It's another big victory for the GOP. More Legislative and Senate seats, one more governor, and we all know the big news. I would like to offer a note of condolence to the Democrats. I remember how hard it was to concede a victory to Bill Clinton back in 1992, and I assure you all, that I sincerely feel your pain. Just so that you won't ever have to experience this sort of suffering again, I thought I might offer a hand across the aisle, and help you with rebuilding for 2008. As I see it, your political model is fatally flawed, and unless you are willing to recognize those flaws, you will only slip further behind. Following are five truths that none of you want to accept, but must, if you ever hope to regain power:
1) Socialism is dead
This is probably the biggest problem with your party. The Socialist experiments of the last century have failed miserably, and we are in a new era. The philosophies of Karl Marx led to war and poverty, death and despair. Americans are aware of this, and will fight against it. The tighter you hold to the idea of a workable socialism, the farther you will fall from the mainstream. Recasting socialism in a nebulous "third way" will do nothing to save it. It's over. Move on.
2) Rush Limbaugh and Fox are valid news outlets
This is probably your biggest miscalculation. If you were ever to tune in, you might be shocked how mainstream these broadcasts really are. You would also learn that their facts are remarkably straight, and they cover stories the other news outlets ignore. Perhaps they lean right, but the major networks lean left. If you rely on traditional news sources, you are only getting half the news. The results of this election were not a surprise to those of us who listen to both sides of the arguments. Instead of judging these shows by yourself on their own merits, you rely on people like Al Franken to analyze them for you. These people have a huge stake in misrepresenting the other side, so they do it lasciviously. They have convinced you that the other side is rife with lies and propaganda, and it's not. The breeches of journalistic ethos came from the left wing media this past election.
3) You no longer represent the Majority
Which is strange, since the name "Democrat" suggests a commitment to following the whim of the majority. The biggest complaint in 2000, was that Al Gore should be President because he was the choice of the majority. The majority of Americans don't think homosexuals should be married. They believe guns ownership is a right, and that there should be some restrictions on abortion. Americans almost unanimously think they pay too much in taxes. By not representing the majority on these and other issues, you are forcing yourself into a corner that you cannot talk your way out of. What you bemoan as an inability to get your message out, is actually an inability to convince Americans that issues they disagree with, are actually in their best interest.
4) Leftists have hijacked your Major Movements
Feminism, Civil Rights and Environmentalism are now controlled by leftists. Leaders of these movements are more concerned now with moving the country leftward, than with answering the concerns of these movements. Environmental leaders fight for a "living wage," which has nothing to do with improving the environment. Feminist leaders care more about population control than women, and they supported Bill Clinton over the women who accused him of impropriety. Civil Rights Leaders completely ignore the strong majority support within the Black community for school choice.
5) The issues you fight for, are no longer problems
America is better than ever before, and your policies target problems that no longer exist. More Blacks are now members of the middle and upper classes. Even the poorest Americans have things like color televisions, air conditioning, cars and computers; things most of the world calls "luxuries." Our air and water quality is possibly the best anywhere. The economy is the envy of the world; it has recovered from a slight recession, and is pushing the stock market into uncharted territory. As a nation, we abhor race and gender based discrimination. We are all so well fed that obesity is a national crisis, especially among children. Every American has access to some form of health care, and despite its growing cost, and substandard public option, we are all living longer healthier lives. Just like the Rural Electrification Agency still exists years after the rural areas were successfully electrificated, you still cling to the antiquated social programs of yesteryear. By representing America as a place it no longer is, you lose your credibility. Since you have nothing new to offer Americans, your position is subjugated to the voice of the opposition. People prefer solutions over complaints. The adage is: "nobody likes a critic."
Democrats have drifted too far out of the mainstream. I'm truly saddened by that. They have many good ideas. The name Liberal shares a Latin root with Liberty. "Liberal" is what people, who think like I do, used to call themselves when this Nation was founded. If that word were not stolen by the social architects of the last century, I would still use it to define myself politically today. If they can shake off the parasites of socialism, Democrats might actually have a chance of reclaiming the majority. If they do not, they are destined to become relics; nothing more than historical curiosities, like the rubble that once constituted the Berlin Wall.
