General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Thomas Franks, the Clintons and "phony" Democratic populists in the New Gilded Age [View all]merrily
(45,251 posts)and, Bubba, the first New Democrat President. Reagan may have announced the end of big government, but it was Bubba who bragged on having ended "welfare as we know it."
We now have our second New Democrat President. And apparently, a third--the wife of the first-- was slated to be our next nominee with no primary fight, though the message that we want a primary--preferably not a sham, either, thanks, seems to be seeping into the viscera of the Party.
Just for the sake of accuracy, though, dismantling of the New Deal began under FDR himself and de-regulation began under Nixon and both got progressively worse with time and increasing greed and callousness.
Carter was proud of his de-regulation record; and he did do quite a bit, including replacing the Bankruptcy Act of 1934 with the Bankruptcy Code of 1978, which, among other things, omitted the 1934 Act's provisions for investigations to see whether officers and directors had been negligent or fraudulent.
I find it difficult to forgive the Clintons for their role in the New Democrat transformation of the Democratic Party, or Bubba for DOMA, NAFTA, triangulating everything, including, but not limited to, DADT, etc. But, fucking repeal of Glass Steagall nearly killed us and a few other countries.
(I had posted this on the dupe thread that is locked now. So, if it seems out of place or repetitive now, given other replies on this thread, I apologize.)