# Why don't the Democrats grow a backbone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 25, 2012, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745 "2012-03-25T07:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745/41 "2012-04-02T17:26:05Z")
> [@scJazz2](#): > > Sorry I was not clear… The Tea Party reminded them that Republicans were not just the warmongering wing of the Democrat party. No, of course not, they’re the bizpandering wing. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745/42 "2012-04-02T17:29:44Z")
> [@scJazz2](#): > > . . . the Democrat party. :rolleyes: [And that’s another thing](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=593910) – when are you lot going to drop this pathetic declaration of your own idiocy? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745/43 "2012-04-02T17:48:34Z")
> [@scJazz2](#): > > Dems need to knock off calling their opponents crazy/stupid. Well, at least we acknowledge the **legitimacy** of elected Pubs. A lot of American RWs seem to have forgotten that Democrats can lawfully and constitutionally hold public office – yes, even **after** the Reagan Revolution; any Dem who has an office, they seem somehow to view as a usurper. This attitude goes back to the Clinton Admin at least; when Rush spoke of “America Held Hostage!” that was not simply a stupid ill-natured hyperbolic joke, it was some kind of ideological assertion. [Relevant article in _The Nation._](http://www.thenation.com/blog/167136/attack-liberal-legitimacy) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745/44 "2012-04-02T18:11:28Z")
> [@scJazz2](#): > > The Individual Mandate does certainly appear to be unconstitutional. Never before has the Commerce Clause been used to regulate the failure to participate in a market. Everybody participates in the health care market whether you purchase insurance or not. An individual who does not have insurance drives up costs for everyone else when they need care - that’s certainly participating in the market. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745/45 "2012-04-02T18:33:42Z")
Because although voters mostly like the general idea of a National Healthcare plan, they seem to dislike any possible version of one. Thus, there’s just not a lot of voter support for Obamacare. And, what support there was has diminished due to GoP scare tactics like “death panels”, etc. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745/46 "2012-04-02T19:02:03Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, at least we acknowledge the **legitimacy** of elected Pubs. Unless we have a specific reason not to, of course, see _Bush v. Gore._ ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745/47 "2012-04-03T03:31:48Z")
> [@scJazz2](#): > > Sorry I was not clear… The Tea Party reminded them that Republicans were not just the warmongering wing of the Democrat party. **They were reminded that the Constitution isn’t just a piece of paper.** That Federal deficits and debt do really matter. That throwing decade long wars paid for by Chinese loans just for the hell of it is not exactly cool. > > I bolded the one that applies to the Individual Mandate. My point being that Republicans in Federal government were once again on the hook for deficits, fiscally responsibility, following the rules as laid out by the Constitution, etc. The TEA Party congressmen voted to default on the nation’s debts. This is explicitly forbidden in the Constitution. Funny idea of constitutionality, that thinks something is unconstitutional if not required, but not unconstitutional when forbidden. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745/48 "2012-04-03T05:32:45Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > The TEA Party congressmen voted to default on the nation’s debts. This is explicitly forbidden in the Constitution. Funny idea of constitutionality, that thinks something is unconstitutional if not required, but not unconstitutional when forbidden. 😉 Not to mention their deafening silence on the subject of such core human rights as torture and habeas corpus. Instead they focus on Commerce clause issues that nobody complained about when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was debated. Let nobody make the mistake of believing that modern conservatives argue in good faith. When Romney ran for President in 2008, he advanced the mandate as aspect of citizen responsibility, to the complaints of nobody. Now modern conservatives claim that it represents the advance of tyranny. I can only conclude that they weren’t sincere to begin with and that furthermore they are _comfortable_ and _familiar_ with authoritarian viewpoints. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745/49 "2012-04-04T16:43:08Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Just the backbone?! In my basement, I’m growing a whole FDR! With JFK’s physique! But unfortunately with Carter’s face. OLD Carter. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-the-democrats-grow-a-backbone/616745.md?page=2)