An open letter to the Democratic party
Hey, you did it! You took back the house and might even take back the Senate. After twelve years, you must be raring to go on all the initiatives that have been dead all those years.
Hold on a minute; I just have one thing to say - don’t blow it! I’m not talking about squandering the power you have been given by the American people to affect change. Well, that is if you could get anything done with a President poised to veto anything you pass.
I’m talking about actually learning from your mistakes in terms of campaigning. If you think you won these seats because you did a good job campaigning, you’re completely in denial. You only won because the American people were ready to toss the Republicans out, not because you convinced anyone that you have a shining vision for the future that they want to buy into.
And there’s one of your biggest problems. Let’s face it, you don’t have a vision. The American people have no idea how you stand on the war on Iraq, for instance. Or education. Or pretty much on any other issues. You need to stop trying to please everyone and take a stand on things.
Also, you need to get serious about campaigning. The Republicans have whupped your butts during the last few campaigns in terms of organization and getting out the vote, not to mention dirty tricks. Not that you should start using dirty tricks, but you need to think of these campaigns as a war and anticipate your opponent’s subterfuge.
See, the problem is that even lifelong liberals are tired of you being unable to get out of your own way. If we’re not voting for you because we actually believe in you, but only because we’re liberals, why would anyone of any other ideology vote for you?
You’ve got two years to get things together. Better get started.
November 8th, 2006 at 11:24 am
As a Republican (ok, I’m really a libertarian who likes to vote in the primaries), I’m actually very hopeful. The majority is so slim that the elected will have to work together to get things done! Maybe, we can get real about some stuff now. Like Social Security, Immigration and tax reform. I do not give a damn who gets credit or who will have enough feathers in their hat to run for president, I just want this stuff done … NOW.
November 8th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
Well, hopefully the Dems will genuinely want to work with the Republicans and not just get payback.
November 8th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
I doubt that the Democrats will be able to undo the damage done to the economy without a clear track. (What with the taxes cut for the top ~1% of earners, who happen to control 80+% of the wealth, and the 400 billion, with a B, dollars spent on two totally unnecessary wars started on bravado, [We didn’t need to invade Afghanistan. The Taliban we’re screaming for food.] a frickin’ lie.)
Until they get a president in too, I expect more of the same.
Let’s hope they don’t get stupid in the meantime, can keep it in their pants, (that means turning over an old page, not going after the new ones,) return us to a balanced budget, having better priorities, (like really securing the borders rather than the proposed horrible leaky patchwork [So Pasadena’s safe, but 50 miles away its wide open, is Pasadena really part of a solution then?]) and a perception of being somewhat saner in foreign policy.
November 8th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
That’s my problem with the Democratic party - there is no clear track, which makes it hard to get things done. They seem so incredibly disorganized. Even if a Democrat got into the White House in 2008, I question whether anything would get accomplished.
At least for this particular liberal, the Democratic party is like a n’er-do-well uncle - you really want to love him because he’s family, but he makes it really hard to do so.
November 9th, 2006 at 1:46 pm
You have put it very neatly in a nutshell.
Well done.
I hope they read it.
And heed it.