Reply #79: And exactly what does a "Democrat" act like?

[Guero]

There have always been serious divisions within the Democratic Party. The most significant division was regional, with the racist Dixiecrats terrorizing black communities and opposing basic rights for workers - like unions.

Region still is important - the Blue Dogs began as a Southern caucus. While the most racist elements voluntarily joined the Republican Party (and I say voluntarily to point out that they were not purged by the Dems), other divisions prevail.

I don't want to diminish the importance that race plays in US politics generally, but in the Democratic I believe the principle division is around the competing interests of constituents of different socio-economic class.

So, we have Democrats like the Clintons and their DLC compatriots, who are corporate stooges. They have no problem shipping jobs overseas, dismantling the social welfare safety net, engaging in imperial agression overseas, etc. Aren't they Democrats?

I've moved through various stages in my 42 years of political activity (I'm 57 now) and during a brief period I believed there was a chance to turn the Dems into a more social-democratic party. (I was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America for 10 years.) I have no illusions that that is possible any longer.