Thursday, December 11, 2003

Democrats are their own worst enemy

Add Bob Herbert to the "gets it" column (and he proves that you don't have to be a Dean supporter to "get it"):

The Dems may indeed sink like the Titanic next year. But I don't think Dr. Dean is the problem — at least, not yet. The problem is the party itself. God and the Republicans have blessed the Democrats with the high ground on one important issue after another, from the war in Iraq to national economic policy to health care to education to the environment.

But like the Union general George McClellan, the Democrats have been too timid to take full advantage. It's a party for the faint of heart. The Republicans are hijacking elections and redistricting the country and looting the Treasury and ignoring the Constitution and embittering our allies, while the Democrats are — let's see, fumbling their way through an incoherent primary season and freaking out over Al Gore's endorsement of Howard Dean.

Good to see I'm not the only one who sees a comparison between the Dems and General McClellan (who was a Democrat, coincidently).

To regain control of the White House, the Democrats need to give voters, who are frightened by terrorism and disoriented by the pace of 21st-century events, new reasons to hope. That can only be done by a thoughtful, united, energized and creative party. A party with a plan and a ferocious will to win.

A party that I don't see at the moment.

My biggest fear going into the 2004 election is what the Democratic party will do. Will they, if Dean gets the nomination, heed his call to work their butts off to defeat Bush? Or will they waste their times moanin' and groanin', and frettin' and fumin'?

The Democrat party, as it currently stands, doesn't deserve to win. Dean, so far, is the only one who has convinced me that it could be otherwise.

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