The 'wide tent' of the Dems could adapt and perhaps agree, yes?

[babylonsister]

I realize there are lots of people with lots of differing opinions. It sure would be fascinating if we could actually agree on something collectively, like how to get out of Iraq, together.

[skipos]

1. I don't mind disagreeing, I just want DUers to be civil

to eachother. And a few less "I hate Lieberman/Clinton/any candidate that disagrees with me about anything" posts would be nice.

[Meldread]

2. I would love to have a big tent...

...a tent that everyone was welcome into. That is, if we weren't in the middle of battling for the soul of the Democratic Party as well as the Nation. Certain Democrats are like a slow poison to the party, look at where we stand now and ask how we got here? Look at where we were before Reagan and ask how did we - how did the country - move so far to the right? Look back at old Republican talking points prior to Reagan and realize that those are Democratic talking points now!!

There was a reason Hillary supported Berry Goldwater - it's because ideologically they were in the same boat.

I want the Democratic Party to set down a list of values and have every member of the Party echo those values. Look at the Republicans, do you have to question where a Republican stands on Gay Marriage, Abortion, Taxes - hell almost anything? Sure there is a difference of opinion but the vast majority walk lock step, and those that disagree have enough common sense to keep their mouths shut.

That is how the Democratic Party should be. That is why the Republicans have been so successful - because they have a message, and they speak it clearly. Where does the Democratic Party stand on Iraq, Health Care, anything? I know where I stand on the issues, but where does the Party stand? I don't have a clue, however it is pretty obvious that the majority of Americans are standing with me on most of those issues.

I want the Democratic Party to go back to it's roots. I want America to remember what it USED to be and realize that it isn't too late to save the country before whatever last vestige is left of the past is destroyed... and I want the Democratic Party to lead the way.

[cry baby]

4. As long as I can remember, the Dem party has never walked

lockstep. There has always been a variance of opinions, but a general humanity that has always bonded the dems. Mostly, dems agree on quite a lot. Social safety nets, civil rights, a woman's right to choose, etc. are but a few issues that we agree on.

I won't walk lockstep just to agree with the party. I am a democrat because my values are mostly the same as most here on DU - it's the humanity that is the banner we fly under.

Things change with time. Just one example - the southern dems a long time ago were bigoted and didn't want civil rights and left the party (good riddance).

[Meldread]

7. Exactly.

There is a big swath of America out there, near or over 50% that flat out say neither Political Party represents them. Who ARE these people? In my opinion they are the people that have gotten left behind as the politics of the country have moved further and further to the right.

How are the current "me too" Democrats any different than the Southern Dems who jumped ship in your eyes? Obviously, you and I agree on a lot of things - but surely you see that those that control the party have more in common with moderate Republicans than with us?

We can point to certain issues that certain Democratic Politicians and you and I agree on, certainly. Hell, there are Republicans Politicians out there than want to get out of Iraq and are taking a stand against it. Does that mean I'm a Republican? No.

Republicans have an under riding feeling of unity among themselves that the Democrats do not have. I do not feel as if I am a member of the Democratic Party. I feel like I am being dragged along - against my will - into something that I don't like, don't agree with, and have trouble supporting. I look to those who stand up on one issue, and find that on just about every other issue they are diametrically opposed to everything I believe in.

Take Murtha for example, I am pleased that he is taking such a strong stand on the Iraq War - and voicing it loudly. I support him in that, but once I look past that issue... where does that leave me? He is anti-choice, anti-gun control... I am not sure where he stands on gay rights, but I probably wouldn't be to far off to say he is anti-gay (or at the very least wouldn't touch the issue with a 10 foot pole) nor am I sure where he stands on the Environment.

When I support the Democratic Party I want to feel like I am supporting an ideology - a belief that America can be better. When I vote Democrat I want to feel like my vote is a vote for progress, that we are moving forward not just keeping the status quo, or worse moving progression backward.

That is what separates Republicans from Democrats, and underlying ideology, sort of an unspoken truth. When those on the Right go out to the ballot box to cast their vote, they know what they are getting. With us it's a gamble. For proof of that you don't need to look any further than Clinton and his flip flopping on gay rights.

[cry baby]

8. I just believe that we will never find someone that we agree with

on 100% of the many issues that face us today. I also believe that the Democratic party does support an ideology, the dems have a more people oriented position on issues than the repub party's "corporate, survival of the fittest" stand.

That is the dividing lines on the whole. There are the self centered neocons, corporate greedy bastards, hawkish war loving criminals - and then there is the rest of us.

The very idea of a big tent is to be able to get a lot of people that can agree on most issues. Each time I cast my vote, I know what I'm getting. It's probably most of what I want mixed in with some of what I don't. That is politics. There are a lot of dems I wouldn't vote for if there was a more progressive dem running against them. There is a spectrum of opinions on issues, like a rainbow, in the dem party. The repubs only have one color (red).

If we could run a halfway effective campaign, we should be able to pick up those middle of the road people that sway like a tree in the wind.

[TahitiNut]

3. Except for smokers.

They have to stay outside, 25' from the entrance to the tent. :silly:


:popcorn:

[mmonk]

5. I don't see how the big tent

can support anti-democratic principles or the neo-con agenda. If it can, then maybe I'm just in the wrong place.

[welshTerrier2]

6. unity must be earned

i've seen a ton of happy talk about unity and how all the Dems want to get out of Iraq ASAP and that we should all agree that we have the same goals and that all the plans to end the war are just variations on a theme ...

well, it's bullshit ... i hope we can find unity but i am no longer willing to just go along ...

the "end the war" plans of Senate Dems and a few other 2008 "hopefuls" are bullshit ... they are plans based on the achievement of future successes in Iraq ... i don't believe in them and i am not going to be a good little Democrat and go along for the sake of unity ...

i did it last year; i'm done with that ... i'll be supporting every progressive Dem ... i will not be supporting those who are still seeking "success" in Iraq ...

too many believe the plans differ only in their stated timeframes; it's not true ... the essential difference is between plans that call for unconditional withdrawal because there can be no progress and plans that still cling to the hope that somehow bush will still do the right thing ... and that's a HUGE difference ... if this were merely a matter of quibbling over a few months, a negotiated settlement would be easy to work out ... but that is just not the case ... Murtha said that none of the other plans he's seen make any sense to him; i agree ...

soon, the House Dems will call for an unconditional withdrawal; if party unity is to be achieved, the Senate Dems will need to join them ...

[depakid]

9. Hard to be a big tent when there are several inside

who are constantly backstabbing the majority in the party- and voting alongside the Republicans- or legitimizing their policies.