Is the Democratic Party Relevant Anymore?

[LiberalElite]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/is-the-democratic-party-r_b_6251266.html

Cross posted from Politics 2014

(HuffPo doesn't let me copy & paste)

[Autumn]

1. I agree Coke really sucks, I never liked Pepsi and the new Coke was never worth drinking

and I don't think that it's just me but IMO Coke classic is no different from regular Coke. Once I give up New Coke I just never get an urge for it again. Yeah, it very much makes sense to me. The Democratic party is Coke.

[Eleanors38]

2. Good to see these fellows have caught up.

[Scuba]

3. "Poll after poll shows the public favoring the positions that used to be ascribed to Democrats ..."

Poll after poll shows the public favoring the positions that used to be ascribed to Democrats, including taxing the rich and corporations to provide good schools, infrastructure, services and benefits to regular working- and middle-class Americans (see PopulistMajority.org).

But in the last election Democratic candidates continued to follow the "New Coke" strategy and "distanced themselves" from progressive policies and their own president! The result is many people no longer bother to show up and vote. Almost 64 percent of potential voters just stayed home.

[Enthusiast]

5. +1!

[sabrina 1]

10. Good post. Why they are running away from the voters is

a question they need to answer. The article is correct, Dem policies and programs are very popular across the political spectrum. Yet, Dems refuse to run on them.

The only conclusion seems to be that the party is moving over to the right and intends to stay there.

All that will be left will be the issues they think give them creds as Dems, Women's and Minority rights, so long as they don't include equal pay for equal work.

[Cosmic Kitten]

11. The "Party" isn't irrelevant, VOTERS are.

Why they are running away from the voters....

because WE don't have jobs for them once out of office.
Better to curry favor with Money than poor, disorganized, voters.

...seems to be that the party is moving over to the right and intends to stay there...

Again, because, Money is on the "right" aka corporatism.
The "left" aka the Public has no serious concentrated wealth to buy influence.

All that will be left will be the issues they think give them creds as Dems

NOT even that. It's Dems and repubs not the "left"

The natural distinctions between Repubs and Dems will define the party, not voter issues.
Specifically, misogynists, racists, authoritarians will always define the republicans.
More permissible personalities will define the Democrats.

Voters are, and will remain irrelevant...
NOT the parties themselves, because they have a shared interest in Money.
Money being a lever of power, influence, control etc

The Public needs to get re-oriented quick.

[Enthusiast]

4. That is an excellent article. K&R

[icymist]

6. So... just as Coke became 'Classic Coke'

Do we need a 'Classic Democratic Party'?

[wavesofeuphoria]

7. I've quit soft drinks. Switched to organic green tea.

[AtomicKitten]

8. In the Clintons' image, yes.

Either Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders will pioneer the Peoples' Wing of the Democratic Party.

[jeepers]

9. Rebuilding the democratic party is going to be as usefull as wallpapering the chicken coop

party politics are irrelevant. Nobody trusts American politicians. Least of all the young. I guess you can call yourself relevant but when less than half of the voters show up to vote you got some splainin to do.