"Republicans fear their base, Dems hate their base…" do we see this here?

[Rowdyboy]

65. It was a great birthday-a bunch of aging hippies and even included one of my professors

from the mid-1970's, the first self-admitted socialist I ever met.

I have no quarrel with your main contention about both parties elite sharing the same conservative, money-first policies. The party that I am loyal to no longer even exists-the party of the 1950's, 60's and 70's. Political leaders were quite different, people of real stature and conviction, people like Frank Church, George McGovern, Birch Bayh and (God forgive him) even Hubert Humphrey, who was wrong in a few cases but right in many, many more. Those guys are long gone-replaced by the Pryors and Nelsons and Warners of the world and we're the poorer for it. The closest we have today is Elizabeth Warren she had to be begged to run even for the senate. Looking at the overall situation she faces, I can't say as I really blame her.

I just don't really see DU as a microcosm of much of anything. A site where a president of our party can be called a "piece of shit used car salesman" by one of its most "respected", longtime members is not indicative of the party base. Nor is one where Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton are vilified-Clinton on a daily basis.

I love DU, have been an active member for almost 12 years, start out every morning here-but I don't think it truly represents the party base until the last few months prior to each national and mid-term election.