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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Every time the party's left raises their little pointy heads and makes noises....this stuff happens. [View all]madfloridian
(88,117 posts)154. Wm Greider says trouble started when party abandoned the working class. He's so right.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5813212
Long ago, the party abandoned its working-class base (of all colors) and steadily distanced itself from the unglamorous conditions that matter most in peoples lives. Traditional party bulwarks like organized labor and racial minorities became second-string players in the hierarchy that influences party policy. But the Dems didnt just lose touch with the people they claimed to speak for; they betrayed core constituencies and adopted pro-business, pro-finance policies that actively injure working people.
The shift away from the people was embraced most dramatically when Bill Clintons New Democrats came to power in the 1990s. Clinton double-crossed labor with NAFTA and subsequent trade agreements, which encouraged the great migration of manufacturing jobs to low-wage economies. Clintons bank deregulation shifted the economic rewards to finance and set the stage for the calamity that struck in 2008. Wall Street won; working people lost. Clinton presided over the financialization of the Democratic Party. Obama merely inherited his playbook and has governed accordingly, often with the same policy-makers.
The people, of course, are still present in the party, but theyre treated mainly as data for election strategies. The voters themselves resemble the supernumeraries in a grand opera: they appear on stage at election time, always lavishly praised by the pols. But they are given no lines to speak or songs to sing.
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Every time the party's left raises their little pointy heads and makes noises....this stuff happens. [View all]
madfloridian
Feb 2016
OP
Trevor Noah has established himself as a distinctive and truthful voice in a very short time.
Ken Burch
Feb 2016
#145
She has no humility. She is not humble. She is not salt of the earth. She approaches this as if
Hiraeth
Feb 2016
#16
I was looking at footage of her somewhere a few days ago when she was First Lady
sabrina 1
Feb 2016
#47
When the righties attacked Hillary for saying, "It takes a village." I would see red.
Enthusiast
Feb 2016
#164
I think people who seek out power and money to the extent Hillary has done, are
sabrina 1
Feb 2016
#180
Thank you for posting that. If she were private individual I could have compassion for her.
Hiraeth
Feb 2016
#74
Indeed he was. Never would I have thought that Trump's campaign was more mature....
George II
Feb 2016
#30
What is telling is that the Oligarchy will do anything to win. We have seen it all before.
rhett o rick
Feb 2016
#101
"What is telling is that the Oligarchy will do anything to win" And how is that the case....
George II
Feb 2016
#109
We are faced with an opponent that has unlimited resources and is not used to losing.
rhett o rick
Feb 2016
#115
Honestly, that question makes me wonder what would Hillary have acted like if she
Hiraeth
Feb 2016
#131
How very unreasonable of you to actually expect the Democrats to stand for something besides
guillaumeb
Feb 2016
#8
Lawrence O'Donnell said this evening we might not know who actually won Iowa until June
Samantha
Feb 2016
#17
madfloridian: see the article in Latest Breakings News entitled something like:
Samantha
Feb 2016
#33
Given her obvious affiliation with the Clinton campaign, it's surprising she wouldn't
winter is coming
Feb 2016
#39
Winning is more important to them than appearing fair. DWS has done nothing fair and doesn't
rhett o rick
Feb 2016
#100
A lot of states have automatic recounts for differences less than 0.5% or so, iirc.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
Feb 2016
#79
States have to have their election law rules clearly defined in the State Constitution
Samantha
Feb 2016
#139
I have so gotten over being a democrat. I was shocked at how easy it was, I told my
Autumn
Feb 2016
#18
Bernie's the only reason I re registered as one. After I caucus here in CO I'm out again.
Autumn
Feb 2016
#38
I left the party 20 or 25 years ago and just came back to vote for Bernie in the primary.
A Simple Game
Feb 2016
#102
"The trick is to harness their energy & money w/out looking like you're captive to the activis left"
99th_Monkey
Feb 2016
#19
DLC/Third Way kept identity politics while opening the door to economic predators.
senz
Feb 2016
#25
Bernie/we must be scaring the bejeezus out of the corporations/billionaire class.
AtomicKitten
Feb 2016
#27
Just like the party of Lincoln hasn't resembled itself in decades, 3rd Way DLCs turned their backs..
MrMickeysMom
Feb 2016
#28
"you did your job"- EXACTLY. And we all remember what happened next, right?
Warren DeMontague
Feb 2016
#36
why, it was almost like some of them were uncomfortable without a divided congress as an excuse NOT
Warren DeMontague
Feb 2016
#58
Dean did a great job when he was head of the DNC. Unfortunately, Dean has now sold out!
Dustlawyer
Feb 2016
#86
As usual, you've written a really good post. Thanks, madfloridian. nt
DisgustipatedinCA
Feb 2016
#60
Hopefully we'll be finished rebuilding the party from the ground up before President Cruz's 2nd term
corkhead
Feb 2016
#66
Afraid to lose their 6 and 7 figure salaries and their inheritor class wealth to their lessers.
Festivito
Feb 2016
#88
do you cut & paste your response to every post?...because it appears your reply
islandmkl
Feb 2016
#92
well...i have been smacked back...however, you seem to be overly paranoid to think I 'accused' you..
islandmkl
Feb 2016
#117
Much as I appreciate your concern for my ability to "absorb its main thrust"...
Nitram
Feb 2016
#120
Clinton won 2 more national delegates than Sanders. The big winner was the People that
rhett o rick
Feb 2016
#106
Great post, thanks. We must get enough votes to overcome the margin of manipulation.
rhett o rick
Feb 2016
#103
I'll feel more comfortable when Mr Sanders picks up a few more marginalized demos.
malthaussen
Feb 2016
#122
Third Way is accepting of corporate money and by extension has protected them, not
Jefferson23
Feb 2016
#123
"The trick will be to harness their energy and their money without looking like you are a captive of
yodermon
Feb 2016
#125
Wm Greider says trouble started when party abandoned the working class. He's so right.
madfloridian
Feb 2016
#154
Since the racism, sexism stuff is being pushed by Hillary surrogates...they must not need my vote.
madfloridian
Feb 2016
#170