I am a Democrat because there are two viable political parties in America.

[TheWraith]

There are the Democrats, and there is Evil.

And that's why I'm a Democrat.

[MrSlayer]

1. The Democrats aren't all that pristine themselves.

Lots of evil in this party too. It's just that the only good people in Congress are Democrats (except Bernie Sanders of course) and there are too few of them to make any real difference. "Our" bought off bastards are even worse than the Republicans because at least the Republicans are open about their intentions.

[hedgehog]

2. Much as I hate to say it, we do need at least two viable parties

to keep the Democratic Party on track. We had it so easy after the Johnson years that I really think we lost our way for a generation. Congressmen and Senators all had safe seats and no one really cared about having a real party platform.

[rhett o rick]

5. As the OP points out there is really only one party. That isnt good. That's like Russia or Cuba.

We need two parties to balance each other out, to keep each other on their toes. Now we have the Third Way.

[TheWraith]

6. No, actually that's the COMPLETE opposite of what I pointed out.

There is more distance between the Republicans and the Democrats than there has been in decades, and it's only getting wider. It takes a massive failure of perspective not to see that.

[rhett o rick]

7. "It takes a massive failure of perspective not to see that. " I dont think that

is necessary. If you dont agree with me fine, but what is this "massive failure"?

[rhett o rick]

8. The two Democrats that scuttled single payer in Calif werent far from being republicons.

Most Democratic Congress-critters nurse from the same corporate tit as republicons. Neither party has a lock on corruption.

[Electric Monk]

3. I think Iceland has a far superior system, with many parties and proportional representation

instead of a duopoly and a first past the post system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Iceland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Iceland

[RC]

4. There are two versions of Democrats

The Liberal/Progressive Democrat and the DINO version. The Democratic party is far from monolithic, as some here seem to think.

[rhett o rick]

9. The Democratic Party's tent has gotten so large

that Tim Geitner, Lawrence Summers, Ben Bernanke, William M. Daley, Jeff Immelt, Alan Simpson, Dave Cote, Jeb Bush, Robert Gates, Gen Stanley McChrystal, Jacob Lew, Michael Taylor, Rahm Emanuel, all work/worked for a DEmocratic Administration. Most have direct ties to Wall Street and some were favorites of GW Bush.

Corporatism transcends party labels.