So, what kind of Democrat are you?

I'm a default Democrat . . . i usually select Democrat candidates just to balance the equation, unless i know a Republican candidate to be someone i can "get behind" . . . sadly, i've not thought much of most of the independent candidates i've known anything about, it seems like the opportunity recommends itself to those who drove away from the loading dock before that last pallet of bricks was laded . . .

ex!

As I said before--I see myself as a "True Democrat". One who believes that protecting the environment and preserving the rights of working Americans, keeping corporate greed in line and promoting religious liberty through separation of church and state.

AKA: The type of people the DLC seems to be ignoring--at their own peril!

Former.

I'm about halfway between Neoguin and Frank Apisa, but have to admit that a delierate vaporization of the DLC by intelligent life from outer space would do a lot for my mood.

PS -- I hope you read the article attached to the link above. It creates a fine list of candidates for vaporization.

Maybe because it's late and I'm tired. I don't know exactly what kind of democrat I am after reading that article.

But I do know this. I'm getting too old for all the talk and ideology that goes on all the time. I'm more for active democratism, and getting more and more impatient with the talkers. Sitting and talking about everything is something the dems do ad nauseum. And I think this is what's finally making me re-think a lot of things. The account of that meeting reads well so far as names, and history, and theory, but that is not holding me.

I read what Setanta had to say, and that's some of me. I have always believed in balance. And I used to vote regularly in my state for a republican representative because I liked what she had to say, what she did. She is no longer in that role, alas, because she was done dirty by her own party.

I'm neither a Democrat or Republican. I'm registered as a Independent, and vote for the person I feel best qualifies for the job - not party affiliation. c.i.

CI and I agree again. I don't consider myself to be either a Republican or a Democrat. I believe we should do what works, regardless of which party promotes the idea. And to quote G.C. Wallace, I've never voted a straight party ticket in my life.

I've always voted straight Dem but am registering Independent, largely because of the split in the party coming from the energetic, greedy cynicism of the DLC and the anomie of my side of the party.

That's changing. The 2000 election horrified many of us; the 2002 election and the death of Wellstone pumped more anger and resolve into progressives; the Iraq invasion, the increasing dominance of the MIC, and the emergence of some good candidates for 2004 are now part of a mix which increase our urgency.

One of the most notable changes has been the really effective use of the 'net as an organizing tool. A test of how far we've gotten (if at all!) will be the June 2 FCC deadline for allowing further control over the media by large corporations. There's a real fight going on there and it's one which is a test for all of us. (And, by the way, the fight has been joined by some Republicans, reinforcing my feeling that there's a struggle to put the "center" back where it used to be.)

Tar:

Should the FCC allow for the conglomerates to get bigger--the net may be the only way for progressives to get their messages out.

One way to do it, NeoGuin, is to make even tiny contributions to those Dem candidates who are soliciting support via the web. That's what I do with Dean -- send him leftover grocery money each month on the web. One less cheese steak in my tummy is one more positive number in his campaign. Highly recommended new diet which also gives a great sense of political participation!

Same with MoveOn.org which right now is begging for small donations to put an anti-FCC ad in major papers. https://www.moveon.org/monopoly/

In Washington state, voters don't register with any party. When it's primary time, the ballot includes everyone: Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians, you name it. Makes for an interesting ballot, but little identification with political parties.

I almost always vote Democratic--lesser of two evils--except for the occasional progressive Republican (in local elections). I figure those guys need all the support they can get...

Hear, hear . . .

Same with me -- although I prefer to support independents locally when they are available -- and when they are reasonable.

Frankly, some of our local Republicans are even more extreme than the national group.

Registered democrat but vote for who I feel is more in line with my thinking. Democrat or republican.

I'm with you and CI all the way on this Jim.

I was once a Democrat, until I learned what "liberal" meant. I changed to a Republican, because they were agin taxing all of our income. Then I learned that Republicans didn't have a heart, so I changed to Independent. Now, I'm happy where I am. c.i.

Tart - the NY Times today ran a full-page ad sponsored by Moveon, commoncause, and mediareform, Pretty good, spelling out the issues, and featuring repeated large pictures of Rupert Murdoch at the top. Same paper also has a full page ad from Henry Cisneros, protesting the merging of HBO with some Hispanic programs.

These ads are neither one party nor another, but they do present some cause for alarm. And I have great admiration for moveon, which is a well-organized group that sends out some of the most informative newsletters I know of.

I started out republican, went democratic, registered independent for a while, and back to democratic, but am another one who voted split ticket. Until the past two years, when I've voted straight democrat. In my state I took a look at the republican candidates and realized there was no reason for my sense of balance. Almost everyone thrown in there was there by virtue of party. So I translate that to the republicans having no sense of country, but a strong sense of party. Today all I can read into the republican line is that the country should stay republican - I don't even hear good reasons for it. But I need stronger reasons than I'm getting right now to stay straight democrat.