Can you help me elaborate on the topic of why the DNC represents the left wing of the party?

[mirror wall]

I was spouting off on this the other day, and got called on it and realized that I'm not exactly sure why I think this other than that Howard Dean is in charge. I guess I always thought of the DNC and the DLC being pretty much the same entity, but opposed to each other. It sorta looks like that might be an oversimplification.

Does anyone have a good sense of 1. whether or not the DNC is actually more progressive than the party as a whole and 2. how the DNC and DLC relate to each other?


Also, how do the DSCC and the DCCC fit in?

[madfloridian]

1. The DNC is the committee that oversees infrastructure and elects the president.

Dean tried to take it out of the hands just the ones on the inside. He promised state party leaders he would help them rebuild a diminished party.

He kept his promises. Now they are laying off the staffers and probably going back to the old ways.

The DLC is a think tank made up of corporate Democrats. It is NOT part of the party at all.

[mirror wall]

3. Thanks.

So was it historically more conservative and under Dean it moved a little further to the left, correct?

Also, where do the DSCC and the DCCC fit in?

[Warpy]

2. Dean is a solid centrist

Most of the country has forgotten where the center is, thanks to years of a mass media that have gone steadily to the right.

[patrice]

5. "steadily to the right" - Proof is every time you hear "_________ is a radical Leftist/Socialist."

ONLY the extreme Right thinks everything to the Left is radical. They think that because of where their own position is, so every time someone says "extreme Liberal etc." that it is proof positive that s/he is a radical Rand-ian or an extreme Social Darwinist, or something of that nature.

[lib_wit_it]

7. If the Right has moved so far as to consider Muthee pet pig

Sarah Palin as a presidential candidate, then we need to assert the Left far more boldly so as to keep the Center from ending up in a freakin' Caribou Barbie Dreamchurch in Wasilla!

Not sure how we do that, but, gosh darnit, we gotta! Fer sher. Doncha know it?!

[smiley_glad_hands]

4. The repugs have move the country so far right, we need to find a new middle.

DLC is in no way connected to the DNC. The DNC is the national Democratic Party. The Democratic Leadership Council is just a bunch of centrists that don't want to offend the public with perceived liberal or progressive policies.

IMO, the DLC is dead with this election.

[patrice]

6. Exactly, the move to the Right has displaced the actual Center. There are so few

real "Lefties" around that everyone thinks that the Moderate position is to the Right of where it actually is, ergo, the DNC most definitely is not Liberal.

[smiley_glad_hands]

8. I wouldn't characterize the DNC one way or another.

Its just a collection of state parties. Though the new middle is definitely not center right.

[patrice]

10. Fair enough.

:hi:

[lib_wit_it]

11. So, you're saying the new middle is where?

Not to the right of where it was?

And can someone tell me if n/t in the subject line is expected if you have no text in the body of the message? (I assume that's what n/t means, but not everyone uses it.)

Also, doe K&R mean Kick and Recommend? And what other little procedural thingies like that do I need to know around here?

[smiley_glad_hands]

12. I would assume the new middle is where ever Pres. Obama takes us.

N/t isn't expected but should be considered a courtesy, one could also use eom (end of message). K&R does mean kick and recommend.

Tombstone or references to pizza is in relation to getting banned (the banned poster gets a tombstone in their profile). IBTL-in before the lock, IBTB-in before the ban. Can't think of anymore out there, but there are more.

Also, welcome to DU.

[lib_wit_it]

13. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. eom

Hey, is there a penalty for writing in the message body after having ended the subject line with n/t or oem? (Kidding!)

[TheWraith]

9. The DLC is just a Democratic think tank.

More business-friendly than some, but it's just a think tank. The DNC *IS* the face of the party. The entire thing.

[defendandprotect]

14. DLC is corporate-wing of Dem Party pledged to move part to the RIGHT ....

DLC is not some benign "think tank" ...

[IndianaJones]

15. Dean is a good moderate Democrat. nt.