Reply #25: What exactly entails moving the party "left"? (See post) [View All]

1. Ending the war?

Even the latest Republican "maverick", Ron Paul, is talking about ending the war in terms that no Dem has touched, except for Kucinich. Most Dems ARE for ending the war, are against sending any more young people to die, and are for getting America out of the torture business.

2. Health Care?

Out here in CA, the insurance industry is sponsoring "health reform", which basically involves taxpayer dollars subsidizing the insurance industry. If "left" means that healthcare is NOT in the hands of the insurance industry, then I'm all for it, as are most Dems.

3. Church and State?

How many Dems are really against gay couples having some kind of legal union? against a rape victim being able to get an abortion, including poor ones? For a theocratic state?

4. Corporate Control of politicians?

Ah, here may be the rub. At their root, most Americans are really opposed to politicians being totally in the hands of corporations, represented by dollars "donated" to elections, PACs, etc. But most politicians, it seems, NEED those funds to fight this rigged horserace we call the Election, making all politicians, left, right and center, de facto corporate supporters. Until Congress changes the laws on how it funds its own political races, the corporatist agenda IS the politician's agenda. The American people, however, regardless of party, don't really want Halliburton and Exxon-Mobil deciding if we go to war again. Even the brainwashed, if you pull them away from anal-cyst druggie Limbaugh, can be brought around by pointing out the e coli outbreaks and all the other corporate disregard of them as people.

If pushing the party "left" means wresting Democrats free from the agenda of huge multinational corporations in favor of what is best for the American people, then I am all for it.