Shrill Demo Hits It On The Head
It's turning into advice for the Democrats day here at Stone (or perhaps affirming Democrats' advice for themselves day).
In any event, the normally shrill and unbalanced Josh Marshall has very, very sensible advice for Democrats today in this post:
The difficulty for Democrats today is that they excel at the libretto of politics but have little feel for the score.Democrats frequently console or rally themselves with the fact that most voters agree with them on individual issues. And then they're mystified when they don't win elections. Sometimes it seems, or people convince themselves, that it's because one candidate is more likable than the other. Some people think that's the case with this just completed presidential election. And perhaps it is to some degree. But the bigger difference is that Democrats don't do anywhere near as good a job at telling a story with their politics.
If you want an example think of a movie with great acting and set-design but no discernible plot.
Yes, you're for this and that policy and you have this, that and the other plan. But what story or picture does it all amount to? What things does it say are important and which things less important? What does it all amount to in terms of who we are as Americans and who we want to be?
I think I can tell you what the Republicans are for and without referencing hardly any policy specifics. They're for lowering taxes in exchange for giving up whatever it is the government pretends to do for us, (at a minimum) riding the brakes on the on-going transformation of American culture, and kicking ass abroad.
That's a cogent analysis and a sign that some Democrats are beginning to understand their quandary. In the absence of Marxism, or even Cold War socialism, there is no coherent philosophy or ethical framework on which the Left can hang its hat.
Yes, yes, as cited above, the tenditious assertion that "people agree with Democrats on individual issues" indicates that when issues are framed as "should we do something about education, or crime, or civil rights" people will agree with action over inaction. And the Left's policy bag has degenerated into just such an endless series of giveaways that, fortunately, are sweet on the tooth for the moment, but when understood as an entire diet, are more often than not rejected by sensible and aware adults.
There *is* no philiosophy that can be "pro-business" and "pro-individual" while systematically undermining the right sof businesses and individuals. The Democrats have discovered that all their confectionery phrases have no lasting power. Now will they revisit first principles to find something more sustaining to the soul?
