Why is the Democratic party at odds with itself?
Bill Clinton was regarded as one of the best presidents of recent memory. And he was given the credit as the first black president to boot. Al Gore was ridiculed for claiming responsibility for "inventing the Internet" and blamed for losing the presidency to the shrub, of all people.…
Article comments
26 - Arch Conservative
"REMF, you're a hypocrite on the left."
One in a plethora.
27 - Jet in Columbus
Archie-After this long I'm baffled at the fact that anyone takes you seriously any more. To most of us you're just a lovable and silly baffoon in a clown suit, waving your arms and doing anything to get attention.
Aren't you tired of it yet?
28 - Arch Conservative
Takes me seriously?
You just blamed ALL of America's problems solely on the religious right.
How can anyone take you seriously?
29 - Jet in Columbus
Very paranoid today Archie? I was blaming those who DON'T vote for the sorry state of affairs this country is in because of Bush. And making a true statement that the Religious Right fanatics being bussed in to vote for presidents at Church polling locations.
30 - Mooja
I'm no Al Gore fan but in the name of honest accuracy he never stated he invented the internet.
31 - bliffle
Both parties have abandoned their founding principles over the years, especially the last 30 years.
Dem politicians have been suborned by the high-flying lobbyists who finance them and by assuring that those dem politicians are rich, widely sought after by big money guys, and their futures are financially assured (most notably their pensions and healthcare, which are pumped up to unreasonable levels, thus freeing them of the concerns of millions of their constituents) so that they no longer share the daily concerns and goals of the people who elected them. Just look at the Clintons, for example. this insures that the Dem pols can casually throw ordinary citizens to the wolves when that is demanded by the Big Picture notions that they buy from their lobbyists.
The rep politicians start with noble notions about fiscal responsibility, low profile government, and 'consequences', but they quickly succumb to lobbyists who require them to prop up failing businesses, increase taxes and debts to finance big plans like war or a bridge to nowhere, wiretap citizens who might become dangerous, throw people in jail without constitutional protection, etc.
The dems devolve back to Big Government control.
The reps devolve back to Royalism: the King knows best.
The compromise they achieve is corporate statism, the belief that the state IS what it's corporations make it.. Power goes to the powerful. The powerful become more and more powerful with time.
Every twist and turn that an (old fashioned) dem makes to help citizens must go thru corporate hands.
Every twist and turn that an (old fashioned) rep makes to assert Free Markets is confounded by corporate vested interests that will not allow anyone to compete with them in a fair market.
Every principle that either party ever espoused is subverted to serve the interests of the powerful people who are their daily companions and their masters.
Where does it end? Feudalism, or something like it. Where a powerful ruling class, who performs no function other than ruling and exercising power thru armies, dominates a serf class, who has no choice but to work until death to pay tribute to the King.
Then, of course, eventually there is revolution, blood runs in the streets, and a generation or two of rebels tries to found a system that is fair. And immediately their children and grandchildren seek ways around the system to enrich themselves while punishing their moral inferiors.
And so it goes.
32 - Clavos
So why fight it?
33 - Baronius
Jet, we're all silly buffoons in clown suits around here.
34 - Baronius
Bliffle, interesting comments.
I think your chronology is wrong though. Thirty years ago was 1977. The Democratic Party didn't really sell out until the Clinton years. The Republicans stuck to their principles up through the late Clinton years. The real whoring has been going on for only 10-15 years. It feels more like a blip than a trend.
35 - Arch Conservative
I was blaming those who DON'T vote for the sorry state of affairs this country is in because of Bush. And making a true statement that the Religious Right fanatics being bussed in to vote for presidents at Church polling locations"
You're assuming those who don't vote would vote Democratic? You seem to have a lot animosity torward the religious right and that is completely understandable given the type of fella that you are but let's not forget there are kooks on the left too.
Extremism is, in ALL of it's assorted flavors, not just the type you have a vendetta against, is a threat to common sense and the welfare of the population.
36 - bliffle
I mark 30 years ago as the time that I first became aware of devolutions in the conservative business atmosphere that were driving them toward corporate socialism:
1-selection of BoD by CEO, ascendancy of CEO power
2-notion of "too big to fail" offered as excuse for rigid business practices
3-convergence of dems and reps toward vesting jobs responsibilities with employers
etc.
37 - Herb Tarlek
"I favor America taking action in Darfur and finishing the job in Iraq."
Woowee, that just screams someone who doesn't know what they are talking about because Americans can't finish the job in Iraq. The Iraqis have to do it.
38 - Baronius
Bliffle, I didn't follow your comment #36. We were talking about trends in politics, not in corporations. That "etc." on the end really threw me, because I can't see any connection between your points, or how they relate to the original topic.