E.J. Spills Beans on Dems' Paranoia
Earlier today, I read
E.J. Dionne's column in this morning's Washington Post. I didn't pay it much attention because Mr. Dionne is often a paranoid ideologue. After reading
Captain Ed's post on Dionne's column, I have to disagree slightly with Captain Ed. Here's a portion of Dionne's column:
I also disagree with Ed when he says that the Democrats' divisiveness springs from Howard Dean. Yes, Dean's the fount of divisiveness but he's merely the embodiment of what Democrats have thought about Republicans for ages. It's just that Dean isn't diplomatic in his hatred about Republicans.
When we think back to the Clinton administration, can't we say that Gore's diatribes weren't a precursor to Dean? When we think back to Maxine Waters, wasn't she at least as abrasive as Dean? Weren't David Bonior and Jim McDermott at least as divisive as Dean?
Let's cut to the bottom line about the Democrats' woes. They're in trouble long-term because they haven't thought through policies that appeals to anyone outside their narrow group of lunatics. They haven't bought into the notion that they're irrelevant because their beliefs are utterly outlandish.
Technorati: E.J. Dionne , Ed Morrissey , Howard Dean , Al Gore
Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 2:48 PM
July 2006 Posts
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The Democratic Party has a self-image problem.Here's Captain Ed's perspective on Dionne's comments:
Talk to Democrats at every level about the strong position the party is in for this fall's elections and the conversation inevitably ends with a variation of: "Yeah, if we don't blow it." Karl Rove's greatest victory is how much he has spooked Democrats about themselves.
This, in turn, leads to a problem among political elites and, especially, fundraisers: While Republicans believe in their party and in the cause of building its organization from bottom to top, Democratic sympathizers tend to focus on favorite causes and favorite candidates, notably in presidential years.
The reference to Karl Rove reveals much about the root problem with the Democrats. Dionne's column gives readers a revealing look inside party politics at the moment, but it doesn't get to the real heart of the illness. What plagues this party more than anything else isn't Karl Rove or a lack of big-ticket donors, or even disagreements over strategic planning for short- and long-term growth. It's a complete lack of leadership and innovative thinking.I agree with Captain Ed that the lack of a Karl Rove is a problem. I just disagree that that's their real problem. In my humble opinion, they lack a Karl Rove because Democrats' incoherence prevents that.
Karl Rove is not their problem. Their problem is the lack of a Karl Rove.
The Democrats have an image problem, as Dionne writes, but the image problem springs from divisiveness and the lack of any coherent ideological message or policy platform. That divisiveness springs from one main source: Howard Dean. He has spent far too much time railing on about his hatred of "Republicans, and everything they stand for" and not enough time building the kind of relationships with elected party leaders and donors to create a consensus direction for the Democrats. People pointed out this probable result at the time of Dean's appointment as chairman of the DNC, and apparently no one but the DNC is surprised by the result.
I also disagree with Ed when he says that the Democrats' divisiveness springs from Howard Dean. Yes, Dean's the fount of divisiveness but he's merely the embodiment of what Democrats have thought about Republicans for ages. It's just that Dean isn't diplomatic in his hatred about Republicans.
When we think back to the Clinton administration, can't we say that Gore's diatribes weren't a precursor to Dean? When we think back to Maxine Waters, wasn't she at least as abrasive as Dean? Weren't David Bonior and Jim McDermott at least as divisive as Dean?
Let's cut to the bottom line about the Democrats' woes. They're in trouble long-term because they haven't thought through policies that appeals to anyone outside their narrow group of lunatics. They haven't bought into the notion that they're irrelevant because their beliefs are utterly outlandish.
Technorati: E.J. Dionne , Ed Morrissey , Howard Dean , Al Gore
Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 2:48 PM
July 2006 Posts
No comments.
