Yesterdays election results are consistent with the long-standing trend of lame duck Presidents of either party losing seats in the mid-term election prior to their exit. That said, there is a deeper point to be made about the failure of leadership, communication and campaign strategy by those who head the Democratic party that must be addressed. We saw this failure of nerve and of confidence in Al Gores walk away from the Clinton economic record, and we saw it again in this years election cycle. The Democratic Party failed to set an appropriate context nationally for its candidates to win local races, and shamefully walked away from its own successes, while failing to pin responsibility on the Republicans for their disastrous policy record and institutionally destructive behavior. Simple fact, were much better off economically than we were six years ago. Republicans with their unfunded Iraq war and irresponsible tax and financial regulatory policies put us in the economic collapse of 2008. Democratic policies, against a strong headwind of Republican opposition, have substantially brought the economy back, most prominently the Republican voting Wall Street. Despite vague public discontent with present foreign policy, Democratic policy and practice under Obama have restored American prestige and re-established working relationships savaged by Bushs feckless foreign policy. Republicans pointlessly shut down the government, hurting the economy and damaging the institutional capacity and standing of Congress, for a party founded on the principles of institutionalism and civic virtue, this is an appalling abandonment of core values. These points are illustrative, I could continue this list policy area by policy area. Where was the democratic leadership in making this case? We thrived under Clinton. We have repaired much of the damage done by Bush and would have gone much further with even a moderately cooperative, Republican Congress, one willing to make policy savvy deals as Gingrich did with Clinton and ONeill did with Reagan. For the Democratic party to be revived, it must simultaneously hold the Republicans fully accountable for their egregious behavior and dismal policy record, and they must lead with ideas, strong bold ideas that recapture, restate and amplify Clintons winning message of hope, growth and opportunity. Issue by issue, Democrats win on the merits, but if they dont speak clearly, loudly and resonantly as a party, demonstrate loyalty to their leaders, claim credit for there successes and lead into the future with a shared positive agenda, the politics of this Country will only deteriorate further. The Republicans are beatable, despite gerrymandered districts, voter suppression, sophisticated right wing media and massive funding by conservative plutocrats because their motives are poor, because they are wrong on the merits of virtually every major policy issue that affects the lives of working Americans; the American economy; the principles of Republican Democracy on which this nation was founded, and our standing in the world community. The inability of the Democratic party to win in this context is a profound failure of leadership, plain and simple. We saw it with Gore turning from the Clinton record. We saw it with Kerrys muddled campaign which allowed George Bush, the most beatable President in contemporary history, to sail to a second term victory. We saw it again in this election. Lets learn the lessons of history and not see it again.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 20:37:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015