While working on a project and actually not thinking of politics for the first time since the election i had a thought. A thought that utterly stunned me.
We've been fighting over why we lost. We know we lost congressional seats because we sold out our base pretty much totally. We know we lost any free republic types who would have , in our deluded fantasies, voted for us because of "gay marriage" and all the other hate diatribe they rail about. And we've lost massive support among americans because we constantly move right and make our only issues gun control and abortion.
But that, i think, is not why we lost.
In 1996 america held a radically divisive election. An election in which neither party wholeheartedly supported its candidates.
On the democratic side was president Clinton. A man whos issue was the economy and had been successful in the eyes of his base and some in the center in that arena during his term. Though he had been exposed as a liar by the far right.. on an issue the left didnt care if he lied about the voters still supported him. And the far right couldnt understand it. They had spent the previous four years attacking him mercilessly, (mostly falsely) and even large parts of his parties base didnt support him. His running mate however was the dream candidate of the party base. And the opposition reviled him. He was all the opposition feared and loathed.
His opponent, Bob Dole, was his opposite. He was a senator and thus not known for being flashy. His hallmark, though being a fierce partisan, was that of all senators. The ability to work with those on his side and the opposition to accomplish his goals. His fault however.. was that he was quite simply boring. His base wasnt truely excited about him. They viewed him as a standin while others in their party would get the real work done. And most importantly.. defeat the man they viewed as the ultimate Evil. Bill Clinton. His running mate was a different story. A bit of a maverick in his own party on economics and an upcoming star in that party. Kemp. Charming, handsome and liked by even his political enemies though they took pains to attack him.
And in 2004 the Democrats and Republicans repeated the 1996 election. In reverse.
Bush is widely viewed by the nation as a liar. Even his base grudgingly admits it. He is.. to the democrats.. the ultimate evil. He stands for everything we revile. His issue is security, national security. And despite legitimate criticisms in the eyes of his base and some centrists.. he has been successful. His running mate? A bland man whom the democratic party reviles. A man who stands for everything democrats see as repulsive and evil.
Kerry was a senator. A man used to working with the opposition to get things done, but a fierce partisan. A man not used to being grandiose to get his point across. A man whos own party only tepidly supported him and who was in effect forced on the base by the leadership. His runnign mate.. a charming handsome man. An up and comer in the party. A bit of a maverick.
I believe the only reason we are in the position of not having stunning support from the voters is because we have come to stand for nothing. To mirror the GOP on almost all issues. That we have sold out the working class and liberty in a vain hope for votes and money to buy them.
But the parallels are stunning. Too stunning not to consider. While unlikely The reason we lost... certainly their is something there. The logic is just to crystalline.