Democrats Debate Democracy

A reader pointed out this thread at Democratic Underground, where the innermost core of the Democratic Party is on display. Some of the posters, like the one who started the thread, are over the top:

All the media keeps talking about is how happy the Iraqis are, how high turnout was, and how “freedom” has spread to Iraq. I had to turn off CNN because they kept focusing on the so-called “voters” and barely mentioned the resistance movements at all. Where are the freedom fighters today? Are their voices silenced because some American puppets cast a few ballots?
I can’t believe the Iraqis are buying into this “democracy” bullshit.

That’s the American left in its natural habitat. At least one poster, though, had some sensible thoughts about the future of the Democratic Party:

If you want to cheer on a bunch zealots who stone gays and beat women or power-mad fascists, then go over to Pat Robertson’s or the neo-Nazi’s website. It’s that kind of anti-democratic Democratic thinking that is turning the DNC into the minority party everywhere.
If what happened today in Iraq is screwing up the world, then we’ve got to figure out how to screw it up faster. Maybe if we could screw up mainland “company town” China their workers could have real unions and be able to bargin for better conditions. Let’s screw up Iran next. After their wars women are enough of a majority there they might could elect some feminists.
Why does Bush say he wants to spread freedom around the world? If that’s what American’s want to here, then let’s get out in front of it and complain from the cutting edge that the conservatives are too slow. Tell people that if they want to make sure its done right then who better than the party of Jefferson and Wilson and Roosevelt.
This short-sighted “the enemy of my political oponent is my friend” obsession is not only going to alienate voters, it’s going to destroy an otherwise great opportunity to spread democracy around the world.
It’s not enough to say that Bush’s inaugural speech sounded pretty but he doesn’t mean it, you have to follow it up by saying “BUT WE DO, we have a track record of 2 centuries of success, and if you give us a chance we’ll show you again.” How many people are going to be inspired by following it up with “and we’ll protect your Social Security better?” Deep down people need to be a part of something greater than themselves. Maybe “fighting to blow up hopeful voters” seems great to a few people, but “fighting to make sure the bravery of hopeful voters is not wasted or betrayed” sounds better to me. I’ll bet it sounds better to a lot of swing voters too.
As far as people “betraying their country” by wanting to vote… How the (&@(#& is that kind of nationalist thinking progressive?

But in the inner precincts of today’s Democratic Party, that guy is in the minority.

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