Senator Bayh Forming Presidential Exploratory Committee
Senator Bayh from Indiana may be close to announcing his candidancy for the Democratic nomination for president. Mike Glover of the Associated Press as reported in the Ventura County Star has more on Bayh:
If Senator Bayh is talking about Democrats going on a tax and spend spree, then he may have a point, except there's no sign that the Democrats are about to do any such thing, particularly with Bush holding the veto. Arguing against ideology doesn't mean much these days unless the senator defines what he means. And simply calling himself a moderate can also be problematic if he doesn't make clear what it means to be a moderate in the 2008 election. I suspect almost every Democratic presidential candidate will be calling themselves moderate and even a Republican or two might try to wear the label. We've gotten six years of generalities from the Bush crowd and I suspect Americans want the details this time.
I listened to Tom Vilsack on TV yesterday and he has a similar problem; he simply trotted out many crowd-pleasing lines from the last twenty years; Vilsack is a good man but he needs to do better. Democrats would be well-advised this time around, no matter what political position they stake out, to renew their language, to revitalize it, and to find ways to articulate where we are, because where we are is very different from where we were six years ago and very different than most presidential elections. Our country needs renewal and it needs reform—that is something every candidate needs to understand regardless of the political label they wear.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- White House hopeful Sen. Evan Bayh warned on Monday that Democrats could lose their newfound grip on Congress if the party pursues an ideological course.
The Indiana senator, who announced Sunday he was taking the first step in a presidential bid, has cultivated a centrist image as one of his party's moderates, a Democrat who can win in a Republican-leaning state.
At a stop in the early voting state of Iowa, Bayh told business leaders that Democrats' hold on power, secured with Election Day wins last month, could be brief if the party isn't careful.
If Senator Bayh is talking about Democrats going on a tax and spend spree, then he may have a point, except there's no sign that the Democrats are about to do any such thing, particularly with Bush holding the veto. Arguing against ideology doesn't mean much these days unless the senator defines what he means. And simply calling himself a moderate can also be problematic if he doesn't make clear what it means to be a moderate in the 2008 election. I suspect almost every Democratic presidential candidate will be calling themselves moderate and even a Republican or two might try to wear the label. We've gotten six years of generalities from the Bush crowd and I suspect Americans want the details this time.
I listened to Tom Vilsack on TV yesterday and he has a similar problem; he simply trotted out many crowd-pleasing lines from the last twenty years; Vilsack is a good man but he needs to do better. Democrats would be well-advised this time around, no matter what political position they stake out, to renew their language, to revitalize it, and to find ways to articulate where we are, because where we are is very different from where we were six years ago and very different than most presidential elections. Our country needs renewal and it needs reform—that is something every candidate needs to understand regardless of the political label they wear.
posted by Poechewe at 3:38 PM
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