2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Bringing us Together: Hillary Clinton Aide Tells Journalist: F**k Bernie Sanders [View all]Human101948
(3,457 posts)As politicians affiliated with Third Way hasten to distance themselves from the op-ed, the question remains: Why are Democrats affiliated with a group which works so strenuously to gut Democratic programs? Voters deserve more than platitudes from these politicians. They deserveclear answers about the issues...
This is not an inside baseball story about politics. Its a battle for party control whose outcome could affect every household in the country. If this quarrel is to be remembered and its incumbent upon genuine progressives to make sure that it is it should be remembered as an attempt by a the corporate class to retain control of the Democratic Party and limit the leftmost limits of political and economic debate.
One of this factions key goals is to roll back three of the Democratic Partys signature achievements: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. It is a measure of their power and influence that theyve been able to get so many Democratic politicians to support Social Security cuts when public opinion is so strongly against them. (This poll even shows that large majorities would pay more in payroll taxes in return for stronger Social Security benefits.)
...a corporate-backed faction which has tried to keep the leftmost limits of debate very much in hand and under tight control. It has done so with striking success for decades, thanks in large part to its ability to influence politicians like Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/the-democrats-third-way-q_b_4410394.html