I'm glad we are no longer refighting the primaries

[CajunBlazer]

Instead we are arguing whether the far left or moderate Democrats are worse than Republicans.

Wise up folks, the time for fighting among ourselves should be over. There is a new enemy and his is far more dangerous to the country than any other Republican in recent memory. If we can't unite against Donald J. Trump, we are truly lost.

[Heartstrings]

1. K & R

[Justice]

2. Agreed

[standingtall]

3. Nobody is worse than republicans

Not the far left,not moderate Democrats either. In fact republicans are domestic terrorist worse than isis,worse than the taliban,worse than the muslim brotherhood or any other evil organization under the sun.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

4. As soon as there are two names to rally behind we will just be fighting the next round

I don't think this ends without a political realignment.

[CajunBlazer]

5. What do your mean by "political realignment"?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

9. The Centrists will go one way, the leftists will go the other.

It works pretty well in Europe.

[CajunBlazer]

12. It only works well in Europe because they parliamentary democracies

That wouldn't work here.

In a parliamentary democracy, the people don't elect their top leader in their country. They vote for the members in parliament to represent each district and then parliament elects the Prime Minister.

I am sure I am telling you what you already know, but my point is that if one political party (and there are usually several) doesn't elect a majority of members of a new parliament, one or more of the parties can join together in a coalition to elect the Prime Minister and rule the country. So the moderate progressive party can join with the far left wing party to form a new government. Of course the same thing can occur on the other side of the political spectrum as well. That is why even small third parties can have decent political clout in Europe.

Of course, in our political system it usually work in the opposite manner. It is winner takes all - the candidate with the most votes state each state usually wins that state's electoral college votes even if he/she doesn't get a majority. If a third party candidate or an independent gets a significant number of votes in any state, that those votes are usually subtracted from the vote total of major party candidate most closely aligned ideologically with the third party candidate or independent.

For example, let's say that in 2020 the Green Party candidate or a progressive independent were to get 20% of the vote in a number of states. We can be reasonably sure that Democratic candidate in those states would get significantly less than votes than usual and that the Republican candidate would win those states and probably the national election.

That's also why 3rd parties can never grow to very important in this country. The old saying is, "Third parties are like bees, when they sting they die." That's because if a third party cause one of the major parties to lose an election, no one is going to make that mistake again in the next election. So every time a 3rd party grows strong enough to matter, it essentially kills itself with its success.

So no, progressive centralists going one way and leftists going the other in this country almost certainly would split the progressive vote and hand the White House to the Republicans.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

13. These parties in Europe don't attract much support

But it is a win-win.

The leftists can have their purity and the centrists aren't smeared when they do crazy shit. The Socialist Party in France doesn't suffer when the Communists decide it's time to start waving the old hammer and sickle around.

Our stupid binary political dichotomy in this country means we get smeared every time some morons in black hoodies smash-up a Starbucks or the most privileged kids to have ever lived make a scene on campus because anamorphic pony isn't a listed race on a scholarship form.

[LakeArenal]

6. Finally? Hope so.

[fun n serious]

7. None of us are worse than republicans.

I love all who vote for Dems no matter what their differences are.

[Jakes Progress]

8. Then, it seems we are

truly lost.

Introspection. Not likely.

[JCanete]

10. Yeah, but those threads are so alluring. I fucking hate it. Either they immediately

become a flame war, or they start off as a circle jerk of some pretty bombastic talk, until at some point the echo-chamber gets so infuriating that people, myself included, can't leave that screeching choir to its own eventual ebb.

I would implore those who like Sanders to please please exercise wisdom when posting. Don't post the flame-bait that proclaims he's taking over the party and the party is thrilled!, or if you find an article title that omits names other than Sanders, when it comes to sponsors of bills, or outreach tours, etc., find an article that names at least one or two of the other Senators or congresspeople involved. Be measured/generous, if possible, in your ops when talking about your personal disagreements with the party's direction or individual leaders within the party. It's not hard to know what kind of OP is going to start shit. That may sacrifice the exciting 200+ post count that almost every post that scratches off our scabs does. You might instead get 2 to 5 replies because people really don't like the posts where there's no blood in the water, but we're going around and round in circles with this shit and nothing is being accomplished.

[SecularMotion]

11. The disruptors are the enemy and they won't stop arguing.

Their job is sowing divisions among Democrats.