define the Democratic base.

[ulysses]

Assuming such a beast actually exists, of course.

[OKNancy]

1. Who in the heck knows now days

It used to be the working class with Unions being a large influence.

I'm guessing our base now is..... women.

If you think of it as the largest group of voters in our party.
That is one reason a lot of DUers won't like what is going to happen in the primaries.
I'm afraid the base is going for Sen. Clinton.

I do know one thing... it ain't DU

[BayCityProgressive]

3. DU is unfortunately not the base of the party

that is why I also hold membership in the Green Party and various socialist groups..I plug my nose for a Democrat if I feel it is too important not to AND the Democrat is at least center-left. No war supporter will get my vote.

[CrispyQ]

2. People who believe in the things that government provided to Joe Conservative.

http://www.hcdems.com/misc/joe_conservative.html

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Unfortunately, it's whoever the bosses say it is.

In the meantime, the rest of us are supposed to blindly accept their orders, hold our noses, and vote for whomever they decide is good for us.

"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all." --Thomas Jefferson to Francis Hopkinson, 1789.

"Were parties here divided merely by a greediness for office,...to take a part with either would be unworthy of a reasonable or moral man." --Thomas Jefferson to William Branch Giles, 1795

[ulysses]

5. but who do *you* say it is?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. I say that there is no such thing.

As Will Rogers said, "I don't belong to any organized political party, I'm a Democrat."

I believe that most Democrats see the party as an alternative to the Republicans, and little else. A "lesser of two evils" that seldom pleases the majority of Democrats. No, make that "rarely" pleases the majority.

Even the yellow dogs can't be considered "the base" because, by being yellow dogs, they needn't be catered to because if the Democrats adopted a completely conservative Republican platform, they could be relied upon to vote (D).

The politicians spend a lot of time and money looking for a non-existent "base" and then try to please whatever they think they found until the polls show they were wrong...as usual.

I give you the ever changing stances on the Iraq war as an example.

[ulysses]

8. fair enough.

I don't entirely agree, but fairly and well put.

[ulysses]

6. c'mon, y'all. who is it?

Interest groups? Reagan Dems? Who?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Maybe it's time for you to tell us, Ulysses?

[ulysses]

10. ok, my definition.

The Democratic base is most women, most African-Americans, most GLBT folks, most of the poor, most of the working class that hasn't been hoodwinked by scare tactics concerning those I've already named, and most white liberals. ymmv.

[scarletwoman]

11. I've got your answer right here:

Love Me, I'm A Liberal
by Phil Ochs

I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every colored boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown out
of the A.F.L. C.I.O. board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I read New republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I vote for the democratic party
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

:evilgrin:

sw