Dean of the Democrats
Here’s how Tim Grieve’s excellent article at Salon starts:
Harry Reid says Democrats have to “swallow their pride” and move toward the middle. Harry Reid says he admires Antonin Scalia’s “brilliance” and could imagine voting to confirm him as chief justice of the United States. Harry Reid says he’d rather “dance” with George W. Bush than “fight” him.
Harry Reid says: “I’m the face of the Democratic Party today.”
Harry Reid may be right. For a party that came within 119,000 Ohio votes of ousting a sitting president in a time of war, the Democrats are sounding awfully defeated these days. There’s talk of making the most of long-term minority status, of compromising on judicial appointments and “moral issues” like the rights of gay couples and women — Reid, the Democrats’ new Senate leader, is anti-choice — and of trying to figure out some way to outflank the Republicans from the red-state right.
And then there’s Howard Dean.
The national Democrat Party incumbents may not like Dean, but they should understand that if the party continues to refuse to stand for Democratic values, then it will alienate so much of its base that the Democrats will lose in ’08.
As for me, well, with Reid as Senate Leader, I’m one rightwing Democrat away from joining a third party.
Categories: Uncategorized dw
It can alienate the base or embrace the base. Either way it loses. Both directions are wrong if the goal is to become strong again on a federal, state level.
One thing it could throw out real soon now is the meme “For a party that came within 119,000 Ohio votes of ousting a sitting president in a time of war….” That just confuses it with false hope. You can lose by 119,000 votes or by one vote, you still lose in the winner take all elections. The margin of loss does not make the taste on Inauguration Day any less bitter. The Democrats need a makeover that goes beyond the mere cosmetic. Will they get one or will hubris continue to make them lose? History will tell.
If the party could think of itself as the “third party” and shape itself that way, it could win.
I’d even vote for it again.
What Reid hasn’t realized is that he’s no longer a Democrat. Oh, I’m sure his party card says he is, but if your beliefs are identical to those you oppose, are you really an opposition? I think not.
We can decry the so called red states as Jesusland all we want, but we need to understand why many of them voted for Bush and what would cause them to think about voting Democrat. At this point, the right vs left dichotomy is not helping. It forces the Dems to characterize themselves as close to Republicans (centrists) or, to be pigeonholed as ‘far left’.
Starting with Dean’s anger, the Dems did not offer a reason to vote FOR Kerry, they offered a reason to vote AGAINST Bush. If the Dems are to be relevant again, they need to find positive messages that ring true with large groups of voters. Being faux Republicans is not how they win – it’s how they surrender.
What I’m afraid we have is a swinging of the ol’ pendulum and I’m not looking forward to it. The socially liberal Dems (and I’m one of them) put off a lot of people who are otherwise on our side. As a party, we’re going to have to have some room for a spectrum of views on issues while still being able to articulate core values and a vision that speaks to those values.
I hate to bring this up, but remember when Tipper Gore got slammed for protesting offensive lyrics in pop songs? It’s an old example but it makes the point. It would help our cause if we could find a way to defend the First Amendment and keep the f-bombs out of the hands (and ears) of kids. Those are the mainstream “values” that a lot of people get worked up over. We have to find a way to articulate, and demonstrate, that we are a party that values families, good schools, and safe streets. We must take back the center, not by caving in on our principles but by tying our princples back to concerns of average families.
We also need to embark on a massive financial literacy program so that those in the middle and below come to realize that they are getting royally screwed and that moves like privatizing Social Security are the equivalent of cold, steely anal probe for the average Joe.