Is it just me, or has the relentless pummeling the Democrats have taken in the last 3 elections finally given them back their voice? After Election 2000, Democrats wouldn't speak up because there was a collective consensus that we needed to "unite as a country" after the Florida debacle; from 2001-2002 Democrats couldn't speak for fear of being labeled "unpatriotic" and losing the 2002 elections; after getting crushed in those elections Democrats were left dazed and reeling, and finally came together just long enough to fall back into flimsy wishiwashiness for the 2004 election. And of course, they lost then too.
But with no groundshaking events to put them on their heels, no more prospect of kicking Bush out of office to keep them motivated, and no elections until 2006 (and with virtually all vulnerable Democrats have already been knocked out of office anyway), Democrats finally have absolutely nothing left to fear. And with Bush's politically suicidal Social Security Privitization Scheme at the top of the news, the Democrats have appeared to find their voice for the first time since Bush got elected...in 2000.
America was designed to have checks and balances, with the minority party acting as a hedge against majoritarian extremism. The Democrats have not been able to fulfill that role for too long. Let us hope that their new-found political spine lasts for the next four years. America sure needs the help.
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And? If by finding their voice you mean that all the political pandering is a thing of the past and they'll actually speak on issues as they see best for the country and not best for their relection funds, they that's great for everyone. Conspiracy theorists should be a few backwater bloggers, not elected officials.
Though using Social Security as an example is pretty backwards. The SS system needs to be changed, and the discussion shouldn't be if, but how. When both parties sit down and seriously start working on a solution and stop trying to vilify anyone who wants to fix a system that's been broken since inception. It's better to fix the system while it's still in the black even if that means the government can't increase it's already 10 trillion dollar interest free loan from the program.
"politically suicidal Social Security Privitization scheme?" Get real. Beginning i 2018, outgo exceeds intake and every year will see increases in taxes or cuts in spending (as if that will ever happen). Even Greenspan is saying that somehing has to be done now. Politically suicidal is the Democratic Alfred E. Neuman manta of "What Me Worry."
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