PrintCan't fool all of the people all of the time
David Limbaugh speaks an important truth in his latest column. Recently, Stanley Greenburg has made the point that the public supports the GOP because they know what the GOP believes in, even if they don't necessarily agree. Greenburg and others claim the Dems need to figure out what they believe in.
David demolishes this claim:
They do know their underlying values, but they don't know whether they can be completely open about them without risking an electoral bloodbath. So on some issues they vacillate, saying one thing to certain people —— their rabid left—wing constituency groups —— and different things to others. Whether it's foreign policy, social issues or economic ones, Democrats have a tough time unmasking themselves.
And later:
They have this nagging feeling —— mostly accurate, I might add —— that the majority of the electorate is not on their side, so they are usually reduced to opposing President Bush and Republicans instead of offering their own coherent policies, or, alternatively, running trial balloons to see what will fly with the public. After all, unless they get elected, they won't accomplish anything. So, they do have principles —— but they are unprincipled in their presentation of them. Or, if you prefer euphemism, call them "pragmatic."
Either way, Greenberg's advice that Democrats adopt a clearer message would likely be suicidal for them. So I hope they follow it.
Sage words.
Thomas Lifson 6 1 05
