Da Dems

He has a point.

Most Democrats in Congress seem bereft of ideas or the courage to stand up for them. They clearly want power, but they have no principles to guide their use of it.

...I'm not saying that Republicans are at all better, and of course elections breed some policy timidity. But the infuriating thing about the Democrats is that, just a decade ago, they knew how to empathize with voters' economic insecurities without collapsing into irresponsibility; they combined attractively progressive social policies with sensible pro-market fiscal responsibility. Now many in the party have lost interest in this necessary balance. If the Democrats win a measure of power next month, it's hard to see what they will do with it.

There have been attempts to offer an agenda, but they have been vague and do not represent out of the box thinking. And of course, they are a “they,” no one single Democratic proposal.

Some will say that’s because the Dems do not have a single leader and couldn’t, given they are out of power. But that didn’t stop Gingrich.

Comments

[Brian]

Your point about Gingrich is spot on. Earlier this year I thought that Rahm Emmanuel might take on that role for the Dems this year, but he is apparently a rather off-putting fellow.

Chances like the Dems have this year aren't going to come around every two years (especially as more House seats get gerrymandered into relative safety for one party or the other.) I hope it won't take them four decades to mount a serious challenge to Repubs in the House.

On the bright side for Dems, page-pantser Foley's seat is now an easy mark (although under Fla. law a vote for Foley will be a vote for his Repub replacement.) Add that to the former Delay/Kolbe seats and they have a decent head start.

[Bob]

Wonder what dynamics are different? Why was Gingrich able to take charge and Emmanuel or someone else in the party can't?

[Brian]

That's an interesting question. I wonder if takes a certain amount of time wandering in minority wilderness to make everyone fall in line. I can imagine that in the early 90's Repubs were willing to give Newt a chance because they figured they had nothing to lose. Just speculation, though.