Let the autopsy begin. This party needs to question its leadership, its activist agenda, its stances on foreign policy (specifically the US/UN relationship and its future direction), income tax policy, social spending and engineering, affirmative action, education funding and standards, gun control and health insurance. Today they are out of touch and out of step with the majority of the American people. Bush won the election by being less scary than Kerry but losing seats in both the Senate and the House, losing the popular vote convincingly, in spite of an enormous spending disparity by the un-regulated 527 groups and the attempted manipulations of an enormous friend, the American media, indicates that this isn't about message. It's about ideology and causes. We are now engaged in World War III, it is a war against a large, well funded, fanatical religious sect of islamofascists and Americans are in great danger throughout the world, maybe moreso than on September 10th, 2001. We have been attacked and we will be attacked again and this party cannot sit on the sidelines and whine about deficits. Get a mitt and get in the game. It's about national security, stupid, and the American people know it. Democrats can no longer be content owning the shrinking quorum of liberal states (Cal, NY, NJ, PA, IL & New England). Get up off the mat and answer the bell.

What should I judge this party by? The days of Roosevelt, Truman and J.F. Kennedy are long gone. I don't like what this party has become. It is now run by people who say character doesn't matter and now seem to be stealing this election like Gore tried to do in 2000. The Democrats pushed for early voting in Florida and now 60,000 ballots are missing. You know what they'll do. They stole them so they could change the people's vote to Kerry.

The Democratic party of today is not the same one of the party of Kennedy, Truman, F. Roosevelt, etc. Rather, it is the party which caters to left wing liberals that believe in political correctness over national defense. It is the party which supports raising taxes so high that people have to spend almost three-fourths of the year working so they can pay their taxes. It is the party that refuses to recognize a childs right to life and the true meaning of marriage. They have lost their way and thier glory years have come and gone, but hopefully America won't have to put up with this party anymore or it's radical supporters.

It is ridiculous to call the Democratic party the Socialist party just because they happen to care about people and not just corporations. The person who keeps screaming that the Democrats are socialists sounds like a particularly hysterical Archie Bunker. Since she is going to arbitrarily label all Democrats Socialists, I will sink to her level and start calling the Republicans Fascists. Fair enough? UPDATE: Thanks for your insightful comment, groper. I guess you read 1984 in your 10th grade lit class. Gee, last time I checked, the Reppies and not the Demmies are in power, so I don't know what the hell you're bitching about. Also, the republic is already damned thanks to Bush's disastrous foreign policy and his favoritism to corporate interests.

Remember the novel 1984- the Demmies will do anything to obtain and retain power- and let the republic be damned

Too many Democratic politicians believe in Democracy only when it goes their way. If, a ballot proposition goes their way, the Dems will say, The people have spoken! But, if it doesn't go their way, the Dems will search for a court who will overturn the initiative. They've done that with Colorado's Amendment Two, and with some California Propositions.

They piss and moan way to much. Cry babys.

I don't get the idiots who go around stating that the Dem party is the party of the working class and Repubs represent the party of the rich. Hello? Look at the spokespeople for the Dems--Barbra Streisand, Michael Moore, etc, etc: all multi-millionaires with diva behavior. John Kerry is (thanks to his wife who he married for her money) richer than most people can imagine. There are more millionaire Dems in the Senate than there are Repubs. This is the party of the working man? Puh-leeze!

Between 1932 and 1968, the most progressive major party in US history. In 2004, almost as corrupt and subservient to the interests of the rich and powerful as the Republicans. While corporate $$$s whisper not-so-softly to Dem politicians, Environmentalists, minorities and a handful of shrinking unions (mainly teachers and government employees) still have some influence in the party's power structure. And though the interests of these groups certainly do not coincide completely with those of the nation at large, neither do they diverge from it so completely as the GOP's corporate masters. A pretty rotten party overall, but unlikely to do as much damage as the Republican party, which is not only more corrupt but also more disciplined, fanatical and dangerous.

Party that is for me the hard workin' man.

The party of class envy, anti-individualism, high taxes, UN pampering, Ted Kennedy, university type intellectual elitist cheese eating snob types, and oh yea diversity (as long as your opinion doesnt differ from theirs)

While the Democratic party once stood for actually helping the nation and 'the average worker', it's now spiraled downward into a mockery of political spinning. Their tiresome complaints against Bush and conservatives have become mundane, as their political 'leaders' such as Tom Daschle, Hillary Clinton, Charles Rangel, Ted Kennedy, and now the abomination called Kerry, have taken their once respectable party into a perch near extremism. It's sad that they've been able to prey on the uninformed so long, it's now the majority of those who support their silly little cause of simple pandering and shuffling to whomever would vote them in.

Why are Democrats and Socialists listed separately? I thought they were one and the same.

Politics is a dirty business, no matter what the party is, and many nasty arguments have started over one another's differences in political opinion. Families and close friends have been known to split because of such pettiness. I'm a non-partisan myself, and speaking as one who does not embrace neither Democrats nor Republicans, I say that there is bad and good in both parties. While the average Republican is known to lean toward high moral standards, Democrats seem to support granting rights to the underprivileged. When I vote, I vote for the man, not the party.

Great Party! A historic party of discipline and good moral values.

The wholly-owned subsidiary of the Trial Lawyers Ass'n (aka ambulance chasers). The next time you can't get obstetrical or emergency care because your doctor can't afford the malpractice premiums, thank the democrats!

The more I see idiots like Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone and Alec Baldwin pimping for the Democrats, the more I'm repelled by the party.

Socialistic claptrap. If you could find four Democrats who could actually pass an introductory course in economics, you'd really have something.

We know what is best for all of you, no really, trust us......

I am a democrat. Registered as one. I'm talking about real democrats like Jon Kerrey, Carol Moseley Braun, Janet Reno, Howard Dean, Ted Kennedy, JFK his brother, and Al Franken. Not DINOS (Democrats in Name only) such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Gary Condit, Al Sharpton, and Al Gore.

The Democratic Party is not a perfect political party...but as it stands now...it is the only one that makes the most sense to me...there are some really nice democrats out there that I am proud to call friends...but I also have friends that are Republican...I just don't understand their agendas near as much...

We will see. The primaries had more turnout than ever in NH. I hope they can at least win the senate back to keep things in balance.

Where did democracy and common sense go? No, really. The Democrats are not brave enough to stand up to the conservative Republicans, and they keep becoming more conservative themselves. Why is everybody afraid to call themselves a liberal now? All anyone in Congress seems to care about now is being reelected.

has gone from the party of andrew jackson, fdr, and harry truman to the party of al sharpton, patricia ireland, and howard dean.

I have stopped trusting anything that the Democratic party claims.

Has stood for the common man in our country - but needs to get its act together to oust the current band of right-wingers in Washington.

Everything goes.

they're wrong!

A bunch of weelfae ldots who cant agee with each other and would vote fo a communist overment

The lesser of two evils, really. Democrats aren't all in the pockets of the big corporations (not yet, at least) and try to support the average working-class person. Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time until all politics is controlled by big business, so we need to get rid of the 2 party system.

Democrats will ruin this country!! If the democrats ever gain control of the government again that will be the end of American morals and values. Suddenly we will begin to see homosexuals and women with screwed up ideas(abortion) in the government and in our churches. As a young american all I can say is, "I don't want to grow up in a world like that!" George W. Bush in 2004!!!!

Nine running for the 2004 Presidency and not worth voting for. Now some are trying to draft Clark and they don't even know if he's a democrat. Instead of telling us what they think that Bush is doing wrong, try telling us what they would do.We know Iraq has WMD--we gave the WMD to them in the 80's What we need is another Harry Truman in the White House, the last good democratic president.

As far as social issues go, I understand the motivation behind both major political parties. I favor the liberal view because I am more of an advocate of man's ability to make decisions for himself, and I am also willing to chip in tax money to benefit the lesser fortunate individuals in society. There is a decent possiblity that one day I may be one of those individuals down on my luck. Economically I also agree with the philosphy of taxing the rich, subzidizing the poor, and balancing the budget. Stable economy beats publicity boosting tax-cuts in my book.

Needs to get its act together and fight. Come on, we do have a two-party system. Whatever your political affiliation, it can't be good for one party to dominate all 3 branches of govt.

They want too much control over my life! They want my money and too many crazy, intrusive laws. Governments should only exsist to protect individual freedoms. Vote Libertarian!!!!!

First off, I am a moderate Republican, so I would consider voting for a Democrat. They used to be a very good party with FDR, Truman, Wilson, and JFK being great presidents(although JFK is a bit overrated). But after JFK we had LBJ who screwed up the Vietnam War because he was micro-managing the war then we had Carter, who was a disaster with high double digit inflation, bad economy, military was bad, and he completely embarrassed the U.S. with his mis-handling of the Iran hostage crisis.Which brings me ti Clinton, sure the economy was good, time of peace, surplus, but that was not his doing. In the 1992 election, the economy was coming back. CLinton was there at the right time. George W.Bush inherited an economy that was in a recession. Those are the facts. I agree with liberals on one thing, higher minimun wage. The Democrats complain the tax cuts are only for the rich and the poor don't benefit. The Rich get more because liberals want to tax them to death and give it to the poor. Republicans want to cut taxes to expand businesses, create more jobs(remember Reagan) so that poor people who don't have job can get one and start earning money. The poor don't receive any money from tax cuts is because they don't pay any taxes.

No, they ruin this country.

hahha, stupid stupid democrats....

shouldn't this be titles the Socialist Party,or the party that has lost it 's way

Shambles is the only word to describe it. Just look at thier leader, the fake Pelosi. Thier decline in popularity and power can only be blamed on themselves for becoming so leftist. Two stars becuase I support gay rights.

First off, I am going to give both of the major political parties a 3 star rating. Reason being is that on both sides of the aisle, partisanship is running so rampant that we cannot get anything productive done. Democrats complain about the economy, but don't seem to be proposing any efficient programs to turn it around. Meanwhile, President Bush wants his THIRD tax cut passed in the Congress while we are building up the largest deficit in history, leading to higher interest rates. I consider myself to be a Conservative Democrat. I believe that the money that I make is mine to keep. For instance, if, as in 2001, there is a budget surplus, then that money, as President Bush said, "should go back to the people who pay the bills". Plain and simple. I realize that as in the case of the Clinton years it is sometimes neccessary to raise taxes in order to run down the deficit and national debt, but when you have extra money that was given to you by the people- money that you don't need except for lousy pet projects, then that money goes back to the people who gave it to you in the first place. Us average Americans. As a Democrat, it surprises many that I actually understand the value of tax cuts that benefit all- and if the government can afford, then we Americans damn well deserve a tax break after putting so much money into the treasury for 8 years. I commend Bill Clinton for his economic policies, and at first, I agreed with Bush that a tax cut was neccessary to stimulate economic growth. I supported his 2001 tax cut. However, his tax policies in 2002 and 2003 are definately foolhardy. When you are running a war, creating new Departments to fight terrorists, and running up a huge deficit, you do not give massive tax cuts which lead to not only higher deficits, but an unbalanced budget after it took so long to balance it. So I suppose the biggest difference between Dems and Republicans as far as taxes go is that when the government has a surplus, the Dems think that the money belongs to the government, and the Reps, most of them, believe that the money belongs to the people. I'd have to sign with the Republican guys on that issue. John F. Kennedy is the ONLY Democrat I know of in this past century who fought for tax cuts, and I think even hardcore Conservatives can respect him for that. Now let us move on to racial issues. Republicans are against affirmative action, so they are autmoatically deemed the party of racists, etc. Now maybe there are some racist Republicans, but Democrats are no different. Let us remember that Lincoln was a Republican, and his four predacessors were Democrats who did absolutely nothing about slavery- in fact they advocated that. So Dems throw this Trent Lott crap in the face of Republicans- well I say that if the Dems are not willing to let go of the past, perhaps someone should bring up THEIR past indescretions. Race relations is definately another important issue that divides Dems and Reps. All I know is that I do not appreciate going all the way through High School with a dream to go to a University, and then, lose my spot in that university because of affirmative action. I believe in equal oppurtunity for all! On Gay Rights, I side with the Dems on the allowance of Civil Union Laws. As a Christian, I believe that God wants us all to be happy and lead happy lives. And if being with someone of the same sex makes you happy- then have at it! God loves us all and wants us to be happy. A typical liberal platform is "no prayer in school". It the 1st Amendment right of all citizens to freedom of religion and expression- so if I am saying a Catholic prayer in school to myself after a horrible tragedy such as 9/11- I have no problem with a Jewish person sitting next to me doing the same thing. On abortion (see my post on that), I side with the Dems. That is probably what links me most to the Democratic Party. I fully support a woman's right to choose. In the final analysis, I believe that both parties are made up of men of integrity- however, as I get older some of my liberal beliefs are winding down, and I am afraid that I may fall victim to the "conservative fever" LOL. If you read my posts on independents- you know that I wish we would all just follow our own beliefs and vote for the CANDIDATE and not the party. I would've voted for Eisenhower or Reagan. I would've voted for JFK or Truman. I would not have voted for Carter. It's the candidate that is important to me- we can all contribute to the good of our country in our own special way. America's greatest asset is our agreement to disagree. God bless America!

I would rather chew all my toenails off than ever vote Republican (mainly because they are getting really out of hand with the ultra-conservative likes of Asskoft and Cheney) but I'm also fed up with the Dems. Come on guys! Quit all the in-fighting and waffling and make a stand! At this point I don't know which is worse which is why I guess I'll have to be Independent until this party can get some cohesion and morals.

Some party. =P Lets hear it for Bill! Maybe he can define 'is' for us. I'm sure we're all dying to know. Oh, ya, and I'm sure everyone just LOVES the likes of Hillary, Dascle, and Gore: the ULTIMATE CRY-BABY.

Majority Center wing (Liberal-democrats), some Center-left (liberal-socialists) like Rv. Jesse Jacson even though the Bible forbids this leaning and some Center-right like Bill Clinton and John F Kennedy.

The Chickens.

I think they've forgotten who they are and what they stand for. Their only interest now is to be against anything and everything that the Republican party does or suggests. I say that as a lifelong Democrat who comes from a long line of Democrats.

The best thing about Democrats: They aren't Republicans.

The only reason I've rated it 1 is that there isn't a rating of 0. A party that stands for NOTHING. A party that will SELL OUT AMERICA if voted into office again. Keep them out of power!!

The Democratic Party won't be happy until 100% of our earnings are taken away from us and redistributed through their social programs. If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it dies, subsidize it. So says my 2nd favorite talk-show host, Larry Elder. If they sieze power, this country will be taxed and regulated right into socialism.

You have no clue do you!? Gore drops out of 2004 race. Lost before it got started.