Tom Daschlism
I have no doubt that the right wing echo chamber of right wing talk radio and Scaife and Murdoch outlets are all abuzz about Tom Daschle’s advertisement. Why? Because it’s spotlighted on Drudge.
The great question of Tom Daschle: why is the leader of the Senate Democrats a senator from a heavily Republican state? It doesn’t do well to advance an agenda of some sort when the loyal opposition’s leader is so politically vulnerable. It sort of hampers the partisan (or political) fights.
You will notice that Nancy Pelosi is generally the point-person in attacking Bush’s foreign affairs, and Daschle tends to try economic affairs in a generic “centrist populist” mode.
Bush defeated Gore 60.3% to 37.6%.
Roll back the clock on Daschle’s election fights. He’s lucky to be in the cycle that he is in: 1998 was a good Democratic year; 1992 was a good Democratic year; 1986 was a good Democratic year.
If a re-election had found its way in 1994, he would be dead… even as his rise to the top of the heep is a direct result of the 1994 election.
Still, in the cynical purpose of a political party: to funnel money around so as to elect people to do political figures, he’s not useless. Note that the states of North Dakota and South Dakota have a congressional delegation composed of 4 Democratic senators, 2 Democratic Representatives, and zero Republicans. Some better than others, but there they are.
Thank you, Tom Daschle. You dragged Tim Johnson to a 500 vote victory in 2002… and you’re gearing up for another 500 vote victory for yourownself.
In the less cynical purpose of a political party, he’s hampered… he’s situated right in the middle in the right-left dichotemy of the Democratic caucuss — from Paul Wellstone to Zell Miller until Wellstone died and Miller became pointless to Russ Feingold to Evan Bayh– managing a split party without any real ability to advance or defend any kind of agenda.
Which brings us one of the great ironies of this election for the Democratic Party. The burgeoning grassroots networks that are helping funnel money into the Democratic Party races — spurred on by Moveon.org and Howard Dean and a large number of blogs — are composed of people generally to the left of the Democratic National Committee, which would help elect people, most visibly into the Senate, who are to the right of the Democratic National Committee.
The close Senate races are in the Red states. In the case of the southern states, the retiring conservative Democrats from another era are giving way to a new breed of conservative Democrats. In the case of Oklahoma and Alaska, some inherent weaknesses with the Republican candidate are giving an opening for “acceptable” Democratic candidates…
… who, if pressed, would vote in favour of various cultural wedge issues… the gay marriage ban amendment, for instance.
At least they don’t want to press some of these issues.