Stronger

What Drew Westen said:

The way to win the center on national security is not to try to craft centrist positions on national security. Particularly in the post-9/11 era, Americans want leaders who will decisively pull the trigger. But "pulling the trigger" today doesn't mean rattling our sabers almost as loud as the GOP, or complaining that we don't have the votes when we have the majority. Americans may not understand the subtleties of cloture, but they get the gist: that they handed the ball off to the party that's now in the majority, who they expected to run with the ball instead of consistently playing defense. The way to project strength on national security and to win back the Reagan Democrats who voted for Bill Clinton (despite his draft record) and flirted with the Democratic Party again in 2006 is to exude strength, particularly in the face of aggression, whether that aggression is from al Qaeda or from a bully in his bully pulpit.

Yes, I agree. One doubts that voters have detailed views about the substance of foreign policy issues. They can, however, tell the difference between politicians who act like they have a plan in mind and are acting decisively to implement it, and politicians who appear paralyzed or obsessed with positioning.

Comments

Which is exactly why Reid is so deadly for Democrats. For a boxer, he sure likes to get his ass kicked.

Posted by Joe Klein's conscience | September 21, 2007 9:52 AM

Reid is pathetic.

Posted by cleek | September 21, 2007 10:05 AM

"Protector President" is a tough role to play. Hillary might be able to put it over with the right script and a major league acting coach. She and Pelosi and Reid all need acting help.

The Republicans have figured out just how important casting is. And while the Democrats make documentaries, the Republicans are making feature films.

Posted by ferd | September 21, 2007 10:27 AM

I agree with all of the above. This has been one of the most dismaying weeks since we recaptured control of Congress. Not only do we elect Democrats to win policy battles, we elect them to win political battles as well. What the hell is wrong with Harry?

Posted by BryklynLibrul | September 21, 2007 10:34 AM

I must say that the only thing that surprises me these days is how I continually underestimate the cowardice of the democrats.

Its not just Reid. Its the whole pile of them. They must stand up and say, to use one example, that they will not cower in the face of terrorism. That they have confidence in America and its people and institutions. They must say that they will find and arrest those who have violated American law and bring them to the United States for a public trial in front of a federal judge and jury. And that they will hire Teddy Wells or his equal to defend against the charges. They will say that they are not afraid of the result and that the world will love us for our justice.

They must, to use another easy example, say that the solution to Iraq is an apology to the world and a promise to replace American military and contractors with a multi-national Muslim peacekeeping force that we will pay for.

I am certain that most readers will have a thousand reasons why this won't happen. Most of those reasons will be correct. The present course, however, is an unmitigated disaster which is grounded in cowardice and perfidy and is leading to permanent war and a police state.

In order to make such steps work, you need to be fearless rather than fearful, confident rather than quiescent, clear-eyed rather than insipid, courageous rather than apprehensive and intelligent instead of box of rocks stupid. Its not just Reid.

Posted by Peter Driscoll | September 21, 2007 10:44 AM

"They can, however, tell the difference between politicians who act like they have a plan in mind and are acting decisively to implement it, and politicians who appear paralyzed or obsessed with positioning."

Which is why I am hopeful that the American people are not stupid enough to elect a Democrat President in 08. Democrats haven't had a serious foreign policy plan, let alone any sort vision of America's role in the world since Vietman and have been wrong on every major foreign policy issue since then. Hillary and the rest of the current candidates are no different than other past Democratic nominees in that regard.

Who will deny that the foreign policy of any Democrat will be to simply deal with events as they happen on a ad hoc basis so as not to threathen their job approval numbers ala Bubba Billy?

Posted by Chicounsel | September 21, 2007 11:12 AM

asking reid to be stronger than his caucus is a fantasy: there are a lot of nominal democrats who have no spine. reid can't stiffen those spines just by insisting that they get stiffer....

Posted by howard | September 21, 2007 11:18 AM

Drew Westen is right. James Carville made a similar point a few years ago. He said voters will not trust the Democratic party in national security if they think Democrats are not willing to fight for themselves. If you are not willing to fight for yourself you are not going to fight for the country.

Sure, Newt et al are bullies but the public trusts them with national security. This has nothing to do with their policies. It has everything to do with the fact that they are perceived as fighters.

Democrats have to be seen as fighters. The actual policy is less important than the perception that they are fighters.

Posted by DonB | September 21, 2007 11:56 AM

reid can't stiffen those spines just by insisting that they get stiffer

Actually, this is exactly what strong political leadership in Congress can do.

Posted by Rob Mac | September 21, 2007 11:58 AM

It is not fair to blame Harry Reid for this. He heads a caucus with Landrieu and Lieberman. He has a one vote majority so he can't discipline anyone.

The pressure has to come from grassroots. This is what happened with the GOP. The Right Wing Noise Machine acts as a pressure point to GOP politicians, giving them a spine and a will to fight.

Posted by DonB | September 21, 2007 12:03 PM

Didn't the Reagan Democrats actually vote for Perot?

Posted by Dilan Esper | September 21, 2007 2:23 PM