What do [insert disaffected group here] do now?
With the Presidential election behind us, those folks who found themselves less than 100% behind the President are asking the same question: "What do we do now?" A few thoughts:
[party social moderates]
While most pollsters and pundits were focused on the so-called "daddy issues" of terrorism, defense and homeland security, prior to the election, the postmortem of the nation's decision tells a different story. Namely, that the actual force behind the Bush victory was "moral values." While spinners on the right will say that means "God and family values," in the real world, it's about abortions and gays.
These moderates have some soul searching to do, and they're likely wondering if their souls are as blessed as those of their more socially conservative partymates. They're rightly concerned about their place in the party and if the religiously motivated right-wing of the party is right in claiming a mandate to lead the party down the path of light to Holy victory.
Social moderates have hope for the future of the party, as two top-tier moderates' names have already been floated for 2008: Giuliani and McCain. If they've got some free money and time, they'd be well advised to take a page from the left-wing handbook: early money is like yeast.
[gay republicans]
Although they might hold the same political views as their social moderate counterparts, gay Republicans are perennially seen as self-haters for aligning themselves with a party who consistently uses their lives as a wedge issue to win campaigns. This year was no exception - beyond the President's marriage amendment proposal and 11 state-level bans on gay marriage, the Republican Party approved a platform that not only opposes gay marriage, but opposes any recognition of any type of same-sex relationships.
Like their straight counterparts, these boys and girls will likely cringe at the thought of a death or retirement on the Supreme Court, and will be cheering on efforts by moderate Senators like Judiciary Chairman-to-be Arlen Specter to ask the President to send middle-of-the-road judges to the Upper House for confirmation. Gay Republicans have the same hope for 2008 as the moderates - that their party will be saved by the venerable former-NYC mayor or the rogue Arizona Senator.
[democrats in general]
Arguably the most disaffected group of all, the Democrats are scrambling to find their place in this new world. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee tried to do so this week by sending a plea for new money, noting that "Republicans unleashed every weapon in their arsenal to deliver a knockout blow to Congressional Democrats. They failed!"
Clearly, someone should have mentioned that they need to find their place in the real world. In less fundraising-centric circles, however, the Democratic House Leader has been seen mentioning God and church quite a bit more often in the course of television interviews, which may only further justify the moral right wing's superiority complex in Republican ranks. Pelosi seems to be enacting Roll Call Executive Editor Morton Kondracke's Tuesday missive on the Dems and God.
The Dems are also looking four years ahead, but the only two names that keep popping up are Edwards and Clinton. While those names will certainly get their own fired up, this year has proven that their own just isn't enough. The Republican names on the hotplate for '08 are inherently party-line crossers and will suck the energy out of either Edwards or Clinton.
But it's a long four years. Who knows what might happen by then. President Obama, anyone?
[party social moderates]
While most pollsters and pundits were focused on the so-called "daddy issues" of terrorism, defense and homeland security, prior to the election, the postmortem of the nation's decision tells a different story. Namely, that the actual force behind the Bush victory was "moral values." While spinners on the right will say that means "God and family values," in the real world, it's about abortions and gays.
These moderates have some soul searching to do, and they're likely wondering if their souls are as blessed as those of their more socially conservative partymates. They're rightly concerned about their place in the party and if the religiously motivated right-wing of the party is right in claiming a mandate to lead the party down the path of light to Holy victory.
Social moderates have hope for the future of the party, as two top-tier moderates' names have already been floated for 2008: Giuliani and McCain. If they've got some free money and time, they'd be well advised to take a page from the left-wing handbook: early money is like yeast.
[gay republicans]
Although they might hold the same political views as their social moderate counterparts, gay Republicans are perennially seen as self-haters for aligning themselves with a party who consistently uses their lives as a wedge issue to win campaigns. This year was no exception - beyond the President's marriage amendment proposal and 11 state-level bans on gay marriage, the Republican Party approved a platform that not only opposes gay marriage, but opposes any recognition of any type of same-sex relationships.
Like their straight counterparts, these boys and girls will likely cringe at the thought of a death or retirement on the Supreme Court, and will be cheering on efforts by moderate Senators like Judiciary Chairman-to-be Arlen Specter to ask the President to send middle-of-the-road judges to the Upper House for confirmation. Gay Republicans have the same hope for 2008 as the moderates - that their party will be saved by the venerable former-NYC mayor or the rogue Arizona Senator.
[democrats in general]
Arguably the most disaffected group of all, the Democrats are scrambling to find their place in this new world. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee tried to do so this week by sending a plea for new money, noting that "Republicans unleashed every weapon in their arsenal to deliver a knockout blow to Congressional Democrats. They failed!"
Clearly, someone should have mentioned that they need to find their place in the real world. In less fundraising-centric circles, however, the Democratic House Leader has been seen mentioning God and church quite a bit more often in the course of television interviews, which may only further justify the moral right wing's superiority complex in Republican ranks. Pelosi seems to be enacting Roll Call Executive Editor Morton Kondracke's Tuesday missive on the Dems and God.
The Dems are also looking four years ahead, but the only two names that keep popping up are Edwards and Clinton. While those names will certainly get their own fired up, this year has proven that their own just isn't enough. The Republican names on the hotplate for '08 are inherently party-line crossers and will suck the energy out of either Edwards or Clinton.
But it's a long four years. Who knows what might happen by then. President Obama, anyone?
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