Dems are Bemoaning Missed Opportunities

The Dems are starting to realize that things aren't shaping up in 2006 like they had hoped and dreamed a few months ago (from NY Times):

Democrats are heading into this year's elections in a position weaker than they had hoped for, party leaders say, stirring concern that they are letting pass an opportunity to exploit what they see as widespread Republican vulnerabilities.

In interviews, senior Democrats said they were optimistic about significant gains in Congressional elections this fall, calling this the best political environment they have faced since President Bush took office.

But Democrats described a growing sense that they had failed to take full advantage of the troubles that have plagued Mr. Bush and his party since the middle of last year, driving down the president's approval ratings, opening divisions among Republicans in Congress over policy and potentially putting control of the House and Senate into play in November.

Asked to describe the health of the Democratic Party, Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said: "A lot worse than it should be. This has not been a very good two months."

"We seem to be losing our voice when it comes to the basic things people worry about," Mr. Dodd said.

Everything hit the fan for the Dems on Veterans Day when Bush started fighting back on the war and other issues. They had already lost the fight for John Roberts, and then Sam Alito kicked their butts. The economy continues to do well, and the only things the Dems can find to complain about are programs the president has put in place to fight terrorism. Once again the Dems have placed themselves firmly on the wrong side of the NSA and other war on terror issues. "Civil rights for terrorists" is not a winning campaign slogan.

Although the Dems had dreams of revenge for 1994, they've missed what made 1994 work for the GOP - a positive program. So far the Dem plan is "vote for us, we're not them". Newt Gingrich led a Republican revolution by identifying issues that could be nationalized, which gave people a reason to vote for Republicans. The Dems so far have not given anyone a reason to vote for them.

Given the embarrassing performance of the Senate Dems during the confirmation hearings, and events like the Coretta Scott King funeral which was turned by Dems into a political rally, I'd say their hopes of making significant gains in 2006 are rapidly dwindling.