An Ironic Battle of Words

Only about 19% of Americans call themselves liberal as opposed to moderate or conservative. It is clear that more than 19% of Americans are liberal. Could there be a stigma to the word? Below is a mock debate between Democrat candidates for President. The Republicans have been argueing over ideology in their debates while the Democrats have been arguing over race and gender (something you can not control) in theirs. I have turned the tide on the Democrats and they will now debate over ideology. They will not be progressives, they will be liberals!


Tim Russert: Senator Edwards, you have claimed to be the only "true liberal" in the race citing weak stances on corporations and the poor from Senator Clinton and Senator Obama. Do you feel that Clinton and Obama represent the values of liberalism you often talk about?

Senator Edwards: Thank you Tim. I feel that they have fallen short of what we as liberals originally set out to do. I was the first to offer a universal health care plan. I rarely hear them talk about standing up for the little guy. Does it surprise me though? No, their receiving all their money and endorsements from lobbyists and wall street. That's not the values of the liberalism. The liberalism started by FDR and continued through LBJ and Jimmy Carter to enact social programs that people need is what they have failed to align themselves with and I will call them on it and show them for the ideology they really are.

Tim Russert: Senator Clinton would you like to respond?

Senator Clinton: Yes, Senator Edwards is going around saying he's the clear liberal, but you can not just say you are a liberal. Liberalism will not happen by talking about it or demanding it. It only happens by fighting for it and I have been fighting for it along side me for 35 years!

Tim Russert: Senator Obama?

Senator Obama: Uh Thank you Tim. Senator Clinton and Senator Obama have a lot of talk on this issue, but do they have the voting record? In the Illinois State Senate, the title of "most liberal voting record" went to me. Both of these two have had a watered down liberal voting record in the Senate. I do not recall Senator Edwards supporting universal health care in 2004. I fail to see how a vote to invade Iraq could be considered liberal on any front. A watered down form of liberalism is not what the country needs.

Senator Clinton: You know, Senator Edwards claims he was the first one to offer a universal health care plan, but that is not true. I was the lone ranger at the begining of the Clinton Administration that set out to do what is right. The Republicans will try and try again to use it against me but I bear the scars from that fight and am prepared to continue on until every American is covered. Liberalism works best when everyone equally relies on government and that is the America I have grown to love over the years.

Senator Obama: I have seen the effects of what were talking about up close and personal. I saw the devastating effects of the Reagan Administration while I was fighting for folks on the south side of Chicago while Hillary was a corporate lawyer on he board of Walmart in Arkansas. I saw the effects of Carter compared to Reagan and it sends shivers down my spine that we had to lose what we had.

Tim Russert: Senator Gravel, let you have a word.

Senator Mike Gravel: I find it so amusing listening to these three talk about their minute differences thinking they mean something. I can much easier unite the three for you. They all support the war on drugs, they all refuse to take nukes off the table, they refuse to take war with Iran off the table, they can't say when they will actually have all the troops out of Iraq and harms way. Obama took a swipe at Hillary saying she was Bush Cheney lite, well they all seem to be a lite version of the Bush Administration. They do not support giving power to the people through the National Initiative for Democracy, they support the corrupt tax system, have been weak on standing up against polluters, support the military industrial complex, support NAFTA, and can't even bring themselves to support gay marriage. They don't hold a candle to the values I've been a part of and fighting for going on decades now.

Senator Edwards: You know, I had a career of fighting for people. As a trial lawyer, I fought for the kind of people that I grew up with in rural North Carolina. I know what it is like to struggle and I will fight for those people as I have dedicated my life to it. I will fight against the corporations that have more than their fair share. I will fight corporate America which is destroying the middle-class. I will not be a part of politics as usually in the oval office and the American people are starving to get away from politics as usual which is why I think me and Senator Obama came in first and second in Iowa.

Senator Obama: Well hold on now. Since John and Hillary seem to enjoy talking about their record, let me join in. I was just assessed by the National Journal to have the most liberal voting record in the senate in 2007. I have consistently retained a higher score than Senator Clinton on the issues. I was also said to have the most liberal voting record when I was in the IL senate and I feel that a voting record shows what you will fight for and we need a real liberal in the White House next January to undo what the President and the many years of Republican dominated Congress have done.

Tim Russert: Senator Clinton I'll let you respond with the last word as we need to move onto the next subject.

Senator Clinton: The dream of President Harry Truman for the country to have universal health care is a dream that I too share and will not give up on. I have learned from my 35 years of experience of fighting for liberal change. We will not retreat, we will not back down and we will prevail.