Advice to the Democrats
In December, 2002, one month after the elections, TalkLeft, subbing for Eric Alterman's Altercation (December 4), gave some advice to the Democrats. We're reprinting it because we still believe it. We went looking for it last night after a commenter in another thread suggested we thought the Dems should toe a more conservative line. Wrong. If we were calling the shots, we'd still suggest a sharp turn to the left:
Yesterday I opined here that the Democrats are in danger of losing their potential for a 2004 win if they don't move to the left. With centrism so entrenched, there is little to distinguish the two major parties these days. By not having a forceful and vocal left, we risk becoming a one party nation.Former President Clinton disagrees. Speaking to a group of 200 gathered for the National Democratic Leadership Council at New York University, Clinton advised the Democrats, "We don't have to be more liberal, but we do have to be more relevant in a positive way." He told them that national security and going after terrorists should be their first priority. After that comes building up the economy. Clinton has been a centrist since founding the DLC in the 1980s. It may have helped him win his elections, but I don't think it will help Democrats in 2004 any more than it did in 2002. We need fewer, not more, politicians like Dick Gephardt .... championing the Bush Administration war plans.
Al Gore, Howard Dean and John Kerry have gotten the message that the Democrats have become one unhappy group of campers since November 5. Joe Lieberman may be the only potential viable candidate still bearing Clinton's "New Democrats" label.
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