Dems Can Trace Roots of Loss

FOX ^ | November 12, 2004 | Jane Roh

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Sen. John Kerry's (search) defeat to President Bush (search) seemed to catch plenty of impassioned Democrats off guard, leading the party faithful to come up with an array of causal explanations, many of which can be traced to 2000 but have been largely ignored since then.

Following defeat four years ago, many political observers expected the Democratic Party to re-evaluate its priorities and message following the stunningly close finish between then-Texas Gov. Bush and Al Gore, a scandal-free vice president who served in peacetime during a period of dizzying economic growth.

But by summer 2004, that reflection had taken a back seat as Democrats were emboldened by nationwide voter registration drives, record-breaking fund-raising successes and a candidate who is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. Party loyalists seemed confident that the bloody postwar period in Iraq and weaker-than-expected job growth would rouse a desire for change, even among voters who weren't in love with the Massachusetts senator's personality.

It's Not The Economy, Stupid

Something didn't click despite early election polls that favored Kerry, and observers from the outskirts of the party are now crediting or blaming Republican coordination and discipline as much as Democratic misguidance and self-assuredness...

[Spok]

"Al Gore, a scandal-free vice president"

How about fund raising from the White House and Budhist temples???

[LouD]

Al Gore, a scandal-free vice president

4 words: "No controlling legal authority"

[Ciexyz]

All the Pubbie volunteers did a great job leading up to the election. But it was an easy job to do, because the people we called, the doors we knocked on, there were many people both Dems and Republicans who were receptive to the message.

People were pissed about the moral direction of the country, and they hated Te-RAY-sa. The ones who knew about Kerry's record were very vocal about their feelings.

These people were going to the polls come hell or high water. No MSM scheme, no skewed early poll results, would depress their desire to cast their vote.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Following defeat four years ago, many political observers expected the Democratic Party to re-evaluate its priorities and message following the stunningly close finish between then-Texas Gov. Bush and Al Gore

Ummm. anyone who was expecting that is an idiot - Liberals, by their very nature, blame everyone else, and rarely if ever look inward when casting blame. That's part of what makes them Liberals.

a scandal-free vice president who served in peacetime during a period of dizzying economic growth.

Scandal Free? Bwaaaaaahahahahahaha! peacetme? Hah! We were at war then, too, but the media ignored it, as the administration did, and what happened? 9/11! Idiots. Economic growth? What, you mean the Dot Com Bubble? Well, that burst, and all the corporations who were allowed to fudge numbers to manipulate stock, that didn't work out too well, either, did it? But the administration ignred THAT, too, and look what happened...

I'm not even gonna read the rest, with all the blatant falsehoods in the first few paragraphs...

[Dutchgirl]

And since the dems could never admit they lost in 2000, they never had to do the self examination required.

[Newshues]

4 words: "No controlling legal authority"


4 words judges should use more often.

[RebelBanker]

I sent Fox a nastygram about this story last night. In the article, Jane Roh quoted eight Democrats and one liberal Republican but NO conservatives or real republicans. My subject line was, "You call this fair and balanced?"

[Capt. Tom]

While acknowledging it will be extremely difficult to compete without corporate cash, Frank insists the party has no other choice.

"Money isn't the only thing. You have to figure out what your advantage is and leverage that," Frank said. "[The Democrats’] advantage used to be they were the party of the common people, not money. They need to figure out how to do this without the money."

The short version- go back to class warfare. -Tom

[JustPlainJoe]

"The problem with the Democratic Party is they really do have the wishes of the masses in mind, but I think there is a little bit of condescension,"

A Little bit? Ya think???

[Zeko]

. . . "It's clear that on conservative moral values, people voted for those values over their own economic interests," United Steelworkers of America President Leo Gerard told the Associated Press last week. "I don’t understand it, and I think we need to go back and look at it." . . .

He doesn't understand how people could vote for moral convictions over money?? No wonder these people don't get it . . .

[macbee]

"The Republicans are masters of institution- and movement-building, while Democrats have let theirs whither on the vine," Frank told FOXNews.com.

Methinks someone has been reading Mark Steyn and has concluded that "whither" (as in "Whither the Democrats?") is interchangeable with "wither".

[siunevada]

He doesn't understand how people could vote for moral convictions over money??

He thinks money is the highest good. His god is Mammon and he can't understand anything else.

At least he's honest. Unlike some unnamed gold digger Senator who kept telling me he used to be an altar boy.

[macbee]

. . . "It's clear that on conservative moral values, people voted for those values over their own economic interests," United Steelworkers of America President Leo Gerard told the Associated Press last week. "I don’t understand it, and I think we need to go back and look at it." . . .

Talk about not getting it. People will DIE for their moral values. What does this guy think happens in warfare or any serious crisis? That's what heroism is: risking your life or safety for a greater good. Whadda maroon!

[narby]

This is a horribly biased article. I couldn't get through it.

Fox should be ashamed.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

The liberals who whine about FOX should listen to Juanito sometime.

[Explorer89]

But in doing so, they may have spent the credibility they would later need to hammer Republicans on Enron and other Wall Street scandals that unfolded at the start of the Bush administration.

Oh, let me see....on Inauguration Day, 2001, Enron, WorldCom, etc. all gave out a collective WHOOP and immediately began cooking their books. No my friends, the Democrats did not try to hammer the Enron thing on Bush, because it would have been pointed out that the accounting irregularities happened on CLINTON's watch.