Leaving the Wilderness

Timothy Noah believes that the Democrats are pursuing a policy that will condemn them to minority status for the forseeable future. They have publicly written off the idea of regaining the Senate in 2006, they have opposed what is essentially a progressive Social Security plan by Bush, and they have become obsessed with "process" stuff like the filibuster.

Let me just say that I would never hire Noah run a political campaign.

There are perfectly sound reasons for every position the Democrats have taken on these issues. On 2006, Reid is just trying to lower expectations and further the "one party rule theme." He is also trying to remind people that the Republicans control the Congress, which bizarrely enough I lot of Americans don't know. Finally, by making this claim Reid is probably trying to insulate himself from charges that the Democratic fight is over narrow partisan purposes: after all, if they can't win in 2006 anyway, what's the point? (I don't necessarily think that Reid is right to make these arguments, but they certainly are rational ones.)

On Social Security, Noah might have a point if benefit cuts were required it all. If they were, I can see concentrating them at the top. But Bush's plan is asking for certain benefit cuts now to avoid potential benefit cuts later, which seems like a decidedly odd approach. Further, the Democrats have won the political debate on this issue precisely by reminding people that Social Security is universal program for security: it emphasizes the idea that we are all in this together, and it ensures that every American has a stake in the program. And by the way, the biggest hit wouldn't go to the wealthy, but to the middle class, which is both awful policy and dumb politics.

Finally, Noah has failed to understand two things about the filibuster fight. First of all, the Republican strategy really is beyond the pale. There are times when you have to focus on process in order to preserve not just the process but the fairness and stability of the entire political system. An effort to repeal the 2-term rule or to cancel elections would be a "process" story too. Does Noah think that Democrats would be advised to just go along with those too?

Secondly, the filibuster war gives the Democrats a valuable opportunity to further their best narrative: that the Republicans in Washington are a bunch of radicals who will do anything, including overturn the Constitution, in an effort to pursue their out of the mainstream agenda and feather their nests. If the voters are thinking about this story, they won't vote Republican. Which means that we would capture the Senate in 2006.

So stop worrying, Tim. Don't you realize that we're winning?