Saying that Victor Davis Hanson is the most astute and intelligent observer of current events is as true as saying the Pacific Ocean is full of sea water. In his most recent masterpiece he analyzes the multiple reasons why the Democratic Party hasn't won a lot of elections of late, basically summing it up as, "the United States does not suffer from the sort of oppression, poverty, or Vietnam nightmares of the 1950s and 1960s that created the present Democratic ideology. Thus calcified solutions of big government entitlements, race-based largesse, and knee-jerk suspicion of U.S. power abroad come off as either impractical or hysterical."
Clearly there are some more specific problems than this, but the fact that the contemporary Democratic Party is still stuck in it's Vietnam mindset basically sums up their problem. I won't elaborate any further, for Mr. Hanson's piece nails it on the head far better than I can, which is why I encourage you to take a few minutes and read this piece.
UPDATE (5/7/05 12:34 P.M.): The sage does it again.
I believe its the Republicans who have problems...
ReplyDeleteSuch as.....
ReplyDeleteThe Democrats wouldn't have as many problems as they have now if they were actually proposing ideas on issues. All they really do now is say they're against Bush and Republicans, and nothing more. Just look at Social Security-they just say they disagree with Bush, and don't propose a plan of their own.
ReplyDeleteThey're pretty much a reactionary party, and they're gonna have to fix that before they start winning elections again.
Democrats don't need a plan other stopping Bush from dismantling the program
ReplyDeleteJust being anti-Bush on Social Security, without having their own plan, may help Democrats on that individual issue, but it will hurt them across the board. Their not having a plan on Social Security contributes greatly to the preception that they are a reactionary party, and the Democrats aren't going to win any elections if they are precived that way.
ReplyDeleteIt may help them on Social Security, but it's gonna hurt them in the long run.
Oh, I'm sure they come up with something on real problems when they arise. Republicans only want to talk about the Social Security CMD (Crisis of Mass Deception) and poor Bush and his 95% success rate in appointing judges.
ReplyDeletecough cough--nuclear North Korea & Iran--cough cough