No more waiting!

In my 5 months volunteering for Kerry/Edwards, I watched this seemingly irrational outcome come to pass, despite our early confidence that the Republican ticket would be going down to sound defeat.  During the campaign, Bush's approval ratings (like now) were low, and all over the nation, polls favored Kerry, or at least had him close in states where he eventually lost by double digits.  Apparently, even though Americans were sick of plant closings, rising gas prices, outsourced jobs, a deteriorating situation in Iraq, and a lame set of explanations for it all by their leaders, they remained reluctant to vote for us.  As a result, President Bush won easily on November 2nd and was even rewarded with a greater majority of Republican Congressmen promising to continue the same agenda that got us into so much trouble in the first place.

In other words, 2004 was the year when everyday Americans looked at a society where everything seemed to be going wrong, and voted for people who claimed that everything was really going right.  They chose to believe that George W. Bush, a man who had spent most of his life attending elite schools and being transported around in limousines, was an average guy, just like them!

Today, as the Republican train inexplicably chugs ahead without any results to back it up, I must say that my optimism for a Democratic resurgence is being sorely tested.  Frankly, I don't see enough (well-justified) outrage among the majority of the population.  Just as importantly, I don't believe that Democrats can win consistently until we convince people that we provide a viable alternative to the Republicans' failed policies.  The first job is for Democrats to internalize an important lesson that they seem to have great difficulty learning - namely, that Republican ineptitude isn't ever going to be enough for voters to change party loyalties.  To do that, Democrats must stand for something, and they must produce leaders who can inspire people to rally behind their vision of America.

This year's Virginia governor's race demonstrates just how tough -- but not impossible -- this is going to be.  Even Tim Kaine, a brilliant and ethical man with a fine record of accomplishment, is struggling to shake off a Republican opponent immersed in scandal and without major administrative experience.  Frankly, just based on merit alone, Tim Kaine should be blowing Jerry Kilgore out of the water.  The fact that he isn't provides crystal clear evidence that for Democrats to take back the country, they will need to develop a powerful movement and a progressive message that resonates across the nation.  As for me, I won't be waiting for another defeat; instead I'll be fighting for victory.

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