Failing Consensus the Democrats Run Toward Defeat Next Fall

The democrats clearly see opportunity in their control of all branches of government and they correctly sense the window of opportunity for changing America is going to slam shut. I mused back in January, whether the democrats would make the same mistakes they made in 1993 and 1994 after the 1992 elections, and it appears that they will.

The democrats also could learn some lessons from the republicans and their recent run in control of the country. The current sad state of the Republican Party makes January 2001 seem forever ago. The republicans undid themselves during the George W. Bush years as they lost the trust of fiscal conservatives in their management of the Federal Budget and individual members of the republican leadership in Congress repeatedly shot themselves in the foot. Without a heightened sense of fear regarding post 9/11 National Security, it is likely the republicans would have lost the White House in 2004 and control of government sooner than they did.

Democracy requires educated, productive and independent people. Democracy and Capitalism go hand in hand as they both require merit to prevail. In a democracy, ideas are currency and the best ideas and policies are hammered by discussion and debate and illuminated by dialogue and need to rise to the top. In capitalism, goods or services are currency and the best product offered at the lowest price is hammered by competition and illuminated in a free and open marketplace and also needs to rise to the top.

We need a new word to describe a "compromise" bill in Congress because too many people confuse what is really a "bi-partisan" or "consensus" bill with the more negative general meaning of compromise as in compromising one's principles. Wise leaders understand that governing is different than opposing and that elections come and go like the waves in the the ocean, washing away sand and replacing it with new sand.

While the far right and far left will never be the source of a consensus agreement or decide a national election, they do raise issues and generate awareness in the center. The democrats benefited greatly from independent and centrist voters in the 2008 elections and yet they seem dismissive of criticism from the center and want to discredit legitimate concerns by labeling critics.

The labelling of criticism of President Obama's policies as racism does nothing to quell real racists who are few in number nor does it bode well for minority candidates in the near future. When we criticized President Bush, it was accepted that as President he was fair game for criticism no matter how deserved or undeserved. Now if we criticize President Obama, we are racists, how disingenuous. As a fiscal conservative and current independent, you are saying to me, that you want my vote but if I disagree with you, you will not discuss the merits of your policy or practice but you will "deal the race card from the bottom of the deck" rather than try to convince me with discussion or debate or illuminate me with dialogue.

The other thing that the democrats and President Obama need to do, is to stop attacking Capitalism and profits. The United States faces a real global challenge and a national anti-capitalism sentiment will just drive more investment, operations and profits across our national boundaries and benefit nations with more favorable policies and attitudes. We stand to lose to the European Union, Russia, China, India and Brazil who do not demonize either capitalism or profits and are more interested in growing their pie than carving out bigger pieces for special interests and non-productive players. Learn from our Canadian neighbors where many of Canada's wealthy families moved their residences and business interest out of Canada in response to regressive tax policy begun in the 1960s.