Well, the votes have been tallied, the responses have been published, and, not surprisingly, everyone is saying the same thing:
The Democrats, meanwhile, once again pursued a minimalist strategy, even emptier than their presidential campaign of 2000, and the results were worse than minimal. Let the recriminations begin. At least, we hope they do. Start by demanding the resignation of the national chairman, Terry McAuliffe, who sounded like a fool on television, trying to spin this terrible defeat into not-so-bad news. This is a disaster for the Democratic Party, given the great public issues they had available for a fight but instead turned into mush. The outcome ought to ignite the kind of furious, focused debates that were suppressed by the Clinton era of New Democrats. Organized labor and other vital constituencies need to take a cold shower, too, and recognize that big, noisy conflict is required. Change the leadership (Dick Gephardt's announcement that he will not run again for House Democratic leader, reported as imminent at presstime, is a good start) and make way for new voices, new thinking. Fire the consultants and pollsters who design these lame, losing strategies. Hire some real-life organizers, who can go out and begin the hard task of reconnecting the party with the American people.
- editors of The Nation
So the Democrats failed to concoct a meta-message. The GOP is the party of war and tax cuts. The Democratic Party is the party of... well, war too (kind of) and, on tax cuts, not really, but some of us are for them, and in any case we're not going to fight them, even though others of us think they're tilted toward the rich and have caused a budget-strangling deficit.
- David Corn
The election of 2002 has taught two lessons that should not be lost as the 2004 presidential contest begins: Bush is a relentless and effective campaigner; and the only way to beat him and his party will be for Democrats to distinguish themselves as a relentless and effective party of opposition. "This Republican-lite Democratic Leadership Council approach is a loser," says Senator Russ Feingold. Millions of Americans want a clear alternative to the Republican agenda, but in too many contests, Feingold says, Democrats aren't offering one. "If the results of these midterm elections tell us anything, it's that."
- John Nichols
After a house cleaning the party needs to clearly define what it stands for. To justify its existence, a political party must first articulate a set of principles and policies its candidates are willing to die for, politically speaking. What did Democrats fight for in this election? Well, I can't say; and that's the problem, neither could anyone else.
- Stephen Pizzo
For their part, the Democrats, led by the Clinton-era centrists, turned their party into Bush lookalikes, heavy on jingoism and light on fiscal responsibility. Without the fluke return of New Jersey senator Frank Lautenberg, the Republican control of the Senate would be even more conclusive. This election may seem to indicate listless drift, but it reaffirms the conservative majority. In tone, it takes us back to the Eisenhower '50s.
- James Ridgeway
The tragic death of Paul Wellstone late last month might almost serve as a metaphor for the state of the Party. Wellstone often described himself as representing the democratic wing of the Democratic Party. That wing is moribund. Without its inspiration, the party will be fortunate to survive.
- John Buell
With a muddle for a message, the Democrats failed to energize or enlarge their base and instead opted to fight on Republican turf, wrestling over a few thousand voters in district after district, state after state. Those voters were conservative Democrats, Independents, and moderate Republicans.
- Matthew Rothschild
Privately, many Democrats are incensed that both men [Gephardt and Daschle] have followed a disastrously cautious and defensive strategy. They accuse the party leadership of being so cowed by the President’s popularity that they have failed to challenge him on any big issues in a craven attempt to safeguard their own presidential ambitions.
- Tim Reid
But like so much of American culture, people of faith can fall prey to the lure of a quick and easy fix. Rather than spending hours in prayer and spiritual formation, rather than spending years rebuilding broken families and impoverished communities, we want something that can be done in a hurry, or better yet, something someone else can do. So here comes Judge Moore, ready to provide the remedy for his fellow Alabamans -- or at least the hope of one. Simple and easy is what he offers. All that is needed to restore the moral foundation of law is a monument to the Ten Commandments.
- James L. Evans
Okay, so that last one has absolutely nothing to do with the midterm elections, but it's a great response from the political/religious position that I'm trying my damnedest to occupy. And given the last few days, I'm looking for hope wherever I can find it.
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