Have We Set Ourselves Up For Another Four Years of Republican Rule?...

Right now, Republicans Hold the Election Lead…


Is it possible that we could wind up with another Republican president?.

Dare I say such a thing? The truth is that it is not only possible, but based upon what has happened or hasn’t happened through early 2006, it is entirely probable.

While Democrats twiddle their thumbs, there are at least four or more serious Republican candidates, two of them with the name identity and moderate stands who might gather the votes needed to win. On the other side of the aisle, there is no serious Democratic candidate standing in the wings who commands the authority or the presence to win unless you include Hillary Clinton. A recent study conducted by Newsweek suggests that if Hillary is the candidate, that one out of three voters will not cast their votes for her.

On the possible Republican slate, one prospective candidate appears much more a moderate than his voting patterns and loyalties would seem to suggest. Yet, he is regarded as more palatable than any other candidate save one, has excellent name recognition and standing in the polls and his own party. That candidate is John McCain, a candidate who seems more of his own man that the facts would attest. While John looks like a man of the middle, the fact is that he is a conservative and while he has charged that Bush has used unfair advantages to win the popular vote, he has already lined up Bush operatives and is building a war chest using money from former Bush contributors.

The other candidate, with probably the best name recognition and the strongest support among Republicans and the unaligned is the former mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani...

While neither has professed a hunger for the White House, Mayor Giuliani has very strong positives for a leading candidate. He is thought of as a hero who not only eliminated crime in New York, he also managed to preside over the worst disaster in American history with courage and dignity. He did not disappear from the scene to return when it was known to be safe. Not only did he stand his ground, he behaved rationally and faced up to the crisis with admirable qualities. Moreover, people remember that he stayed on the job night after night and even managed to attend the funerals of his first responders who lost their lives in the line of duty. Rudolph Giuliani presents a very strong candidate especially if the anti-terrorism theme remains central to the upcoming election as it is likely to be. And there is no one in mind who could stand up at this stage of the game to his credentials; nevertheless, Rudolph Giuliani is not universally liked among Republicans. Many see him as too liberal, too independent to be bought by lobbyist dollars and not right wing enough to motivate the Right Wing to go out of their way to support his candidacy.

Also, in the wings, is Gingrich and Romney, both well known names who could bring enthusiasm and support for a more-middle of the road stance and several southern conservatives who are being supported by the Right Wing branch of the Republican Party.


The Democrats have literally failed to seize on all of the opportunities presented by those in office. They have failed to take advantage of hurricane Katrina; they have failed to capitalize on the frustration of the Iraq war and they have failed to provide a new vision for AMerican business and industry.

in effect, they still come across as a badly fragmented party that has failed to present its own platform and vision. For those of us who struggled under the so-called Rainbow Coalition, there is the danger of moving forward with a party that is all over the lot and can’t seem to find its center. This is the danger in an election where the majority still hover around the middle.

I know this argument runs counter to what everyone else sees a Democratic Victory. What I say is that we are in danger of counting our chickens before they’re hatched and sitting back in apathy waiting for the backlash to help our chances. But an objective assessment provides no reason for sitting back and waiting for the inevitable. In fact, if a leader with strong credentials and the talents to bring us all together has not begun to emerge by now, our willingness to assume a quick victory at the polls may need a reality check. Also, Americans have still not resolved the problems of the voting machines that leave no paper trail; until that is done, the question of a fair and honest election is still a moot point!

Since the eighties the Democrats have failed to congeal with a coherent and consistent policy and agenda that the rest of us could relate to. If that continues through the mid-terms, there is a very good chance that the Republicans with some of the lowest poll numbers in history, with a disastrous tax record, and more investigations and indictments than anyone can remember, may actually fool us all and win with a candidate who has strong name recognition and is able to attract the moderate vote.

It is time for the Democratic Party to come to its senses and move into high gear.

Les Aaron
The Committee for Positive Change/08.

www.lesaaron.blogspot.com