The Democrats' Challenge

David Brooks summarizes the Democrat split nicely. He writes:

[T]he argument that now divides the Democratic Party. On one side are those who believe that the party's essential problem is with its political style. The Republicans win because they are simply rougher, so the Democrats must be just as tough in response. They must match Karl Rove blow for blow. Democrats in this camp are voting against John Roberts just to show the world that they are willing to give no quarter.

On the other side are those who believe that the Democratic defeats flow from policy problems, not from campaign style or message framing. They don't believe that Democrats can win wrapped in their own rage, or kowtowing endlessly to their psychologically aggrieved donor base. For them, the crucial challenge is to come up with policies more in tune with voters.

Read it here.

So long as the party remains in the grip of the "message" theorists it will be unable to address the real problems that underlie its lack of success in recent decades and American politics will be the poorer for it. Brooks is right about the essential challenge the Democrats face, but there is little indication that the Party will be taking up that challenge anytime soon.

Faugh!