Remember FDR?

[yurbud]

His name is hardly ever mentioned by party leaders anymore.



As I tell my college students, they could have run his corpse in '48 and he still would have won.

If they dug him up and ran him today, he would probably STILL win, just not by as much (the media largely being silent about him apart from his role in World War II).

[hlthe2b]

1. Yup... but elected to four terms--didn't serve four terms (just a little quibble)

[yurbud]

2. I didn't make it, but I noticed that too.

[TexasBushwhacker]

18. Well, many said it was his 3rd term that killed him

Being President is a stressful job. 2 terms is enough.

[yurbud]

22. They were far from perfect, but a third for Bill Clinton or Obama wouldn't have hurt either of them.

[Irish_Dem]

3. America's greatest President.

Some say Lincoln is, but I would go with FDR.

[LeftInTX]

4. He wasn't a Socialist, he was a Democrat

Although, he introduced programs that some considered to be socialist, he was a Democrat.

[yurbud]

6. He was to the left of today's Democrats on economics & welfare policies

[MrsCoffee]

13. And the socialists attacked him for not being left enough.

It seems to be a never ending circle.

[yurbud]

14. therefore we should let Wall St. call the shots?

[MrsCoffee]

17. Who said that?

That's just more hyperbole.

[David__77]

52. They did criticize him for things like not supporting anti-discrimination laws.

True that.

[renegade000]

5. He was indeed quite popular, but he wasn't a Democratic Socialist

He was a social liberal. If anything, he was closer to European social democrats, who didn't seek to destroy capitalism, but to provide a strong welfare state to check it. It was a convergent position, social democrats basically seeking to bring more liberalism into Marxist leftism, while New Dealers were trying to bring more leftism into liberalism.

[yurbud]

7. he would never have called himself a moderate Republican

[lagomorph777]

8. And most certainly would not recognize today's Democratic Party.

It drives me crazy when so many Dems use polite language when discussing what's going on.

Stop using the Turd's propaganda names for things.

For example, it's not a "Tax Cut" or "Tax Reform" it's "Trump's middle class tax hike." Just be honest, dammit.

[yurbud]

9. they have a plan. They want to become the default business party, which is why

Hillary reached out to the neocons.

They hope to peel off Republican pols who aren't too closely identified with the racists and homophobes, and leave a stump of the GOP lynching tree, which has no attraction for swing voters.

The problem with that approach is it will cost Democrats their core progressive voters, it won't peel off many Republican VOTERS, and being the not-racist business party is not enough to get swing voters to the polls.

[lagomorph777]

10. Pub Lite never worked and never will.

It's always trotted out by people who really align with the GOP but are too ashamed to admit its principles are immoral.

[yurbud]

15. it's a bit worse. They are the Trojan Horse for GOP policies in states & districts where

Republicans could never get elected like here in California.

We vote for someone who is good on gays and minority rights then are mystified when they support privatizing public schools or social security, or the next random war in the Middle East or bailout of Wall Street, none of which most Democratic voters thought they were voting for.

[lagomorph777]

24. Infuriating.

I learned rather late, that I really need to pay attention to the primaries too. If my life situation would allow it, I'd be getting involved in local party politics to try to change that.

[Demsrule86]

11. No one alive remembers him...And his policies were great and saved this country

but they were not inclusive (product of his times) and POC did not have the opportunity to vote for him and did not benefit from his lifesaving (for white folks) policies. He also incarcerated Japanese Americans and stole their property. While there is no doubt

FDR was one of the greatest...he was the man for his times...and I consider Johson right up there in terms of a great president...he gave us Civil Rights,Medicare and Medicaid...Obama saved the country by himself with a way to small tax cut ( all he could get), saving the autos and fiddling with the Fed...each president is called to solve the problems of his time. Roosevelt while great can not solve our problems...and there are many great Dems out there, and we won't do things as Roosevelt did entirely...nor should we. Time to chart our own course.

[yurbud]

16. I agree on FDR & Johnson. I wouldn't say Roosevelt can solve all our problems, but neither...

can Wall Street if we throw money at them when they claim they can fix something better than the government can.

What they do really well is give as little in return for what they are paid and make money disappear to offshore accounts.

[Demsrule86]

26. You need Wall Street...it is a great source of income for those who don't have pensions...401K's

and provides millions of jobs. I don't get the hatred of Wall Street...they need regulation no doubt but so does most other business.

[HopeAgain]

27. It's really the disparity in income that people

Are referring to when they talk about the evils of Wall Street. The corruption of candidates and government resulting from the undue influence of money in our elections. That is why we feel compelled to talk in terms of populism.

Citizens United will be the death of true progressive economics.

[Demsrule86]

28. And how you propose to fix it? United is a gift from Bush who was a gift from the

Green asshats and Nader. The only way for campaign reform is to elect Democrats...and now that Stein has wrecked 16 with a little help from her Russian Buddies, the GOP thieves, and disaffected progressives...the courts will not be friendly towards our efforts...a GOP majority Supreme Court never is. So the idea of bashing the Dems for taking money in order to run a campaign in the age of United is foolish...and will lead to more GOP victories and more bad court rulings like United. Time to Unite and beat the GOP bastards.

Let me address inequality. The leading cause of inequality is the death of good manufacturing jobs to enrich the few already wealthy people like Trump and Romney...and some Democrats bought into it...globalism causes inequality in this country and others...and until we take a look at trade agreements and stop using trade agreements as a reward for political cooperation from foreign governments, it will never end. Oh sure the GOP makes it worse with bad tax policy and their worthless economic beliefs, but it all stems from huge job losses in what use to be a thriving manufacturing sector of our economy...and beware no job is really safe...they have now turned their eyes on white collar jobs.

[HopeAgain]

32. So how do we elect Democrats?

Just whining about Green Party and Bernie supporters isn't going to do anything, we need to figure out how to attract more progressive votes. We need to ask why Bernie Sanders is currently the politician with the highest approval rating; why some progressives, especially young ones, strayed from the Party or did not vote despite the fact we were faced with the most dangerous opponent in modern history. I know a lot of young Occupy people who felt completely unsupported by the Democratic establishment. How long are we just going to tell them that they have to vote for a centrist candidate?

I don't want the Green Party, I don't want Sanders, but I do want a return to the FDR/LBJ economic (socialist) roots of the party.

[Demsrule86]

38. I refuse to even discuss 'Bernie supporters' the primary is over. And Green's suck and have

caused much damage to the progressive movement. Bernie won't be the nominee in 20...he just won't so you vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is- period end of story. All the other stuff is a waste of time. As for popularity...I think it has taken a hit...look at the Woman's convention situation.

[HopeAgain]

39. I have never not voted Dem in th GE

I said I'm not a Bernie fan, but I'm looking for more socialist values in the primaries, because centrists have been a disaster.

[yurbud]

34. It only sounds like hatred because too many pols listen to them first, last, and only

and they do it for a check.

[Demsrule86]

46. Look Roosevelt believed in capitalism and the stock market...he didn't go after after the

robber barons of the day tried to overthrow the government in order to save capitalism...now the trouble we have is not Wall Street or even the wealthy. Wealth is not inherently evil. It is the GOP getting rid of regulation, United...the shitshowthat follows unbridled greed...and it can't be fixed by anyone until we have a sizeable Democratic majority...and if we lose in 20...it will take years because the courts are gone for us.

[yurbud]

50. Actually, he did. He backed and got a much higher tax rate AND regulation of Wall Street

If Democrats don't stop coddling them and letting themselves be led around by the nose, they will lose in 2020 and it won't be progressives fault.

What Wall Street does best is take care of the already very wealthy even if it means grinding the rest of us into dog food.

If Obama had put ONE of the CEO's of the top banks in prison and added some strings to the bailouts, especially quantitative easing since it loaned money to Wall St. at such low interest, they could turn around, buy T bills and make a profit--which WE would have to pay back to them with OUR tax dollars.

That is just barely over most people's heads, but if they understood it, they would be after the Fed and Congress with pitchforks and torches.

Even if people don't know all the details, they sense the profound corruption and unwillingness to touch those who have harmed so many with intentional fraud.

It also doesn't help that Democrats largely agree with Republicans on foreign policy and just differ in style, execution, and how they sell it to the public.

Democrats can't rely on being 5% better than Republicans to win.

That little difference will not solve the profound problems we have and will likely lead to open rebellion or worse.

Maybe Democrats should put serving the country ahead of using their time in office to audition for high paying gigs as lobbyists, corporate lawyers, and execs when they leave office.

That is not being anti-capitalist. It's just pro-democracy and pro-survival.

[yurbud]

51. have you noticed that Democrats have lost congress more often & won by narrower margins...

since they have gone "centrist"?

[dflprincess]

23. One of my aunts is 95 the other is 91

they both remember him and do so fondly. Their dad (my grandpa) had jobs through the WPA, they have not forgotten that they had food on the table because of FDR and they (along with my mom until she died) haven't let my generation or their grandchildren forget it.

The first vote the 95 year cast in 1944 was for FDR and both of them are still strong Democrats.

[Demsrule86]

25. I am sure...they were children...and I am just guessing white...

because FDR was great for many...but not for people of color...glad they are Democrats but that does not change my point...move into the future...he was great for his time...I sure want to keep social security...but we have many other issues that Roosevelt policies cannot solve. It is great to look back at our ancestors and be proud of what they accomplished...but the worship of the past and one imperfect but brave man is just foolish...every generation must forge their own way. Roosevelt has lesson that we can learn...social security...sending help to starving people...but on the other hand no all that he did was great. I would never call myself a 'Roosevelt Democrat' ...might as well call myself a Whig.

[dflprincess]

36. I took issue with the statement that no one alive

Remembers him. My eldest aunt was only 10 when he was elected bit old enough to vote for him when he ran in 1944.

Yes, his policies should have been more inclusive but do you think anyone else would have been better? At least some progress not enough but some was made (largely thanks to Eleanor).

[Demsrule86]

37. Few folks alive...and I admire and respect Roosevelt...but I am not a follower of any past person...

Roosevelt was who we needed as was Johnson in 64, Bill Clinton in 92 (broke a 12 years GOP hold on the presidency) and Obama in 08...we need to move forward. Roosevelt's ideas cannot solve our modern issues...

[bathroommonkey76]

41. Wrong

My 95 yr old grandmother remembers and speaks very fondly of FDR - She married my grandpa the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked- their marriage lasted 57 years.

[FakeNoose]

43. If FDR were alive today he would not be a racist

Roosevelt was completely ahead of his time, but his time was before ours.

Civil Rights hadn't advanced to where it is today (or isn't, but should be.) If FDR were a presidential candidate today he would be closer to Bernie Sanders than just about anybody. He was never a racist, but the problems of black folks had to take a backseat while he was busy saving the country, the economy, and the world.

[Demsrule86]

45. That is your imagination...not reality

[trof]

49. Eleanor promoted racial equality.

[GulfCoast66]

12. He was a 1%er as well. I thought we hated all them?

[Tobin S.]

19. There's nothing wrong with being rich as long as you don't want to enslave others to do it.

There are some millionaires and even a few billionaires who are on the little guy's side and are actually calling on us to tax them more.

[GulfCoast66]

20. That was my point

I dislike all nationalism, right or left, because it inevitably has 'bad' people. Whether those people are immigrants or millionaires and billionaires it still stereotypes people. And I do not think we should stereotype people.

Are there bad rich people? Sure, and they are working hard to make sure we never again have a vibrant democracy. But there are also rich people fighting with us. Same with all groups. Some good, some bad.

The right has doubled down on group demonization. I think we should present an alternative.

[Tobin S.]

21. 10-4

[MichMary]

29. He didn't serve 4 terms

since he died just a few months after his fourth inauguration.

Term limits are not a bad idea. If not for term limits, Reagan probably would have been elected to a couple more.

[malchickiwick]

30. I believe he would NOT have used the A-bomb v. Japan. What might have been had he lived a bit longer

Imagine a world where the United States had never used nuclear weapons on living human beings...

[MichMan]

31. Sure he would have used it

It was developed under his approval. There is no doubt it would have been used

[MineralMan]

33. Almost everyone who was an adult when FDR died is also dead.

My parents, who do remember him, are 93 years old. They were in their 20s when he died.

In reality, FDR is part of history, now. Few know more about him that what they have read about him, and what they know depends on what they have read.

He pulled the US out of the Great Depression and oversaw most of WWII. What he did then would not be helpful today, really. Our problems are not the problems he faced, frankly.

As with many historical figures, we see him from a distant perspective, and often from a perspective that really deals with only a part of what he did and his legacy.

Those who wish for his actual return are missing some of his history. That's all I'll say about that.

FDR was a President of his times and was very effective in dealing with the issues of his times. But, he was not a God nor a Savior. He had flaws that some are aware of, and made mistakes that are no longer really discussed. His crowning achievement was in dealing with the Depression and economic conditions of the day.

Beyond that, many of the policies he enacted would be condemned today by progressives. Ask the Jewish people who wanted to escape Nazi death camps, the Japanese-Americans who were interned in camps, or the people of color who got mainly lip service in support of their rights from FDR. They'll tell you a different story.

We also owe our nuclear weapons development to FDR, who initiated the program that developed them first. He didn't use them in WWII, but would have, without any doubt, as soon as they were ready to be deployed.

FDR was a great President for his times. What he would do in today's times cannot be known.

[Trumpocalypse]

35. He died 72 years ago

Get over it.

[yurbud]

40. seriously? Today's Democratic pols could learn a lot from him

[Trumpocalypse]

42. Maybe

But it is a different world today than it was in 1932.

[Iggo]

48. Hmm.

[ismnotwasm]

44. You tell your college students that FDR was a Democratic Socialist?

What do you teach, out of curiosity?

[yurbud]

53. No, though he was one compared to today's Democrats.

[MineralMan]

47. You know what party leader mentioned him? Hillary Clinton.

She dedicated the launch of her campaign to him. So, you're not quite accurate, I guess.