The Cellar - View Single Post

02-01-2006, 05:58 PM

TW...I agree with much of what you said. The current Dem leadership is lacking a coherent vision and focusing too much on what they believe was the successful rhetoric of the past.

2004 was a lost opportunity. What visionary candidate for president would make his Vietnam service the centerpiece of his campaign (and then not even fight for his reputation when it was smeared). Kerry was a miserable candidate.

On the positive side, there are up and coming Dem leaders who understand how to combine pragmatism with policy in a way that will play to the growing number of Independents, who now form the key voters. Hillary is one, despite the villfication of the wing nuts. As is Barak Obama in the Senate. He can talk about economic opportunity for all and the role of government in providing a social safety net that most workers understand. Rahm Emanuel in the House (a former policy wonk in the B. Clinton White House) is another. He is heading the House Dem Campaign Committee this year and is a master at defining the issues in a way that will resonate beyond the old Dem base.

And then there are governors in traditional red states like Bill Richardson in New Mex, Janet Napolitano in Ariz who arent afraid to take on the immigration issue and Mark Warner (former Gov) in Virginia, who is as articulate as anyone I've heard about transforming the US to be successful in the new global economy

As to spin doctors, I marvel at how the Bush White House has mastered the art.

- warrantless eavesdropping on citizens is a "terrorist surveillance program"
- gutting the Clean Air Act is the "clear skies initiative"
- opening more of the wilderness to the logging industry is the "healthy forest program"

Not to mention the "successful" spinning of the folly in Iraq (Bush - "Mission Accomplished", "Congress had access to the same intelligence as the White House", Cheney - "the insurgency is in its last throes", Rumseld (or Wolfowitz) - Iraq will fund its own reconstruction with oil revenue")

2006 will be an interesting political year.

02-01-2006, 05:58 PM	#11
Redux Guest Posts: n/a	TW...I agree with much of what you said. The current Dem leadership is lacking a coherent vision and focusing too much on what they believe was the successful rhetoric of the past. 2004 was a lost opportunity. What visionary candidate for president would make his Vietnam service the centerpiece of his campaign (and then not even fight for his reputation when it was smeared). Kerry was a miserable candidate. On the positive side, there are up and coming Dem leaders who understand how to combine pragmatism with policy in a way that will play to the growing number of Independents, who now form the key voters. Hillary is one, despite the villfication of the wing nuts. As is Barak Obama in the Senate. He can talk about economic opportunity for all and the role of government in providing a social safety net that most workers understand. Rahm Emanuel in the House (a former policy wonk in the B. Clinton White House) is another. He is heading the House Dem Campaign Committee this year and is a master at defining the issues in a way that will resonate beyond the old Dem base. And then there are governors in traditional red states like Bill Richardson in New Mex, Janet Napolitano in Ariz who arent afraid to take on the immigration issue and Mark Warner (former Gov) in Virginia, who is as articulate as anyone I've heard about transforming the US to be successful in the new global economy As to spin doctors, I marvel at how the Bush White House has mastered the art. - warrantless eavesdropping on citizens is a "terrorist surveillance program" - gutting the Clean Air Act is the "clear skies initiative" - opening more of the wilderness to the logging industry is the "healthy forest program" Not to mention the "successful" spinning of the folly in Iraq (Bush - "Mission Accomplished", "Congress had access to the same intelligence as the White House", Cheney - "the insurgency is in its last throes", Rumseld (or Wolfowitz) - Iraq will fund its own reconstruction with oil revenue") 2006 will be an interesting political year.