The Sydney Morning Herald has a great analysis of the Bush presidency — this from our ever-steady friends in Oz. From the piece, entitled “Bush Survives — with a little help from his enemies,” comes also this gem about the Democrats:

There’s something else Bush has going for him: a politically inept and hopelessly divided Democratic Party in which it is never clear who speaks for it on any issue.

The excuse Democrats make for their ineptitude is that they control neither house of Congress nor the White House, which means they are virtually powerless to influence, let alone dictate, policy. But that does not explain why the leadership of the party in Congress is so mediocre or why, after John Kerry’s bitter defeat in November 2004 because he couldn’t decide where he stood on Iraq or the war on terrorism, the Democrats can’t make up their minds where they stand on either issue.

Why can this fact be so easily acknowledged abroad, but those inside the Beltway remain blind to it? It’s called “having a message,” people. And is all the better for Republicans as they head into another important election year.