Much more conservative democrats winning GOP-held house seats

[Herman Munster]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-...

He is pro-business and antiabortion. He is an evangelical Christian and an avid hunter. But, unexpectedly, Heath Shuler is a Democrat, and he is running for Congress in North Carolina. Shuler is part of a phalanx of unusually conservative Democratic candidates who may deliver crucial victories over GOP incumbents and help their party win control of the House.

Republicans are ringing alarms about what the House would be like if the GOP lost control: a throwback to the unreconstructed liberalism of big-government activism, tax increases and a weak-kneed defense policy. They point with Halloween-season horror to the likely lineup of Democratic committee chairs, including Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles) and other liberal old-timers.

But, like Shuler, many of the Democratic candidates most likely to be elected are cut from a different cloth. Sixteen of them have been endorsed by the Blue Dogs, a coalition of conservative Democrats. Several used to be Republicans. Shuler was recruited to run as a Republican a few years ago but opted not to. In the waning days of the election campaign, candidates are increasingly debating what a Democratic-controlled Congress would be like: Would the tone and agenda be set by the Heath Shulers of the party, or its Henry Waxmans?

With so many conservative-leaning candidates at the forefront of the Democratic effort, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has, at least for now, stuck to a minimalist agenda that steers clear of grand, liberal ambitions. Instead, Democratic leaders are focusing — and almost all serious Democratic candidates are campaigning on — a more limited, six-point agenda that includes raising the minimum wage, repealing tax breaks for oil companies, restoring college tuition tax breaks, cutting Medicare drug costs and other plans they believe could draw bipartisan support.

[Homer Wells]

1. Whatever Works!

I support the Dem's (liberal or conservative), as long as it gets the Repug stranglehold on our government broken.

Liberalizing the government may take more time, but this would be a good start.

[Herman Munster]

2. I think what happened

is the republican party has gone so far to the right that the moderate fiscally conservative but socially moderate republicans have no place to go now but the democratic party,

[readmoreoften]

6. yup. you got it. I think this is what the political landscape might be in the near future.

Republican: Pro-war, anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-labor, fundie who wants a police state.
Democrat: Pro-war, anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-environment, mixed labor, fundie who wants a police state.

If we're lucky we'll get an mixed-war, anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-environment, mixed labor, fundie.

[roamer65]

9. You are "dead-on" correct...

and they're coming in as "pre-made" DLC Democrats. Ugh. Yuk.

[Renew Deal]

16. You have to build a movement

And you have to build it with as many like minded people as possible. Today's Democratic party is very interesting. It's becoming the party of the Northeast, Mountain, Northern Plains and west. These are very different areas. What is causing these areas to vote Democratic? Our common values of fairness, responsibility, good government, and reform.

[TheFarseer]

3. conservative democrats are fine

as long as they support pro-middle class policies and American jobs.

[Demeter]

4. And Civil Liberties!

without those, there is no middle class

[ThomCat]

7. Are pro-middle class policies okay

if GLBT people are excluded and it's okay to discriminate against us?

Or the pro-business wing of the Democratic party gets big enough to continue republican policies that destroy the environment?

Or if the hawks get enough support to maintain the wars?

Does money in middle class pockets trump everything?

I'm worried about the democrats moving farther to the right. Our party is already so far to the right that we would be the right-wing party in most other countries. How much farther to the right is acceptable?

At what point do we start swinging to the left again? Not hesitantly and apologetically, but openly and deliberately.

I want the Democrats to win. I really, really do. But I want us to be moving left, not right.

[TheFarseer]

12. Isn't pro-corporate and pro-middle class

mutually exclusive? To a large extent they are. The war is not pro-middle class in any way. Civil rights are a tough sell right now. I think it is getting easier though. Lincoln is a very gay city. That will be hard to ignore and suppress eventually. I will tell you that running as a pro-gay marriage candidate in much of the midwest will get you clobbered. The best you can hope for any time soon is to get it state by state. btw, anyone that supports REAL pro-middle class policies (not just blindly cutting taxes) is a flaming lefty around here.

[onenote]

5. I think those who think impeachment is a given if we win the House

need to keep in mind that a signficant number of the new Democratic members may be from districts that are more red than blue and these new members aren't going to be eager to jump into an impeachment fray that could end up making them vulnerable in their own districts in two years.

[WI_DEM]

8. As long as they vote with Dems 50% of the time--it's an improvement

[William769]

10. Whatever it takes to kick the assholes out!

[Poppyseedman]

11. No, No, No, No Never ..............

I could never vote for someone who even remotely moves a tiny bit right of extreme left progressive.

I mean how in the world can you consider a candidate who isn't rigidity conformed to an ideology template of far left progressive positions ?

Oops, I must have slipped into a thread from the Lieberman primary by mistake.

[TankLV]

13. Even if "we" win in November, WE will get screwed...

How much you all wanna bet that the names they like to tout as what "we" can look forward to heading our committees will be "convinced" to not run for the chairs, "for the good of the party".

I fear the progressives will get screwed again...

That's my opinion, sorry if you don't like it...

[donco6]

14. Great, more social conservatives.

Pardon me if I don't stand up and cheer.

[me b zola]

15. I contend...

...that progressive Dems would be leading by as much (Brown) or by more if they were run in the same districts.

The primaries are over, we are supporting whom ever is running, but don't fucking tell me if we win it will be because some of the candidates are dinos.

[Gloria]

17. UGH....