What's all this then?

[hootinholler]

We recognize that the capacity of government is limited but we regard democratic government as a
force for good and a source of hope.
At the heart of our party lies a fundamental conviction, that Americans must not only be free, but they
must live in a fair society.
We believe it is the responsibility of government to help us achieve this fair society.
• a society where the elderly and the disabled can lead lives of dignity and where Social Security
remains an unshakable commitment;
• a society where all people can find jobs in a growing full-employment economy;
• a society where all workers are guaranteed without question the legal right to join unions of their
own choosing and to bargain collectively for decent wages and conditions of employment;
• a society where taxes are clearly based on ability to pay;
• a society where the equal rights of women are guaranteed in the Constitution;
• a society where the civil rights of minorities are fully secured and where no one is denied the
opportunity for a better life;
• a society where both public and private discrimination based upon race, sex, age, color, creed,
national origin, religion, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic status, philosophical
persuasion or physical disability are condemned and where our government moves aggressively to end
such discrimination through lawful means;
• a society where we recognize that the strengthening of the family and the protection of children
are essential to the health of the nation;
• a society where a sound education, proper nutrition, quality medical care, affordable housing, safe
streets and a healthy environment are possible for every citizen;
• a society where the livelihoods of our family farmers are as stable as the values they instill in the
American character;
• a society where a strong national defense is a common effort, where promoting human rights is a
basic value of our foreign policy, and where we ensure that future by ending the nuclear arms race.
This is our purpose and our promise.

[jehop61]

3. Too bad

Ole Hickory's human concerns didn't apply to them redskins.

[Alex4Martinez]

7. Non sequitur much?

Not loving the Democratic party, then?

Did you know that Jefferson owned slaves?

[Lord Magus]

14. The Andrew Jackson era when only white men counted as people isn't something to glorify.

It was an improvement over only white rich men being counted, but it still wasn't true freedom or democracy.

[jehop61]

15. I much prefer

to think of FDR as the Democrat I admire rather than the. Racist Jackson.

[Hortensis]

20. The Democratic Party was actually founded by Jefferson

and Madison as the Democratic-Republican Party. It started out in 1792 as just the "Republican Party," but conservatives made fun of the notion of "democracy" and insisted on calling them Democrats, so they adopted the term proudly and became the Democratic-Republican Party fighting for liberal, enlightenment principles of equality and government of, by and for the people.

In the era of Andrew Jackson, the party split over internal differences. The Jacksonian wing lived mainly outside the power centers of the northeast, were committed to principles of democracy and equality (yes, only for white men) and opposed the development of a class system and centralized, elite power, including business/financial. They didn't have much education and didn't make public education any kind of priority. The Jacksonians rechartered as the Democratic Party, and it has continued on under that name from then to now.

The Whig wing was also still mostly "left" but committed to an educated populace and did supported development of an elite elevated by education, as well as continuation of the wealthy-enabling central bank Jackson loathed and feared.

Ultimately the Whig Party fell apart, and some liberals and moderates formed into a new anti-slavery Republican Party, which Whig Lincoln joined. After the Civil War, the liberals or liberal descendants of all three groups, Democrat, Whig, Republican, came together once again in the Democratic Party as the Republican became the conservative party.

I agree that the greatness of the Democratic Party springs from its original Jeffersonian-Madison heritage, not so much from Jackson's era, though his strong leadership and commitment to protecting democracy for the people ultimately did much to ensure that that heritage would continue.

[SwampG8r]

21. Fuck andrew jackson

Racist prick tried to make us leave our home for a.desert.
Seriously.as.a.native fuck Andrew jackson with a giant pineapple.

[Autumn]

2. Sounds like someone wants to give away a shitload of "free stuff" to freeloaders

[vintx]

4. Yeah, like all those stupid Europeans, with their better living standards

and happier people.

Who wants that?! That'd never work here!

[QC]

5. GODLESS COMMUNISM!!!

[XRubicon]

6. Your horse is so high you may not hear me down here

Who isn't for that?

Do you think Hillary is Damien Thorn's sister or something? Only Bernie and your ilk are for that?

[pinebox]

9. Maybe on blue Monday Hillary is

Or whenever the wind blows from whatever direction the majority is in.

[hootinholler]

11. What high horse?

I made no observation on any candidate, if that was my wish I would have quoted this instead:

Encourage and support codes of political ethics that embody substantive rules of ethical
guidance for public officials and employees in federal, state and local governments, to assure that public
officials shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner that reflects creditably upon the office they
serve, shall not use their office to gain special privileges and benefits and shall refrain from acting in their official capacities when their independence of judgement would be adversely affected by personal interest
or duties.

[XRubicon]

12. Nice crawling bug

I thought cat avatars were the code?

[djean111]

8. As far as I can tell, the DNC is have NONE of THAT!!!!!!!!

I don't see how Bernie could shill Hillary with a straight face, to be honest.

But I have the feeling that some expect Bernie to go around and attract those same huge crowds, but for Hillary, and that ain't gonna happen.

[hootinholler]

16. Odd that I quoted it from the DNC CHARTER.

Seriously. (PDF)

[djean111]

19. Oh, I know.

The DNC wipes its, um, feet with that charter. It is meaningless twaddle to them, just aired out and waved around every few years, as if the Third Way neocon neoliberal New Democrats even pay attention to it. That's why I am not really moved by the committees formed to hammer out platform changes. The current Democratic Party doesn't really care about that platform, it is just for show.

[MyNameGoesHere]

10. We all belive in this, you're guy just can't deliver any of it

as effectively as a real politician. I have no faith in Sanders being able to anything close to what I can get with Clinton. He projects political weakness and will be eaten alive. Hell he can't even commit to a political party out of conviction, only for convenience. Would he have gone in as a social Democrat and not try to hide behind the Democratic party I might have been with him. But when he decided to join the thing he hates, I knew he was just another cowardly politician, and I will take my imperfect candidate with a spine thank you.

[pat_k]

13. Non-specific, and therefore unacheivable, goals...

...stated in the Democratic Platform.

What we need this year is a commitment to some specific changes that can be taken to achieve these lofty goals, and a commitment to take concrete action to implement those changes.

[hootinholler]

17. I got it from the DNC charter

But yeah,we need someone who will get us there.

[seabeckind]

18. Sounds like the argument against the OWS movement.

The there's the incrementalism rationalization to justify lack of action.

Which is a conflation of the decision to do a task and the steps necessary to accomplish the task.

The decision is a purely yes/no and cannot be incremental.

It is a "we are going that way and we are starting now".