Posted on 12/24/2009 6:40:14 AM PST by saganite
The announcement by Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith that he is switching to the Republican Party is just the latest warning sign that the Democratic Party -- my lifelong political home -- has a critical decision to make: Either we plot a more moderate, centrist course or risk electoral disaster not just in the upcoming midterms but in many elections to come.
Rep. Griffith's decision makes him the fifth centrist Democrat to either switch parties or announce plans to retire rather than stand for reelection in 2010. These announcements are a sharp reversal from the progress the Democratic Party made starting in 2006 and continuing in 2008, when it reestablished itself as the nation's majority party for the first time in more than a decade. That success happened for one major reason: Democrats made inroads in geographies and constituencies that had trended Republican since the 1960s. In these two elections, a majority of independents and a sizable number of moderate Republicans joined the traditional Democratic base to sweep Democrats to commanding majorities in Congress and to bring Barack Obama to the White House.
snip
The party's moment of choosing is drawing close. While it may be too late to avoid some losses in 2010, it is not too late to avoid the kind of rout that redraws the political map. The leaders of the Democratic Party need to move back toward the center -- and in doing so, set the stage for the many years' worth of leadership necessary to produce the sort of pragmatic change the American people actually want.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
This author is also the brother of Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago.
This was the Rats plan all along. Jam through Obamacare. Then have “moderate” voices from outside the Administration call for centering their Party in an effort to mitigate 2010 losses. This is a Rahm and Axelrod strategy. Machine politics in action.
This time it will not work. Conservatives are united and getting ready for battle.
You know, one of the things that most amazes me is that when reading the reader comment sections on liberal-biased articles in liberal rags, including the SF Chronic, NY Slimes and all the rest is that the commentators are always at least 5-1 conservative to liberal.
I’m not sure what that means exactly. Are liberals too illiterate and/or inarticulate to write a response? Do liberals not read newspapers online? Or is it that liberals just don’t read newspapers? Or perhaps they simply don’t/can’t read or write at all.
The center is only a tool used by lying politicians.
GRIFFITH’S PARTY SWITCH ILLUSTRATES THE DEATH OF MODERATE DEMOCRATS
By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN
Published on DickMorris.com on December 23, 2009
Parker Griffith’s decision to step out of line and refuse to drink the Democratic Kool-Aid illustrates the Achilles Heel of the Democratic regime in Washington: The radical reign of Pelosi and Reid is held up by pillars of moderate and conservative Democrats who come from districts that regularly vote Republican. To survive in these red precincts, Democrats must act like Republicans, advocating a balanced budget, opposing big spending, and fighting against socialized medicine. But, in Washington, Pelosi and Reid use their backing to bring a radical left leadership to Congress.
Once it sufficed for a moderate Democrat merely to vote “no.” But American voters are onto their tricks and realize that a Democrat — any Democrat — will vote “yes” when his party leaders need it. The unanimous Senate Democratic support for Obamacare shows that there are really only two types of Congresspeople: Democrats and Republicans. All other shadings and adjectives are mere decoration.
The Senate deal-making that produced party unity has gone on in full public view, a vindication of Otto Von Bismark’s wisdom in proclaiming that the public should never witness either a sausage being made or a law being passed. We are watching, real time, as moderate Democrats fold for tiny, dirty little payoffs to their states and their egos.
A moderate Democrat is just someone who will demand a higher price for caving into what Reid and Pelosi and Obama want him to do. By focusing on his so-called moderation and hoping for his support, we just drive up his market price and elevate the bribe he will get.
(We only know now about the publicly funded bribes these moderate members of Congress are getting. We will learn, as the years unfold, what private commitments were exchanged for their health care votes. Follow the judgeships, ambassadorships, and cabinet positions to see where these folks land after their voters have thrown them out.)
So Parker Griffith realized — as others will — that merely voting against the legislation he did not like would not be sufficient to inoculate him against voter anger. To get out of the way of the looming tsunami of 2010, he had actually to switch political parties and become a Republican.
In 2010, voters will realize that their can vote only for one of the two parties. Individuals don’t matter. Candidate personalities, preferences, backgrounds, and even ideologies don’t matter. Once the smart voter said that he votes for the person, not the party. Now, this once virtuous citizen would be a fool. There is no such thing as a moderate Democrat or a centrist or a conservative or a Reagan Democrat. There are only Democrats who, when the chips are down, will vote as his leaders need him to vote.
Congressman Parker Griffith, the newly minted Republican, is typical of his class of freshmen Democrats from heavily McCain districts. For them to survive, they need to switch parties. Otherwise, they — and the damage they have done — will be two year footnotes to history.
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Good advice. A year too late for the White House and three years too late for congress, but good advice. I thank God that the socialists are too power-hungry to listen. They would rather grab what control they can over us now than slow down and maybe keep power but less of it for many more years.
Not hardly.
"These independents and Republicans supported Democrats based on a message indicating that the party would be a true Big Tent -- that we would welcome a diversity of views even on tough issues such as abortion, gun rights and the role of government in the economy."(Read the latter as deficit spending.)
The candidates that they ran beginning in 2006 espoused those ideas where needed too. Before 2006, the pubbies were getting almost half, if not half, of the independents and moderates. Starting in 2006, and continuing in 2008, the rats got those voters about three to two.
To retake Congress in 2006, the rats just railed about Iraq, Katrina, corruption and out of control spending. They only campaigned on pay as you go spending and recruited pro Second Amendment and pro-life candidates like Bob Casey in PA as needed to win. They most certainly moved to the right. Just aks yourself, when was the last serious gun grabbing bill by the rats in DC?
They put forward "moderates" starting in 2006 to get their Congressional majorities in Congressional Districts that were competitive. Any idiot who stayed home to teach the GOP a lesson must be really happy now.
He’s wasting keystrokes worrying about this guy. Griffith’s voted like a Republican.
Wrong. They got tossed because they were accused of doing the same things the Democrats are now doing.
Right. Think back.
As one that did not stay home I stick to my statement. You are thinking of the election and I am thinking of events leading up to the election.
I agree with your comments. Daley is smart enough to know you have to present liberalism in increments. Not stone us with it.
I also like Dick Morris column. He is correct. These guys will need to switch parties to survive next year.
Democrats are starting to switch parties now because the writing is on the wall but to all voters I say be very careful WHAT REPUBLICAN YOU VOTE FOR IN THE NEXT PRIMARIES. If ones on the ballots are former dems, DO NOT VOTE FOR THEM. Take your time to vote. Do the necessary research on the candidates before you enter the voting booth. Come to the voting booth prepared to vote for the most conservative candidate on the ballot. This is the only way we will all be able to take our country back.
Agreed. Never forget. Never forgive. This advocates mere tactical withdrawal, not retreat.
I say be very careful WHAT REPUBLICAN YOU VOTE FOR IN THE NEXT PRIMARIES
Agreed. The GOP has to be treated like a dog you own but which has tried to attack you. Watch them close and hit them hard when they start drifting again.
For now, no biscuits. Biscuits go directly to conservative candidates.
PRESIDENTIAL TREASON 101 thru 105-(The Clinton Administration – 1999)
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