Bucking the conventional wisdom, maverick Senator Evan Bayh is waging the type of campaign based on cross-party support that nearly propelled John McCain to the Republican nomination in 2000. With a proven record of reaching across the aisle to build consensus, Bayh is as hard to locate on a traditional left-right continuum as McCain was in 2000. The special interests of the Republican Party waged a vitriolic campaign to keep McCain from winning the nomination. The question is whether Bayh's campaign can overcome the same special interests on the left.
Bayh strongly supports a woman's right to choose (he scored a 100% from NARAL in 2005, but has also endorsed sensible legislation, such as a bill that makes it a crime to transport a minor across state lines, without her parents' permission, to have an abortion. Bayh's record is one that consistently puts smart policies ahead of special interests.
Senator Bayh also proves that it's possible to be both tough and smart on foreign policy. The Junior Senator from Indiana is willing to tackle imminent threats like
Iran and
North Korea. At the same time, his foreign policy stance carries an air of
humility - a quality all too rare in today's political world - as he recognizes that the Iraq War was not necessary, given what we know today.
Just as McCain was willing to criticize "agents of intolerance" within the Republican Party, Bayh has pointed out where Democrats could improve their standing. Most notably are the party's weaknesses on foreign policy and the middle class. You can't win an election by resting on your laurels, and it's clear that Bayh is constantly looking for ways to strengthen the Democratic Party.
Bayh is one Democrat who thinks for himself and refuses to pander for votes. He has the ability to generate the kind of cross party support that won Ronald Reagan the presidency. Will Democrats give him the chance to take back the White House?