Has the Democratic Party moved to the left over the last 30 years & if so, do you see this development in a favorable or unfavorable light?

@ViciDraco That‘s an interesting take. On which economic positions has the party shifted to the right, as far as you can tell?

@CedricH maybe not over 30 years, I forgot 30 years ago was Clinton era. I feel like Clinton and Obama moved right and supported a lot of business first policy. Biden moved a little left from that. But my ideas of Democrat policy tends to stem from the FDR era, so that is sort of the base I was measuring from.

But in general, I feel like democrats aren't willing to stand behind labor as strongly as they have historically. Biden admin has seen a little resurgence on it. They've also been timid about taxation. Up until Biden administration we'd get Republicans in office that would cut taxes on the wealthy and then the democrats would come into office and make those cuts permanent. Again, Clinton and Obama both did it. People also kind of forget Biden boxing the railroad union a couple years back.

Dems have given lip service to unions and having the wealthy pay their share over the last thirty years, but they were largely absent on follow through policy.

It has been seen in regulatory bodies as well, I think. The Obama admin's FTC was basically rubber stamping corporate mergers. Biden's FTC is the first in a long time to actually fight against corporate mergers. Dems had been so far right, that such basic things felt like a massive move left.

TLDR:
* Making tax cuts on wealthy permanent
* Weak union support and sometimes anti-union action counter to lip service
* Pro-corporate regulatory and fiscal policy, especially during Clinton and Obama admins.

@ViciDraco Thanks, so you‘ve mentioned the timeframe I was curious about. From Clinton over Obama to Biden and now Harris. So what you saw was in fact a shift to the left? Correct? Not quite akin to FDR‘s policies but a pivot away from Clinton, Gore and Obama?

@CedricH I think we are to the right of 30 years ago, but Biden did take a step left. So we are right of 30 years ago but left of 8 years ago. I'm not sure where Harris is going. Walz signifies another left step, but Harris has been backtracking on some earlier left statements - probably hoping to keep/draw anti-Trump Republicans. Part of what I feel is legitimate criticism of her is that she seems to waffle on positions based on who she is speaking to.

As someone who identifies as Left of democrats, I'm hopeful she'll stay at Biden's tempo but maybe go a little more aggressive with taxation.

My goal for taxation isn't new spending at this time though. I think we need to focus on eliminating the deficit and getting surplus to pay debt down. But I think it should come from new taxes on top earnings rather than cutting programs people need.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be anyone running for office that shares that sentiment.

@ViciDraco Irrespective of whether I agree with your positions, I think you‘re making a fairly coherent case. Still, there‘s one question I have. You said - we are to the right of 30 years ago - do you mean the country? Because the question is about the Democrats. I‘m asking because I was wondering if you thought that Obama, Kerry and Hillary Clinton moved to the left of Al Gore and Bill Clinton? Or do you think the leftward trend emerged with the Biden Presidency?

@ViciDraco Dems have given lip service to unions and having the wealthy pay their share over the last thirty years, but they were largely absent on follow through policy.

And WHY would that be? Think it through.

@CedricH I think Obama continued a rightward trend started by Clinton, moving Democrats more right economically as a whole. I think Biden took the first actual step back in the other direction. So we had sixteen years toward the right and only eightish moving back. I think the 'return of the left' started with Bernie Sander's campaign. Democrats have also been strongly focused on the social side of policy, so even when left economics comes up it seems to be lesser priority for them.

I am measuring a lot of this on action, not on messaging though. There are some dems far more left than 30 years ago. They are vocal, but they don't just get their way. We would probably have actually seen Dems go more left without folks like Manchin.

I think if trends continue, we will see Democrats be more left than 30 years ago. But I dont know that we are there yet.

@ViciDraco So you think Obama continued, rather than reversed the trend despite the recession stimulus, tax increases, PPACA (Obamacare), Dodd-Frank, the attempted Clean Energy Act and a plethora of executive orders being issued to regulate the economy especially on net neutrality, energy or safety standards?

@CedricH I do.

Obamacare is a right wing solution designed to empower markets. It literally supported the insurance industry by ensuring they have more healthy people than sick people in their pools. A left wing solution would have been single payer and the elimination of for profit health insurance.

Clean energy act is social policy. Dirty energy harms people and property but since energy is a public necessity you can't throw companies in jail or make them stop outright.

Dodd-Frank was pretty toothless and so much of the stimulus went to supporting businesses rather than people. If anything, the financial institutions are now larger and more powerful than ever.

Let's not forget the original stimulus package was designed under bush and concluded by Obama. Obama also made Bush era tax cuts permanent and kept pressure up to keep the fed rate down way too long.

I don't think Obama went left of Clinton at all on economics, really.

@ViciDraco Ah… okay. Well, I‘d say all these policies were to the left of the ones Clinton pursued. Irrespective of whether you think they went far enough.