Compare Mark Warner with David Axelrod.
“We won a congressional seat that’s been in Republican hands since Ulysses S. Grant was president, in part because of the disunity in the Republican Party… That was the only truly national contest on the ballot. … The most portentous thing that happened yesterday was that the right wing of the Republican Party ran a moderate Republican essentially out of the race, and lost a seat they had held for more than 100 years. I don’t take that as discouragement.” – For parties, the soul-searching begins
As bad as Axelrod’s media blitz was, the most foolish and politically silly quote of the post election aftermath came from Robert Gibbs: “It proves anger can get 45 percent of the vote. It doesn’t win a lot of elections.” Well, Mr. Gibbs should step out of his oval bubble and walk into Virginia, then saunter on over to New Jersey, with a stop anywhere in between. And though Hoffman didn’t win in NY-23, there has never been a more talentless, uncharismatic character to step up within 30 days of a contested election to come as close to taking everyone down.
Somewhere between “We got walloped” and Ulysses S. Grant is the message. The Democrats have to find their purpose. More importantly, Mr. Obama has to find a way to put the perpetual policy vamping into action. Yes, he actually has to put his favorite phrase “Fired up. Ready to go,” and figure out how to utilize it himself.
Oh, and by the way, as signature as health care is to the Democrats, passing it won’t stop the 2010 onslaught. We’re way past that now. It’s the economy on the wings of bailout blues that stoked Tuesday’s flight of the independent. Passing health care will only temporarily stop the bleeding. Looking further down the line there is jobs, but there is no evidence whatsoever that Democrats know what to do about that one.
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