Why Democrats Lost

Why the Democrats Lost Congress

By Roy D. Follendore III

November 7, 2002

The Democrats are revising their ideas and beginning to talk about their failure to reach the issues. It is the basis of their comeback and unfortunately necessary because the people within the Democratic power base failed to allow for change. If they had, those in political power would have lost control. The loss was due to a greedy power struggle for control that affected every part of the Democratic part of the election process.

The reason they could not make the necessary changes earlier than after a defeat is because they came so close to winning the Presidential elections. A close but losing race is an invitation to do nothing in hopes that it would turn out differently last time. Change is a kind of risk that is necessary for growth. The inability to change is the great weakness which we are all quite familiar with. I for one understand this intimately. I have worked my entire life implanting new technologies. Within technology and politics, when people have conceptual investments they want to stay with them in spite of the effectiveness or efficiencies involved. It takes a dramatic failure to move them.

The Democrats have insisted on attacking the guns instead of the need for guns. They have denied that there remains within our society a need for citizens to protect themselves and feel protected. They have pushed the protection of the home owner onto the police and refuse to recognize that if we were to have that many police we would be living in a police state. The Democrats need to find and maintain a strong relationship with the NRA and they need to recognize that the NRA is also an important part of their constituency. The Democratic platform has always been strongest at finding social programs and projects that reduce the need for guns but they will never be able to halt the demand for personal self protection.

The woman's right to choose is the most important majority issue that the Democrats have supported, but they have chosen not gone after the Republicans on this issue. They have not taken the Republicans to task on their policies and they have not taken them to task on their refusal to use genetic engineering for the benefit of mankind. The simple and straightforward message that human beings are suffering because the Republicans are not doing the right thing is not being sold.

Where have the Democrats been with respect to the issue of human rights? What about civil rights? What about the issues of international law in the face of a world war of terrorism? Where were the Democrats when it came to the World Court that could have taken much of the burden of trial and punishment from the hands of our Government? Where are the Democrats when it comes to a powerful vision of future technology that will solve the environmental issues? For that matter, where were the Democrats when it comes to protecting the environment? Why isn't the Democratic party leading the concept that true family values are based on the ways that we respond to these problems? This is what we all have in common. Americans have not heard a concerted voice from the Democratic party on these issues.

The single most important issue that has been completely ignored by the Democrats is the economy. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans choose to pickup this most important political battle flag. The Democrats did nothing as a party to tell the American people that losing the economic war is the same as losing the war on terrorism. From the voter's point of view, this is the most difficult thing to understand about the recent elections. There are many technical people who are out of work who would have understood and voted for the party that would have lead them. These people reflect a hidden voting pool by virtue of all of their family members that have been affected by the economy. The old saying is true. It is the economy stupid and the Democrats were once again stupid enough to ignore that fact. The whole reason why the Democrats were able to come so close in the Presidential elections was their record on the economy. By ignoring the issue of the economy they ignored the needs of the voters and thereby allowed the divisive fear based issues of war with Iraq to take precedent within the voting booth.

The Democrats platform also ignored the fact that the terror occurred on the Republican shift and not theirs. The Democratic candidates refused to communicate that it was a Republican administration that failed to act in time to protect the people. The Democratic candidates failed to have a united voice that could be heard as one across this nation.

These are just some of the major issues and reasons that now have caused this Nation to be governed by a single party. These are ultimately the reasons why this Nation may now be dragged into another world war without a world coalition. The Democratic party needs to recognize that the issues that they choose to support represent far more than what they are. These issues are the means for the opportunity of the Democratic party to lead the United States and the World to a peaceful coexistence using creative programs that solve the basis of world problems instead of the symptoms. It is this thought that is the overriding ideal that the Democrats have lost.

If these issues are not being brought up then they can not be delivered. If it were then this would be a Democratic party that can be based on integrity. Without a competitive two or more party system, America does not have a democracy. If the Democrats are not willing to go after these big tough issues then they should change their name.

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