Elite idealists

Unless there is a radical change in strategy from Democrats, they should, and certainly will, lose the 2008 presidential election. The reason being is that the supposed “party of the people” is unable to package a candidate that exemplifies what the people really want. I urge you to look at the two frontrunners on the Democratic side before you reject this hypothesis.\nSen. Hillary Clinton from New York is a traditional northern progressive, a classification that bodes well in her goal of winning the Democratic nomination. But look at presidential elections since Lyndon B. Johnson and the picture gets clearer. Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern, Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis all shared in Clinton’s similar outlook and all suffered defeat. \nDemocratic successes in recent presidential elections played out quite differently. When the party nominated Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, it won the White House with southern Democrats and former governors. Clinton and Carter had executive experience but no Washington experience. This “beyond the Beltway” idea, referring to politicians removed from the scheming ways of Washington, has worked for many national candidates in congressional and presidential elections. The idea is to get some new blood from a new place, with a new agenda. \nWell, Democrats, your “new blood” candidate and second frontrunner is Barack Obama, a junior senator from Illinois. Obama is not only from a northern state but from one, like New York, that traditionally turns blue every presidential election. His politics are also similar to Clinton’s in that both voted to pull troops out of Iraq by March of 2008, both supported Bush’s liberal immigration policy and both want to see our country adopt a universal health care system. Obama in a recent speech said his early opposition to the war in Iraq shows his capability in making crucial judgments as commander-in-chief. Obama drew immediate political and media criticism for this statement and others, one in which he called Clinton’s version of foreign policy “Bush-Cheney Lite.”\nObama, although he is intelligent, impassioned and courageous, has only half a senator’s term under his belt and thus has no business in this election. As he continues to trail Clinton in the polls, I predict he will begin positioning himself for a Clinton-Obama ticket in 2008. \nThis election is shaping up to be 2004 all over again for the Democrats with Clinton, a northeastern liberal like Kerry, and Obama, a charismatic young rabble-rouser like Edwards.\nThe Democrats can’t see the forest for the trees. They are too enamored with their own rhetoric to know how the American people will actually vote. Primaries don’t win elections, national conventions don’t win elections; people win elections.\nThe idealistic liberal power elite have their noses lifted too high to see that what this country needs right now is a level-headed, pragmatic leader and not a group of crusading idealists.