Is There A Rift In The Democratic Party ???

[WillyT]

Yep.

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	Yes
	16 (94%)
	No
	1 (6%)
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[elleng]

2. Was the Pope Polish?

Do bears poop in the woods?
What else is new???

[Recursion]

3. Yes, but it's different from the rift on DU (nt)

[BlueCaliDem]

27. Yep.

Not that some on DU aren't working very, very hard to create a real and effective rift within the ranks of the Democratic supporters that will allow another Republican in the White House and allow Republicans to keep the Senate come 2016.

[JI7]

4. The rift is in the republican party

[WillyT]

7. Maybe...

DULink: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026057121

DULink: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026057974

[JI7]

9. none of that shows any rift in the dem party

[WillyT]

10. Oh-Key-Dokey...

[BlueCaliDem]

28. Keep hope alive, WillyT! eom

[FBaggins]

41. Unfortunately, there's no statutory limit

on the number of rifts

[Kablooie]

5. Always. Dems have never been monochromatic.

[Zorra]

6. No, my dear friend. only a rift between the RW and decent folks everywhere.

If someone leans to the right, they are an enemy of all that is kind and good in the universe.

This is a clear and simple fact.

[BillZBubb]

8. Heck yes.

We're Democrats. We have a broad base. That naturally leads to factions and rifts. Sometimes we do come together to beat the common enemy, but we soon drift apart again.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. The Left/Right divide is essentially as old as the party.

To the point of schism. The anti-slavery Democrats sided with the Republicans for the most part. While the pro-slavery Democrats became Confederates in the south and in the North became the critics of Lincoln and abolition.

The Dixiecrats abandoned the party in the 40s and in the 60s and 70s fell for the "Southern Strategy" and became the Reagan Democrats or outright Republicans. The pro-war Democrats stuck with the party during the Vietnam War, while many of anti-war Left abandoned it for 3rd Party candidates.

All of this is nothing new.

[oneview]

12. Over 85% of Democrats approve of President Obama,

and over 60% of Democrats say they'd choose his former Secretary of State to replace him.

Doesn't seem too rifty to me.

[Johonny]

44. +1

[WestCoastLib]

13. The right is a monolith

The democratic party is where everyone that isn't batshit crazy is forced to go, because we have only a two party system.

It's fractured, which suggests 2 or 3 factions. There are a near infinite amount of rational viewpoints that are democrats because of this.

[NanceGreggs]

14. If there weren't at least a thousand rifts ...

... within the Party, we wouldn't be Democrats. (I think a hundred thousand rifts would be a more accurate number - but I'll leave that to the political actuaries, who find such numbers fascinating.)

We are the Big Tent. Despite our petty differences, we share common goals. We fight incessantly amongst ourselves as to the most appropriate/most efficient/most expedient way to achieve those goals. But we never waiver from our resolve to accomplish those goals nonetheless.

We are not afraid of "rifts" - in fact, we thrive on them. It is what distinguishes us from the GOP - among other things - this sense that ALL opinions contribute to the whole, rather than ONE opinion having to be adopted as representative of everyone's opinions or beliefs.

We are centrists and we are far leftists - and we are everything in between. We may not agree with the opinions of those who do not share our perspective - but neither do we dismiss their point of view as delusional, or lacking in merit.

We make mistakes - and we learn from them. We rely on each other - as we should. We know what is right, just and fair - and we know when bigotry and hatred is tarted-up as being right, just and fair.

We are not morons, idol-worshipers, lock-steppers, or "fans". We are not "just like the other party". We are not corporate puppets, water-carriers for the 1%, nor defenders of the status quo.

We Are Democrats - diverse, opinionated, and committed, each in our own way. When the aforementioned becomes a problem (as some here would have it), they might reconsider which Party they best identify with.

[MADem]

33. +1,000,000

And for that reason, the shitstirrers who are trying to create divides that will fracture us, demotivate us, cause us to fail to GOTV, etc., will not succeed. When the shit being stirred hits the fan, we're smart--we know how to cut the best deal.

We who are, in actual fact, Democrats, realize that even the worst Democrat is better than the best Republican.

[SidDithers]

15. There are people trying to make one as big as possible...nt

Sid

[Bobbie Jo]

24. Must. Have. Rift.

Yes, some do seem to encourage it.

[joshcryer]

26. And they're not Democrats.

[BlueCaliDem]

30. But they swear, high and low, that they are if you dare question them.

And then they alert on you.

[WillyT]

31. Question: How Does A "Not Democrat" Participate In A Rift In The Democratic Party ???

[joshcryer]

32. The term for it is "ratfucking."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratfucking

Easiest way is to look up terms being parroted on right wing sites. A recent example used here is "ObamaTrade" to refer to the TPP. A term invented by right wingers.

[WillyT]

35. Yeah.. I'm Familiar With The Works Of Donald Segretti And Others... They Weren't Democrats Though...

What does one do with Democrats that are disillusioned and on the precipice of giving up ???

What does one do when you've just had the worst voter turn out in 72 years ???

[joshcryer]

39. See post #26.

Of course they're not Democrats. Democrats are united despite their disagreements.

[ileus]

16. No...come election time we'll all still vote Democratic.

[True Blue Door]

17. Thank you, Republican pollster.

[Oilwellian]

37. Careful

Calling long-time DU'ers a "republican" could get you a fifth hide. We wouldn't want that now would we?

[True Blue Door]

38. LOL! Threaten me some more. That really terrifies a real liberal.

[brooklynite]

18. A "rift" that DU interprets is virtually non-existant.

[pampango]

19. Most Democrats support most of Obama's policies. Is there a 'rift' over the rest?

If you describe any difference of opinion over anything as a 'rift' then yes there is a 'rift'.

[HereSince1628]

20. No. There is a gap in buying power

between Wall St and the Base.

[tridim]

21. I know it upsets you, but no, there is no significant rift in the Democratic Party.

You're projecting the actual massive rift in the REPUBLICAN Party.

[treestar]

22. No.

There are those that wish there was and try to make it happen, but no.

[NCTraveler]

23. There truly has to be.

This is a two party system covering hundreds of millions of people. Would be really messed up if their wasn't a rift. I really don't know how people can deny it. I don't see it as a negative in any way. It would be a negative in a two party system if their wasn't a rift at all times in both parties.

[Andy823]

25. Some here want one

And they try their best to make one, on DU that is, but their constant bashing of the president and the party as a whole show they are not really working for the good of democrats, liberals, or progressives.

Disagreeing is fine, it's part of the politics, but constant bashing is never helpful.

[earthside]

29. And ... it could grow.

I boils down to the Clinton cadre, the 'Third Way', the corporate faction against everybody else in the party.

If Clinton seeks the presidential nomination the rift will grow, whether there is credible opposition to her or not. A 'disaffected' Democrat portion of the party could get quite large and certainly imperil the prospect of Dems retaining the White House in 2016.

[Oilwellian]

34. I wouldn't call it a rift

I would call it purposeful, right wing sabotage of the Democratic brand. Here's a recent example of what I'm talking about:


Hall Of Shame: 35 Dems Voted Yesterday To Roll Back Dodd-Frank Provisions
http://crooksandliars.com/2015/01/hall-shame-30-dems-voted-yesterday-roll

Some here would like to pretend that voting to roll back the Dodd-Frank Provisions is a "centrist" move. I say, bull fucking shit.

[joshcryer]

40. There's a common theme with those legislators.

With a few exceptions.

Can you spot it?

And how do you resolve it?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

43. They all take lots of money from financial industry folks?

You resolve it by a Constitutional Amendment to the effect that Money is not Speech, and that all elections must run on public financing, not donations from those who want quid pro quo once you get elected.

[Motown_Johnny]

36. Does a 3rd wayer shit on the middle class?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

42. No shock that the folks who vote 'no'

are the same ones who think that anyone who doesn't agree with their choice of polices isn't actually a Democrat.

[Kermitt Gribble]

45. +1 n/t

[WillyT]

46. Curious That...