Nixon is looking like a liberal these days. A proposed guaranteed income, wage and price controls, creation of the EPA, enforced integration in southern schools, engagement with China and the Soviet Union, ending the Vietnam War. All that happened during the Nixon administration. Though Nixon pushed the drug war, two-thirds of the money went to treatment of addicts. "In many respects, [Nixon was] 'the last liberal president'"--Noam Chomsky.
Compare the Obama administration's talk. Obama seems to be writing the Republicans' strategy for them. It is pretty sad that after advocating single-payer as a State Senator, President Obama won't go anywhere near talking about it now. Supposedly, this can be chalked up to pragmatism, or a desire to build a consensus. But pragmatism is supposed to be a means for getting things accomplished, not for letting your opponents make you look foolish. C'mon, President Obama. Step up.
The Republicans are winning the language war in coming up with slogans that inflame people's emotions and point them at enemies, even if those enemies are straw men. Yet the Democrats have a former writer for one of the most popular shows on television as their leaders. C'mon, Senator Franken. Step up.
"Lead, follow, or get out of the way."--Thomas Paine
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