Why has the Democratic party become close minded? It does not suit them.

Delaney, a Democrat presidential candidate, believes America should have a universal health care system. This stance is very popular on the left and in general the whole of the US are warming to the possibility. But unfortunately for Delaney he is the new villen of the Democrat party because he made the mistake of thinking for himself and proposing a path forward on this subject that is out of line with the most vocal in the party.

Delaney, who was booed by the crowd for his comments, said, "Medicare for All may sound good, but it's actually not good policy nor is it good politics."

"We should have universal health care, but it shouldn't be the kind of health care that kicks 150 million Americans off their health care," Delaney said Sunday between boos. "That's not smart policy. I want everyone to have health care, but it's got to be a plan that works for every American."

Delaney was booed at his own press conference and a party leader, AOC, had this to say about him.

"Since there's so many people running for President (& not enough for Senate), instead of obsessing over who's a 'frontrunner,' maybe we can start w some general eliminations," Ocasio-Cortez wrote. "This awful, untrue line got boo'ed for a full minute. John Delaney, thank you but please sashay away."

It has been my opinion that our country will only move forward in the right direction for all Americans when the Democratic party casts off the vitriol and demonizing of people who do not agree with them and instead find ways to build bridges and include more opinions in their policy making.

I feel this way because I believe the underlying ideals of the party (equality, compassion, sympathy, fairness, open mindedness, small p progressiveness and ect) are the ingredients needed to move forward amicably for all. If these virtues are baked into our policies it really doesn't mater what the final product is; they will work because people will finally do the things necessary to keep them working rather than succumbing to our base human conditions. For example a compassionate and sympathetic private health care system could work for all just as good a universal system if not better.

I understand the above paragraph is very simplistic regarding the health care system in our country; it's not my intention to argue about health care in this thread but rather to argue about a hudge problem I see in the Democrat part; I added the above to hopefully explain that I am not trying to attack the party due to partisan beliefs; but rather because I am truly disheartened by what I am seeing.

If the Democrats can not work in good faith work between members of thier own party; if they so easily dismiss their own members because they don't buy into the current group think; If the party is so close minded that they demand their members be silent rather than debate issues; how can they ever be the party I think they need to be to move us forward? The Democratic party has become the close minded alter ego of the boogeyman they claim to see in the Republican party.

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a reply to: DanDanDat


I see your point and also agree. With that being said the Republican Party has also done the same. As has the Trump party.
All this does is create a divide and confusion that can and will be used to pass legislation that hurt us the people.

Name calling
Calling for impeachment
Bringing up topics to get people to argue instead of finding reason

Divide and conquer man

a reply to: DanDanDat

Being a leftist mean simplistic thought. You can't think through the policy implication or see the big picture. You see this all the time with the left. Pick a leftist policy and we can point to some severe unintended consequences that often exacerbate the problem, not fix it.

Moderate Democrats who want pragmatic solutions will not win because the radicals have taken over the party. The radical element in the part is not interested in logic, facts, or implementable solutions that might address say 80% of a problem. They just want free sh*t...

a reply to: DanDanDat

The party is leaving many behind. The vocal fringe is in control and this will cost them dearly in the next election. They put my vote up for grabs as I dont agree with many of the new policies they decided to push.

When I joined they were about protecting jobs. And in general looking out for our best interests. However that appears to have changed and more and more Republicans seem to be more practical in their approach.

When I see crazy things being suggested like everyone recieving a check from the government as some sort of u universal reparations you begin to realize they have no one left with any common sense.

I, too, want everyone to have healthcare.... but making me pay for someone elses because they choose not to work isn't the way to do it.

Ban health insurance first. Fix the root of the problem where it's OK to get $25,000 in bills for a sling and a few pills after an injury, then we can talk about healthcare for all.
The 99% doesn't have that kind of cash.

a reply to: DanDanDat

S&F; great OP IMHO.

You ask the question: "Why has the Democratic Party become so closed minded".
First let me say that based upon my interactions with real world Democrat voters, I can't say they are ALL closed minded

Second, my observation is that a great many Democrats, particularly Left Wing/Progressive Democrats have become closed minded, just as the Right Wing of the Republican Party has become closed minded, because they have come to demonize their political opposites. When people do that, i.e., demonize their opponents, they leave no room for compromise. They take up the idea that "You can't compromise with evil without doing some evil". We've seen this in the past and how it played out in inter-war Germany in the 1930's with the Nazi Right Wing chasing down and killing Communists in the streets on a near daily basis.

So at the root of this close mindedness is hate, pure and simple; hatred for their political opponents. What's worse is that they've established rationales that work to justify and normalize their hatred and in the process they have embraced identity politics thus justifying tribal hatreds.

You wrote:

It has been my opinion that our country will only move forward in the right direction for all Americans when the Democratic party casts off the vitriol and demonizing of people who do not agree with them and instead find ways to build bridges and include more opinions in their policy making.

That's partially true, but its more the case the "country" will only move forward in the right direction when BOTH PARTIES cast off the vitriol and demonizing of people who do not agree with them.

Its my belief that is never going to happen absent some catastrophic event in which the "country" is faced with a serious threat from an outside enemy. The reason I say that it will not happen is because the other day I was cruising through the NYT Opinion pieces and had the sudden and profound realization that I am no longer able to identify the Editorial staff at the NYT as being citizens of the same country in which I live. Our belief systems and values are so profoundly different that we could never be citizens of the same country.

About the only thing reasonable minded people can do now is to try to hunker down in some part of the country with like-minded people and wait this thing out.

nvm

Because they attempted to co-opt communist and now the communist have begun to own them. Sadly there is a little bit of that into the back channels of the RNC as well. Just more stealthy at this point.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply TonyS;

I can't say I disagree with you. Especially your grave prediction that the "reasonable minded people" among us may have to hunker down and wait out this period of history. I guess I'd rather hope that this feeling is not the only option and that there is a more constructive way foward.

The Democrat party growing passed their current problems and learning to lead effectively is one of those paths that I see. Yes the country and the Republican party will also have to follow; but I don't seem then being able to lead.

I see the Republicans as an embattled party; the far left have done an excellent job making curse words out of everything the Republicans hold dear. As long as that paradigm exists the Republicans will never have room to grow; they will always be preoccupied with defending their square and never have a chance to extend an open hand. I do however see them able to reciprocate if the pressure is let up long enough.

The greater country and moderates have two little systemic power and are two devided to lead any kind of change. They will simply keep flipping back and forth between the "best of both evils" ... the other more radical approach could be to for them to drop out completely. To collectively refuse the play the game. But that is a dangerous path if it doesn't work out just right.

a reply to: DanDanDat

Why is healthcare suck an issue really? It was just fine as it was before the Democrats came up with Obama care. I could afford it back then only had 250 deductible too. Now I have nothing.

Why has the Democratic party become close minded? It does not suit them.

Whatchu mean become?

It's always been that way.

Selective openess.

Universal healthcare.

Translation cutting out the middle man and tax the snip out of you to pay union nurses.

Go collective bargaining.

Real life example.

Cutting the middle man out of student loan. It subsequently ballooned over $1 trillion.

Another REAL LIFE example?

Medicare, and Medicaid.

Double,Triple,QUADRUPLE taxation to cover the cost. That doesn't cover the costs.

Even after printing money,printing treasuries, and borrowing from FOREIGN countries.

Universal healthcare is stupid as stupid gets.

I hear that a pro Trump supporter destroyed the Trump baby balloon in the United Kingdom before it could take off.

LOL.

a reply to: DanDanDat

Here is a gem of truth that explains almost everything politico....

The politicians and government aren't there to actually make things better....their agendas aren't to help people, bring prosperity, spread liberty, or any such thing. They espouse those ideas because it's what keeps this stupid game going. It gets people into the voting booths and affixes HOPE nicely at the end of the stick that they dangle in front of your face. If HOPE doesn't work...they foster FEAR that also gets you into a voting booth. Carrot and stick...bread and circus.

The DEMS are doubling down on insanity because they are trying to provoke incivility between their constituents and their opposition. They take advantage of the subsequent incivility and use it to consolidate more power...and justify and continue the aforementioned stupid game.

Two more things.

1. Universal Healthcare is a monopoly. Dems are suppose to be against them.

2. Universal Healthcare is a pc way of saying Nationalisation of an entire industry without actually saying Nationalisation.

Bottom line YOU REALLY don't effing want it.

a reply to: neo96

Lots of people do-
people who don't work for a living, but want free healthcare.

We need to stand up and shout, the bums lost- get a job you hippies.
Then fix the COST problem. A sling doesn't cost a grand until you allow these corporations to bill insurance a made up price for it.

Jerry Nadler has been forced to open his mind.

mobile.twitter.com...

a reply to: lordcomac

Lots of people do-

HONEST people don't.

A sling doesn't cost a grand until you allow these corporations to bill insurance a made up price for it.

Try the HOSPITAL.

Not the favourite made of villain of the Dems.

Money. Used to be the Democratic party marketed itself as the party of the non-rich, hard-working folks who needed unions and other regulations to keep Big Business from exploiting them and making their lives miserable. Then a funny thing happened. As a result of their hard work, a lot of them got if not rich then at least fairly well-off.

Once you get some money, you don't want to give it to other people. Unfortunately, the Democrats were also all about "programs" which took your money and gave it to other people who maybe didn't work as hard, or maybe are purposely leeching off the system, or are basically just scumbags. In that regard, the Republicans have been promoting that for a long, long time.

a reply to: Blue Shift

Then a funny thing happened.

Dem's became the exploiters.