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The Dems' Crackup
by TexasBlue Fri Dec 10, 2010 8:26 pm
The Dems' Crackup
Investor Business Daily Editorial
Dec. 10, 2010
Given their overwrought reaction to President Obama's tax deal, you'd think Democrats had no reason to compromise with the opposition. Have they already forgotten last month's election?
Democrats have lashed out at Obama for "compromising " with the Republicans on a tax bill. But all in all, agreeing to an extension of current tax rates for an extension of jobless benefits seems like a pretty fair deal.
Yet the reaction has been brutal.
Leftist TV talking heads such as MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow and the Nation's Katrina vanden Heuvel have excoriated Obama for what they see as political perfidy. In Congress, meanwhile, the anti-Obama language is getting downright nasty.
After House Democrats voted Thursday to oppose Obama's tax deal with the GOP, Virginia Democrat James Moran told the Hill: "This is a lack of leadership on the part of Obama. I don't know where the f*** Obama is on this or anything else. They're AWOL."
Yes, the anger is boiling over. But to call this display of outrage puerile is an understatement. Everyone but the Democrats can see how out of step they are with public opinion.
As long as they were in control of Congress and the White House, Democrats felt no need to compromise. But after four years of Democratic failure, voters on Nov. 2 awarded the GOP a record 63 seats for control of the House and took away the Democrats' veto-proof majority in the Senate, where their edge will be a slim three seats.
Even worse, furious Democrats don't seem to realize that on virtually every major issue, they're on the wrong side — at least as far as the American people are concerned.
"The recession and the cumulative impact of TARP, the auto bailout, the stimulus plan, and the health care legislation on public psychology has been substantial," the American Enterprise Institute noted in its monthly Political Report.
Start with the basics. According to a Gallup Poll conducted last summer, 42% of Americans call themselves "conservative." Just 20% say they're "liberal"; 35% style themselves "moderate."
Yet, given this political reality, Democrats have embraced the policies of the farthest-left elements of their own party — and actually seem to listen to the extreme liberals in the major media who basically tell them to ignore the will of the people.
The fact is, people want less government, not more. In one recent CBS-New York Times poll, 53% expressed a preference for smaller government with fewer services. Just 34% wanted bigger government with more services.
Still another Gallup poll found 61% agreeing that "government is doing too much that should be left to individuals and businesses."
And of course, in poll after poll, including our own IBD/TIPP surveys, substantial majorities or pluralities oppose health care reform, government bailouts and stimulus.
This explains the success of the Tea Party movement, and the Democrats' massive losses in the midterm elections. It also explains the Democrats' rage.
The party is, in a phrase, cracking up. Asked to decide between a radical progressive ideology of income- and wealth-redistribution and sensible economic proposals that would bring economic growth and prosperity, the Democrats have chosen the former.
The president read the tea leaves correctly and compromised with the Republicans on taxes. He got the message at least. Sadly, the same can't be said for the rest of his party.
Investor Business Daily Editorial
Dec. 10, 2010
Given their overwrought reaction to President Obama's tax deal, you'd think Democrats had no reason to compromise with the opposition. Have they already forgotten last month's election?
Democrats have lashed out at Obama for "compromising " with the Republicans on a tax bill. But all in all, agreeing to an extension of current tax rates for an extension of jobless benefits seems like a pretty fair deal.
Yet the reaction has been brutal.
Leftist TV talking heads such as MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow and the Nation's Katrina vanden Heuvel have excoriated Obama for what they see as political perfidy. In Congress, meanwhile, the anti-Obama language is getting downright nasty.
After House Democrats voted Thursday to oppose Obama's tax deal with the GOP, Virginia Democrat James Moran told the Hill: "This is a lack of leadership on the part of Obama. I don't know where the f*** Obama is on this or anything else. They're AWOL."
Yes, the anger is boiling over. But to call this display of outrage puerile is an understatement. Everyone but the Democrats can see how out of step they are with public opinion.
As long as they were in control of Congress and the White House, Democrats felt no need to compromise. But after four years of Democratic failure, voters on Nov. 2 awarded the GOP a record 63 seats for control of the House and took away the Democrats' veto-proof majority in the Senate, where their edge will be a slim three seats.
Even worse, furious Democrats don't seem to realize that on virtually every major issue, they're on the wrong side — at least as far as the American people are concerned.
"The recession and the cumulative impact of TARP, the auto bailout, the stimulus plan, and the health care legislation on public psychology has been substantial," the American Enterprise Institute noted in its monthly Political Report.
Start with the basics. According to a Gallup Poll conducted last summer, 42% of Americans call themselves "conservative." Just 20% say they're "liberal"; 35% style themselves "moderate."
Yet, given this political reality, Democrats have embraced the policies of the farthest-left elements of their own party — and actually seem to listen to the extreme liberals in the major media who basically tell them to ignore the will of the people.
The fact is, people want less government, not more. In one recent CBS-New York Times poll, 53% expressed a preference for smaller government with fewer services. Just 34% wanted bigger government with more services.
Still another Gallup poll found 61% agreeing that "government is doing too much that should be left to individuals and businesses."
And of course, in poll after poll, including our own IBD/TIPP surveys, substantial majorities or pluralities oppose health care reform, government bailouts and stimulus.
This explains the success of the Tea Party movement, and the Democrats' massive losses in the midterm elections. It also explains the Democrats' rage.
The party is, in a phrase, cracking up. Asked to decide between a radical progressive ideology of income- and wealth-redistribution and sensible economic proposals that would bring economic growth and prosperity, the Democrats have chosen the former.
The president read the tea leaves correctly and compromised with the Republicans on taxes. He got the message at least. Sadly, the same can't be said for the rest of his party.
TexasBlue
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