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Populist Reform of the Democratic Party

merrily

(45,251 posts)

12. They tried to take over the party after Nixon beat McGovern. They succeeded after

Reply to Enthusiast (Reply #9)

Sun May 24, 2015, 11:15 AM

May 2015

Reagan swept.

They created the meme that liberals cannot win elections. Massachusetts went for Reagan. I am not sure if it did so both times, but it did so for sure the second time. Yet, Massachusetts returned the liberal lion to the Senate for decades, until he died.

Reagan's name recognition, and weekly visits to American living rooms for years, courtesy of GE, were factors. So was his "stage presence." And his tenure as head of the Screen Actors Guild, not to mention his advocacy for traditional Democrats, like Truman.

And then, there was the Eagleton thing and many other factors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_McGovern#1972_presidential_campaign

But, no, let's just pretend that the one and only reason that Reagan defeated McGovern was that McGovern was liberal. That makes it ever so much easier to persuade ambitious politicians to take the party, and therefore the country, to the fucking right.

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Primer: Congressional Progressive Caucus, Blue Dog Coalition and New Democrat Coalition [View all] merrily May 2015 OP

Googling for "Hillary", "Obama" and "Congressional Progressive Caucus budget" is instructive ... Scuba May 2015 #1

Thank you. Can you give us a sentence or two? (I find some DUers merrily May 2015 #2

I don't think they are resistant, so much as they are using the usual thread-jacking methods. djean111 May 2015 #4

True, but how many times have you seen posts like "Anyone know XYZ?" merrily May 2015 #5

Oh, I have replied with exactly that phrase. Now I just ignore whoever does it. djean111 May 2015 #6

The New Democrat Coalition is waaay over my red line or line in the sand or whatever. djean111 May 2015 #3

I still say Hillary didn't switch parties until she met Bill. merrily May 2015 #7

She never switched, not in her soul. She and Bill are corporatists, plain and simple. NYC_SKP May 2015 #11

Debbie Wasserman Schultz isn't controversial to me. Enthusiast May 2015 #8

I feel your pain. Yet, she is the face and voice of the DNC. merrily May 2015 #10

Amen to that. Paka May 2015 #14

New Democrat just means they have betrayed the traditional interests of the Democratic Party. Enthusiast May 2015 #9

They tried to take over the party after Nixon beat McGovern. They succeeded after merrily May 2015 #12

This nation has allowed the Right to define reality ever since. Enthusiast May 2015 #13

The nation's right always allowed the right to define reality. merrily May 2015 #15

I was clueless too. I was just aware enough to know that I did not like Clinton's support of NAFTA. Enthusiast May 2015 #16

Many people on both the left and the right are still clueless. merrily May 2015 #17

New Democrat means they don't want to be associated with Democrats like FDR and Truman, both of whom merrily May 2015 #18

Excellent OP. We have to focus on the Senate and House elections as well as the WH. sabrina 1 May 2015 #19

Thank you. I expect the Massachusetts delegation to stay the same. merrily May 2015 #20