The Democrats have been appeasing the appeasable and letting the far right determine the terms of debate for 25 years now, with the result that the political "center" is far to the right of any other developed nation on earth. In no other country is environmentalism equated to "liberalism". In no other country is it considered a bad idea to make sure that the guy buying a gun isn’t a raving psychotic, a serial bank robber, or a guy in a murderous rage because he caught his wife cheating on him. Religious fundamentalists aren’t taken seriously, but are, rightfully, dismissed as ignorant crackpots. The attitude on abortion is that if you don’t like abortion, don’t have one. No other work force in the developed world is arguing over the ability of the government to demand employers pay overtime for more than eight hours work in a single day, and no other developed country tolerates the notion that an employer can dictate your medical care and personal behavior when off the clock.

Democrats, by trying to appease the right, have let the country slide to the right of all but the most reactionary and backward places on earth.
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Democrats are at a crossroads. They can either flutter their hands at the far right, which doesn’t take them seriously, and squeak, "boys!, boys!", or they can pick up some of those old, core, liberal principles that guided them and the country for over two centuries, and start leading again.

thanks to SmirkingChimp.com