Krugman: Unite, Democrats!

[johan helge]

Paul Krugman: "The Effectiveness Thing", NYT, February 6, 2006 (the article starts ca. 30 cm down on http://timworstall.typepad.com/timworstall/2006/02/paul_krugman_th.html#more):

"Our leaders' bungling hasn't escaped public notice: more than half of Americans say that the Bush administration has been a failure. Yet it's not at all clear that Democrats can translate this sentiment into large political gains — because despite the governing skill of the last Democratic administration, the public doesn't think of Democrats as being effective.

A lot of this has to do with the way the news media cover politics: they focus mainly on Washington, and many news organizations — especially the broadcast media — prefer to do horse-race stories rather than discuss policy issues. And from that point of view, the Democrats present a sorry spectacle. Not only are they a minority in Congress, shut out of power; they're an undisciplined minority constantly facing defections from their own ranks on crucial issues.

...

The point is that Democrats are largely winning the battle of ideas: on the issues, public opinion is shifting in their direction. But to take advantage of that shift, they have to overcome an image of ineffectiveness that is partly the fault of the news media, but largely the result of their own disunion."

I'd add: A big problem is that the Republicans have managed to associate Republicans with American values, family values etc., while the truth is that they are a (half-)criminal gang which takes only the interests of (very) rich people seriously.

[HereSince1628]

1. The perennial call for unity among the Democrats. We are unified

You are confusing things because we don't agree with that third Party we are in coalition with. You know them ...THE DLC! :evilgrin:

[johan helge]

2. Republicans focus on winning, too many Democrats focus

too much on "problems" with their candidate. How would the Democrats have fought for a candidate like Bush? The Republicans fought like hell.

[beltanefauve]

3. Its the "offense-defense" game

The Repugs (or their machine) attack; we react. If they're "up", then that means we must be "down". Its all in the framing and the selling.