef]

40. Oh that's such a tired argument at this point it's not even worth

... any kind of effort.

[in_cog_ni_to]

42. Bernie is a registered Democrat. Facts are facts. n/t

[randome]

48. Only when it was politically expedient to do so.

But my initial statement is incorrect. He IS a Democrat, but a late-comer.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]“If you're not committed to anything, you're just taking up space.”
Gregory Peck, Mirage (1965)[/center][/font][hr]

[morningfog]

10. It is when done by a campaign surrogate.

[sufrommich]

11. Because she dared to state the obvious? Do you think if Claire McCaskill

wouldn't have mentioned how the GOP would go after Sanders it wouldn't occur to anyone? She's a Clinton supporter,she pointed out a critical problem with the other guy getting the nomination,a problem so obvious that the GOP is trying to help him win the nomination.

[morningfog]

12. Of course the GOP will be the GOP. CLinton's surrogates should not be the GOP.

Hillary did this same shit with Obama and it backfired. She never learns.

[redstateblues]

13. Please stop telling the truth

[raindaddy]

21. If she was really worried about what the Republicans what the Republicans will bring up....

she'd be talking about The Clinton Foundation....

[zalinda]

26. Bernie defended Hillary at the first debate

remember? Those damn emails? Took the wind out of the "scandal".

Z

[panader0]

27. Hammer and Sickle equals communism not Democratic Socialism

I say bring it out now and explain to the people what Bernie stands for. The US is already
socialist is many, many ways. The idiots writhing about socialism probably get their Social Security
checks every month, or ACA, or use public works every day.

[bvar22]

49. Do you really believe that the GOP won't "go after" Hillary?

Hillary will be branded as a "Socialist" and a "Communist" too.
That IS what the Republicans have done to EVER Democratic nominee since FDR.

Hillary has given them truck loads of ammunition over the last 25 years.
Sanders?...not so much.

So if YOU are choosing YOUR candidate based on what the Republicans are going to say,
you have missed something.

[tk2kewl]

14. How about defending against GOP attacks...

rather than just acknowledging their existence and trying to shape a platform that they won't attack?

Like GWB said: "If you don't stand for something, you don't stand for anything."

[snoringvoter]

16. You're completely out of touch and out of date.

Many view socialism as a GOOD thing now. Even 49% of the Iowans polled in that Selzer poll (gold standard) identified themselves as socialist.

I'm a proud Democratic Socialist, just like Bernie is. I am also a registered Democrat, just like Bernie is.

You want my vote in case Clinton wins? I think the attitude towards us Bernie supporters not being needed our votes for Clinton in the GE makes a big difference.

[all american girl]

25. I haven't looked at that poll...I keep wanted to look at it and then,

something shiny gets in the way

Anyways, I thinks that strange, not bad strange, but just wow that's strange. I grew up in Iowa. I remember when the seat belt law went into place...people's head were exploding everywhere. That's great, though

[pangaia]

35. It is EXACTLY red-baiting.

[nyabingi]

44. Sure the GOP will red bait

but the main question in 2016 should be if red-baiting is still an effective tool to diminish a political opponents' chances of winning?

Red-baiting worked for the older generations of Americans who were raised and indoctrinated to automatically equate "socialism" and "communism" with "evil empire" and "godless", but the youngsters born after the end of the Cold War have no such irrational fear. In fact, "socialism" is viewed in a more positive light than "capitalism" by many of the younger generation and this fact is displayed by the enthusiasm Bernie has generated among the younger voters.

The establishment Democrats are playing the same shameful game that they are saying Republicans are going to use in the general election. Obama has been called a "socialist", "dictator", "communist", "Muslim" and all other kinds of names by the rank-and-file Republican base because they see anyone to the political left of themselves as "socialists", "communists", etc. They will call Hillary Clinton the same thing, so it kinda steals their fire if their opponent openly embraces the term "socialist" doesn't it?

Deal with Bernie's strength on the issues facing us today and stop red-baiting.

[Myrina]

8. They may as well have Palin campaigning for them ....

I suspect nobody will ever forget the "pallin' around with socialists" line she repeated ad infinitum against POTUS.

The depths 'The Machine' will go to is disgusting, and a sobering reminder of what they were like in the 90's. And I don't want
them anywhere near the White House. It's not about doing what's best for America, its about them, winning at any cost, and power. Period.

[WillyT]

15. K & R !!!

[hueymahl]

17. Yep.

That is all.

[jalan48]

18. It's time the Democrat's come to grips with the whole "Socialist", "Communist" BS.

We've allowed the Republicans and the extreme right wing to steal the narrative and as a result we cower and move further right because? Because the corporate media tells us if we don't then those awful right wingers will win. They have have already won when we turn into Republicans ourselves to avoid the labels.

[phleshdef]

19. Exactly. I refuse to cower from the socialist label anymore

Democratic socialism has been part of the Democratic Party since FDR. If you are ashamed of that then you should go somewhere else.

[pinebox]

22. This is going to get damn nasty

and if Hillary goes this route, her past and all of it will become fair game. Hillary shouldn't pick a fight with a Bear.

[blackspade]

23. Agree completely.

The same goes for the DINOs that say socialists cannot be Democrats.

[malthaussen]

24. You mean like Bobby Kennedy?

Okay, cheap shot. And his views "evolved." But the point, to me, is that politicians will be politicians. Even in the absence of any real leverage, party politicians do odd things in the name of party "loyalty." It is of more consequence to me, not that the people saying such things are "bad," but that the party establishment thinks such attacks are now necessary and advisable. To me, the pattern is more important than the substance, which can be canned and recycled to fit the need. If the party mouthpieces are now thundering against Mr Sanders because he is a socialist, then they must have decided he is a greater threat than they believed heretofore.

-- Mal

[RoccoR5955]

28. They are what I like to call DINOs! n/t

[creatives4innovation]

29. Social Dem here

Agree

[The Blue Flower]

30. McCaskill's writing the R's ads for them: I'd like to know why

And she framed it as "poor Bernie just doesn't know what he's getting into." Her deeply patronising concern is duly noted, and I'm not buying it.

[d_legendary1]

31. Republicans red bait Democrats all the time and that's okay

because Republicans by and large are major assholes who are corporate owned. They don't give a damn about us or the people that elected them into office. Democrats red baiting other Dems is not okay because we're supposed to be better than that. Fuck all that "it's politics" talk since the point is to assassinate a person's character.

Now I know some are saying "we're just pointing out what the Republicans are doing", but you know what else Republicans are doing? They're putting an axe through Medicare, S.S., and food stamps. Should Democrats be doing that too?

No? Then stop with the non-sense and stick to what we're good at: pointing out the real issues and what we're gonna do to fix it! Acting like Republicans is what got us here in the first place.

[fredamae]

32. "DesperCrats" is who they are

and the "DesperCrats" are in dire Fear over losing their corporate grip on Our wallets and the quality of Our lives in order to enrich their Own.
There is a River of Crap beneath the Democrats, the BS Reeks and is overflowing it's banks. This did Not happen overnight. The difference is seemingly that "we" have drawn a solid and Deep line in the sand - "we" are stating We will NO longer meekly follow along with the "we're Not as bad as them-we will end up with the GOP in charge (they have been since 2009, imo)-OMG SCOTUS" All low bars, all excuses, all excuses are used to Maneuver and control Our votes in order to continue the shift from FDR/Kennedy governance Most for the people to becoming even to the Right of the GOP POTUS' Reagan and Eisenhower themselves.
That is my personal opinion based upon my observations, conclusion and reasoning....

[kenfrequed]

33. Yup

Too many damned blue dogs want to throw this kind of crap around.

[Freddie Stubbs]

34. It's not red baiting if it is true

[AgingAmerican]

36. The wheels are coming off and they are getting desperate

And it shows

[DemocratSinceBirth]

37. I am a capitalist-socialist.

I want to use the profits capitalism generate to ameliorate social ills. There is certainly a role for the government in the economy. There is also a role for the private sector in the economy.

That being said I don't want a socialist rebrand of the Democratic party.Incentives are necessary to motivate people whether those incentives are in the form of money, prestige, status, or even sex. How many young men picked up a guitar so they could meet girls?

[phleshdef]

39. What you are saying is no different than what bernie is saying

The fact of the matter is, the Democratic Party has been attacked as being socialist since FDR. So this fear of some rebranding is kind of silly. The only people that have a negative reaction to the label of socialism have mostly already branded our party as the socialist party.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

41. I have largely stayed out of this debate.

If someone believes FDR , JFK, PBO, et cetera were socialists they are so far to the right we lost them anyway. They are traditional liberals who want/wanted to eliminate the dislocations that unrestrained capitalism creates,


Socialism is a loaded term. It used to mean governmental control over the means of production.

I believe the label hurts more than helps with a majority of the populace.

[phleshdef]

43. Bernie doesn't want the government to own otherwise private industry

Well at least outside of health insurance anyway. But I don't care if its a loaded term anymore. I used to but I'm done with that. It's time the Democrats stop running away everytime Republicans accused of being socialist or communist or whatever other hyperbolic nonsense they want to accuse us of anytime we want to use government to make things better. We should stop letting them get away with using the word as a pejorative. We only empower them by doing so

[DemocratSinceBirth]

45. There is nothing inherently wrong with being a communist or a socialist if you are one.

I find the label confining. I actually find most labels confining.

I would reject being called a capitalist or socialist because there are parts of both philosophies I embrace and parts of both philosophies I eschew.

But again, if some cretin thinks FDR, JFK, and PBO are socialists or communists, they are lost to us anyway.

[YoungDemCA]

46. Harry Truman? John F. Kennedy? Bobby Kennedy? Lyndon Johnson?

[phleshdef]

47. You are talking about a time when the Democratic party was still full of racist segregationists.

I'm talking about 2016, not 1950.