DINOs, RINOs, and why RalphNader will never win anything

Political science professor Brian Fogarty must have a taste for danger. Two weeks ago the “News at Noon” event hosted by professor of economics Susan Feigenbaum proved that the debate over America’s partisanship as revealed through the current proposed Health Care reform bill is as combustible as ever. That particular “News at Noon” event quickly condensed from a polite open forum to a breakneck paced one-on-one between Feigenbaum and Dr. Joyce Mushaben, a political science professor who sat in on the event.

The fact that the two powerhouses of knowledge dominated the debate did not seem to bother the rest of the participants; most seemed riveted. The following week saw the highest number of participants yet this semester, causing the event to move to a larger room. On Wednesday, the final “News at Noon” of the semester saw Professor Fogarty daring to return to topics of partisanship and even brushing on the health care debate.
“The Rise in DINOs (Democrats in Name Only): Conservative Democrats in Congress” was centered on a New York Times article (the corporation sponsors the weekly events, providing food and guest speakers among other things) that discussed the difficulties faced by the White House at the hands of conservative congressional democrats who have joined the voice of opposition to the health care bill.

“You would think that with the majority they have, the Democrats would be able to send through any bill they like” Fogarty said. Fogarty went on to explain how the party’s desperate tactics in the last election cycle had them seeking out moderate candidates as they strove to take power back from the Bush era congress which was Republican.
These tactics got the Democrats in, but are now coming back to haunt them as they deal with a party with a much wider range in terms of policy leanings among its members.
After his opening remarks, Fogarty opened the floor for discussion, prompting this with questions.

“What is a Democrat? What do you think of when you hear that word?” came the first discussion-starter, a hint at the kinds of fundamental topics being broached. Fogarty was clearly thinking big.

The Millennium Student Center’s meeting room was the location once again for the event, which saw its usual participants—two or three representatives each from Student Life and The Current, and a handful of students, alumni and faculty members. There was a balance of participation as different attendees gave their thoughts on the success (or lack thereof) of the Democrats’ strategy, and how it compared to the Republican Party’s recent move in the opposite direction: trimming the fat and running out moderate members in favor of core conservatives.