Democratic Disaster?

I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
 
My hair’s standing up on my neck the way it did early in 1994. But four months earlier this time.
 
Obama is struggling to keep control of the agenda. August will be crucial. If the right-wing attacks on health care reform, deficits, cash-for-clunkers and “Not Born in the USA” take off, the Democrats could be in real trouble in 2010.
 
But Obama is smart and tough. He is capable of fighting back. Unlike the Clintons, he might keep a bad year from turning into a rout.
 
Not so much in Raleigh. Democrats here have already lost control of the debate. Between the cuts and the tax increases, they’ve made everybody mad.
 
And Bev Perdue is no Barack Obama.
 
I know there’s a long way to go. But we have the same problem now Bush and the Republicans had in 2006 and 2008: We own it. Anything goes wrong, we get the blame.
 
And while the talent edge in Washington seems to go to the Democrats, it looks to be on the Republican side in North Carolina. Tom Fetzer and Carter have seen this movie before.
 
After the election last year, Carter told me he was too demoralized to fight back hard. But now he’s swinging away.
 
The Republicans have been smart not to offer alternatives to health-care reform in Washington or the budget in North Carolina.
 
They just wait at the plate for the pitcher to serve up another nice big slow one across the middle of the plate.
 
Here’s an idea: North Carolina Democrats should do what Washington Republicans have done on health care. Put together – from their public statements and legislative proposals – what the Republican budget plan is.
 
Then whale away. Put the Republicans on the defensive.
 
When your message boils down to “things could be worse” or “that’s not what I’m proposing,” you’re in trouble. That’s where Democrats are today – Obama included.
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Gary Pearce

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Democratic Disaster?

I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
 
My hair’s standing up on my neck the way it did early in 1994. But four months earlier this time.
 
Obama is struggling to keep control of the agenda. August will be crucial. If the right-wing attacks on health care reform, deficits, cash-for-clunkers and “Not Born in the USA” take off, the Democrats could be in real trouble in 2010.
 
But Obama is smart and tough. He is capable of fighting back. Unlike the Clintons, he might keep a bad year from turning into a rout.
 
Not so much in Raleigh. Democrats here have already lost control of the debate. Between the cuts and the tax increases, they’ve made everybody mad.
 
And Bev Perdue is no Barack Obama.
 
I know there’s a long way to go. But we have the same problem now Bush and the Republicans had in 2006 and 2008: We own it. Anything goes wrong, we get the blame.
 
And while the talent edge in Washington seems to go to the Democrats, it looks to be on the Republican side in North Carolina. Tom Fetzer and Carter have seen this movie before.
 
After the election last year, Carter told me he was too demoralized to fight back hard. But now he’s swinging away.
 
The Republicans have been smart not to offer alternatives to health-care reform in Washington or the budget in North Carolina.
 
They just wait at the plate for the pitcher to serve up another nice big slow one across the middle of the plate.
 
Here’s an idea: North Carolina Democrats should do what Washington Republicans have done on health care. Put together – from their public statements and legislative proposals – what the Republican budget plan is.
 
Then whale away. Put the Republicans on the defensive.
 
When your message boils down to “things could be worse” or “that’s not what I’m proposing,” you’re in trouble. That’s where Democrats are today – Obama included.
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Gary Pearce

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