Democrats: Which Directon Should They Move?

by Stuart Shapiro

I’ve written a bunch about the looming intra-party battle with Republicans (and will continue to) but in the interest of balance, there are multiple views about the direction the Democrats should take.  From the left at Daily Kos:

As for the departed Blue Dogs, we can do without their sabotage which did so much to deliver House Democrats into the minority. . . Liberals, meanwhile, have the same amount of time to identify districts where better Democrats than many of those who just lost their seats can be elected with the proper organizing, funding and messaging.

And from the Democratic moderates:

But the liberal cognoscenti who dominate the Democratic Party have proclaimed that Tuesday’s debacle was caused by President Barack Obama and a Congress that didn’t move far enough left. If this argument prevails, it’s Mondale-vile for Democrats for a long time.

Hmmmmm.  The progressives think the party should move to the left.  The moderates think it should move to the center.  This is why you should be careful about whatever you read (except about what I say dear reader, I am the only unbiased source :>).  The reality is that the Blue Dogs lost because they represented more conservative districts.  Finding “better” candidates won’t make a difference if unemployment doesn’t come down.  If it does, however, then candidates more progressive than those that lost could win.  It’s still the economy, stupid.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.