YEARNING FOR DEFEAT (Good Read on Dem's Hatred of America's Success!)

NY Post ^ | 5/12/03 | Ralph Peters

[P.O.E.]

Any party that thrives on failure is doomed to failure.

[mewzilla]

Who was the idiot columnist who made that crack about overtime? Anyone know?

[xkaydet65]

Of course the new dems could resurrect the ideas of Moynihan, Truman, and Scoop Jackson.

[areafiftyone]

still searching but no luck yet!

[Billthedrill]

The author put his finger on what killed the Dems in the 2002 elections - they didn't, and don't, have a program. For several election cycles now the wing that controls the Democratic party has gotten by stating matters of broad principle - they're for social justice, income redistribution, minority rights, etc, etc, and then falling back for actual programs on simply increasing the various powers of government in each area in order to address it. To mask this they've gone increasingly negative on opponents in the same general terms as their platform - Republicans aren't for social justice, etc. And their platforms have been increasingly detail-free with regard to programs.

This approach works best when the issues at hand are large and nebulous - the economy, for example. It works less well when there is a sharply-focused issue such as 9/11-style terrorism. They can't get by stating that they'll increase governmental programs to fight terrorism for two reasons - first, their opponents are already doing that (a separate sore issue, IMHO) and second, an existing program with specifics to be debated that is not their design is much more difficult to score political points on - it's their opponents' ground.

Were they smart they'd do what the Republicans did in minority - come up with the Democratic Party analog to the Contract With America, a short list of finely-focused issues addressed with specific programs. It's that or fall back on an Clintonian "cult of personality," and I don't see anyone on the horizon up to the latter.

[Dog]

I can't say it enough 9/11 changed everything in this country...... except no one has told the RATS.

[Stultis]

Ralph Peters Rocks!

[Dog]

Bill I don't think a finely focused list of issues will help the RATS. America will not except anything less than totally security for their children and future grand children. After witnessing the mass murder of thousands of their fellow countrymen and women on 9/11 the issue of prescription drugs just won't win a party the next election.

[Grampa Dave]

The Rats are still living in their highs of the 1960/70's when it was so fashionable to Hate America.

They are locked into the world that existed until 9/11.

As the saying goes, "They are so old 9/10!

[hchutch]

Did it change everything? No. But it changed the way a lot of people think about things, and the fact is, they took a look at a lot of things, and people realized that a lot of the nay-saying about this country was just not accurate.

On and after 9/11, they learned two things:
1. There are still folks out there who hate our guts.
2. We still have heroes who will put their lives on the line for this country, or for others.

A lot of folks are getting it, including celebrities in Hollywood. Some RATS understand it, but their political base is in serious denial.

[BOBTHENAILER]

...... except no one has told the RATS.

Indeed, they still think it's 'hip' to be liberal.

Sorry Miss Sarandon, it's way cooler to be RIGHT, today. The leftist bilge went down the drain upon GW's innauguration.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Some RATS understand it, but their political base is in serious denial.

Let's hope they keep on floating down that river, de Nile.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" I can't say it enough 9/11 changed everything in this country...... except no one has told the RATS."

You are 1000th percent correct. The Democrats never grasped the profound and visceral effect that 9/11 had on Americans. To the Democrats,it's just another day in September. I think historians will look back and date the beginning of the Democrat tailspin on two factors-the corrosive effect of the Clinton presidency and the failure of the Democrats to understand the importance of 9/11.

[desertcry]

".....nothing but political suicide bombers. " I love that, because it is an accurate discription of the democrats frantic efforts to remain a viable political party and it's true. Unfortunately for the demons, the more they try to trash President GWB, the deeper they sink in the quicksand of their own creation.

[Billthedrill]

You might be right - and the important thing I left out is that the Dem "Contract" is really a secondary issue - first and foremost they need a candidate. One other than the current group of refugees from the chuckle factory...

[CyberAnt]

To me the disarray of the dem party signals the Clintons are losing influence. A lot of dems are now switching parties, or vowing never to vote for a dem again. x42's popularity poll remains below 25%.

The dem base is nowhere to be found - and polls show that 55% of them do not see any clear LEADER. All that's left of the once great political party is a bunch of kooks and freaks.

The dem party I remember had only one problem. They believed in larger govt. However, they still had a moral compass, good ideas (although they always grew the govt), and a "real" heart for the downtrodden.

The current leadership (I use the term loosely) has been hijacked by the Socialist, Marxist and Communist Parties here in the U.S.

The good thing I see - the "real" dems may now (after 2004) be able to take back their party and start functioning as a viable "loyal opposition" again.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Of course the new dems could resurrect the ideas of Moynihan, Truman, and Scoop Jackson.

It would be nice. I almost started out as a Dem because of Scoop Jackson. If he had died a year later -- I turned 18 about 9 months after he died -- I might have.

But the Scoop Jackson Democrats are now the "Jewish Zionist neocon cabal" or whatever. In any case, they're now members of the GOP and I don't see that worldview coming back to the Dems.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Schools are probably hopeless - virtually all success there is from home and private schooling.

I don't know about that... A lot of young conservatives and libertarians are the result of rebellion against overbearing left-wing teachers. Still, my son goes to a private school and my daughter used to (she's now in a public HS, but only because she got into an elite academic program), because my kids don't need to put up with all that cr@p.

[AFreeBird]

I can't say it enough 9/11 changed everything in this country...... except no one has told the RATS.

Disagree with the last part. In one form or another; they've been told. They have just chosen not to listen.

And they continue do so at their own peril.

:-)