The last thing the Democrats need to do is become Republican Lite as suggested by David Brooks in today's NYT column!
That said Democrats don't have to be ANTI-CONSERVATIVE all the time.
They simply must become more PRO-LIBERAL! Democrats have be to proud of their parties values to win. They should talk more about the broad social issues not just the narrow issues like gay marriage or abortion.
What about fairness and a living wage for American workers? The Bush deficits? And Medicare and Medicaid, and Health Care Costs. And the uninsured.
Republicans are winning because they are proud to be social conservatives, but that's only because the Clinton years were so prosperous that---BOTH BUSH TERMS COULD MORE OR LESS, IGNORE THE ECONOMY.
THAT MAY BE ENDING SOON.....BIG TIME.
It is true that Republicans have the South in a racial strangle hold and it will be difficult for Democrats to make headway in the South until white folks see a reason to "Vote Black," and that can only come with a weak economy and/or an unpopular war.
Guess what? We have BOTH A BAD ECONOMY AND AN UNPOPULAR WAR ON THE POLITICAL HORIZON NOW!
THE REPUBLICANS ARE STARTING THEIR "GINGRICH REDUX ERA" IN 2005!
GINGRICH GOT OVER CONFIDENT, THEN HUBRIS SET IN, AND THE REPUBLICANS WANDERED IN THE WILDERNESS BECAUSE OF IT.
SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM WILL BE THE DOWNFALL OF THE NEO-GINGRICH REPUBLICANS! Count on it.....
The truth is that many Bubba Republicans in the South are REALLY DEMOCRATS! THEY JUST DON'T KNOW IT YET!
And remember the coming war debacle and the job offshoring disaster AINT MIDNIGHT BASKETBALL!
IT'S A TRANSFORMATIONAL SET OF ISSUES THAT COULD PUT THE REPUBLICANS OUT OF OFFICE FOR DECADES! AND IT COULD AND PROBABLY WILL START IN 2006!
BY 2008 THE BUBBA REPUBLICANS WILL HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF DUBYA AND THE NEOCONS AND THE NEO-GINGRICHIANS!
Alas, Brooks, Hubris always comes before the fall! And the Republicans have hubris to spare these days.
IT'S ALL DOWN HILL FOR THE REPUBLICANS NOW.......AS LONG AS THE DEMOCRATS CAN KEEP THEIR STORY STRAIGHT AND NOT LISTEN TO FOLKS LIKE BROOKS ETAL
Or do you really think that "Code Orange" and Gay Marriage has legs in 2006 and beyond!
Dubya squeaked into his second term because a lot of Ohio Bubbas didn't see the big picture, yet.......but don't worry they will...and a lot sooner than Dubya would like to think.
