I hope you noticed that I carefully said "a Democratic nominee," not "the Democratic nominee," because the question may apply to candidates at all level of government, not just the presidency. This was briefly touched upon in the series of comments which inspired this diary.

Here's Commenter A:

if you think you get to pick and choose (none / 0)

your an independent.

get it?

That is, if you think you can vote for a mix of Democrats and non-Democrats, you're an independent, not a Democrat.

Here was my response:

No (2.00 / 1)

I consider myself a Democrat and, in answer to the poll question above, I would absolutely support Hillary Clinton if she's the nominee.

HOWEVER, being a Democrat doesn't mean you have to vote the straight party ticket. In fact, I can't stand the morons who don't bother to educate themselves on the issues and the candidates and make honest selections, and blindly just check all of the "D" or "R" boxes.

Most of the time, after reviewing all of the candidates, I end up voting for all Democrats. Sometimes, someone corrupt sneaks in and gets nominated by our party. I will not vote for a corrupt politician, regardless of party. Sometimes, especially in local races (like, county commissioners or whatever), a Republican or independent might be legitimately more qualified and have better ideas. I feel I'm justified in choosing not to support the Democrat.

I support good government first, the Democratic Party second. Most of the time, there's never a conflict, and the Democrats are the best choices for our country. But sometimes, when there is a conflict, I choose to pick the best person for the job, even if that means breaking with the party.

So, am I a Democrat? I think that I am.

Commenter A responds to me:

Youre what we IN THE PARTY (none / 0)

system...define as a "strong dem leaning independent".

Thats what you are, It doesnt matter how many words you writee about your feelings about this.

We have primary systems to choose our candidates....its not a cafeteria, where you get to pick and choose...we fight amongst ourselves to select our nominee...and then we fight together to support our Partys ticket.

You dont have to do this, butt then that choice would make you an "Independent"

And someone new, Commenter B, jumps in:

Re: Youre what we IN THE PARTY (none / 0)

Sigh...

This is a really fruitless discussion between the two of you.

And Holden, your idea of the democratic party reminds me of... a very undemocratic party.

The democratic party isnt a party where you give up to vote your conscience just by checking "D" on the voter registration form.

The democratic party isnt a party where you pledge to vote "D" whatever the choices.

Just by voting once or a few times for a non democrat or abstaining to vote doesnt mean you are an independent. It just means you have your own brain and are using it.

Whoever considers himself a democrat, is a democrat. Its not you to decide who is a democrat.

What would indeed be very wrong, is that someone running in apartys primary, loosing the primary and then running as an independent.

But John Edwards is no Joe Lieberman!

And, finally, Commenter A responds to that:

whats with you people? (none / 0)

what dont you understand about the word 'Independent"?

look up and notice that TWENTY FIVE % of the folks in this poll said that they would not...

God - thick headed pain in the neck Naderite PINOs - GOD DAMN!

What the hell do you think we hold Primaries for - so you can say....nh...Im going my own way?

that means your  "I" not a "D".

JEEZE!

I've removed the usernames above because I'm not trying to call anyone out or embarrass anyone. Commenter A's style is much more confrontational and closed-minded than I like, but he brought up a point which got me thinking. What does it mean to be a Democrat, and what does it mean to belong to a party?

Let's look at it, from greatest involvement to the least involvement.

Are you a member of the Democratic Party if you hold some position in the National Committee or a state or local party?

I would say yes, absolutely. There's no doubt that Howard Dean, as Chair of the DNC, is a Democrat.

Are you a member of the Democratic Party if you hold an elected, public office and are affiliated with the Democratic Party?

Again, I say yes. Senator Harry Reid is the Democratic leader in the Senate, was elected as the Democratic nominee for Senate in Nevada, and is publicly affiliated with the party.

Are you a member of the Democratic Party if you are the party's nominee for some office?

Yes, provisionally. If you've sought the party's nomination and are publicly affiliated with it, then sure. However, as our friends in New York know with the Liberal and Conservative Parties, sometimes a candidate is nominated by more than one party. Is that candidate a member of both? Well, no, it depends on which he chooses to affiliate himself with.

Are you a member of the Democratic Party if you are registered as a member with the party?

Some states require you to register as a member of one party or another, and I would say that those who choose to register as Democrats are Democrats. I think that seems perfectly reasonable.

Are you a member of the Democratic Party if you publicly support Democrats, but are not a registered member?

Now it gets murky. If you're exclusively supporting Democrats, though, I would say that yes, you're a Democrat. (Supporting, by the way, I would say is volunteering, donating money, encouraging your friends, etc.)

Are you a member of the Democratic Party if you vote exclusively for Democrats, but do not publicly support them?

Even murkier. Suppose you're casting a straight Democratic ballot every election, but you're not out there getting friends and family involved. Can you still call yourself a Democrat? I say, yes. From the definition Commenter A gave above, I think he would say yes, too.

In a given election, if you vote for all Democrats except for in one office, are you still a Democrat?

I come from a pretty conservative area, and sometimes Democrats don't file for all of the offices. If the local Drain Commissioner is a Republican, and he's been doing a good job, and no Democrat runs against him, should I still vote for him? If I vote for him (and Democrats in every other office), am I still a Democrat?

I say yes. Commenter A, I suspect, might say no.

If you have the opportunity to vote for all Democrats, but you choose to vote for a non-Democrat, are you still a Democrat?

A variation on the last one. If there is a Democrat who files against the Republican Drain Commissioner, and the Democrat that files is a man who has no experience, no skills or ideas, and has gone out of his way to insult you and the electorate, what happens if I vote for the Republican? Am I still a Democrat?

I say yes. Commenter A definitely says no.

Commenter A asserts that primaries are the time to get your guy selected as the Democratic nominee, but if someone you don't like is the nominee, you're bound to support him if you still call yourself a Democrat. But what about nominees selected by conventions, or races where only one "bad" Democrat files? Or am I morally obligated to run myself if I don't like the Democrat(s) that have filed?

What if you vote for two non-Democrats? Or three? Is voting Green better or worse than voting Republican?

Here's where things really fall apart. At what point do I start and stop being a Democrat? If I vote for 51% Democrats and 49% non-Democrats, am I a Democrat? If I vote 40% Democratic, 35% Green, and 25% Republican, am I a Democrat?

When you're reaching that point, I agree with Commenter A, you're not a Democrat anymore, you're an Independent and a swing voter. But where are the lines drawn?

And what happens when my questions above conflict with one another? I hate to use Zell Miller as an example for anything, but he was simultaneously a Democratic office-holder and publicly supporting George W. Bush-- and Bush is no Drain Commissioner. Was he still a Democrat?

Frankly, I don't know, but I'm curious to know what you all think. If you feel that you're a Democrat in your heart, are you a Democrat? If you're publicly affiliated with the Democratic Party, like Zell Miller, but you're no longer supporting any of its positions or candidates, are you still a Democrat?

For that matter, is there a difference between being a Democrat and being a "member of the Democratic Party"?

I don't know. I know that I am absolutely certain that I'm a Democrat, but some folks apparently disagree. What does it mean to be a Democrat?

Poll Based on the diary above, is Fitzy a Democrat? Yes No Sometimes Votes: 7 Results : Vote Link : Polls