My parents are moderates

[Droopy]

I'm living with them right now as I have sold my house and I need a place to stay pending further housing arrangements. I was talking to them tonight about the early presidential aspirations of our Democratic presidential candidates. Mom is a moderate who leans left and dad is a moderate who leans right. Dad voted for Bush last time and mom voted for Kerry.

Both of my folks are interesting in the political regard (well, they are interesting to me no matter). Dad is a Vietnam veteran who bought into the whole Swift Boat Veterans for Slander thing last election. The only thing that I think keeps my mom from being a full blown leftist radical is that she's pro-life. It's an important issue to her, but other things outweigh that issue like equal rights for minorities, universal health care, and her compassion for poor people.

I told my folks about the early Democratic presidential hopefuls. I thought my mom would like Hillary, but as it turns out that DK fella might grow on her which is my choice. Dad doesn't know who he likes and wants to wait until it gets closer to primary time before he takes a closer look, "Hell, that stuff is a year off still." I don't think he's interested in much in the way of political happenings unless he can view it on tv. But he doesn't even watch the damn news so I think he gets a lot of his views from the random commercials that he happens upon.

I can see my mom's view and I understand her pro-life convictions, but it's dad that I don't understand. Both of my parents are union labor. Mom's job is going ok, but dad was locked out of his work place damn near a year ago. They have since hired, uh, supplemental labor, but all of the union guys are still locked out. I told my dad that Bush doesn't give a shit about his job and that he's anti-organized labor, but that doesn't seem to sink in.

We live in Ohio which I'm sure all of you know is a battleground state. I can't help but wonder how many folks here are like my dad and just don't have a clue. How many people here just don't understand where their interests lie?

I'm going to work on my dad and I bet all of you out there have friends and family who are somewhat like him. Let's all get to work. Peace.

[illinoisprogressive]

1. My mom is an out and out liberal.

[Droopy]

2. Your mom is a fine American

Give her a hug for me. :hug:

[burrowowl]

3. DK! Yes!

If she likes DK she is a real moderate Democrate! I mean like Sanders who is a Social Democrate is to the left of Kucinich and he is what you call center left in other places in the world.

[Droopy]

4. Are you being sarcastic?

If so, just tell us how you really feel without the bullshit. If not I apologize. What do you consider socialist? And who the hell is Sanders?

[Kixel]

5. I don't think burrowowl meant that badly

Bernie Sanders is the socialist who was elected in Vermont. Good guy!

I believe the point being made was that DK is not moderate-your mom's a good liberal woman! I could be wrong, but that's how I took it.

It really sucks that Dad has felt the effects of the anti-labor movement and still doesn't get it. I don't know how we can reach people who consistently vote against their own best interest? We all know (and love!) those kind of folks. It's frustrating, isn't it?

[burrowowl]

8. Thank you Kixel!

The confusion in America is unbelievible! Hell! Even taxi drivers in Mexico know that neo-liberal means laissez-faire and not a hopped up liberal. Let us say that FDR was liberal, what we need is progressive, howeverat this point I will take liberal.

[Kixel]

12. I know!

I think it's because our Republican counterparts have done such a good job of making liberal a bad word. I do agree, progressive is more where its at. I wish more people would share that vision.

[LeftishBrit]

11. I interpreted it as meaning that your mother is left by American standards, and that ironically that

*would* mean moderate in many other places.

As a centre-left Brit, who would be considered very left in most parts of America, it always startles me when mainstream Dems are called 'far left' by right-wingers.

In any case, good for your mother!

[burrowowl]

6. DK is a regular FDR Democrate

Sanders (whom I love), now Senator of Vermont has called himself a Social (not Christian Democrate) Democrate, much like those in Europe. Social Democrates are center or slightly to the left. To quote Gore Vidal: "Amrica has 2 right wings."

[Droopy]

7. Okay

Where does the spelling of Democrat(e) come from? That's what threw me off. I thought you might be mocking me with that one and I went through my post looking for a misspelling. :)

[burrowowl]

9. Slip of the typing fingers!

I very much dislike the use of 'democrat' as opposed to 'democratic' as an adjective, as the Re:puke: are wont to do!

[burrowowl]

10. Okay!

I really don't consider DLCers real Dems, look at Liberman and the list of DLCers.
Happy Valentines Day!

[blm]

13. Actually, Dennis' career shows he started out as a conservative Dem who steadily

moved leftward the longer he stayed in politics.

When I first campaigned for him as a schoolgirl (Catholic and anti-abortion at the time), he was the more conservative choice in the Dem primary that year against the more progressive Metzenbaum.

Dennis took much longer than me to reach the left side of the spectrum, but I always thought that was where his heart belonged.