The Aerie
Well, that was interesting. As cynical as I get, I don't think I
expected such a rout for the Democrats as happened last night. Still,
I don't know why I care. As Ben says, "Just remember: who is elected
does not matter, the system is corrupt, large corporations run the
country, politicians do not represent the interests of the People." Or
as I replied, "Strength through Cynicism." So disaffected, and he's
more that ten years younger than me.
One problem, IMO, is that the Democrats are no longer liberal, or even
particularly differentiated from the Republicans. They are in fact
lame Republican knock-offs, too timid to take a position, or as like
as not without actual beliefs of their own. Why SHOULD anyone vote for
a Democrat, when they can get the Real Thing with a Republican?
Of course, this all started when the Democrats, and in fact everyone
in the nation, allowed the Right to set the agenda. This was Ronald
Reagan's greatest political achievement. Turning the word "Liberal"
into an epithet was a stroke of genius. Letting that happen was an
unconscionable error for the Left.
Another problem is that of organization. The Right has had a distinct
organizational advantage. For the last few elections they've carefully
coordinated and targeted their opponents. The Democrats, and the Left
in general, have either waffled or -- more egregiously in my opinion
-- been complacent. In Minnesota the last two Democratic gubernatorial
candidates, Moe and Humphrey, were old-boy politicians who approached
each election as if they were simply entitled to the job due to their
connections and prior public service. Moe in particular has to take
the responsibility for this one. From my perspective as a largely
uninformed voter, he repeated all of Humphreys errors and learned none
of Humphrey's lessons. From where I sat, ready to be convinced to vote
for him, he seemed distant, arrogant, and unattached. You can tell me
I misperceive him, but in this case perception IS everything...
In contrast, our Governor-elect Tim Pawlenty (an ambitious young
weasel) was initially going to fight for the Senate position. A call
from Dick Cheney convinced him not to split the party at the primary,
and offered him the gubernatorial run instead. Imagine if Tom Daschle
had called Moe and said "We want you to stand aside and let some
ambitious young buck make a stronger run." Strategic Democratic
planning? What a concept! Taking one for the team? Unthinkable!
And, finally, the Left needs to stop looking backwards. The Boomers
are so fixated on the past that every Left action is viewed as
"another 60's movement" against "another Viet Nam". They keep looking
to the Kennedy family as if that dissolute pack of pseudoaristocrats
represents the only possibility of salvation. The Left needs to find a
charismatic leader of the present generation with an eye towards the
future, a leader, not simply a figurehead for their lost youthful
idealism. The Left needs to promote just causes for their own sake,
and oppose unjust causes on their own terms.
Ralph Nader is the past. Ann Richards is the past. Molly Ivins is too
shrill. Michael Moore is too self-serving and decidedly NOT
charismatic. Whatever the Left hopes to accomplish, it must do so for
its own sake, not in an effort to resurrect a Glorious Past that never
really was.
The present incarnation of the Right was formed of Nixon-era castaways
who rallied around Reagan to form the present ruling cabal. (Opening
my wife's 1970s-era encyclopedia to show my kids what rum was made of,
I found a picture of Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of State... under
Ford). Even with Reagan long gone, they maintain their structure with
both persistence and organization. The present incarnation of the Left
is none, no central theme, approach, or creed, and no central figure.
The Democratic party isn't a party for something, they're a contrarian
party of not-Republicans. And not very convincing ones at that.
Until the Left finds it's own moral center and it's own charismatic
leadership, it's doomed to failure after failure. And that's how the
pendulum swings, because at some point the oppression of the Right
will become painful enough that people on the Left will step up to the
plate to oppose them. Let's hope that someone does this before the
Right succeeds in completely disassembling the pendulum and shipping
it to Crawford, Texas.
Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to the next couple of Perfect years.
And they ought to be Perfect. For the last twenty years the Right has
complained that everything would be Perfect if the damned Democrats
would just stop blocking their plans. Republicans now have what
they've always wanted, free and clear: exclusive control of the
Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches of government. They can
now do whatever they want without anybody stopping them (short of a
constitutional amendment, and I wouldn't put that past them at this
point). So I fully expect that in a couple of years EVERYTHING will be
PERFECT.
So get back into the closet, plan your abortion now, crush out that
last doobie, and be thankful if you have a job. Because the Right
holds the chisel, and they're ready to carve out the Perfect Future.
Better make sure you're not left in chips on the floor.
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Posted by Albatross at November 6, 2002 12:00 AM