but you know it is. I think its a serious problem, becuase unless we can bring it together, Jeb Bush is going to breeze in on compassionate conservatism again. We need someone who can call Iraq the failure for what it is w/o nessecarily pretending they have the answer to deal with it. If we can find someone who can do that, we will have found some one who can back our way out of this game of chicken with Iran. Someone with a sense of perspective on world politics and who doesn't see everything in black and white.

I think the biggest problem we could have is continued one-party control of congress and the executive. The world's too complicated for someone to "cut through the b.s." and get things done. Things should be complicated and slow and beaurocratic.

I am dying to vote for a woman, and wishing i could vote for a non-white. Maybe that's superficial, but i honestly beleive you get either one of those qualities in the oval office and it would have an automatically moderating effect.

You control both house of Congress, the White House, and a good chunk of the Judicial Branch and your best bet is to try to change the subject from what you are accomplishing and instead smear the opposition.

This the message the Democrats need to hammer home.

Let's have an election and pick a leader!!!

You don't mean a "To Tell The Truth" parody?

First of all, I like the way this morsel picks up where the last one on the topic, the daily breakfast of newsummary served up to the President, leaves off with a reference to Adam Nagourney's piece.

That message meme -- Republicans are corrupt and incompetent, but Democrats are in message-disarray, and that is worse when it comes to getting elected -- is undoubtedly out there, and does not cut in our favor. But a bit of jujitsu yields an important part, I think, of an honest response to what Mehlman and Nagourney (Nag Our Ney?) are implying in common:

Yes, the Republicans have a point: You can hardly claim your superior competence loudly if you can't competently, as measured ultimately by elections, create and manage successful political efforts -- if your campaigns of whatever sort don't ultimately produce. If you can't demonstrate that you can win a relatively free and fair election regularly, you look castrated.

And worse, it feels like there may be something to that argument, however much one may despise what politics has (generally speaking) become in this country.

But there is a way to turn it around -- perhaps a very obvious one, but forgive me. Let us concede, for the sake of argument, that Republicans excel at the noble art of politics. Let us try to be magnanimous, even, about that proposition; let us set aside for a moment its absurdity.

Let us then reframe the argument thus: The Republicans excel at politics, at playing the game, and the cunning and power it generates is what fundamentally excites their political urges and their ambition to work in the field. And Democrats are given to somewhat different motivations and skills: They aspire to actually be in government, to govern, to set wise policy aiming to give the greatest benefit to the greatest number.

Republicans (remember, we've just generalizing here) despise government, and therefore despise the act of governing, deny it any beneficence.

Let's just admit it, stipulate to it for the sake of argument: OK, so you grabbed me and gave me a double-wham backslam in the Pro Politics Wrestling ring. Let's concede that, and just focus on moving the discussion to the only two subjects that ultimately matter: What specific, legisliciable problems and solutions would you vote for, and why? Try to move directly to that subject, and let the questions be asked for all to hear through the media amp.

My $0.02, anyway.

Could the reason for no leader be that there is no longer a Democratic Party? There are a few Democrats still scattered about, but few and far between. What more proof do you need than Senators Kerry and Kennedy VOTING FOR THE PATRIOT ACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Every time there is a betrayal of principle like that I say, “That’s the last straw.” But the brain dead DNC just assumes it can keep on being Repug lite, and eventually the country will come to its senses. That has really worked election miracles. Just ask the Repugs.

Such political ineptness is writ so large that I have trouble believing it isn’t deliberate. Are progressives and lefties supposed to feel abandoned and distraught? Maybe we’re supposed to move to Canada? You could convince me.

Just a note of caution. Canada is too close. Halliburton has its eyes on the oil sands in Alberta. Australia and New Zealand are probably still safe. For a while.

I'm sick of hearing about the Democrats lack of unity all the time. Since when is it a problem to have competing ideas out there? It's a strength, not a weakness, to have a spectrum of proposals coming from all levels of the party; it's a sign of thought, debate and engagement. This time, let's have no early coronation, no well-heeled front-runner, no open and shut case for progressive idea(l)s. I welcome the battle of words, the struggle for terms, the differences, the disagreements, the debates. That's the nature of democracy, and that's what brings people out to the polls.

BRING IT ON!

Fabulous comments Noah. (FYI, I added the emphasis below)

I only add that this shows why the Republicans are so lousy at compromising. They want to win AT ALL COSTS. I suppose this MIGHT be why moderate Republicans put up so little of a fuss with the administration's extreme policies. They don't seem to be too upset about being bullied for Issue A, as long as they know their colleague will be equally pressured for their own pet project, Issue B.

-----------------

"Let us then reframe the argument thus: THE REPUBLICANS EXCEL AT POLITICS, at playing the game, and the cunning and power it generates is what fundamentally excites their political urges and their ambition to work in the field. And DEMOCRATS are given to somewhat different motivations and skills: They ASPIRE TO ACTUALLY BE IN GOVERNMENT, to govern, to set wise policy aiming to give the greatest benefit to the greatest number.

Republicans (remember, we've just generalizing here) despise government, and therefore despise the act of governing, deny it any beneficence" -- Noah

--------------------