Edwards is actually the centrist in this campaign, who happens to a progressive.

[avaistheone1]

When you consider that Edward's positions on single payer universal health care, ending the war in Iraq, abortion, reducing the offshoring of American jobs, etc. - John most closely mirrors the postions most Americans take on these issues.

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[underpants]

1. He is actually a conservative in that he wants to take us BACK to square

The public is so brainwashed that they don't realize that he is just trying to take us back to the "good old days" of 30 years ago.

[avaistheone1]

2. Wow, that is a really interesting perspective.

You are on to something given the middle class is dramatically losing ground, and the town commons is being sold off to the highest bidder. So in a sense if I interpret what you saying correctly, Edwards can be seen as a conservative in that Edwards wanted us to regain our standing to once we once were as a people, and a country then evolve from there.

[AmBlue]

11. THIS is why Republicans will vote for Edwards.

In door-knocking for Kerry/Edwards I had dozens upon dozens of Republicans tell me that they would have voted for Edwards/Kerry. They really like Edwards and there's something in his message and his passion that resonates with true conservatives.

[underpants]

20. See AP's post below

Put it much better than I did.

BTW- losing the middle class sounds like a third world country huh? Not good for democracy but GREAT for the ruling class.

[Yael]

3. 1977 wasn't exactly a banner year for the economy.

[avaistheone1]

5. No, it wasn't a banner year, but the jobs were here in states and

Jobs were full-time with benefits. You could expect to retire with a pension.
Unions were prevalent.

The government was not outsourcing all of its components and the town square to private parties back then either.

[ihavenobias]

7. That's a complicated issue

Carter was screwed by all the T-bills coming back (i.e. countries coming back to collect on the massive amounts of money they lent us to fund Vietnam), among other things largely out of Carter's control (oil, the fed, etc.).

At any rate, average purchasing power peaked in the 70's (and has been declining ever since), and by some measures today's wages are no higher than they were in the 70's (after accounting for inflation).

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Back before NAFTA and REAGONOMICS? Is that such a bad thing?

[mac2]

10. Reagan "bad idea"

trickle down economics is a way to ruin a democracy. His tax cuts and trade policy started to destroy us back in the 80s. We bought a new home in 1984 and the rates were 12%.

We still have Reagan national debt which has not been paid off after twenty some years. The two Bush presidents added to it. Now we have national debt many generations out. We are now the debtor, aggressor nation like Russia (Russia is doing better than us). People around the world hate us and are trying to destroy us (our so called allies and friends).

Reagan tax cuts made many elite more wealthy (and our country in debt) and the numbers have increased ever since.

His putting the mentally ill on the street on drugs was devastating to many families and patients.

Our agencies, over sight, Civil Service jobs, and military are just about gone.

We have to return to pre-Reagan larger government and tax structure. Clinton did some of it but not enough. His WTO trade policy has added more to our debt and less jobs in our economy. Yes...let's go back to "common sense" and "democracy".

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. I didn't make myself clear. NAFTA AND REAGONOMICS were very bad for this Country!

Reread the post before mine and then mine. Peace out

[mac2]

16. I agree

Sorry is my post indicated anything else.

[ihavenobias]

14. I ranted about this yesterday

The Democrats have done an AWFUL job of framing these issues (especially the debt issue).

It's very frustrating and has SO much potential: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2597747&mesg_id=2597747

[pauldg0]

8. Try 40- years ago

..but I get the point.

EDWARDS 08

[AP]

17. I think he wants to get back on the New Deal trajectory that we fell off of in early 70s

America really was undergoing a working/middle class renaissance until all the wealth that was amassing with working people was shifted to the wealthy through a series of manufactured crises and MBA-created marketplace manipulations, like the energy crisis, the savings and loan crisis, the dismantling of unions, the health care/insurance company manipulations, the 401k crisis/dot-com bubble, Enron, and now the credit (including student loans)/mortgage crisis.

I don't think he wants to go backwards. I think he wants to go forward beginning where we left off in '72 when so many more people were doing better and better, and before so many people were being ripped off and turned into wage/debt slaves by the market place (in collusion with the government)).

[underpants]

18. Okay that is more like what I meant-just getting back to square

Back before everyone bought into (without knowing it mostly) serving their boss's bosses (the upper elements)

[Naturyl]

4. You're right.

The whole framework has shifted so far right that the centrists are the progressives now, and the actual progressives (like Kucinich) are "nut-jobs."

People really need to wake up to the fact that even when we win with DLC and Pub-lite candidates, we lose, because the entire political discourse goes a little further right. At this rate, Hitler will be the "progressive" candidate in 2038, and Satan himself will be the GOP nominee.

[mac2]

9. Kucinich rocks tonight on CSPAN...late

has some interesting ideas on how to lead us out of this energy mess. He wants projects like Roosevelt but to build energy wind mills and solar power. Sounds good to me.

The old closed Bethlehem steel plant in Buffalo is being changed to manufacture wind mills. They are too big and too heavy to import from some where else. Gore had it right years ago when he said we could have a successful "energy and environmental economy". We could sell our ideas and send experts around the world.

Why aren't we putting wind mills and solar power in the ME instead of worrying about nuclear power? Iraq has solar power where American troops are but no where else? They haven't had a full day of power after five years. Their lives and country worse off with Suddam gone and GW Bush in charge. Where has our money gone Congress?

Kucinich speaks what we citizens want to hear. Now if we could only find a President who will. I want Kucinich ideas and platform for our country. It is not "far left" at all. It is common sense.

The nurses in CA are brave to fight for National Health Care targeting Cheney's problems. Only the elite get good care when the rest of us pay for it.

We have been robbed,lied to, and threatened to go along with the Neo Cons. The DLC has much to answer for since they've made it possible for Bush to rule without challenge.

We are fighting the extreme RWers in both parties. The Republicans don't see a candidate they want that's for sure. John McCain is the only one who even makes sense (not that I'd vote for him). The Republican candidates keep taking about "Health Savings Accounts" but not how Americans are going to pay for them.

Are they aware that in the 2006 election a majority of Americans (both parties) wanted National Health Insurance?

So of both party candidates Dennis Kucinich is saying what we want. What is wrong with the rest of them? They don't seem to represent us. Arrogant and corrupted by big money insurance corporations? Ya bet...your life (and many are).

[Naturyl]

12. "Health Savings Accounts..." what nonsense

It's as bad as the schemes to provide health care through tax cuts. Millions of Americans are too poor to even PAY taxes, and they certainly don't have savings accounts for health or anything else. Repukes couldn't care less and the DLC doesn't care much more.

[Canadiana]

19. exactly!

As if people call Kuchinic a left wing lunatic. Everything has shifted to the right in this country and it's not looking good. When the main candidates can't just say, regarding gay marriage "it's just two dudes getting married...relax" you know the country is a little messed up.

[eridani]

15. A Green Party friend described passing out the Nader platform at his county fair

He sez an older fellow looked it over and said, "This is basically Dwight Eisenhower except for the civil rights and the women's lib parts."

How far we have fallen from the days when FDR said of the people who are now funding Dem frontrunners "I welcome their enmity."