Too Late for the Democrats to Run Away

What a difference a year makes in the character of Democrats. In 2009, the Democrats in Congress were believing press accounts about the demise of the Republicans Party and the conservative movement. Amidst those false tailwinds, the Congressional Democrats took on America and its institutions. As the 2010 midterms approach, however, many of those same Democrats have turned tail and are running away from Pelosi, Reid and Obama amidst headlines like: “Democrats seek separation from Nancy Pelosi.” Unfortunately for them, it is too late to run away.

Former Republican Congressman J.C. Watts famously said that “Character is doing what’s right when nobody’s looking.” Watts, of course, was assuming that when the whole world was looking even politicians would do what was right. In 2009, the whole world was looking at the Democrats. Would they build a new level of consensus by charting a middle course? Or would they follow Reagan’s paradigm that Democrats campaign in the middle and govern on the Left?

Sure enough, Reagan proved right and the Democrats proved arrogant. According to Eric Cantor, a leading Republican in the House, Obama told him “elections have consequences…and Eric, I won” when discussing tax policy. Cantor also says Obama once told Republican leaders to “stop listening to Rush Limbaugh…and do what’s right for the people.”

Turns out Democrats stopped listening to voters and hardly did what was right for America. On issue after issue, they ignored public sentiment in favor of their ideological agenda. The stimulus bill passed on partisan terms. Cap and Trade was pursued with partisan ideology. The Health Care Bill was passed despite widespread opposition by Americans – including voters in the Kennedy seat and civilian terrors didn’t make legal common sense to most Americans any more then suing Arizona for a law that mirrored existing federal law.

Now that polling shows an unprecedented Republican advantage going into the Fall elections, many Democrats are not willing to stand by the leaders they supported earlier this year.

Stories of incumbent Democrats in difficult districts that refuse to be seen with Nancy or Harry or Obama are rampant. Hardly a noble choice, we read from Politico.com that “The Pelosi allies also said the speaker is ‘in the arena’ and knows that members will say whatever is needed in order to position themselves to win, even if that includes slamming her or Obama. Pelosi “has always said to members, ‘Do what you have to do,’ said another Pelosi ally.”

In the 2010 midterms, that strategy is not likely to work. After 20 months of Democrats spending America into oblivion while blaming their predecessors for every problem imaginable, there are more than enough voters way past tired of politicians who say whatever is needed or do what they have to do to get elected – not to mention the unemployed or the consumers and investors who have lost confidence in these Democrats.

Traditionally, a good deal of voters make up their minds five to six months out of a Fall election. With just sixty days to go until the November elections, Americans have seen what they don’t like and now are looking not only for the right policies, but politicians who will stand firm on the American values of self-reliance, hard work and limited government. In broad daylight last year, the Democrats ran from that. In the glare of the November elections, it is far too late for them to run from their leaders and their policies.