An interesting post from Freedom Democrats by my long time fellow traveler and libertarian Democrat, Logan.

I think this post has some relevance to the blog entry I just made earlier about Robert Reich , Clinton's Sec. of the Interior in that I see the Dems moving away from the trend that Bill Clinton started with his more moderate and relatively pro-capitalist "Third Way" policies.

Logan, after stating that:

George Bush won the white vote against his Massachusetts liberal opponent 60%-40%. That was back in 1988, but his son defeated his Massachusetts liberal opponent among white voters by a similar 58% to 41% in 2004. But 2004 was a rather close election, while 1988 ended in a blow out.

,

cites Chris Bowers at Open Left who says that the difference was not message but mainly because MA, and America, is becoming less white...a trend he hopes will continue so that:

even a Democratic candidate with the skill of Michael Dukakis or John Kerry could win, and no Iraq war or economic downturn would be necessary.

Logan then cites another post by Bowers that states that Dem messaging and policies really haven't changed that much since Mondale. As evidence, he shows a video from the 1984 campaign that looks like it could have happened in the present. He also wonders whether Mondale's endorsement of Hillary is a good or bad thing.

Bowers then says :

Bill Clinton now seems more like an aberration than ever. He was further right than most Democratic nominees (including, probably, Hillary), a better campaigner than most Democratic nominees (including, probably, everyone running), and generally successful during an era of massive Democratic electoral slumping (something none of our candidates will have to face should they win the nomination). Apart from Bill, Democrats have not really changed that much in terms of rhetoric, policy, or candidate quality over the past twenty-five years.

This is, of course, indisputable, IMO. It's also something Dems don't seem to draw the right conclusions from. Clinton had a good message: "the era of big government is over" and other resonating ideas that captured more the center. It also helped that we were in a recession that few noticed was already inching toward the rebound before election time.

Logan then ends with this question:

After the break that Bill Clinton offered from "the same ol' liberals" is the Democratic Party doomed to return to the 1980s? But this time with electoral success?

Bowers says yes and asserts that in today's America, Dukakis would have defeated GHWB and that Carter would defeated Reagan.

Now whether or not that's true is irrelevant. I think Bowers entire line of reasoning is flawed and shows, IMO, that is stuck in the same self-deceiving projection as many hopeful liberals.

He makes the same mistake that other partisans make. It reminds me of a mental picture of a super model vacillating between Pee Wee Herman and Chris Farley (RIP) for a date choice. It's the She really, really likes me!! illusion, in which the reality that either choice is really about not picking the other one is totally misread so as to serve as a false vindication of one's attraction.

Carter and Dukakis's losses had CONTEXT...just as Clinton's victories (and Carter's!) had CONTEXT. Bowers should give this the weight it deserves and not pretend that such oversimplified statements like he made can be made a blank slate and without context.

Right now, the GOP has totally stunk up the joint and they deserve to get lambasted for it. So, like Pee Wee Herman's mannerisms and giggling becoming so unbearable that the supermodel now looks to Farley's caricature of a slovenly, sloppy and off-putting demeanor as a viable alternative, the Dems have been gaining lost ground and are now ready to retake the WH. Mind you, the GOP blew it more the Dems "did it".

But, alas, that simple plain looking "John Q. Public" never seems to get a shot at the supermodel. Too bad. It only makes Pee Wee and Farley (the same Ol' D and R) keep believing that they're more attractive than they really are. They never quite realize that their election is simply the rejection of the other and little else.