What general concepts do you believe in that are supported by every member of this board.

[NCTraveler]

I'm talking positions where the needle can and does move. When I say every member here I'm talking about those here in good faith. Keep the ideas very general. Looking for a list of agreements.

The wealthy must pay a higher percentage in taxes.

[DanTex]

1. Carbon emissions need to be cut.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. social security, medicare, medicaid, progressive taxes, global warming.

i think there is more unity on economic justice than social justice.

[RKP5637]

3. Gets my vote!!! n/t

[NCTraveler]

5. I think you are probably correct.

We can hit some as long as it's kept in general terms.

The inequality in our education system needs to be addressed.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. i think there is less consensus about what to do about education

because education in many ways is also a social justice issue

[NCTraveler]

12. I mentioned it as a social justice issue.

I was building off your reply. I don't think anyone here would disagree with my very general position. Few would agree completely on a path forward. That's why I'm asking for the concept to be very general.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. ahh!! i see.

i think there is some consensus about minority rights, but many here wish our rights did not occupy front and center conversations.

i remember a thread from 04 or so that pretty much blamed the election on gay rights.

[OhioBlue]

26. In 2004 the GOP initiatied several State ballot initiatives to ban gay marriage

They did this to give their base a wedge issue to increase their voter turnout.

It was straight out of a Rovian playbook for the election.

This isn't a conspiracy theory - it was their poll tested scheme to help turnout among a base (evangelicals) that they were worried might soften in GOP support due to the wars and torture.

[jberryhill]

4. The "reply" button works

[NCTraveler]

8. Check one..... Check one two... nt

[immoderate]

6. The idea of democracy.

That is, that the function of government should reflect the wishes of the people rather than some plutocracy or other elite. Strategies that overemphasize rural power should be amended. And no more electoral college.

--imm

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. you think the entire board agrees on elimination of electoral college?

[immoderate]

16. If they are on board with "the idea of democracy," I suspect they would.

Although, some may interpret democracy differently than I do. I haven't encountered any arguments for it, persuasive or not.

On edit: second thought, I can't say with certainty that everyone on this board supports the idea of democracy. I know people who don't, but they are right wingers. There may be people here, who maybe, don't want to ripple the waters. At the moment, if the electoral college can reject Trump, they will have justified their existence, but I don't think they will.

--imm

[NanceGreggs]

10. Get rid of tax subsidies/breaks ...

... for corporations raking-in billions in profits.

[oberliner]

11. Gay people should be allowed to get married

Women should be allowed to have abortions

[metroins]

14. These.

Insurance should be affordable and easy.

[SQUEE]

35. NO.

Insurance should be an extinct concept.

There are a myriad of ways to cover the health of the nation without engaging and enriching a parasitic middle man.

[metroins]

36. You're 200 years ahead

Thinking insurance companies should go away at the moment is naive.

If you get rid of insurance companies then individuals need to bear their own risk retention and keep a million dollars on hand if/when they get cancer.

If you push it off to government, the government has worse cost controls than insurers.

Insurance will one day go away, but we're too far away. We should have a baseline public HMO option with privatized PPO options available.

[SQUEE]

37. 200 years is niave.

It took less than 3 decades to make healthcare in general out of the price range of the middle class..

[aidbo]

15. Get big money out of politics.

[Demsrule86]

23. That will be impossible right now.

and that is not a position that is controversial...even the GOP rank and file say they are for that...but you actually have to get elected before that can be addressed.

[aidbo]

25. Your objection to my comment has nothing to do with the criteria laid out by the OP.

What general concepts do you believe in that are supported by every member of this board.

Pretty much all of the suggestions so far will be impossible right now.

Cut carbon emissions? Save Social Security & Medicare from cuts? Protect the progress we've made on the right of LGBTQ to marry who they want to marry? Raise taxes on the wealthy and make corporation pay their fair share?

Pretty much impossible at least for the next 2 to 4 years.

But you correctly point out that most Democratic voters and even many GOP voters agree with my sentiment.

As for 'actually having to be elected' in order to make progress on this front, I disagree.
The people at wolf-PAC.com are making slow but steady progress in getting the states to call for a constitutional convention to amend the constitution to "reverse Citizens United, Restore our Democracy, and Save the Republic. Join the Fight for Free and Fair Elections in America!"

Yes I know that the person behind wolf-PAC is somewhat persona non grata around here lately, but I still feel that this is something concrete that is worth fighting for.

I also believe that this one big problem is hindering progress in most of the other big problems we are striving to rectify.

http://www.wolf-pac.com/ For people who may be interested.

[Demsrule86]

33. A constitutional convention in a country that has way more Republican's Governor's and

legislatures than Democratic ones would be a disaster of epic proportions. We would lose horribly.

[HassleCat]

17. These, but I know I'm wrong

1. Shift the tax burden away from the working class and middle class, and toward high income earners.

2. Get rid of the death penalty.

3. Use the power of the federal government to train police to stop shooting at young black men.

4. Drop hemp from the federal war on drugs.

5. Federalize the registration and voting processes to ensure fair representation for all citizens.

6. Raise or eliminate the income cap on Social Security taxes.

7. Work to improve the ACA by adding a federal insurance option, or some other "public option."

8. Use the power of government to protect citizens from corporate greed, predatory lending practices, dangerous working conditions, unsafe consumer products, etc.

9. Dare to dream about doing something big like Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, War on Poverty, infrastructure overhaul, etc.

[NCTraveler]

18. I think you would have complete agreement in most.

I see three that some might take issue with. One of those three would have complete agreement if made more general.

[HassleCat]

19. I'm definitely wrong on death penalty

People love it. I'm pretty sure over half of Democrats favor it.

[NCTraveler]

20. You aren't wrong.

You hold a superior position.

[Demsrule86]

24. I am absolutely against the death penalty... but I will vote for any candidate in 18 and in

20 who has a 'D" next to his/her name...no time to worry about agreement...loyalty on the other hand...

[flvegan]

21. Donald Trump sucks.

Maybe that's not a general concept, but I think we all agree (those here in good faith, anyway).

[NCTraveler]

22. Bigly.

Good to see your name.

[Ken Burch]

27. We must work constantly for social AND economic justice.

And we pretty much all support both justice movements.

[baldguy]

28. I wouldn't put any one issue at 100%.

Even the most basic, like "vote for Democrats" gets push back from some quarters.

[NCTraveler]

30. Then put forward you opposition to the one I outlined in my op.

No one has made an argument against it. That is 100% support to this point. Sane stands for a number of the replies.

[Rex]

29. Trump is a con man and unqualified to run the country.

I doubt anyone would object to that.

[SticksnStones]

31. Cats on Sundays ease the pain. nt

[NCTraveler]

32. From a distance.

Close up and I get a trip to the hospital.

I made multiple trips to the hospital because of allergies to cats when I was younger. They were so cute I had to love them. Then I had to go to the er. lol

[SQUEE]

34. A sane and fair safety net for all Americans.

We are too wealthy as a nation for ANYONE to starve or freeze to death, or not receive at the bare minimum lifesaving medications and medical care.