What Do the Democrats Need to Do?
I've been noodling on this since the election.
First, they need to stop lying about their more controversial positions, and start persuading.
One of the obvious issues that they are lying about is gay marriage. It's safe to say that most Democrats feel that anything less than full gay marriage with all the rights and benefits and problems of heterosexual marriage amounts to legalized discrimination. A reasonable case can be made for that argument. Not saying I buy it personally, but it is certainly an argument.
But liberal politicians are unwilling to attempt this argument because their polling says it will cost them votes. So they say they're opposed to gay marriage while simultaneously being against anything that would prevent it from happening. They appear to be hoping that the courts will intervene (as they have in Massachusetts), and that with younger people purportedly more tolerant on gay issues that demographics will bail them out over time.
Of course, hoping for the courts to intervene guarantees only that the battle will linger, as the continuing battle over Roe v. Wade demonstrates. Issues that are resolved legislatively are generally settled for good; issues that are resolved judicially are seldom seen as binding by the losers. And at any rate, the voters deserve to know what their leaders really think, not have their own opinions regurgitated back at them.
This is just one issue, but there are lots like it. Let's take abortion for another. What is the real Democratic position? No restrictions on abortion at all. Again, an argument can be made for this position, but you will not find a major Democrat enunciating it. Why? Because they know it's a loser among those people who vote largely based on the abortion issue. So instead they vote against any restrictions on abortion including the disgusting partial birth abortion procedure.
Or gun control. Let's face it, most liberals would like to ban all guns in private hands (as is common in much of Europe). Be honest, liberals!
I'm not kidding with these suggestions. Yes, they would kill the liberals for awhile, because they have been trying to snooker everybody with their "third way" positions for 12 years now. But it's not working, and you can't really get away with the mushy middle anymore. We're all onto you in Red State America. You are fooling nobody but yourselves.
