Gary Hart's "The Courage of our Convictions: A Manifesto for Democrats"
Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 11:16:52 AM PDT
I just finished reading Senator Gary Hart's new book and thought I'd offer a review and summary for you all. First of all I'd say that this is very much a thoughtful book filled more focused on insights and philosophical ideas than hard policy analysis. The book is very readable (less than 200 pages) and I would encourage you all to give it a try. It should be noted at this point that the book went to print before the midterm elections
One could sum up the book by borrowing a line from Bill Clinton's speech at the election eve rally for Jim Webb in Alexandria "Everything's been said, but not everyone has had a chance to say it." Many of the things that Hart says in the book are things we have all heard before from our public officials and many on this blog: the need for Democrats to be bold and stand up for their ideals, criticism of triangulation and centrist ideas, and policy proposals for energy independence and a new direction in American foreign policy. What gives Hart an aura of authority on these issues is that he relates many of these ideas in a historical context, frequently drawing on examples from the Presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson. You could describe Gary Hart in many ways, but one thing you cannot get around is that he is a deep thinker.
In the introduction on the book cover Hart summarizes the great accomplishments of those Presidents. "Franklin D. Roosevelt's commitment to a single national community, where no American would be left behind; Harry Truman's internationalism, which preserved democracy after World War II and led eventually to the defeat of communism; John F. Kennedy's ideal of civic duty and service to the nation; and Lyndon B. Johnson's insistence on equality for all our citizens.
Hart takes the examples given by these former Presidents as a model for future action, while declaring that their methods are ill-timed for the present course. While lavishly praising the ideals of the New Deal, he decries the bureacratic inertia that set in during the 1960's and 1970's that made the Democratic Party more focused on procedure than principle. It is Hart's beleif that the Democratic Party can once again be the champion of working people and ordinary Americans by being willing to stand up for unpopular decisions and shed the interest group coalition that has made the Democratic Party a group of foxes and not one hedgehog. For those of you unaware of the analogy, it comes from a Greek fable by Archilochus that the fox knows many things, and the Hedgehog knows one big thing.
Hart beleives that the Democratic Party should return to the one big idea it held from 1932 to 1968 "The national government has a central and positive role to play in bettering the lives of all Americans."
Hart goes on to cite the examples of Truman for the need for new international institutions to meet the 21st century (major reforms of NATO and the UN and a new international body to regulate climate change, for example). While these intentions are certainly noble and worthwhile undertakings, one wonders how they can be acheived when a substantial portion of the Republican base beleives that international cooperation and a "world government" signals the end of the world.
Drawing on the call for service emboded by John F. Kennedy, he has some particularly fascinating observations on the historical difference between a democracy and a republic. A democracy can let an intensely individualist and selfish mindset to set in, while a republic can call call on its people to make sacrifices for the greater good. Hart writes "Democracy is concerned with the right to vote. The republic is concerned with the duty to vote. Too many Americans take their rights for granted because they neglect their duties. The great truth of America is this: We will never become a great democracy until we first become a great republic." That message if a powerful and welcome contrast to the call to "go shopping" after 9/11.
Hart sees the great failure of Lyndon Johnson's presidency as the last great attempt by the Democratic Party to change society. While acknowleding Johnson's historic failure in Vietnam (which he often references as a lesson lost on our leaders in the run up to the war in Iraq), he offers tremendous praise on Johnson's decision to eliminate racial inequality from our nation's laws despite the political consequences. It is in this spirit that Hart declares that Democrats must aggresively puruse what they know to be right even if it leads to resistance in the electorate. The great pattern of the 20th century is for Democrats to fight every great battle on behalf of the American people in the face of conservative Republican resistance, and then after its implementation, to have the Republican Party take credit for it. Whether it be to establish laws for working people in the New Deal, fighting communism after World War II, establishing racial equality, or creating standards for a cleaner environment, the Democratic Party has been the party of greatness.
The final chapter of the book describes Hart's assertion that the Democratic Party must become indispensable in light of the challenges we face in the 21st century. He writes "It must be the instrument for social change, for the preservation of our natural heritage, for equality for our many races, for opportunity for those who work. for the prudent use of our military force, for protection of our borders, for resurrection of community, for equal justice for all, for hope that the future can be better, for concern for future generations. And it must do so because of its historic principles and beleifs and not merely its ambitons of power." I would hope that every Democratic member of the 110th Congress could read that statement.
He concludes the book with his 21st century manifesto with Democrats:
"We, the Democratic Party, beleive in:
*A national community based on social justice and equality for all;
*Restoring popular sovereignty and civic duty in the American republic;
*New international alliances to respond to the challenges of our time."
As we begin the race for our party's nomination, we should all watch to see what candidate(s) strive for these goals.
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