The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 5 of 12)

Dennis Garcia /p>

I just wanted to say what a pleasure this article was to read. It was lucid and informative, articulate but not pedantic, and provided a wonderful historical context for the Democratic Party bloodbath we've been witnessing between Clinton and Obama. I loved the even-handed neutrality of the article; one senses that the author is interested in helping the reader understand the current situation rather than merely promoting his own biases. This refreshingly broad perspective is sadly lacking in the majority of news media, and how delightfully ironic to find it in an opinion-oriented publication.

The author's appraisal of how the Democratic Party has narrowed its focus to two primary constituencies, and made the remainder of voters effectively Republicans-by-default is right on the money. The way Mr. Tucker stripped away all the partisan nonsense and exposed the core issue was truly impressive. It forcefully illustrates the point that ideological criticism of the Democratic Party does not constitute an endorsement of the GOP, or vice versa, any more than a criticism of Saddam Hussein constituted an endorsement of the policies of the Bush administration.

In a two-party system, though, people are conditioned to such polarized assumptions and the allegiances they represent. So ideology aside, the practical result at the polls is the same. The voter can only reject the Democratic Party by voting Republican, and vice versa. If only candidates of either party would display the kind of broad, long-term perspective implicit in this article we might actually have a candidate worth voting for this fall.

One can't easily glean from this article where the author's sentiments lie, and this is a good thing, because it forces the reader to consider the information based on its merits, and not on some perceived affinity with or aversion to the author's political perspective. Personally, I think the New Deal was Socialism getting its foot in the door of American politics, and would be glad to see it go. It was always intended as an emergency measure in response to the Great Depression, not a permanent bureaucracy. Tucker's estimation of its popularity among unhappy voters makes clear why it's legacy is still around, but it is clearly no longer the populist Democratic trump card they once perceived it to be.

If the Democrats are getting spanked it isn't because their rivals are so much more competent or appealing, but because they've isolated themselves, currently representing only the interests a pair of vociferous political minorities, whose welfare -- they would have us believe -- can only be promoted at the expense of others. They have effectively disowned much of the American public in order to cement their support among these groups (ie., African Americans and liberal intelligentsia), and they're now reaping the rewards. The only thing that's kept them alive so far is the miserable Republican alternative.

Incidentally, I fall squarely into the "blue collar" category, and count among my friends both "working poor" and college-educated liberals. But I am able to see beyond my own situation and the temptation to embrace counter-productive short-term benefits that may jeopardize better, long-term prospects for social and economic prosperity. I voted for Reagan in '84, the first election in which I could legally vote, and for Dukakis in '88. Since then I have voted Libertarian in every election, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I include this information in order to provide a context for these comments.

p>The best thing the Dems and GOP can do for us third-party advocates is to keep up the squabbling, the petty character-assassinations, the self-serving partisanship, and maybe people will finally wake up to the water around their ankles and abandon both those sinking ships before America the Beautiful disappears beneath the waves. br> -- John Beaver br> Lutz, Florida /p> p> Great article, let us hope you are right. The prospects for a Democrat takeover of government are truly frightening re: the effects of raising taxes on the economy, the poor, more victims needing the government to take care of them (and those of us who want less rather than more government). br> --

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