General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: We need a new Democratic Party, that much is clear [View all]JohnnyRingo
(18,618 posts)From Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck to Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly- the most trusted names in Tea Party ideals- we've seen inspiration for angry voters to show up in droves to vote against the "Obama agenda". Your solution consistantly seems to be to give those pundits more ammunition to use against us.
I'm not saying democrats should move to the right, far from it, but if anyone thinks using the terms "liberal" or "socialist" gets the vast middle out to the polls in their favor, they're sadly mistaken. Most Americans, the ones who don't cram cable news on a daily basis, just want politicians that they see will do no harm. Conservatives have positioned themselves into that role quite nicely through their media outlets.
What you're doing is rousing the spirits of people who will always vote a straight democratic ticket anyway. If you want to win more elections, find a way to inspire the politically disinterested. I don't know how to do that, but steadfast liberal values are seen by the middle as more repulsive than saying one wants to return the country to a imaginary time when conservatism ruled the land.
Our problem as democrats isn't that we aren't far enough to the left, it's a matter of PR. There are far more potential democratic voters in the United States than republicans, we just don't vote. Find a way to motivate those otherwise indifferent souls to the voting booth and we'll see a replay of 2008 every time.
Remember, Obama didn't run as a liberal, he only offered hope and change to a downtrodden middle America. It was Fox News that painted him and his party as extreme socialists then and continue to do so today.