Reply #38: setting the historic record straight: [View All]

__ Everything faded into mist. The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth – George Orwell from 1984

The reality is that after 72 -- EVERY SINGLE Democratic Party presidential campaign EVERY SINGLE Democratic Party national campaign was based on the so-called "centrist strategy" -EVERY SINGLE one without any exceptions whatsoever.

The reality is that after 72 the Democratic Party has steadily moved rightward except on certain social issues such as abortion or gay right which the DLC also supports.

The Carter Presidency was already practicing fairly conservative economics during his term. We can look at his shift in tax policy and appointment to Chair of the Fed and he did significantly increase military spending. This is what lead to calls from some liberals for Kennedy to enter the race; a big mistake in my opinion.

Mondale did support a raise in taxes. But he also supported keeping most of Reagan's tax and spending cuts and to increase military spending. He certainly did not run on a program of sweeping liberal reforms.

Dukakis would have been very much a fiscal-conservative/socially liberal/ technocrat type politician. I don't know what would have put him over the line to be called a "New Democrat". Although I am sure if he had won that would have done it.

The Democratic controlled Congress during this period did give President Reagan and President H.W. Bush most of what they wanted.

Any review of candidates and their positions and the support the Reagan and Bush I Administration would verify this.

The facts remain:

1. In 1973 Robert Strauss was elected party chair representing a shift to the right. He then purged as many "McGovernites" as he could and pushed the party rightward. link: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050131/borosage

2. Carter and his people solidified "centrist" control over the party starting at the convention of 1976 were they modified the rules and procedures.

3. Carter in 1980 ran a more conservative program in 1980 than he did in 1976 which was already much more conservative than the program of 1972. In 1976 during his debate with Gerald Ford he indicated that he would reduce military spending marginally. In 1980 debating Ronald Reagan he cited his increased military spending.

4. In 1984 the party establishment nominated former Vice President Mondale; a Humphrey type liberal/hawk who supported increasing the military budget 7% beyond Reagan levels and proposed keeping most of Reagan's tax and spending cuts.

5. Michale Dukakis was a fiscal-conservative, pro-business but moderately liberal "New Democrat". I suppose that was the beginning of the "New Democrat" domination of the party. Gov. Dukakis was as most only moderately-liberal in the same sense that John Kerry is only moderately liberal.

some important links:

1972 Democratic Party Platform: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showplatforms.php?platindex=D1972

1976 Democratic Party Platform:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showplatforms.php?platindex=D1976

1980 Democratic Party Platform:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showplatforms.php?platindex=D1980

1984 Democratic Party Platform:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showplatforms.php?platindex=D1984

1988 Democratic Party Platform:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showplatforms.php?platindex=D1988