Dems - "Winning Cases, Losing Voters"

[housewolf]

Winning Cases, Losing Voters


AS Republicans revel in President Bush's inauguration and prepare for his agenda-setting State of the Union address next week, many Democrats would like to consider almost anything but the substance of politics as the reason for their defeat last November. If only John Kerry had been a stronger candidate. If only the message had been framed differently. If only the party's strategists were as tough as the guys on the other side. The limits of candidates and campaigns, however, can't explain the Democrats' long-term decline.

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liberal Democrats, in particular, have been inviting political oblivion - not by advocating the wrong causes, but by letting their political instincts atrophy and relying on the legal system.

To be sure, Democrats were right to challenge segregation and racism, support the revolution in women's roles in society, to protect rights to abortion and to back the civil rights of gays. But a party can make only so many enemies before it loses the ability to do anything for the people who depend on it. For decades, many liberals thought they could ignore the elementary demand of politics - winning elections - because they could go to court to achieve these goals on constitutional grounds. The great thing about legal victories like Roe v. Wade is that you don't have to compromise with your opponents, or even win over majority opinion. But that is also the trouble. An unreconciled losing side and unconvinced public may eventually change the judges.

And now we have reached that point. The Republicans, with their party in control of both elected branches - and looking to create a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that will stand for a generation - see the opportunity to overthrow policies and constitutional precedents reaching back to the New Deal.

That prospect ought to concentrate the liberal mind. Social Security, progressive taxation, affordable health care, the constitutional basis for environmental and labor regulation, separation of church and state - these issues and more hang in the balance.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/26/opinion/26starr.html?oref=login&oref=login

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Democrats need to learn how to fight for their beliefs!

[Warpy]

2. Clinton knew it was the economy

and that's how he ran, and he won.

Gore and Kerry offered "business as usual," which really didn't address the fact that wages have generally fallen over the past 30 years, debt has grown, and the tax burden on working people has skyrocketed, thanks to GOP policies of padding regressive taxes to reduce the top progressive tax rate. They failed to address what a disaster globalization has been for the average US citizen and how strategic industries have been systematically looted by countries which are themselves protectionist.

DLC inspired campaigns are stupid campaigns because they assume the US worker is doing just fine and that the same old, tired dogma will sway them and the same old, tired policies that are killing them will suddenly become more attractive. DLC campagns squabble over yuppies while they completely ignore the party base.

The DLC has long outlived its usefulness, if it ever had any to begin with. Their counter to the Nixonian southern strategy failed to materialize, and they've lost all three branches of government.

It's past time for a change. If we don't get one, the worst government in this country's history will probably continue with Stupid's kid brother Jebbie in 2009.

[First48H]

3. good post