New Senate Minority Leader

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Reid has 30 committed votes. He wins.

If so, that would be a very, very smart move on the part of the Democrats.  They need to make a move to a more compromising, inclusive position on wedge issues.  The big challenge is how to do this without alienating the hard-left.  They will have to keep their commitment to the poor, workers, minorities, the environment, etc.  Because if they don't, they will continuously get killed by third-party candidates in Presidential elections.

Not an enviable position to be in, but the Republicans will eventually self-destruct.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

The Democrats moved to the center before, and ended up getting killed. And recently they moved to the left, and they ended up getting killed.

Here's the trick: you can be compromising on wedge issues without "going to the center."  The Democrats can be as solid-left as ever on workers' rights, civil rights, welfare, the environment, and so forth, while taking compromise positions on abortion, gay marriage, and gun control.  In fact, they already do take a compromise position on gay marriage (no amendment, allow states to recognize civil unions, no recognition of gay marriage).

The Republicans are so successful in part because they are very good at using wedge issues to their advantage.  If the Democrats can neutralize that, they can erode the GOP base.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

That's a good point. I heard somewhere that Reid is pro-life. If that becomes widely known, it might disappoint some pro-choicers, but on the whole I think it would be good. We need more pro-life Democrats.

On the NARAL scale of 0% being totally pro-life, and 100% being totally pro-choice, Reid gets a 29%.  About the same as Stupak and Obey.  Moderately pro-life, but by no means an extremist.

IF he can get past the abortion-wing of the party (that's a big if), the Democrats will have taken a major step towards winning back the pro-life vote.

I don't know if people understand the extent to which the abortion issue is killing them.  There are people who will not vote Democrat, simply because of abortion.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

I dunno...isn't most of the country Pro-Choice?? It seems like there are a lot more Pro-Choice Republicans then Pro-Life Democrats...just because Pro-Choice is more popular...I don't think it would neccessarily be wise to move towards less abortion rights.

Maybe if the question were phrased as a dichotomy between "Abortion is completely protected until the baby naturally passes through the birth canal," and "Anyone who takes the life of a human from conception on forward is guilty of murder," a majority of Americans come down on the pro-choice side.  But I guarantee you a majority of Americans do not want legalized Dialation + Extraction, except to save the life of the mother.  The Democrats dig in their heels against any movement on the issue out of fear that the GOP will eventually push for "murder from conception on."  If the Democrats could moderate somewhat on this issue, a) it would win back much of the moralist vote, especially Catholics, and b) it would force the Republicans to moderate as well.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Abortion: see above
Gay marriage: against an amendment, leave it up to the states, for civil unions
Gun control: same as Howard Dean. Leave it up to the states.

If all Lib-Dems see things the way you do, this is a very good sign for the Democrats.  I agree 100% with you.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

The thing with "partial birth abortion" (D&E) is as Vorlon said earlier, it's basically a big GOP scare campaign to win votes. The procedure is very rare, and the ban passed will hardly have any effect since it's pretty much just peformed to save the life of the mother anyway.

The numbers say otherwise.  I'm looking around for national numbers, which are hard to find, but it's on the order of thousands per year nationwide.  And, unless I'm really factually mistaken here, hardly ever to save the life of the mother.  I know that one year there were over 800 in Ohio alone.  Not counting the 1000s of "Dilation and Evacuation" procedures that were also performed.  In Ohio.  Alone.

It's not a scare tactic.  It's really happening.  Please someone correct me with real, documented statistics if I'm wrong, because I really wish I were.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

How about issues like actually following the Constitution, including the 10th amendment?

A lost cause at this point, I'm afraid.  The choices are:

-Shut down about 95% of the Federal Government
-Add about 150 amendments to the Constitution
-Pretend the problem doesn't exist.