just curious, who else is far to the left and a yellow dog dem

[JohnKleeb]

Yes I know it sounds conflicting, but I consider myself one. Its hard to explain really. :shrug: does that make me weird, I get like negative 8's on the political compass test thingie and take tests that say I should be a green or socialist policy agreement wise. :shrug: why am I a yellow dog? Hard to explain really.

[doni_georgia]

1. I'm in the negative 8's and yellow dog dem too n/t

[JohnKleeb]

6. I think its because of what the dem party has done for my family

like my grandparents grew up in the depression, wasnt easy and good ole Mr. Roosevelt helped them out. I also though some of his foreign policy bothers me, Harry Truman made a kind personal gesture to a family member of mine and he saved my grandfather's life because he fired that idiot McArthur.

[papau]

14. Amen - the yellow dog far left folks are not in short supply!

Besides without power - far left is just a debating group

And Dem is the only wat to go if you want change.

:-)

[JohnKleeb]

17. I wish for a time when left is considered normal

like I want the republicans to lose because they are too extreme.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. well i am very far to the left....far far left

[JohnKleeb]

4. how far?

like I admit it, I do have a hero in Alexander Dubcek because he stood up to Moscow in 1968. I listen to the internationale too lol.

[mike_c]

3. I'm a committed leftist who has been a loyal dem...

...for 30 voting years, but I'm falling from the fold these days. The party just doesn't seem to represent me anymore.

[JohnKleeb]

5. its tough and I dont believe in forcing people to vote for the nominee

I want them to get behind the nominee but I also respect their right to vote elsewhere. Believe me at times when I was supporting DK fully, I often thought I couldnt support the nominee if it wasnt him, I try to be loyal and I am loyal but I see what gets people pissed.

[OpSomBlood]

7. Me...

Registered as a Dem on my 18th birthday, changed to independent shortly thereafter, changed back to Dem to vote for Dean in my primary.

That said, I am only about a half an inch left of center.

[JohnKleeb]

11. I'll register dem when I turn 18

but my policy agreements are with the Greens more so, but I like a lot of what Kerry says and I will campaign for him.

[RichardRay]

8. There are no far left participants on this list

unless they're acting covertly. If you need that explained you don't know what far left means.

[JohnKleeb]

9. I mean like lefter than the dem party platform by far

what list?

[wyldwolf]

24. yes there are

trust me.

Unless your definition of "far left" differs.

What is your definition?

[RichardRay]

28. As I said,

unless posting covertly.

A number of years ago I spent quite awhile out in the cane fields way to the left. (Old Left family, not those nouveau New Lefties) I don't go there anymore, but I can can still whip out a solid argument from good class analysis when I need to and I can actually explain the labor theory of value in ways that make you want to believe it.

I've not seen a good commie analysis posted by anyone in any post I've ever read here. From the perspective of my thinking in 1967 it's mostly fringe liberalism.

I'm not certain whether I think that's a bad thing :-).

[wyldwolf]

30. interesting...

...your term "nouveau New Lefties."

I've often used the term "far left wannabes" to describe the self described socialists, communists, and greens here.

Perhaps what we have are actually idealogical purists - an unorganized fringe group who has one or two pet issues that govern their entire political thought.

I dunno. But there are some here I consider far left based on my experience (which is obviously more limited than yours.)

[RichardRay]

32. Could be, and your experience is probably

more recent than mine. My departure from the fold was pretty precipitous and I've not had any contact with those people or perspectives since.

One of the big pieces I often see missing here is an understanding of the destructive nature of nationalism. That doesn't suprise me given the spin nationalist struggles were given over the last fifty years, but it's still a blind spot.

There also seems to be a pretty dominant labor aristocracy perspective from some quarters.

I'm certain the folks who stayed involved have evolved to some things I wouldn't recognize any more, and I still have my prejudices...

[bigtree]

10. I'm a dead dog Democrat

I've never voted for a republican. I registered independent when I became eligible to vote because Carter was ambivalent about legalization and Anderson was for it. I am a life-long Democrat. I cried in nursery school when Johnson announced he wouldn't run, and I wore a Humphrey button that was larger than my face.

[JohnKleeb]

12. I would have been a RFK supporter in 1968 but I admire HHH

because in 1948 he argued for the civil rights plank in the party platform. I also admire LBJ for his domestic policy, barring Vietnam I feel he would have been one of the better presidents and up there with FDR.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

13. I am..very much so.

Woof !

[camero]

15. I'm with you JK

It's not wrong to want to see some measure of social justice and human rights. Remember they only label when they have no argument.

[JohnKleeb]

20. I want the party to be left

My heroes are men like RFK, McGovern, etc, we lost not because we were left with men like Mac but because we were defined by Nixon and CREEP. We cant let them define us, we have to make conservatism like it was when my parents were growing up, the minority.

[camero]

21. You got it exactly

We let the right wing define us and we want to change that. Some are afraid of that so they resort to name-calling.

If there's anything I can't stand, it's cheap-labor conservatives in disguise. They think the mask can't be taken off but it has for all to see.

[Stoic]

16. Can I be a Hot Dog Dem?

Hold the ketchup. (The best HD come from my hometown, Chicago, and have mustard, relish, raw onion and tomato wedges with celery salt. Yum)

[JohnKleeb]

18. if you want to be

mmmm hotdog.

[rumguy]

19. I'm a red diaper doper baby

actually I don't even know what that means

[dogman]

22. On the political compass I was a touch SW of Ghandi

but I live in the real world and realize their are three other directions.

[Bandit]

23. I am extremely far to the left but do not consider myself a Democrat

I am now and always have been an Independent. I usually vote Democratic but not always. I vote for what I believe to be right and wrong issues and sometimes the Democrats are on the wrong side of those issues. The GOP is always on the wrong side. I respect the Green's vision of America but do not consider Nader a Greenie. He is an opportunist who likes to hear himself talk and sometimes actually says something I agree with. I value social programs more than capital programs so I guess I am more of a socialist than a Capitalist. I put people first and capital second. Not all Democrats do that but all leftists do I believe. Anyway just some small differences.

[0007]

35. Excellent similarity between things that are otherwise dissimilar

...Thank you

[stevedeshazer]

25. I'm almost completely to the left, but always reg'd Democrat

A yellow dog Democrat never leaves the party and never votes for Republicans or independents or third-party candidates.

I've done all the above, but I've been voting since the early '70s. Back then, there were reasons to vote good people into office regardless of party affiliation.

The Radical Right has changed all that...they have painted themselves into a corner. They say themselves, "you're either with us or against us".

Also, the Democratic Party has moved considerably to the right in the 30+ years since I was your age. Honestly, the only reason I have stayed a Democrat all these years is because there has been no viable alternative on the left.

I am encouraged today because I think I'm seeing a newer, stronger political left. That is the one and only thing to thank GWBush* for...reuniting us. Nice job, George!

And good post, JohnKleeb.

[JohnKleeb]

27. thanks

yeah the early 70's there were good repubs and such.

[kiahzero]

26. Not so hard to explain

You've probably realized, as I have, that voting for the Democratic nominee is the best way to move the country to the left for the time being.

[yardwork]

29. This describes me as well.....

but in the past six years or so I have become increasingly impatient with the Democratic Party.

I feel that, as a whole, the Dems allow the Republicans to push them around. Gore ran an asinine campaign in 2000. Yes, I know that W cheated and blah blah blah - that's how the Bush Crime Family always behaves. I felt that Gore should have come out fighting, instead of trying to move to the center.

I see Kerry doing the same thing and it frustrates me. There is no shame in being liberal! There is no shame in demanding health care for all citizens! There is no shame in standing up and saying that our invasion and continued occupation of Iraq is immoral and wrong!

There IS shame in allowing the Republicans to define everything with their lies and greed. Fight back, Dems!

Otherwise I might get disgusted enough to start voting Green. I know that all that will do is help the Republicans and hurt the Democrats. Maybe the Dems need to feel some hurt before they find their courage.

End of rant. Thank you to those who are still reading.

[Kanary]

31. I'm still reading... and thanks to YOU for saying what needs to be said

With respect...

Kanary

[yellowdawgdem]

33. that fits me as well

Actually I think being leftist is compatible with yellow dog democrat. It just means that you want to work within the 2 party system (for now), rather than going 3rd party. And that you strongly identify with democratic. I do wonder, these days, what leftist means in the midst of a conservative takeover. Maybe it seems farther to the left by comparison. If you constantly hear about patriotism, war, and see flags everywhere, then moderate would become leftist. And leftist would be "out of the loop" conspiracy theorist. Just a thought, a late night babbling.

[indigo32]

34. Me

eom