Arguably third in line behind Hannity and Fred Barnes for the most unqualified to discuss the democrats positions rationally, Michael Barone explains why he thinks the Dems are "out of gas".
What do Democrats want? Many answers, or partial answers, can be found in the 90th anniversary issue of the New Republic, in the post-election issue of the American Prospect and in various other writings by smart Democrats unhappy with the defeat their party suffered in 2004.
These writers avoid the left blogosphere's wacky claims that the election was stolen. They understand that both parties played to win and tried really hard to win, and both parties made massive efforts to turn out their vote. John Kerry got 16 percent more votes than Al Gore. George W. Bush got 23 percent more votes in 2004 than in 2000.
Yes, because the 90th anniversary edition of the New Republic is where I go to find "What Democrats Want." More after the fold
For starters, before I even get started on the bulk of hte article, Im not "wacky", but I do believe that voting irregularities across the country need to be addressed. Ive never said the election was stolen, but too many states have had curious circumstances under which suspicious occurances have transpired.
Moving on, in an effort to redefine the height of pomposity, Barone says:
Most of these Democrats focus on domestic policy. New Republic editor Peter Beinart has called for purging those Democrats unwilling to robustly fight the war on terrorism.
Explain to me why I should care one bit what Peter Beinart has to say about the Democrats? Further on in the article, Barone mentions the Democrats inability to "Get specific" on any of our ideas:
On domestic policy, the Democrats' thrust is to expand government to help ordinary people. But few get specific. In the American Prospect, historian Alan Brinkley says Democrats should re-engage "with issues of class and power." But exactly how, he doesn't say.
This goes on, but of course, he fails to mention the Presidents glorious plan to revamp Social Security and how its bursting with specifics....oh wait, The President doesnt have a plan. Just an "idea". That is obviously strikingly different than what he is accusing Dems of.
And lastly, and perhaps most incorrectly, Barone refers to the infamous Greenberg/Carville memo that has been making the rounds.
The bleakest picture of Democrats' prospects comes from two usually optimistic analysts, Stanley Greenberg and James Carville. In their latest Democracy Corps memo, they lament that, despite what they see as Republican stumbling on Social Security, voters don't think Democrats have new ideas for addressing the country's problems. By denying that Social Security has problems, "Democrats seem stuck in concrete."
Wrong. Leave it to Barone to "gloss over" Republicans problems selling SS reform and focus more on the fact that the Dems dont have a response. Firstly, we dont need a response. The republicans DIDNT come forward with a plan, only an idea, and coming forward with our own plan only hardens the idea that SS needs major reform, when indeed, minor tweaking could shore it up for decades to come.