A New Democratic Manifesto.

[Professor_Moriarty]

We Democrats hold these truths to be self evident:

1.We are the Party of the People.Our uathority flows directly from the expressed will of the people.
2.We do not divide people by race, creed, color,gender, national origin or sexual orientation.
3.All our policies will be transparent.
4.The only rationale for our economic policies will be to benefit our people,not multinational corporations.
5.The profitablity of individual corporations will not be the overriding concern of our economic policies.It is the public good of such policies that will determine our policies.
6.We reject Supply Side Economics which has been a resounding failure after being put into effect by the Republicans for the past twenty five years.
7.In foreign policiy, we prefer to see the US as a peacemaker and
not as an Empire out to dominate the world.
8.We believe that all peoples of the world aspire to the same things and intend to resume our role as the most admired and most liked nation on earth based on our good deeds for the least among us, as one of our best Governors, Jennifer Granholm has put it.
9.We will make every effort to reduce the vast gulf between the Two Americas that our illustrious VP candidate has spoken about many times.

As I started writing it this morning, I feel proud that I am a Democrat and welcome others to add whatever they want to this manifesto.I want to put it in a final form and give it on a scroll to our candidates John Kerry and John Edwards as a gift.

[Blue Wally]

1. BFD

Bunch of high sounding platitudes.

We need a Democratic "Contract With America" with specific legiislation to be proposed and enacted in the first hundred days of a Democratic takeover.

Like it or not, the 1994 CWA caused a seachange in American voting. We need to make our own contract of specifics to move it back.

Limbaugh says we can't say what we really stand for since the voters would reject it. Can we meet that challange??

[napi21]

3. Good point, but we shouldn't use the word CONTRACT. It shounds

like a damn copycat tactic and that demeans the message. Better woulb be something like, Pledge, Bargain, or Proclaimation.

This was a great itda for the Pubs in '94, but I wonder if it's not too late in the campaign for the Dems to do it this time. 7 weeks isn't much time to get your message out there!

[JNelson6563]

4. How about "Covenant"?

That would whip the reich-wingers into a frenzy, no? hee hee

Julie

[napi21]

5. Maybe, but you have to pick a word even dummies understand.

There are quite a few out there, ya know.

[bryant69]

2. I'm not sure about the word Manifesto

Would remind too many of the Communist Manifesto. Four and five could be easily combined; but would we want a plank declaring our continuing support for a healthy, regulated capitalism? I personally would feel more comfortable (because I am a capitalist (although capitalism works best when it is regulated)).

I also don't know what rejecting supply side economics means in practice. No more tax cuts ever? That's a simplistic interpetation but one that many would jump to (or be lead to).

Most Americans would agree that we aren't an empire, even thoughs who think we ought to conquer the Middle East and "learn them Arabs some democracy." Corporations might see the economic possibilities inherent in empire, but most Americans who support the invasion of Iraq, and would support other invasions, believe what we are doing is for their own good.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Professor_Moriarty]

6. I agree. The title sounds better if restated this way:

A NEW DEMOCRATIC COVENANT WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

[Eloriel]

7. Well, you'll have to scratch #1 -- and that's about as far as I got

The Party picked our nominee. And none of them at any level (at least nationally) seem to bother about "the expressed will of the people" with too few exceptions to bother noting.

Welcome to DU, btw.