Why I Am a Democrat

Excerpts paraphrased from Ted Sorensen’s book of the same name.

These are concise statements that can be used in conversations defining your beliefs as a Democrat.

I am a Democrat because I believe that
…government should serve the public interest and not simply get out of the way of private interests;
…the federal government can help solve major national problems that are created by the unregulated market and protect states from their darker, less noble impulses;
… the federal government must address the stagnation and decline of wages and benefits, the failure of workers to receive their share of productivity gains, the growing gap between the rich and the rest of America, and the increasingly desperate conditions of the poor;
…an equitable balance among the federal, state and local governments can be achieved without splintering uniform national standards;
…mortgaging the future in order to fund tax cuts and corporate welfare while savaging social insurance and public education is not fair to the young, the poor, the elderly, the unskilled, or the infirm, because a civilized society is measured by how well is cares for its less fortunate members;
…true law and order requires attacking not only crime but its causes and enhancing gun control and providing equal access to the courts and respecting the constitution;
… in strengthening families by increasing their economic opportunities;
…America must honor its international obligations, participate in multilateral organizations and reject unilateralism and isolationism;
…government must give priority to the needy and not to those already sufficiently powerful and affluent to afford lobbyists.