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BainsBane

(54,797 posts)
4. The fact is they aren't worlds apart in terms of policy
Wed Dec 7, 2016, 05:54 PM
Dec 2016

Can you point to policy differences that are "words apart."? Certainly there is a difference in style and rhetoric, but by that standard Sanders falls short on equal rights.

"Class warfare" is a GOP term used to discredit policies favorable to workers and the poor. I never heard Sanders himself use that term.

What you refer to as a "demographic war" means politicians that pay attention to the concerns of non-white men. Those concerns are not encompassed by patronizing concern for "the vulnerable." The resistance to treating those Americans as full citizens with a right to political representation and politicians addressing their concerns is a serious problem.

By referring to Democrats attention to the concerns of voters besides white men as "demographic wars," you communicate that you imagine your own concerns to be universal and ours to be divisive. The fact is we are the base of the Democratic Party, its most reliable voters. As much as you are certain our concerns matter less, we don't see it that way. You don't see your call as exclusionary, but it is. Your views and your life experiences are not universal. And I for one am not going to back down on issues that are key in American society because you don't see them as important. I disagree with certain politicians who see white male votes as more important than regular Democratic voters, and those kind of dog whistles do not go unnoticed by the Democratic base.

The GOP exists precisely for people who view the concerns of the non-white male majority as divisive. As much as you want a party that treats the concerns of a minority as though they were universal, that is not the Democratic party. Other people exist in this country, and they deserve political representation. We are not going to sacrifice our rights because some white people feel uncomfortable hearing about, for example, black lives or women's rights. Diversity is a key value in the Democratic Party because the Democratic electorate is so diverse.

Voters decided the primary, and 3.8 million more of them voted for Hillary than Bernie. He lost by a wide, wide margin. You can recite every tired excuse for his political failure, but it accomplishes nothing productive. It does, however, harden divisions. You can keep talking about ending "demographic wars," but many are going to see that as an attempt to silence the majority of Democrats. You seem to forget that those "demographic warriors" are in fact the majority of the party, and we damn well vote.

Clinton had a robust plan to address jobs and inequality, far more extensive than Bernie ever did. That you never bothered to learn about her policy positions and rely instead on media hype and the self-serving statements of a candidate who lost doesn't give you the right to supplant the votes and the will of the millions of Democrats.

Your post does point to the problem of the lack of attention to issues and policy by the media and the lack of initiative by too many voters to inform themselves on policy positions. The fact is that democracy depends on an educated citizenry with some knowledge of civics. Without a responsible news media, it also requires self initiative. We don't have that, and it doesn't bode well for our future as a republic.


I agree they are unified in certain ways, and not so much in others. elleng Dec 2016 #1
Not likely ymetca Dec 2016 #2
The most important thing Dems can do now is sit down and figure out what we can win in 2017. Vinca Dec 2016 #3
Yes, of course. I suppose I think that in the meantime, some message refinement may be in order. RadiationTherapy Dec 2016 #11
The fact is they aren't worlds apart in terms of policy BainsBane Dec 2016 #4
Historically, by policy, you wouldn't be able to make the case you just did, that Clinton is JCanete Dec 2016 #7
I think they are worlds apart in terms of class war rhetoric. RadiationTherapy Dec 2016 #10
"Stifling dissent against the platform." LOL. DanTex Dec 2016 #5
It does stifle dissent against the platform. That said, it is for the purpose of a message of JCanete Dec 2016 #8
I also did not object to it; I was just pointing out that it happened and so RadiationTherapy Dec 2016 #9
Nobody got banned for constructive criticism. DanTex Dec 2016 #12
.... LexVegas Dec 2016 #18
But its difficult to really know why things went the way they did. There is only JCanete Dec 2016 #6
It is difficult, but DU has 100k+ users who all have unprecedented access RadiationTherapy Dec 2016 #16
Clinton and Sanders are part of history, not the future. geek tragedy Dec 2016 #13
Agreed. RadiationTherapy Dec 2016 #17
Oh for Gods sake ismnotwasm Dec 2016 #14
My op literally says that I think it is the most important thing for the dem party. RadiationTherapy Dec 2016 #15
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