http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1813705,00.htmlHe has written a book, A Time to Fight, that may be the best evocation of the 21st century Democratic Party's emerging style and philosophy. In the process, the Senator bids a not-too-fond adieu to the hapless late-20th century Democrats—at least those who made "interest-group rights" a higher priority than the economic well-being of the middle class ... and especially those who disdained or didn't take time to understand the U.S. military.
Webb is an avatar of the Democrats' new populism, a theme that has had great resonance on the campaign trail this year. There is some danger here. Populism too often devolves into snake oil: nativism, isolationism and protectionism—none of which are viable positions in a global economy. But we have seen an unprecedented period of untrammeled wealth-accumulation in this country, and Webb makes a convincing pitch that the fabric of society is being shredded by greed. "It is not class warfare ... to point out that economic inequities persist," he writes. "In fact, the reverse is true: it is class warfare from the top down to pretend that such inequities don't matter." Webb's world is an eclectic concoction—move to the right by neutralizing the Republican advantage on military issues; move to the left by sending the pendulum back in the direction of economic equity; move to the center by replacing an ideological foreign policy with enlightened pragmatism. These are important insights—and far too zesty, I'd guess, to be vice presidential.
By Joe Klein.
Hey, Joe - why is that too zesty to be vice presidential?