Michael Cohen on how the Democratic Party wrested ownership of US foreign policy as a campaign issue away from Republicans (hint: if you can’t beat ‘em…[redux]):
The Democrats’ new confidence on national security is reminiscent of the manner in which they reduced their political liabilities on a host of domestic issues during the 1990s. They did it by co-opting GOP positions — rather than moving further to the left and creating a clear distinction between the positions of the two parties they moved more to the right and obscured them. Democrats showed they could be just as “fiscally responsible” on the deficit, just as aggressive on curbing government spending, just as tough on crime and, by some measures, just as punitive on welfare.
Truth be told, Democrats have taken a similar approach on national security. If the rhetoric from the DNC in Charlotte is to be believed, Democrats are still fearful of being tagged as not tough enough on foreign policy, not supportive enough of the military, and not “exceptional” enough in their views of American power. What Democrats have shown, more than anything else, is that they can act and talk as tough and nationalistic as Republicans do.
Money has its interests, its speechwriters, its lobbyists working without cease to maximize its reproduction.
Since the late 1970s, since about halfway through Jimmy Carter’s Administration, Money has owned the Democratic Party.
“We must do this to be elected” is pure denial of the fact that the voters want the opposite of what the Democratic Party offers.
The Democrats, like the Republicans, cater to Money.