I love it when I read respectable journalists who agree with what I've been saying the past few days.
This is from an article on the American Prospect Online:
"So why can’t Democrats consistently come up with inspiring leaders, with candidates who make you want to do the right thing, the way Republicans can? Well, maybe that’s because we’re leaving it up to the politicians themselves. A cynical approach (not that there’s anything wrong with that) would be to mimic the Republicans and to start cultivating a good performer to run as the front man for progressive ideals."
Of course, I don't think that "performer" has to be as intellectually incurious or as manipulated at Bush. I think any candidate would be given a huge boost if the Democratic Party had a strong, consistent message. Again, we cannot wait for another Clinton, or for any charismatic candidate to carry the burden during an election year.
"[H]ere’s another proposal: Progressives should figure out a better way to speak about our moral values. We can discuss policies and practices with one another all we want. We can look for some ruthless strategist who can parse counties and peel off voting blocs as brilliantly as Karl Rove. We can expect academics and activists to identify the spots of suffering that will shock our collective conscience. All that is necessary.But none of that is enough. To win the next election, we also have to invent persuasive ways to talk about our vision of truth, justice, and the American way. We have to explain that, like any other game, capitalism needs impartial umpires who are willing and able to enforce its rules -- no cheating, no lying, no stealing -- lest it disintegrate into Russian crime."
That last statement reminds me of Eliot Spitzer, a powerful and effective figure who is on his way up. He holds the key to part of what the Democratic Party should be about - the accountability of big business. Those issues grabbed the public's eye with recent scandals, such as Enron. The Democratic Party needs to utilize these voices to get out the message about the kinds of people that support and are supported by the current administration and the Republicans in general.
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