Democrat's Big Tent

Are you a Democrat? Many different groups, each with their own issue, vie for attention under one umbrella, 'the big tent'. Do you belong to one of these disparate groups?

Abortion: NARAL and other pro-abortion feminists groups have their issue. This group wants the mother to decide whether an infant should be born or not.

Anti-Military: Code Pink, a virulent anti-military group that opposes anything to do with the military.

Animal Rights: PETA has a strong following of pet owners who elevate animals above human concerns.

Gay and Lesbian Groups: This is just a very small sampling of the groups that support gay and lesbian issues. CAPE: California Alliance for Pride & Equality, GLAA The Gay & Lesbian Activist Alliance, Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, and many others that crowd into the 'big tent'.

Labor Unions: UAW, AFL-CIO, and Teamsters make up the majority of big contributors to the Democrats. Their generosity has earned them a seat at the table of power in the Democratic hierarchy. The Democrats will listen to their issues.

Minorities: Black and the Hispanics also take a seat at the leadership table. Without either one of these groups, the Dems cannot win an election. Some of their issues are radical, so coddling these groups without acceding to their demands takes some very artful dodging.

Anti-War Groups: The shrillest of the groups at the convention. Their numbers are legion, so the trick here is to mollify them without agreeing to an immediate pullout from Iraq.

The Something for Nothing Crowd: Democratic rhetoric caters to the ones who expect someone else to pamper their needs. This large group is the 'Force the Rich and Big Business to Pay' crowd for all the ills of this country. They want solutions, as long as someone else pays for it.


The Regular Folks: This comprises the majority of voters within the Democratic Party. They also have their list of wants. They want Government provided Health Care, to stop 'Global Warming' with alternatives, better jobs, fewer taxes, and lower fuel bills.

Most of the groups hold positions on issues only held by a minority of Americans. The Democratic Party leaders masterfully weave the fabric of the tent hoping that each group will get that 'warm and fuzzy' feeling under it. It is no small task for any organization with such a variety of interests.

You may have noticed that I left out numerous groups in this narrative. Lawyers, the ACLU, and the Open Borders crowd are just a few of those with issues.Yes,the Democratic Convention will be a very interesting place for the next four days. If the Democrats do unify, it will be a miracle. All of the groups want their issues dealt with, so you can bet that there will be a lot of promises made, but in the end, as time will testify, not much accomplished. The fabric weavers of the big tent will give each group a handshake and a nod, but after all is said and done, do what they want to do.

Cheers,

-Robert-