Always in Search of Direction

//JW's Desknote: Here we are at another post-election analysis period, and again, the Democratic Party (I've been told to not say Democrats because my wife is a Democrat, but she's ok because she tends to vote Republican...nationally anyway) is looking for some 'hair-of -the-dog' tonic to suppress the headache. You know this isn't new. Remember the Reagan era? Remember the Contract for America? Remember Gore? Remember 2002? It was always the post-election blues, self-analysis, finger pointing, and self-doubt about 'where do we go from here?' It is funny to see the Dem Party initially come out with the 'we need to move to the middle' rhetoric at the same time that Hillary Clinton's name gets mentioned for 2008. I have news for the Dem Party, Hillary is NOT going to the middle. What the Democratic Party (and the Party elite; yes that includes you out there in LA LA land) fails to understand is that this country is not represented by NY, Chicago, SF, and LA. Ok, here we pause to yell THANK GOD FOR THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE! There are those out there who really do believe in the Constitution (including the 2nd Amendment), family values, localized education control, small government, lower taxes, less government (especially Federal) control, and a strong national defense. The Democrats cannot win elections on the platform of the far left. But it does seem that Republicans can win if you sprinkle in some far Right ideas. This isn't to advocate that the Democratic Party now needs to swing that giant pendulum to the far right, but the Party does need to review the song America the Beautiful every now and then. You know the sea to shining sea part. If this election was a lot about anti-Bush, I just wonder how Dick Gephardt would have done instead of the liberal left, Massachusetts Senator Kerry; the guy who according to DC watchdogs is rated to the 'left of Ted Kennedy.' You know the Gephardt I am talking about; the Gephardt from the heartland, who supported the war, who is pro-union, who is from the State of Missouri with those 11 electoral Bush votes, and actually showed up for voting while in Congress. I am sure if he had run that the name Swift Boats would remain a part of history not noticed but by few military historians. Face it the Democratic Party blew it because they just do not understand America, the America from sea to shining sea. All right, bring on Hillary for 2008. I just hope they stock up on alka-seltzer.//JW sends.