Dispelling the "conservative/moderate" Dem victory and "new moderate" Dem party

[Thorgrim]

Washington Post:
"a nation that leans slightly right of center."
"the Democrats' victory was built on the back of more centrist candidates,"
Same thing on the networks

A Voter Rebuke For Bush, the War And the Right - washingtonpost.com

First, lets start where we stood after our losses in 2004 put us in the weakest position since...ever...was worse than 1994 (we had clinton at least)

Now, how many progressive representatives are there in the House?

160 voted NO on the detainee bill
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll491.xml

Strong stance considering the vast majority of Americans supported it, it was a popular issue for the GOP, and they knew the Senate could work out a compromise that would be sent back to them, they could have abstained and waited to see what the Senate could do, but no, they rejected the entire idea in its entirely regardless of political consequences, thats pretty liberal...Sherrod Brown voted for it and he's considered pretty liberal

Ok so 161 (Lewis didn't attend, he would have voted yes)...plus
Brown and Strickland both got replaced by more liberal candidates
Ford is being replaced by a more liberal candidate
So on the Dem side that's 164

Now look at the election:
3 progressives in PA
2 progressives in CT
2 progressives in NH
3 progressives in NY
2 progressives in IA
1 progressive in CO
1 progressive in KY
1 progressives in AZ
MN-01: Tim Walz (netroots progressive)
CA-11: Jerry McNerney (netroots progressive)

There, 17 seats off the top of my head that were progressives

Progressives/Liberal democrats won the majority on their own

And we still have more to count...possibly up to 6 more progressives will win by the time to dust settles

As it stands right now, the majority of wins are by progressives, but lets go back to how the new Congress is going to shape up:

164+(17-23)=181-187

So at least 181 out of the 230 democrats will be progressives, that's more than a 3-1 advantage

So 40 some Blue Dogs/Moderates, 180+ progressives/liberals, thats who is running the House

In the Senate: Liberal Sherrod Brown won, Liberal Whitehouse won, Liberal Cardin won over a previously more moderate Senator, Liberal Amy K. won over a more moderate Senator, McCaskill is left-of-center the only reason she won was because she's run for statewide office so many times they trust her not to go nuts, but a lot of people call her Liberal, Jon Tester is so liberal he wants the patriot act repealed...he won, you don't get much more attackish on the war than Jim Webb, and finally SANDERS A FUCKING SOCIALIST, won (that must sting if you're a libertarian)

So in the Senate, it was won on the backs of liberals, and overall, the Senate has a +8 movement of seats that become drastically more liberal, so remember those times they struggled for a filibuster? A thing of the past, remember losing votes by 7 or less...a thing of the past

Watch the next vote on a lofty timetable for Iraq, then you'll see how liberal this Congress is...

Ofcourse, we won't come out guns blazing with forcing every kid into homosexual brainwashing school, but the point is made: Progressives on their own won both houses of Congress

So, despite the Media noise machine that won't have you believing just how dramatically more left our government is headed (especially after 2008) ignore it, and look at the facts

[lew]

I don't consider people that are anti-war or against the patriot act "liberal."

I still see this as a win for "moderates" and for "real" conservatives and libertarians.

The argument comes down to what your personal definitions are for various political idealogies.

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by lew

I don't consider people that are anti-war or against the patriot act "liberal."

I still see this as a win for "moderates" and for "real" conservatives and libertarians.

The argument comes down to what your personal definitions are for various political idealogies.

I see this as a win for everyone whether they know it or not.

[archangel003]

I'm just glad some pro-gun Democrats finally got elected.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by archangel003

I'm just glad some pro-gun Democrats finally got elected.

Well that's an issue we should have dropped along time ago, put it on the shelf until we have guns like in Minority Report

I just don't like the pro-gun and anti-abortion Dems because thats a hint to me that they might swing right on other issues

But, we're a big tent party, we'll listen to that small minority of Democrats and take their opinions into account, unlike the GOP which complete over-rode their moderates with Tom DeLay

[lew]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

But, we're a big tent party, we'll listen to that small minority of Democrats and take their opinions into account, unlike the GOP which complete over-rode their moderates with Tom DeLay

lol, the republicans say the same exact thing.

[DosEquis]

They can call them whatever they want as long as we don't have the republicans that are like george bush in government. They can be considered retarded fish frogs for all i care as long as they keep getting elected. If it makes people feel good they voted for a "conservative" democrat, great. Stop trying to convince them they voted for michael moore or democrats will lose control again.

[lew]

Originally Posted by DosEquis

They can call them whatever they want as long as we don't have the republicans that are like george bush in government. They can be considered retarded fish frogs for all i care as long as they keep getting elected. If it makes people feel good they voted for a "conservative" democrat, great. Stop trying to convince them they voted for michael moore or democrats will lose control again.