Interesting New Republic Article: Rich in Embarrassments

11.05.03

We're probably not the first to groan about the twin embarrassments that yesterday brought the Democratic Party--between the gubernatorial defeats in Kentucky and Mississippi and the circus-like debate in Boston. But we'd like to spend a few minutes brooding about them nonetheless.

First the "debate." Last night's "Rock the Vote" event was easily the most entertaining of the Democrats' intramural smack-downs to date, which was probably a welcome development for those of us who've tuned in to watch each previous installment. But the reason it was so entertaining was that it also happened to be the most juvenile and embarrassing. Along with Al Sharpton's usual one-man show--punctuated with the kind of racial demagoguery we've been expecting from him all along--we got to hear Joe Lieberman say he was "sorry" he never smoked pot, and several candidates discourse on who they'd most like to "party" with. If you happened to be a normal person tuning in for the first time to look for a credible alternative to George W. Bush, you were probably aghast. Surely last night's biggest winner was Dick Gephardt, who was smart enough not to show up.

The election returns that rolled in as the debate was ending were even more demoralizing. Yes, Democrats picked up seats in the New Jersey legislature. They also held on to the Philadelphia mayor's office. But not every Democrat is going to be able to take a page from John Street's playbook and run on a record of being investigated by the FBI. And, in any case, who can seriously argue that Kentucky and Mississippi races weren't the day's two biggest prizes?

So what to do? Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), there is a pattern developing here--and it looks a lot like Terry McAuliffe.

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