Brain Fertilizer

While I don't necessarily agree with all of your conclusions in this piece, you raise some good points, and in a reasonably non-judgemental way.

It's fairly clear that the democratic party needs to change. It is no longer the "party of middle-class America." What it will ultimately become, has yet to be seen, but clearly extreme "progressive" views won't get you elected in the bulk of the nation anymore. Part of what got Bush a second term was a combination of focus on "core values" blended with reasonably generic leanings to the center (loose standards on illegal immigration and at least verbal support of issues such as assault weapons bans and homosexual civil unions). Perhaps the Democrats' answers lie more towards the center as well.

But I suppose once you've leaned far enough one way or the other, you really have to question whether there are even two parties anymore. Can you say Zel Miller or John McCain? I'm not a big Michael Savage fan, but his analysis that we have "Republicrats" and "Democans" elected in our country is probably an apt one.

It'll be an interesting four years, to be sure.

This comment could as easily have gone under my "New Manifest Destiny" post. :)

The thing is, I don't think Bush was really doing much "leaning" or "triangulating". I think that President Bush has merely followed his heart and the best advice of good advisors to bring about the approximate results he thought was good for the country. Karl Rove's job is to highlight the good results, minimize the bad results, and put the best overall spin onto the President's decisions. But really, despite what Rove's ideological opponents say, not to tell Bush to cold-bloodedly adopt positions to get votes/support.

Perhaps the worst thing that could have happened to the Democrat Party was Bill Clinton's election and re-election, because it seems to have convinced most Democrats that style is more important than substance.

Oh, if everyone agreed with all of my conclusions, one of us is doing it wrong... [grin]

I think Rudy Giuliani has too many skeletons. He was NOT a well-liked man until 9/11. The question is whether his leadership skills are enough to counter his past.

For those who consider "morality" a top issue, I think they'd have a rough time voting to a man who showed up to public events with his girlfriend...while still legally married.