Can we please stop with all of these comparisons to Mondale, Dukakis, McGovern, and such. None of these candidates ARE Dukakis 2.0.
It is no longer 1972, or 1984, or 1988. The electorate is different. It is more socially and culturally liberal than it once was. The Rs have gotten their way for a long time now. They control all branches of government. Its a lot harder for them to run against taxandspendliberalDemocrats when Democrats are out of power. I am 27, so I came of political age after Reagan. I do remember the 88 campaign, but I was 12 at the time. Nevertheless, I think there are too many people who lived through these campaigns getting spooked by current candidates bearing some vague resemblence to one of these Democratic bogeymen. But the country is different today than it was then - people have moved on. This campaign will not be a replay of the Reagan years.
In fact, the Rs are scared and it shows, even if they won't admit it. They know demographics are moving against them, they know they are presiding over a fiscal time bomb. The sheen is off the Bush administrations. Even Rove's best attempts are starting to fall short. I don't know, but I smell blood. Movement conservatism is running out of gas - see Bush's recent SOTU. The only question is whether or not it has enough gas to reach the line in 2004. Right now, this seems to be an open question. 1968 inaugurated an era of Republican ascendancy, as did 1932 36 years earlier for the Dems. Its been 36 years since 1968. Attacking John Kerry or Howard Dean or John Edwards with the same old lines Spiro Agnew and George Wallace pioneered almost 40 years ago just doesn't have the same bite it once did.
I'm an optimist right now - I smell Republican blood. If not in 2004, are time is coming soon!
Ben P