Is Washington out of touch with America?

There is a lot of discussion lately, more than usual, about what’s wrong with our Representatives in Washington. There is a growing concern among the people whom I speak to , personally and in the blogesphere, that Washington DC is far removed from the average person. Is Washington out of touch with America? Many who are attempting an answer to this question are suggesting that the divide is based on wealth, power and influence. While there some truth to this, as evidenced in the latest K Street / Abromoff scandal, the scandals are a side effect, a symptom of a more formidable problem. The real issue is that the party which has historically represented the interests of the individual is now mired by corporate interests in the quest for the almighty dollar. In a strage twist of reality, the Democratic party has become a replica of the “Big Business” party – the Republicans.

The Democrats have become Republican lite and by this they have lost much of their base and public support from Middle - America. I often wonder - whatever happened to Middle-American progressivism? Before inheriting the pejorative titile “the Rust Belt” the Midwest used to be a free market of progressive ideas and solid industries. Now, during televised campaigns all that we see from the Midwest is, well red. I am confounded at how so many in the Midwest will vote against their own economic interests. I’m not suggesting that Middle-America is drunk on tax cuts, or that they would purposely work at Wal-Mart as opposed to Honeywell. I’m not suggesting that Midwesterners are stupid – although some on the left are suggesting this distortion. It is tempting to think that Middle-America has been fooled by pop conservatism – talk shows, best sellers, am radio, etc. But that’s not the likely culprit for the trend towards the right. While the populist rebellion against liberal values has had some success, the people are smart enough to know that many right wing political pundants are nothing but loud mouth blowhards.

So what is the culprit? What is to blame for the failing support for the Democratic Party? Is it those nasty frat boy Republican types who laud that this is there time in history and the old days of the “liberal elite” have all but vanished into the air of personal accountability and private acquisition? This is tempting, but not likely. Instead I blame those latte drinking, Volvo driving, I’ve been to college so let me do the thinking Democrats. My use of hyperbole illustrates a common perception among many in the Red States. A perception that - most Democrats are out of touch with reality and should be ignored. This has been the argument of the cultural warriors (Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, etc) for some time, but now seems to have a growing awareness among the common man.The question beckons: why this nasty attitude towards the party of the people? Has the progressive movement outlived it’s shelve life. Or as someone put it to me recently, “ Progressives are way past their sell date and are devolving into the usual fetid, fever swamp” This opinion is fairly common, but inaccurate. In the last presidential election 51 million votes showed up for John Kerry – this can hardly mean “way past their sell date”. Some are also suggesting that the Democratic Party is completely out of ideas. I refute this by stating while it is possible that the oldest functioning Democratic Party in the history of the world is out of ideas, it’s not likely. But still, the perception lingers. The shift to the right is not entirly perceptual.

The Democratic Party is failing on many fronts, mostly the Democrats have moved away from their core values. The DLC (Democratic Leadership Council), an experiment hailed by former President Clinton as the wave of the future, has moved the Democrats right of center, too far in my opinion. The DLC pushed NAFTA, GATT and laid the ground work for The WTO and CAFTA. These policies have hurt Middle-America by displacing workers, factories, and depressing entire communities. These trade agreements have put downward pressures on wages, working conditions and benefits just by the mere threat of moving a factory out of our country. Back on point, Democrats in general have moved right of center. With the recent votes in favor of Bankruptcy Reform Bill from many Democrats it is becoming harder and harder to distinguish between an elephant and a jackass! This shift begs the question, “Why vote for those elitist liberals if their policies are so congruent with the Republicans? (please note my use of sarcasism) Why vote Democrat? Why vote for a party that does not represent your political or social perspective? Why vote for a party that has little difference from the opposition party? . There is no good answer.

The Democrats are also losing the cultural war. Lately they are not standing for anything other than standing against Republicans; at least this is a popular discernment of many in the U.S. This is not a winning strategy, it’s is a gimmick. They are not defining themselves with any clarity nor are they attempting to debunk the myth that they are void of ideas. The general perception is that they have become weak and timid. Yet they do little to fight this attitude. They , the party of Jefferson, should be standing on the roof of the capital building yelling, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” Instead we hear little about what it means to be a Democrat, we hear little about what the Democrats believe. Republicans own the cultural issues of the day and dominate the political discourse. They are vocal, loud and not affraid of a fight. The Democrats are behaving like timid, amalgamated weenies. The fact that so many Republicans "say" that the Democrats do not stand for anything is not the problem. The fact that so many in our Nation believe this aspersion is. When are the Democrats going to become Democrats again? Six Core Values of a Democrat 1. PROSPERITY - Providing all Americans with the opportunity to succeed and to live a secure and comfortable life, including good jobs here at home, affordable health care, a growing economy with stable prices, investment in new technologies, and fiscal responsibility in government. 2. NATIONAL SECURITY - Guaranteeing military strength second to none, stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction, building strong diplomatic alliances to protect America’s national interests, and collecting timely and reliable intelligence to keep us safe at home by preventing terrorist attacks before they occur. 3. FAIRNESS - Ensuring equal opportunity for all, including affordable health care for everyone, spending Social Security funds only on Social Security and eliminating tax loopholes so that all Americans pay their fair share. 4. OPPORTUNITY - Providing Americans access to the tools to succeed as they choose: a vibrant public education system, accountable to the highest standards for every school and a chance for all children to reach their potential, including an affordable and accessible college education. 5. COMMUNITY - Working together for safe communities free of crime and drugs, supporting local businesses and groups to keep our families safe and our neighborhoods strong, and enforcing our anti-pollution laws to keep our air and water clean and healthy, with polluters paying for the damage they cause. 6. ACCOUNTABILITY - Holding those in power accountable for their actions, acting responsibly for our children by restoring fiscal discipline and eliminating deficit spending with pay-as-you-gobudgets, and requiring real consequences for CEOs and corporations who break the law at the expense of those who play by the rules.