If an election were held today -- oh, if only! -- the current occupant of the White House could expect to receive the electoral votes of Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah.
Now, we Democrats have to move wisely, to help the country recover from the division of the Bush years. We must be principled in the right, but also realize that when we are elected we serve the whole people. And, if we manage to take back the Presidency and build majorities large enough to be effective in Congress, we still will not be able to wave a magic wand to cure the evils of Republican ascendancy. We will need to be deliberate and unequivical, but measured in redeploying our military, rebuilding alliances, squelching terrorists, reordering our enviromental standards, bolstering the national infrastructure, strengthening our educational system, extending health coverage, etc. To the greatest degree ethically possible, we need to work in a bipartisan way. The American people are sick and tired of the mean-spirited partisanship.
And there will eventually, almost certainly, be another terrorist attack, maybe worse than before, whether a Democratic President is elected in 2008 or not. We must be ready to welcome all Americans to join in the the recovery and NOT use it to divide the country the way Bush did. Our President must be ready to inspire the country to stand up to the terrorists AND preserve our institutions and principles. Never has it been more important to have a President who can inspire. And we will need a President who can stand firm under pressure to give up our principles in the face of terror. I hope and believe Clinton, Edwards, Biden, Dodd, or Obama could be the Churchill we will need to solicit "blood, sweat, toil, and tears" of an anquished nation.
As galling as it may be to have to deal with a Chambliss or a Thune, who dealt us such painful losses, or a Lieberman, who is so wrong on the war, Democrats must put the country ahead of power and party.
Now, we Democrats have to move wisely, to help the country recover from the division of the Bush years. We must be principled in the right, but also realize that when we are elected we serve the whole people. And, if we manage to take back the Presidency and build majorities large enough to be effective in Congress, we still will not be able to wave a magic wand to cure the evils of Republican ascendancy. We will need to be deliberate and unequivical, but measured in redeploying our military, rebuilding alliances, squelching terrorists, reordering our enviromental standards, bolstering the national infrastructure, strengthening our educational system, extending health coverage, etc. To the greatest degree ethically possible, we need to work in a bipartisan way. The American people are sick and tired of the mean-spirited partisanship.
And there will eventually, almost certainly, be another terrorist attack, maybe worse than before, whether a Democratic President is elected in 2008 or not. We must be ready to welcome all Americans to join in the the recovery and NOT use it to divide the country the way Bush did. Our President must be ready to inspire the country to stand up to the terrorists AND preserve our institutions and principles. Never has it been more important to have a President who can inspire. And we will need a President who can stand firm under pressure to give up our principles in the face of terror. I hope and believe Clinton, Edwards, Biden, Dodd, or Obama could be the Churchill we will need to solicit "blood, sweat, toil, and tears" of an anquished nation.
As galling as it may be to have to deal with a Chambliss or a Thune, who dealt us such painful losses, or a Lieberman, who is so wrong on the war, Democrats must put the country ahead of power and party.
No comments:
Post a Comment