The Direction of the Democratic Party if Obama loses...

[Person Man]

Seriously, if the democrats can't pull it off this election, what chance will they ever have again and under what circumstances and win? Perhaps the Democratic Party will implode or have a very nasty cleansing. Then again, perhaps if November is bitter-sweet and the Democrats are close to 60 and have well over 240 seats in the house, despite losing, perhaps the issue will turn on Obama's campaign and biography. Perhaps the entire debacle will be blamed on Clinton, or perhaps on the fact that America simply is "racist" (how else do explain losing in the most favorable year for you in 30, if not 75 years?) Then again, this could be just a replay of 1928, but then again, no party has fu cked up so royally and got a way with it. Perhaps Obama's waffling will be blamed. Perhaps he will be accused of "Not being liberal enough" or even "Too liberal" or "too young".  Perhaps the base of the party will be changed. Then again, this election could just be another part of the Democrats transition into a permanent minority party with the Democrats doing nothing. I imagine that the democrats could go with a more mainstream candidate, but all of the truely "in touch" democrats are not ambitious enough to become president. Perhaps there will be more recruiting for public office amongst the private sector. I am sure Dean would love to get his hands on CEOs, Generals and Pro-Atheletes. Then again, the fundamentals of American politics would likely change. Roe may be overturned by the end of McCain's first term. We may have a percieved war of national survival in Iran or even a new Cold War, or something else that cannot be percieved at this time. How would this effect the insurgent democrats?  Mark Warner may be the next president of the United States, but if he loses, we may simply be leaderless. What is your take? There are so many variables. I mean, this is not 2004, where the landscape was 50/50 and only a handful of people were pissed off...and the democrats had a mediocre candidate.

[JSojourner]

Democratic Party...

Direction?

I am not understanding the words that are coming out of your mouth.

[ChrisFromNJ]

Democratic Party...

Direction?

I am not understanding the words that are coming out of your mouth.

The Democrats haven't had a direction since their New Deal Coalition collapsed.

If the Democrats can get universal health insurance enacted when/if Obama is elected, that will be their new direction and the program could have huge coattails.

If that doesn't happen, the Democrats will languish, directionless, for at least another 4-8 years.

[J. J.]

Democratic Party...

Direction?

I am not understanding the words that are coming out of your mouth.

The Democrats haven't had a direction since their New Deal Coalition collapsed.

If the Democrats can get universal health insurance enacted when/if Obama is elected, that will be their new direction and the program could have huge coattails.

If that doesn't happen, the Democrats will languish, directionless, for at least another 4-8 years.

I think they have had direction, but not one that gnerally wins elections.

The victory of Obama in the primary was a victory for both the party left and for black Democrats (with overlap to an extent).  This has been the main voting block of support.  An Obama defeat, will mark this wing as being unelectable.  To win nationally, the Democratic Party will have to drift to the Center, and try to expand its base away from black voters.

Basically, McCain victory = GOP moves to the center.  Obama defeat = Democrats move to the center.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Less minority focused, less progressive but more socially permissive. The party becomes liberal as opposed to progressive. Basically the anti-smoking, gun control, health nazi(transfats, sin taxes), pro-war on drugs wing of liberalism(Yes, they exist), eco-puritan(basically the entire green agenda minus endangered species/alternate or nuclear power) issues all get dropped.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     2012. If Obama loses, the Democratic party will win in 2012. They will not alter their course appreciably because there will be no need to do so. Any questions?

[Person Man]

Less minority focused, less progressive but more socially permissive. The party becomes liberal as opposed to progressive. Basically the anti-smoking, gun control, health nazi(transfats, sin taxes), pro-war on drugs wing of liberalism(Yes, they exist), eco-puritan(basically the entire green agenda minus endangered species/alternate or nuclear power) issues all get dropped.

That actually sounds like a platform that I would really like, but would it be any more electable than what we have now? Are there enough "Left-Libertarians" to make this coalition a possibility. What would a map look like?

[Хahar 🤔]

Stop. Now.

You've said this only about 20 times already.

[Person Man]

Stop. Now.

You've said this only about 20 times already.

Yeah sure you can mock me now, but whatever alternatives are there? At any rate, it will be interesting to see what the GOP thinks they will be able to get away with.

[Хahar 🤔]

Stop. Now.

You've said this only about 20 times already.

Yeah sure you can mock me now, but whatever alternatives are there? At any rate, it will be interesting to see what the GOP thinks they will be able to get away with.

It's all fine and well, but you've said this many times.

[Person Man]

Seriously. What do you think?

[Smid]

If they want to win, they'll become more populist.

Chances are they'll do what they've done the past couple of elections: call for recounts, blame the evangelicals and say the election was stolen.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Hopefully our leadership will be people like Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor, Mark Warner, etc., and we'll become a moderate, Southern based Party.  No more nominating New England liberals like Kerry.

[ChrisFromNJ]

I think they have had direction, but not one that gnerally wins elections.

The victory of Obama in the primary was a victory for both the party left and for black Democrats (with overlap to an extent).  This has been the main voting block of support.  An Obama defeat, will mark this wing as being unelectable.

Why would this wing be "unelectable" going forward?

Gore and Kerry certainly weren't from the liberal wing of the party.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The Democrats are already in the center, if they move over to the right anymore, they will be a centre-right party.

[War on Want]

Hopefully our leadership will be people like Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor, Mark Warner, etc., and we'll become a moderate, Southern based Party.  No more nominating New England liberals like Kerry.

John Kerry was a good senator, just a bad candidate and I think it is funny you are bashing him for being from New England.
Also wtf on wanting the Democrats to become southern, you come from Alexandria, Ben not Alabama and the South's politics suck.

[ChrisFromNJ]

Hopefully our leadership will be people like Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor, Mark Warner, etc., and we'll become a moderate, Southern based Party.  No more nominating New England liberals like Kerry.

So you want the Democrats to become more like the Republicans?

[HardRCafé]

Gore and Kerry certainly weren't from the liberal wing of the party.

Kerry who?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Hopefully our leadership will be people like Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor, Mark Warner, etc., and we'll become a moderate, Southern based Party.  No more nominating New England liberals like Kerry.

So you want the Democrats to become more like the Republicans?

Yes.

[ChrisFromNJ]

Gore and Kerry certainly weren't from the liberal wing of the party.

Kerry who?

John Kerry.

Remember him? He ran against George W Bush in 2004?

He was a moderate.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Gore and Kerry certainly weren't from the liberal wing of the party.

Kerry who?

John Kerry.

Remember him? He ran against George W Bush in 2004?

He was a moderate.

And he was from New England.  Did he win?

[War on Want]

Gore and Kerry certainly weren't from the liberal wing of the party.

Kerry who?

John Kerry.

Remember him? He ran against George W Bush in 2004?

He was a moderate.

And he was from New England.  Did he win?

No one cares that he was from New England.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Smart move:  Become more populist and focused on economic issues coupled with slightly more socially conservative candidates.  Provide clear alternative to the GOP.  2012 frontrunners include Mark Warner, Brad Henry, Tim Kaine, and Bill Ritter

Likely move: Continue to just blame the Republicans for everything and hope it works eventually.  2012 frontrunners include Hillary Clinton, Deval Patrick, and Bill Richardson

[Person Man]

Ummm...how does the stopping of being democrats make us more democratic?

That sounds like a good tactic when it comes to sumptuary laws against cigarettes and guns, but we do need civil libertarians to be competitive in the West and Northern Midwest.  I don't think that trying to pander at everyone at a time has been working, but trying to make the only difference between us and the GOP Universal Health care and maybe taxes will only work as well as putting abortion as the only difference between us. I think Straha's idea is the best. Instead of insisting we know what's best for Americans, we should leave that job to the Republicans and claim that we know that ordinary people know what's best for them but that we can make their interests reality.

[Хahar 🤔]

Hopefully our leadership will be people like Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor, Mark Warner, etc., and we'll become a moderate, Southern based Party.  No more nominating New England liberals like Kerry.

So you want the Democrats to become more like the Republicans?

Yes.

Why not just join the Republicans?

[Associate Justice PiT]

Hopefully our leadership will be people like Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor, Mark Warner, etc., and we'll become a moderate, Southern based Party.  No more nominating New England liberals like Kerry.

So you want the Democrats to become more like the Republicans?

Yes.

Why not just join the Republicans?

     That would be too simple.