As liberals, in what political area should we be focusing our energies?

[coti]

I was just reading this article

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8730845&mesg_id=8730845

and it occured to me that Democrats do seem stretched thin in ideology. We get caught up in trivia and have trouble defining ourselves with big-picture ideas.

I think it would be good for us to prioritize. If we were to do so, where should our priorities lie? I'm not just asking with regard to ocming elections, either- I'm talking about getting to the roots of our problems and solving them. Making progress it is most needed.

These three areas may not cover all issues, but most should fit. I guess that's part of the point of the poll and why I'm leaving out an "other" option. Give the best answer you can.

[jtuck004]

1. Jobs n.t.

[Oregone]

2. Immigration, by far

As liberals, you oughta be working on immigrating to a country that will see liberal policies in your lifetime

[Ian David]

3. The right to strong encryption without a government key escrow.

Oh, wait...

Nevermind.

[Winterblues]

4. They are all inter weaved

It is all about the People. The people would have jobs if business was not tied to Health Care. The people would have jobs if we pursued a different course on Energy. The people would be better off if we cleaned up our environment. You really can not list one without all the others being effected. As far as social issues such as abortion and gays in the military, that debate will continue for quite some time but will not effect the economic picture.

[coti]

6. Absolutely. They are very much intertwined.

I think what I'm trying to tease out with the poll is, given that interconnectedness, where we can make the most progress, with focus.

[nyc 4 Biden]

5. all of the above? n/t

[Dr Morbius]

7. I didn't vote.

The best answer I can give is to restore independence to the media. Freedom of the press has been abridged, not by government directly but by consolidation of the media by corporations. You simply cannot be free if you have to answer to someone. What we have today is a situation where the watchdogs of the government, the press, are the very same powers-that-be which pull the strings behind government. Change this, and anything else becomes possible. Refrain from changing this, and democracy as we know it is doomed.

I don't know whether to call this an economic issue or a social issue. I think of it as a constitutional issue, and I consider nothing more important. Freedom of the press is on life support.

[coti]

8. The economic influence on that issue is strong, but I'd ultimately call it social

because of its importance in our political culture.

[Dr Morbius]

11. And yet the reason government should be allowed to do it is that the corporations...

...have turned the news itself into a form of commerce. And Congress is constitutionally mandated to regulate commerce.

Just a little bit of irony in that.

[branders seine]

9. I chose economic, but it's really economic and political.

We should focus on the class war.

[coti]

10. I agree. nt

[Initech]

12. 1. Equal rights for everybody. 2. The economy.