Looking for “core values”
Posted by Richard on July 11, 2005
Sen. Barack Obama, in Florida to campaign for Sen. Ben Nelson, answered questions from the audience. One was particularly revealing:
"I see a Democratic Party afraid to say they’re Democrats, who voted for the war in Iraq and voted for tax cuts for the wealthy," said Glenn Anderson of Orlando. "Why should I remain a Democrat?"
It was a tough question. But Nelson and Obama tried to answer it.
"The Democrats at times have lost their way," conceded Obama. "We are trying to decide what our core values are."
The criterion for judging the party isn’t whether it’s to the left or right, "but are we true to our core values," he said. Nobody defined core values.
I’ve got news for you, Barack: if you’re holding meetings to try to decide what your "core values" are, then they aren’t core values. You might as well say you’re taking a poll to determine what you believe in.
But the truth is the Democrats aren’t trying to decide what their core values are. They know what their core values are — and they also know that if they run on those, they’re doomed to minority status for the forseeable future.
The Democrats are trying to decide what to say their core values are. They’re operating under the maxim, "Sincerity is essential. Once you learn how to fake that, you’ve got it made."
Anonymous said
The Leftocrats have been struggling with this identity crises now for ten years. Do you remember when their “mandate” won them all three (and by default, the Fourth Estate, which is perinieally theirs) branches of Gummint?
Their foolishness and petty squabbling brought about a failed Big Gummint Leftist “Health Care Plan” and the Assault Weapon Ban, which didn’t ban the non-existing class of weapons they erected as the targets of their strawman argument.
What followed, the “Republican Revolution,” remade the Clinton Administration into the hawkish wonder that out-Conservatived the Conservatives as a result of Clinton’s daily focus-groupings.
Yes, using the Barrack-O-Meter to measure the party’s soul will not win them position or influence, as even the most soft-headed of the swing voters will see through that malarky the way they saw through John Fitzgerald Kerry’s failed White House bid.
Anonymous said
Yeah, Clinton defenders — including Bill and Hillary — still tout his greatest accomplishments as welfare reform and balancing the budget. And he fought both tooth and nail until he saw the handwriting on the focus group wall.
The Dem’s big money sources (and much of the leadership) are pushing them hard left. Which, to be fair, makes them more honest about their real values. But it also means they’re rapidly fading away as contenders for national power.