The Battle for the Soul of the Democratic Party

[nradisic]

There is only one way to define what is going on between the Obama and Clinton camps - a Battle for the Soul of the Democratic Party. This battle started way back in 2002 when Howard Dean decided to run. Howard Dean has re-energized the DNC and the party with his 50 state strategy. The first order of business was to get rid of the Blue Dog Democrats and the DLC - that is still in the works... It is rather obvious to me that the Hillary Clinton camp represents the DLC and Democrats of old...It is mostly old farts voting for Hillary and the new generation is mostly behind Barack. The fact that things are getting ugly is a sign that the Clinton-DLC camp is on its last legs...they are fighting for their lives. If Hillary looses (which I believe is inevitable), all of the "old guard" Dems that are so good at flip-flopping and giving the GOP what they want, the DLC, Mark Penn, James Carville, Terry Macculiffe and the rest of the gang will be out of a job for good. Hillary Clinton is their last chance - this election is the just like "Custer's last stand" for the DLC and the Clintons. They are the past and we are the future....most of the grassroots of the party has seen this, know this and realize this....it is the DLC'ers and Clintonites that are unable to read the writing on the wall and let go. The DLC and Clinton have not been good for our party or the country. The massive deregulation started under Bill Clinton - Media deregulation and the Financial market deregulation are the first to come to mind - both have been a total cluster-fuck and it is "Us" the people that are paying for it in more ways than one.

I have seen enough, paid enough and had enough. The baby boomers have totally fucked up this country. It is time for Gen X and Gen Y to try our hand...The Hillary supportesr are supposed to be the adults and they are behaving like 5 year old in the sand box...it has gone form the sublime to the ridiculous. Just to note, my wife and I have 9 year old triplets and they behave much better and are much more grown up than most of the Clinton supporters I have witnessed. It is obvious that all of the lashing out, including Carville calling Bill Richardson "Judas" is so transparent...the Clinton camp are behaving like cornered rats....they know it is their last stand and it does not look good. They don't care about the Soul of the Party....we do! This will be the election to change the Democratic party for good. It si time to demand nothing but real Democrats - Blue Dogs and DLC be damned - they have been holding the party and country hostage for far too long. Obama has much longer Progressive coattails around the country than Hillary. Obama will help elect and bring a much more progressive majority to the House and the Senate.

I am an Edwards supporter. I have not contributed or openly supported either Obama or Hillary. I am looking at the current situation as a progressive thinker and that is what has lead me to "take sides".

[splat]

1. Just blow off everybody who's waited their whole lives for a woman president

And while you're at it, make sure you extend how much you dislike your parents into dissing their whole generation. People who were clean for Gene, canvassed for McGovern, got their heads split open in Chicago '68, and when it's finally their turn to get real change, you fall in love with a smooth-talking unknown and split the party right down the middle.

Throw out all the old faithful Democrats and see how many people don't feel they belong to their party any more, and sit on their hands in November.

[GarbagemanLB]

2. If having a vagina is your only prerequisite, how about Condi Rice?

[splat]

3. Too stupid to answer

[nradisic]

4. Your attitude is exactly whay I'm talking about...

So its' a woman president or bust....you post says it all. It is either Hillary or I won't vote....That is like "it is my ball and I don't want to play anymore, so I'm taking it home." You are exactly what I'm talking about...you don't care about the Party...it is all about "the end justifying the means"...

Grow up...although some people never do....Karma is a fucking bitch...

[splat]

7. Obama's thugs and bullies have taken over DU and driven out the Hillary supporters

Why should we think well of your candidate when his supporters just say STFU to people who have been fighting for peace for 40 years?

[GarbagemanLB]

8. Who voted to authorize the war? Who voted against banning cluster bombs? Who voted to call Iran terr

orists? Don't act high and mighty by pulling that 'peace' shit. Your candidate is a hawk, second only to Leiberman himself.

[Dhalgren]

12. And who has voted consistently to continue paying for those

cluster bombs? It does no good to say "I was against the start of the war, but I have been for the war ever since." Which is exactly Obama's position, because he has voted to fund the war/occupation without fail. I cannot vote for either Democratic candidate, because they both represent continuing the occupation of Iraq and supporting the corporate control of this country and with designs on the rest of the world. There is little doubt that the Democrats will win in November (probably Obama), but it means next to nothing as far as turning anything around or making a new start. It just will not make much difference...

[ThatBozGuy]

14. Mr and Ms Clinton were Republicans when you were fighting for that peace

Think that through and look at the framing of their whole career and the behavior today becomes clearly Republican couched in a Democratic flag.

[splat]

17. Your ignorance is appalling. Hillary Rodham was a hippie

[nradisic]

5. Hillary goes splat...

I had to...

[Armstead]

6. You are painting with too broad a brush

While I understand your frustration and agree with much of it, you are doing exactly what you complain about, with your generational stereotyping.

It's not a generational thing.

Edwards is a Baby Boomer. Many people who would agree with you on politics are Baby Boomers or their parents. And many members of Gen X and Y are dunderheads.

Rather than use age as a template, I'd suggest you look at it as a broader evoultionary process. Sure the older generation screwed up a lot of things but we also have done a lot of good.

[susankh4]

9. The age-ism is just rampant 'round here

and it is apparently sanctioned. Or I would not be reading this.

[Texas Hill Country]

10. i think the characterizations in this post are completely unfair.

[OHdem10]

11. In our passion to rid the party of DLC, are we destroying the

party itself. Anyone who knows me, know I have spewed my
ample amount of venom against the DLC. So do not assume I
am some wild eyed DLCer.

Here are some thoughts to consider.Suppose we totally eradicate
the DLC. Our problem with the DLC has been the Conservatism
of its members and their appearing to be so willing to support
GOP with their votes. Conservatism is the operative word.
With the DLC gone we still have BLUE DOGS and Conservative
Democrats. Does anyone believe Congress People like Ben Nelson
are going to suddenly start voting Liberal??? Claire McCaskill?
Just go down the line. My main point here is simply to remind
those who actually believe that Change will bring a Liberal
Agenda---Think again. How can Obama turn his back on the GOP
who he has courted. Conservatives see Obama as being more
willing to go Conservative than Liberal. Remember, this.
Obama has been a vessel. Conservatives put their dreams in
and Liberals put their dreams in. The Liberals are cutting of
their nose to spite their face by fighting against Hillary so
hard. She has the clout and know how to push more liberal
positions.

[olkaz]

13. "She has the clout and know how to push more liberal positions."

1992-2000 does not support this.

And my area suffered greatly because of these years.

[splat]

18. She's more liberal than Bill, and most of us were far better off then

[elleng]

15. I haven't heard it put in these terms yet; is the

O v. H. battle really DNC v. DLC? If so, how many Dems are aware of this?

I certainly agree that 'conservative' Dems will continue to exist; we all have to get along.

[LWolf]

16. Yes, but no.

I see Obama and Hillary as two different sides of the same coin.

Battle for the "soul" of the party? Yes. The battle between the liberal left and the centrist/corporatist/3rd way democrats.

The liberal left has lost. I have lost, and I know it. I know it, and I don't forget or forgive.

Obama is just as centrist/corporatist/3rd way as HRC. He doesn't carry the DLC label, but his positions on issues clearly position him on the "right," by which I mean the "wrong," side of the divide.

I'm sorry that so many people have bought into the emotion-stirring speeches, and rest, relieved, on the technicality that he "is not dlc."

[BluWtrLynn]

19. Hey, I'm old.

Can we drop the ageist stuff. A lot of boomers who did not succumb to the generational greed ethic are getting our point of view strongly represented for the first time in nearly two decades. It is not any more about old vs. young than it is about black vs. white or male vs. female. There is just a segment of the Democratic party that is change challenged. The PC term for being change challenged is CONSERVATIVE.