I believe that liberalism isn’t so much a stage that one passes through, as a state of mind. If environmental concerns, societal inequality and using raw American power as a substitute for diplomacy are problematic for you, you are probably a liberal. Liberalism for me has always offered the hope that we can still be better than we are. It has nothing to do with age, since I have felt that way since my early teens.

Good Lord. Interesting to see that Doma actually responded by saying “kudos,” to this comment. All I see are progressives repeating the talking points they came up with when there was nobody there to argue with them, and then pretend as if those talking points are actually valid.

Although – it certainly is a state of mind. I’m afraid we differ on what came afterward though.

To translate, everyone who considers themselves liberal will vote Democratic (at least in most elections) but not all those who consider themselves Democrats can be considered liberals.

I don’t know about that, SD. I consider myself to be socially liberal, and I have tended to vote Libertarian as opposed to Democrat in recent years. Democrats talk the talk about being socially tolerant/libertarian but rarely deliver when it truly counts.

Also, there is the Green Party, which still manages to attract some liberal/progressive voters.

[sigh] Try reading the entire text next time.

In fact, the Republicans often aren’t attractive. What were the 2006 election results like?

DLS said,

Democrats are repellent

Still got that way with words don’cha DLS… Does your boss know what you’re doing when you’re supposed to be working?

This is not an endorsement of Republicans so much as it is a reality check. Young are always radical, idealist, and not very rational in their thought processes. Then as SD says, reality sets in and things change.

Bingo. Welcome to reality.

People routinely vote Republican because that party is the lesser of two evils, because the Democrats are repellent, not because the Republicans may be attractive. Do you really believe that no one who has ever voted for a Republican candidate for any office has ever done so while holding his or her nose?

I rarely just spout stuff to be spouting stuff or to hear myself talk.

Taken from a report by UC Berkley…the most democratic/liberal college in the world I do believe. Mabey The University of Colorado is in contention but oh well never mind.

Polls have shown that young people today are more closely aligned with Democrats on cultural issues, such as gay marriage or stem cell research. In 2004, the Kerry campaign focused extensively on the youth vote; those efforts helped get historically apathetic under-30 year-olds to turn out in significantly greater numbers than in previous elections (an increase of nearly 4.6 million since 2000).

Obviously, if these voters retain their preference for Democrats as they age — and continue to vote in large numbers — it could create big problems for the GOP down the line. Still, Republicans can take comfort in the fact that voters statistically grow more conservative as they get older, particularly once they start earning money and paying taxes.

The real question is what will be the U.S. be like as a one party state.

Look at Cyanide Nation (the Rust Belt) now.

So liberals may not be ruling talk radio.

But a new poll suggests they are making big inroads among another important force: young people.

Does anyone seriously believe this is something new?

She hit on an important observation about the older generation’s obsession with money. When money is in short supply in a household, it’s understandabe, but the obsession seems to increase, not decrease with the amount one has, iamong the older folk.

Paying taxes has become ‘wealth distribuion’, but only if it helps other people that one doesn’t like or respect. As long as wealth is distributed to my kind of people (my church), that’s okay. Just keep that money as close to me as possible. It’s a ‘me and my money’ outlook.

Kudos to Kritter
for the ‘liberalism is a state of mind’ comment. It’s not a particular political party (not even a Liberal Party) or a closed set of policy choices. It’s a mind open to new and diverse possibilites, and inclusiveness.

Sure, there are flaws and failures and there is also hypocrisy and a host of shortcomings. Humans are incapable of perfection. Always, however, the liberal gaze stays focused on how to include more people at the table, even when they have to pay for extra chairs in order to accomodate.

The Democrats versus a true liberal/progressive political party.

To translate, everyone who considers themselves liberal will vote Democratic (at least in most elections) but not all those who consider themselves Democrats can be considered liberals.

As 20 something tend to think of themselves as liberals (what they really are could be called social libertarans for theselves but big government for others) they will vote in overwhelming number for the Democratic candidates. For every Ralph Nader or Bernie SAnders they vote for, they will vote for many more Jim Webb’s or Robert Byrds.

The educated white liberals voting along with the ethnic blocks of blacks and hispanics will give the Democratic party an advantage that cannot be overcome by the Republicans. Then the tipping point will be reached when people will realize that the Republicans are irrelevent and will sto donating or supporting them.

(and yes, liberal = Democratic party but Democratic Party /= liberal)

what does that even mean?

However, with the changing demographic of the U.S. and the hippiness of being liberal (and yes, liberal = Democratic party but Democratic Party /= liberal) the Democratic Party has a massive advantage and over time it will be unable to screw up enouigh to lose the majority (See the District of Columbia for an example of how lousy Democratic politicans have no effect on voting patterns).

We should have a national primary day about 6 months before the election, campaigns should either be publicly funded or have strict spending limits, and there should be term limits for Senators and Representatives. We should also require that those members of Congress actually spend more time working at their actual jobs than they spend campaigning for re-election.