Peggy Noonan: Dem Problems

Opinion Journal ^ | 03/03/03 | Peggy Noonan

[Mr. Jeeves]

Peggy, we've won a battle or two, but we've lost the war.

Unfortunately, I think you are right. GWB's election was the last gasp of Middle America, made possible only by the nation's complete disgust with the Clinton Administration. Every year, the number of government dependents described in your post grows - while Peggy's "normal, traditional American families" are slowly dying out. This may not be as evident to FR posters who live in the relatively thinly populated Midwest and South, but all the Democrats need to do is stick to their theme ("Those evil Republicans are trying to deny you the benefits YOU DESERVE!") and they'll always be able to manufacture enough votes to win close elections.

[alwaysconservative]

Eureka! You're absolutely right (and a genius to boot!)

Many thanks!

[MJemison]

They seem to hate America and the things about America that I loved.

That says it all.

[irish_links]

"....There's a couple countervailing demographic trends that hurt the Democrats:

1. America is aging. The older people get, the more conservative they get.
2. The people who are reproducing are conservative. Religious people have a higher birthrate that unreligious people......"

That's about all we have to go on and I'm afraid it's not enough. People get more "conservative" as they older until they reach 65 and start depending on/benefiting from federal entitlement programs. Afterwards, their voting patterns tend to track back in a leftward direction.

Traditionalists may be making babies, but the impact is swamped by immigration. Two thirds of our current population growth comes from immigration and the progeny of first generation immigrants. Many of the immigrant groups are conservative culturally, but see the Dem party as their economic savior and political protector.

The deck is stacked and not for us.

[Stay the course]

Thanks Clinton and DNC for opening my eyes

Clinton probably cured more Democrats than penicillin.

[Gritty]

(Sure *guns* should be registered, but registration should exist to allow the law abiding to have guns, and not be twisted into a way to keep guns out of everyone's hands.)

I hate to criticize a single mote in the eye of an otherwise fine article, but Peggy comes a dangerously close toward destroying her entire waterproof position here by buying into the Liberals very own deceptive argument. Their excuses for "registration" mask the reasons for their lies on the issue.

Registration is just a short step away from their goal of final firearms confiscation, Peggy, and they know it. So should you!

She cheers for many other rights these elitist snobs are busily destroying but partially joins with them on one of their prime goals - a supine, cowed, controlled citizenry where only the politicians and their toadies have guns and the means to protect you, if they so desire. Conversely, this gives them the means to utterly destroy you when they want.

Peggy must have had a brain f*rt on this one! She is wrong, totally wrong.

[js1138]

I love it when Peggy and Rush give the dems good political advice. They have to reject it because of the source.

[ewing]

Peggy nails it once again.

[Radix]

Peggy, we've won a battle or two, but we've lost the war.

I disagree with that! I think that we are in the early stages of this other war!

Perhaps certain statistics show that the traditional family has changed. I certainly know a thing or so about untraditional families!

The real war is about ideas. Here In Massachusetts during the last gubernatorial election the Democrat candidate lost during the final debate. It was so obvious, as she sat there smirking while defending outrageous abortion policies!

People are changing their minds.

The Democrat parrty is in big trouble here in Massachusetts and all over the Country. You may see democrats elected to office, but they will be more careful with their votes, count on it! There will always be strongholds, but even such places there are thinking people who are making a difference.

The days of the Democrat Party Plantation mentality are coming to an end!

[RJL]

Aside from the gun registration, Peggy hit this one out of the park.

Abortion is so wrong, and here she states it so well:

"And there's this. Deep down, in some still vital area of human knowledge within you, the place where you just know things, you have got to know that no political party primarily funded, supported and led by fierce pro-abortionists, by people whose great interest in life is seeing to it that the right to kill infants is retained, can long endure. Nothing can long stand on a foundation like that. Nothing."

[irish_links]

"...The Democrat parrty is in big trouble here in Massachusetts and all over the Country. You may see democrats elected to office, but they will be more careful with their votes, count on it! There will always be strongholds, but even such places there are thinking people who are making a difference.

The days of the Democrat Party Plantation mentality are coming to an end!...."


May it be from your keyboard to the eyes of God.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

You can count on one hand the number of Democrats you would want to share an elevator ride with,let alone a meal or political discussion.

And one of those is my dad. :-/

[goodnesswins]

Not having the time to read the WHOLE article this a.m....but, from a quick scan, seems as though she could have said it all in four words....

Democrats have become communists.

[1Old Pro]

They won't heed a word of her advice, of course

Good.

[Sloth]

The best thing about this article is that the Dems won't give it a moment's thought.

[1Old Pro]

the only part of this article that made me cringe was the comment about gun registration. She needs to brush up on the history of gun registration and where it leads. Otherwise a good article.

Good point, and she should lay off Golfers too :)

[kitchen]

Sure they [guns] should be registered...

Either Peggy is tossing the rats a red herring, or her conservative conversion is incomplete.

[Jack Black]

bump

[octobersky]

Bump for another great column from Peggy Noonan!

[Zack Nguyen]

Deep down, in some still vital area of human knowledge within you, the place where you just know things, you have got to know that no political party primarily funded, supported and led by fierce pro-abortionists, by people whose great interest in life is seeing to it that the right to kill infants is retained, can long endure. Nothing can long stand on a foundation like that. Nothing.

Peggy's analysis is, as usual, insightful. However, I would go a step further. The Democrat Party, insofar as they represent the anti-family, pro-death hard left, are drowning in a sea of moral relativism brought on by their abject hatred and rejection of Christian tradition. Not all Democrats are that way. Some Democrats that matter are not. But the hard left dominates the party. There are perhaps two Democrats in the state of Texas, a Congressman and a State Senator, that I in good conscience could vote for.