The Democrats are in serious trouble: they’re going the way of the dodo. They haven’t had a good leader in the presidency since FDR.
While many will argue that Bill Clinton was the man, he bowed down to the Republicans and corporate America all the time. His administration didn’t even force car makers to increase gas mileage, something Ronald Reagan and George Bush enforced. Do you think the tree-huggers who voted for him twice appreciated that?
The lack of perseverance among the Democrats is troubling. Although both parties have to fight for votes, the Republicans don’t have to worry. People who oppose gun control and abortion will usually support Republicans. The Democrats have to fight for liberals who are gaining more interest in the Green Party.
A new generation has come to realize that there isn’t that big of a difference between the two parties. When people cast their ballot for the Democratic party, they’re not assured their representative will vote for the party’s traditional beliefs. Democrats are now voting to drill in Alaska, starting wars and discouraging abortions instead of increasing mileage on cars.
Each one is a potential closet Republican. Every year, an increasing number of them vote with the GOP on many important issues.
Republicans seem to have more dedication; once they set their eyes on something, they’ll state their stance and will not back down. President Bush has been ready to attack Iraq since the day he was sworn in. His entire basis is that they may have chemical or nuclear weapons, and this – in his mind – warrants war.
North Korea, on the other hand, is apparently different. Even though they’ve publicly admitted they have nuclear and chemical weapons, Bush is seeking diplomatic measures and hopes they can peacefully negotiate.
It doesn’t matter how much the public criticizes him or the amount of scrutiny his plans receive – Bush and his fellow Republicans will not surrender their goals. The Democrats, on the other hand, seem to crumble at their bases once someone starts to complain.
When Bush was picking his Cabinet, John Ashcroft was a controversial choice. There were complaints from the liberals, but after the Republicans put their foot down, Ashcroft was sworn in. The Republicans created the same noise with Clinton’s nominations, but Clinton backed down and Janet Reno, his third choice, was finally sworn in.
Even after the recent sniper attacks, it’s hard to find any Democrats screaming about gun control. They’ve been very careful and timid in avoiding the issue. Why? They don’t want to alienate any potential voters by encouraging gun control, so instead they’re going to back off their own views in order to get more votes.
This is exactly what is wrong with them: they have no courage and will back down from key issues if they think they’ll gain more voters and win the public’s approval. But in truth, voters don’t want a party that will continually abandon their beliefs; they want leaders who will stand up and defend their views.
Democrats don’t have an effective leader who can tell them it’s admirable and intelligent to speak out and be bold. Tom Daschle hasn’t been able to unify the party and lead them on a march to defy Bush. He doesn’t compare to Dick Cheney or Trent Lott.
The Democrats are slowly sliding more and more into obscurity. They’re fighting to gain control of the Senate, but they’ve lost key states and demography over the years. They’re going to lose more voters if they continue to show the same indecisiveness year after year. They can easily revive their party if they follow some basic lessons from the GOP. The people of America want strong and bold leaders, not politicians lacking the courage and conviction to hold onto their ideals.
Vijay Ramanavarapu is a sophomore in business. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].
