knows the outcome.
ruling class wanted Ronald The American an article in Socialist Action explaining that Ronald But there is an issue democratic parties, which is of fundamental oriented to and supported importance for the left the Democratic Party. Britain the Labour Party In which comes out oI ine elections. For almost forty consistently supported the vears - from Roosevelt's benocials against the election in 1932 until Nix- Republicans. on's victory in 1968 - the Democratic Party was the overwhelmingly dominant force United But by 1984 it had States politics. Out of nine become obvious that the presidential elections held Democratic in Ial time the Repub- alliances had become icans won only two. shambolic. The Unice Eisenhower, the sole coherent coalition put Republican president together by Roosevelt :hat forty year period the unions, blacks, himself only carried on the liberals, ethnic minorities Cold War policies and others established by his apart into a series of warrDemocratic predecessor ing groups.
During the Democratic More significant for primary elections the practical left wing politics leadership of however almost the whole American of the American left, from movement, the AFL/CIO the Computes or the put all ineir resources ini supporters packing Mondale. Jesse social Jackson took the major Losers and victors of the black vote. candidate whose every Gary Hart opposed the speech was enough to send anyone to sleep and who line of the union bosses.
Geraldine Ferraro was put had no individual position on the slate to try to win or individuality at all. The the women's vote. outcome was massive The result of all this in- victory for Reagan. ternal warfare was the From any point of view 'cardboard candidate' of keeping the Democratic Mondale - a presidential the 'alternative' Republicans, this course a disaster. In Saturday's Morning Angela the Communist Party's didate for Vice President, declared, 'For the sake of the children of the world. for the sake of future all we can to guarantee the defeat Reagan can be defeated Tor peace. Angela Davis left no doubt that for her meant voting for the Democrats.
Mondale
But the reality of the Democratic Parly the exact opposite of the image given to it by the Communist Party (and similar sections of the left). The modern Democratic Party was an alliance created by Roosevelt to prevent the independent expression of of blacks oppressed groups in owne the United States. It was organised hegemony of the capitalist The crisis of the Democratic Party is not a of disaster: it is an opportunilaughable Star believe, as Angela US that electing Democrat is an answer to Call the threat of war.
was Democratic president, Truman, who both the Cold war. was Democrat presidents, Kennedy and Johnson who planned and launched the Vietnam war.
The real opportunity in US politics is not to try to rebuild the Democratic Party coalition but the ex act reverse to use the strains within the Democratic Party to break ll up illo Its component parts - and thereby open up the way to independent political expression for the working blacks Latinos, women and the Democratic Party's other supporters. This is the only way to begin to open up a real alternative The real disaster would be for the American, interna the next four years putting Democratic coalition back American grea IWW martyr Joe Hill decade was being led to his execution, 'don't He was talking about the trade union movement But it would make an epitaph for the excellent Democratic party as well.
Socialist Action. 9 November 1984
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AS WE go to press the voting in the United States presidential election is not finished. But everyone
Reagan in the White House for another four years. They have duly gained it. We need not waste space in
Reagan is not exactly the answer which is needed to the problems that confront the world!