Wednesday, June 13, 2007
'These habitual ticket-splitters,' Part II
Reader No. 1 on Reagan Democrats:
Oh, please, not 'Friends: The Movie.' ... Another reason not to vote for Hillary. ... As for Reagan Democrats being 'extinct,' I disagree, unless someone declares me suddenly extinct. There really are a lot of people, usually moderate conservatives, dissatisfied with contemporary party politics. They like a little of what Dems offer. They like a little of what Republicans offer. They tend to still call themselves Democrats, but they'll vote Republican if the right candidate or cause comes around. Maybe a better way to describe them is 'moderates.' The term 'Reagan Democrat' is indeed old, though people still amazingly understand its general meaning. So that says something. ... And I'll repeat: I think Hillary is playing it smart by reaching out to moderates. Her husband did it -- and it works. ...
Reader No. 1 on Reagan Democrats:
Reagan Democrats are for all practical purposes extinct. The fall of the Berlin Wall was the end of the Reagan Democrat. A young adult who grew up during the Reagan years, who is now economically and socially liberal/libertarian, is not a Reagan Democrat.
This poll-driven 'safe legal and rare' business that Selena Zito cites is not the legacy of Reagan Democrats - who actually believed in, and understood a few principles such as why it was important to be anti-Communist (that was an issue, but also a value). Quite a number of Reagan Democrats were Greatest Generation members who knew first hand too that war was hell and‚ sometimes necessary.
In fairness, 'safe legal and rare' is a tougher moral issue than being an anti-Communist. But it's also turned out to be the safe harbor for alternatively squeamish/pragmatic fence-sitting swing voters. Not to mention it's a Bill Clinton retread. But maybe it's time for a 90s revival... "Friends: The Movie," anyone?
Oh, please, not 'Friends: The Movie.' ... Another reason not to vote for Hillary. ... As for Reagan Democrats being 'extinct,' I disagree, unless someone declares me suddenly extinct. There really are a lot of people, usually moderate conservatives, dissatisfied with contemporary party politics. They like a little of what Dems offer. They like a little of what Republicans offer. They tend to still call themselves Democrats, but they'll vote Republican if the right candidate or cause comes around. Maybe a better way to describe them is 'moderates.' The term 'Reagan Democrat' is indeed old, though people still amazingly understand its general meaning. So that says something. ... And I'll repeat: I think Hillary is playing it smart by reaching out to moderates. Her husband did it -- and it works. ...
