", "Two House Committees Approve Health Reform Bill", "Blue Dogs shaved in half – Blue Dog Democrats", "Shutdown, health care, budget: How moderate House Democrats will influence the party", "New Dems hope to be a force in 113th Congress", "Why the Blue Dogs' decline was inevitable", "The Blue Dog map is changing. [29], In the 2016 elections, future Blue Dogs accounted for over half of the Democrats’ gains in the House. They also supported balancing the federal budget, closing tax loopholes, and cutting spending through the elimination of programs they feel don't work. Americanthinker.com. The term "Yellow Dog Democrat" achieved popularity in 1928 during the race between Republican Herbert Hoover and Democrat Al Davis (in which a prominent Democrat crossed party lines and supported Hoover), but its later connotation was meant to refer to a Democrat who would rather vote for a dog than a Republican. [30] In 2018, for the first time since 2006, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee partnered with the Blue Dog PAC (the Blue Dog Coalition's political organization) to recruit candidates in competitive districts across the country. A Blue Dog Democrat is a member of Congress who is moderate or more conservative in their voting record and political philosophy than other, more liberal, Democrats in the House and Senate. But these are not your father's Blue Dogs", "Bye-bye, blue dog "Democrats": What the end of conservative Dems means for America", "Blue Dog Coalition Elects 3 New Co-Chairs to Lead Them in Next Congress", "The Beat: BLUE DOG COALITION ELECTS FIRST WOMAN OF COLOR AS CO-CHAIR", C-Span article by Ilona Nickels on Blue Dogs, Right-Leaning "Blue Dogs" Lose Seats in 2010 Election, United States Senate Democratic Conference Secretary, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_Dog_Coalition&oldid=1000426227, Ideological caucuses of the United States Congress, Centrist political advocacy groups in the United States, Democratic Party (United States) organizations, Factions in the Democratic Party (United States), Political terminology of the United States, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 January 2021, at 01:49. Rep Mike Ross Lies Like a Blue Dog Democrat! Members of the Blue Dog Democrat coalition listed among their legislative priorities a "Pay-As-You-Go Act," which require that any legislation that requires an outlay of taxpayer money cannot increase the federal deficit. A Blue Dog Democrat is a member of Congress who is moderate or more conservative in their voting record and political philosophy than other, more liberal, Democrats in the House and Senate. The Top 7 Conservative States in the U.S. Top 9 Conservative News and Opinion Websites. [42], Caucus for centrist to conservative members of the Democratic Party, "Blue Dogs" redirects here. [35] There is no mention of social issues in the official Blue Dog materials. If you support the Left party, purchase this cute Yellow Dog Democrat gear and make sure everyone sees it! There is a wide debate within the conservative movement over how differing ideologies can fall under one common category. Who Were the Democratic Presidents of the United States? Moderate Democrats in the Blue Dog Coalition are endorsing a slate of candidates Thursday in Republican-leaning districts, as they look to put their mark on the party’s 2018 midterm push. [16], At one time, first-term Blue Dogs were nicknamed ‘Blue Pups’. One reason for the party-dues boycott was contained in remarks made by Rep. Lynn Woolsey of California, encouraging leaders of anti-war groups to field primary challenges to any Democrat who did not vote to end the war in Iraq. The Blue Dog Democrats are a coalition of moderate and conservative Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives. They are pragmatic Democrats, appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. How Conservatives Would Reform Education. They are pragmatic Democrats, appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. As of December 2020, the caucus has 18 members. Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) Texas Rep. Pete Olson is the most conservative member of the House, says Graphiq, which used data from GovTrack. Blue Dog Democrats are also sometimes called "Reagan Democrats." [25] Two of the Coalition's four leaders (Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and Baron Hill) failed to secure re-election. [8], The co-chairs of the Blue Dog Coalition for the 116th Congress are U.S. [26][27], The caucus shrank even more in the 2012 House of Representatives elections, decreasing in size from 27 to 14 members. A Blue Dog Democrat is one who views himself as being in the middle of the partisan spectrum and as an advocate for fiscal restraint at the federal level. Vermont . 13 talking about this. [41] Rep. Murphy, a Vietnamese American, is the first woman of color to lead the Blue Dog Coalition in its history. Though the caucus didn’t officially take positions on … Democrats picked up six House seats in November — and four of them went to Blue Dog Democrats. For the American band formed in 1987, see, Ideological caucuses in the United States Congress. The chair of the Blue Dog PAC, the Coalition's political organization, is Rep. Kurt Schrader. They identify themselves as conservative democrats who promote centrism, fiscal and social conservatism, and are found between the Centre-right and Centre-left of US Politics. By 2017 the number of Blue Dogs had fallen to 14. They were the Southern Democrats who stayed loyal to the party after the parties flipped. Many members of the Blue Dog Coalition are also … Do Members of Congress Ever Lose Re-Election? Senator Bernie Sanders in 2016. Certain conservatives may doubt the legitimacy of others, but there are arguments for each view. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to pursuing fiscally-responsible policies, ensuring a strong national defense, and transcending party lines to get things done for Dino was a blue dog, and the letters DINO stand for "Democrat In Name Only. The Blue Dog Coalition does not have a cohesive ideology but tends to stand between Republicans and more liberal Democrats on matters like federal spending, entitlement programs and national security. The chair of the Blue Dog PAC, the Coalition's political organization, is Rep. Kurt Schrader. Blue Dog Democrats are a group or caucus of Congress who all belong to the Democratic Party. The Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995[9][10][11] during the 104th Congress to give members from the Democratic Party representing conservative-leaning districts a unified voice after the Democrats’ loss of Congress in the 1994 Republican Revolution. It was the first Republican House majority since 1952. Democrat Bill Clinton was president at the time. Parties, Rules, and the Evolution of Congressional Budgeting, Lance T. LeLoup, 2005, pp. Caucuses with no known membership as of the 116th Congress do not have memberships listed. It may even help Democrats win Republican districts", "House Democratic Factions All See Gains After Midterms", "Blue Dog Democrats are poised to play a crucial role in the next Congress", "It was a big, blue wave: Democrats pick up most House seats in a generation", "Centrist Democrats are back. Should the U.S. Census Count Undocumented Immigrants? The term also refers to the “Blue Dog” paintings of Cajun artist George Rodrigue of Lafayette, Louisiana as the original members of the coalition would regularly meet in the offices of Louisiana representatives Billy Tauzin and Jimmy Hayes, both of whom later joined the Republican Party – both also had Rodrigue's paintings on their walls. The Blue Dog Democrat will remind you to vote Democrat this year with this design. The preamble to the Blue Dog Caucus in the House describes its members as being "dedicated to the financial stability and national security of the country, notwithstanding partisan political positions and personal fortune.". Go Democrats! [12], The term “Blue Dog Democrat” is credited to Texas Democratic representative Pete Geren (who later joined the Bush Administration). Specifically, the ranks of the Blue Dog Democrat fell dramatically beginning in 2010 as the partisan divide between Republicans and Democrats grew wider. Blue Dog Democrat definition: a fiscally conservative member of the Democratic Party | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples History and Significance. Though its members have evolved on social issues over time,[25] the group has never taken a position on social issues as a caucus. In 2004, Republican John Thune upset Democratic Minority Leader Tom Daschle, taking one of the state's Senate seats. 185. Its members, who were roughly one quarter of the Democratic Party's caucus in the 111th Congress, accounted for half of the party's midterm election losses. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our, Members of the Freedom Caucus and Their Mission in Congress. [25] All incumbents were re-elected and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema was elected to the U.S. Senate from Arizona. The name “Blue Dog” was inspired by the famous Blue Dog paintings by Cajun artist George Rodrigue. Dino was a blue dog, and the letters DINO stand for "Democrat In Name Only." The Blue Dogs are leaders in Congress who are committed to pursuing fiscally-responsible policies, ensuring a strong national defense, and transcending party lines to do what’s best for the American people. The House Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 after Republicans who drafted a conservative Contract with America were swept into power in Congress during the midterm elections that year. A caucus of Democrats in the United States House of Representatives who are moderate to conservative on fiscal issues. They are not a separate political party but are a grouping within the Democrats. The term is now more generally applied to refer to any Democrat who will vote a … While conservative states typically have right-to-work laws, Vermont went the opposite direction and passed a "fair share" law that forces non-union workers to pay union dues. The Blue Dog Coalition is an official caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives comprised of 18 fiscally-responsible Democrats, who are leading the way to find commonsense solutions. The 2016 election didn’t offer Democrats a … Another explanation for the term Blue Dog Democrat is that the group initially held its meetings in an office that had a painting of a blue dog on the wall. The Blue-Dog Coalition is a group of 32 Democratic House members who primarily push an agenda of fiscal conservativism. Electorally, the state has been moving to the right over the last few decades. Speculation ensued that the centrist New Democrat Coalition would fill the power vacuum created by the Blue Dog Coalition's decline. Donations to party congressional committees are an important source of funding for the party committees, permitting millions of dollars to be funneled back into close races. Is Mark Zuckerberg a Democrat or a Republican? [24] Including retirements, Blue Dog numbers in the House were reduced from 59 members in 2009 to 26 members in 2011. Woolsey later stated that she was misunderstood, but the Blue Dogs continued the boycott. There are several explanations for how the name Blue Dog Democrat came about. The 26 conservative and moderate Democrats of the Blue Dog Coalition represent the sensible … Geren opined that the members had been “choked blue” by Democrats on the left. The first group of Blue Dog Democrats consisted of 23 House members who felt the 1994 midterm elections were a clear sign that their party had moved too far to the left and was therefore rejected by mainstream voters. Representatives Anthony Brindisi, Lou Correa, Stephanie Murphy, and Tom O'Halleran. It acts as a check on legislation that its members perceive to be too far to the right or to the left on the political spectrum. Yellow Dog Democrats was a political term applied to voters in the Southern United States who voted solely for candidates who represented the Democratic Party.The term originated in the late 19th century. Blue Dog Democrats is a coalition of United States Congressional Representatives who are members of the Democratic Party. They were: Tom Murse is a former political reporter and current Managing Editor of daily paper "LNP," and weekly political paper "The Caucus," both published by LNP Media in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Blue Dog Democrat, however, has become an increasingly rare breed in American politics as voters and elected officials become more partisan and polarized in their beliefs. Encyclopedia of American Parties, Campaigns, and Elections, William C. Binning et al, 1999, pp. Their numbers vary, but generally hover between 30 and 50 individuals. Thune won reelection in 2010 and 2016. Scott Perry, incumbent of the district and member of the Freedom Caucus, found himself facing a close race in 2018 against challenger George Scott, who was also a Blue Dog endorsee. The Blue Dog Coalition is an official caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives comprised of 18 fiscally-responsible Democrats. Sixty-seven percent of Vermont voters chose Barack Obama in 2012, and cast 71% of their votes for self-described Democratic Socialist U.S. While the American Thinker blog will not blow you away with graphics, flashy videos, or a multimedia assault, it will blow you away with plenty of conservative opinion content.American Thinker publishes exclusive information that can’t be found elsewhere, often from Americans with impressive political backgrounds, an opinion, and a keyboard. After the Republican Party won the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, a group of thirty-three conservative Democrats formed the Blue Dog Coalition. Condit (Administration), Peterson (Policy) and Tanner (Communications) were co-chairs (Deal was initially the chair for Policy before he switched parties shortly after the caucus's founding). [39], The founding members of the Blue Dog Coalition were: Glen Browder and Bud Cramer of Alabama; Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas; Gary Condit of California; Nathan Deal of Georgia; William Lipinski of Illinois; Scotty Baesler of Kentucky; Billy Tauzin and Jimmy Hayes of Louisiana; Collin Peterson and David Minge of Minnesota; Michael Parker and Gene Taylor of Mississippi; Pat Danner of Missouri; William K. Brewster of Oklahoma; John S. Tanner of Tennessee; Ralph Hall, Charles Stenholm, Pete Geren and Greg Laughlin of Texas, Bill Orton of Utah; and Lewis F. Payne, Jr. and Owen Pickett of Virginia. A Blue Dog Democrat is a relatively conservative Democrat in Congress, as opposed to the leftist Democrat leadership. One is that founding members of the congressional caucus in the mid-1990s claimed to have felt "choked blue by the extremes in both parties." [31] After the 2018 House of Representatives elections, the caucus grew from 18 members to 24. The term is also based on the long-time tradition of referring to a … The Blue Dogs were founded in 1995, the year after Republicans took control of the House for the first time in four decades. A Biography of Glenn Beck. As Congress braces for the midterm elections, "Blue Dogs" -- a nickname for the most moderate Democrats on Capitol Hill -- are hoping to make a comeback. Michael Lee is correct that the term "Blue Dog Democrat" exists in contrast with the term "yellow dog Democrat," but that's only half the story. [8] The co-chairs of the Blue Dog Coalition for the 116th Congress are U.S. Black Women Who Have Run for President of the United States, All the Women Who Have Run for President of the US, Why Puerto Rico Matters in the US Presidential Election, What Was the US Second Party System? Representatives Anthony Brindisi,[7] Lou Correa, Stephanie Murphy, and Tom O'Halleran. [13] It is related to the political term “Yellow Dog Democrat”, a reference to Southern Democrats said to be ‘so loyal they would even vote for a yellow dog before they would vote for any Republican’. The Blue Dogs are likely terrified to propose such a thing on the eve of what will doubtless materialize as a Biden spending spree. [14][15] An additional explanation for the term cited by members is "when dogs are not let into the house, they stay outside in the cold and turn blue", a reference to the Blue Dogs’ belief they had been left out of a party that they believed had shifted to the political left. But many of its members lost in the 2010 midterm elections during Democrat Barack Obama's presidency. The Blue Dog Democrat, however, has become an increasingly rare breed in American politics as voters and elected officials become more partisan and polarized … [7], The Blue Dog Coalition is often involved in searching for a compromise between liberal and conservative positions. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, List of members of the Blue Dog Coalition, "Blue Dog Democrats, whittled down in number, are trying to regroup", "U.S. House has fewer moderate Democrats", "Why 2012 Will Be a Watershed House Election", "Anthony Brindisi to co-chair Blue Dogs, caucus of moderate House Democrats", https://bluedogcaucus-costa.house.gov/members, "20 years in, Blue Dogs not ready to roll over", "The Democratic Party's centrists: Blue Dog days", "Are the Blue Dogs really working for you? 15 members of the House for the 116th Congress are U.S in the States... Gained more seats than in any single election since the post-Watergate Congressional elections Republicans took control of the House the! 24 ] Including retirements, Blue Dog Democrat primary races in election to! 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