Strategy for Democrats

[iron81]

Link

Cliff's notes on link: A liberal challenger is challenging the incumbent Democrat Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut Senate primary. The article notes that the challenger has taken a lead in the polls. The main issue in this race is the perception among CT liberals that Lieberman is too close to the Bush administration and pro-Iraq war.

I am wondering whether a staunchly anti-war platform would be a winning strategy for the Democrats in the general election. 55% of Americans want troops out of Iraq within the next year Link. Some moderate Democrats believe that the "Triangulation" strategy of Bill Clinton to adopt the issues of your opponents to woo centrist voters is the best strategy, while John Kerry and others have become more dovish on the matter. What do you think?

[esad]

Note: These comments are not specific to the current war, just general war vs. anti-war views and the voters preception.

The reason that most anti-war platforms don't work for most Democrats is that despite the fact that the majority of the electorate might agree with them it makes them look like wimps.

People want strong leaders and being anti-war makes you look a little wimpy. What they need to do is not be so much anti-war, but anti-policy. Talk about how the policy is not working and then what they would do to correct the problem without seeming anit-war.

Of course a big problem for Democrats is that their base is usually anti-war and they have to play to that to get nominated. It hurts them in the general election, because if they change their anti-war platform they look like more of wimps for flip-flopping.

[vulturesrow]

The Dems need to pose an alternative policy mix for dealing with Iraq, rather than come out out as strongly against.

Also, they really do need to quit catering to the far left. BluffTHIS said in another thread, and Im just going to paraphrase, but basically a moderate Democrat in the mold of Liberman could easily get my vote. Basically Im looking for a Scoop Jackson type Democrat, but I dont see that candidate appearing any time in the near future.

[iron81]

I see one on TV every day: Hillary Clinton. Seriously. Hillary is way to the right of the Democratic Base on foreign policy, Iraq, values issues and possibly even taxes. Granted, she would never pass as an actual conservative because she is pro-choice but she is definately the most moderate candidate in the early Democratic field. Her liberalism on health care seems to be in the past as well. However, I would much rather vote for someone like the current version of John Kerry, who is making a lot more sense on Iraq than he did in 2004.

Also, I really don't see any significant, creative changes the Democrats could offer on Iraq besides "stay the course" and pulling out. The only options that anyone cares about in Iraq are: more troops, same number of troops or less troops.

[NT!]

[ QUOTE ]
Hillary Clinton. Seriously.

[/ QUOTE ]

As soon as the Democrats nominate her the GOP will be dancing in the streets. Seriously.

Within two weeks you'll be hearing about how she fathered a black child and personally performed abortions in the back of an ACLU lawyer's office.

NT

[iron81]

This is one reason that I don't like Hillary, that she comes with too much baggage. The irrational hatred from the right toward her is as high as the hatred from the left toward Bush, and Bush has done a lot more to hate since he is the President. This is bizarre to me because Hillary in the most conservative major player in the Democratic Party, so you think the conservatives would at least be able to tolerate here like they tolerate Lieberman. The other reason I don't like her is that Hillary is too conservative for me. I was just saying that Hillary is the standard bearer for the moderate wing of the Democratic Party.

[NT!]

Hillary has been very visibly 'moving' right for quite some time now, basically since Bill left the White House. The health care thing was one of the biggest planks in their platform and well known as her pet issue... now she has dropped it since they got crushed on it and nobody supports it. Even to a lot of Democrats it feels like posturing, and of course the right LOVES it because they've been accusing her of coveting the presidency for over a decade.

Add to this that she is a woman (no chance), that her husband was impeached and she will be tied to every scandal in that White House all over again, that she is a Senator and they typically fare worse than state-level executives, and that she is from the northeast, and you pretty much have a recipe for losing an election that the Democrats have no business losing.

NT

[LuckOfTheDraw]

Hillary's move to the right is simply strategic positioning. She's very liberal.

[TBZ]

As long as Howard Dean is the head of the party, you guys have no chance. None.

And how many time does Hillary have to say it? "I'm not running"

[esad]

[ QUOTE ]
Hillary's move to the right is simply strategic positioning. She's very liberal.

[/ QUOTE ]