Saturday, August 15, 2009

Republicans win by being true to their principles, Democrats by hiding them

Michael Barone brings out an interesting point that has a bearing on the contemporary political debate:

"THERE are more conserva tives than Republicans and more Democrats than liberals...In the 2008 exit poll, 34 percent of voters described themselves as conservatives and 32 percent as Republicans; 39 percent described themselves as Democrats, only 22 percent as liberals."

He concludes that democrats win on party ID, Republicans on ideology.  Another way of saying that is that Republicans lose by failing to live up to their principles, Democrats by revealing them.  That is what has happened to Obama: he ran as a moderate but governed--if that is the word for the teleprompter idol's 6 months service as Pelosi's auto-pen--as a liberal and now people are on to him.  They know his answers sound good when they first hear them but know that when the goods arrive they will be something other than what they expected.


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