Tuesday, September 27, 2005
The Politics Of Left And Right
Saturday was a great day. My wife and I spent over 3 hours at the National Book Festival. Enjoyed hearing Thomas Friedman (New York Times), Robert Carter (argued Brown vs. The Board of Education before the Supreme Court), Steven Roberts (NPR), and David Brooks (New York Times).
Mr. Brooks specifically addressed the problems both the Republicans and Democrats are having right now. Republicans, hurt by the President's response to Katrina and caught in a bind trying to be a small government party while governing the country, are split as to how to stay loyal to their ideals. The Democrats, on the other hand, are great at demonizing Mr. Bush but don't have a clue as to their direction. E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post captures this thought in an editorial published today.
I have to say that I am most pessimistic regarding the Democrats. I recently heard Grover Norquist on C-Span say, when introduced as a conservative, that for over 20 years he has been for a smaller national government, accountability in public schools, limiting welfare benefits, lower taxes, and a strong national defense. He pointed out that this is where most of the country stands now and that he should really be described as mainstream. I have to agree. The U.S. has become much more conservative over time and this means big challenges for the left.
So to give them some encouragement I then wondered off to the anti-war protest and listed to Joan Baez. She played a fantastic version of Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall."
PermaLink | 4:37 AM |
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Mr. Brooks specifically addressed the problems both the Republicans and Democrats are having right now. Republicans, hurt by the President's response to Katrina and caught in a bind trying to be a small government party while governing the country, are split as to how to stay loyal to their ideals. The Democrats, on the other hand, are great at demonizing Mr. Bush but don't have a clue as to their direction. E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post captures this thought in an editorial published today.
I have to say that I am most pessimistic regarding the Democrats. I recently heard Grover Norquist on C-Span say, when introduced as a conservative, that for over 20 years he has been for a smaller national government, accountability in public schools, limiting welfare benefits, lower taxes, and a strong national defense. He pointed out that this is where most of the country stands now and that he should really be described as mainstream. I have to agree. The U.S. has become much more conservative over time and this means big challenges for the left.
So to give them some encouragement I then wondered off to the anti-war protest and listed to Joan Baez. She played a fantastic version of Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall."
PermaLink | 4:37 AM |
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