Willow Tree

The Democrats Mistake

Via Rishon Rishon/

Andrew of the The BACKSEAT PHILOSOPHER has written an excellent piece on why the Democrats lost this election.

quoting from his article:

Actually, no. Our error is that we Democrats are far less understanding than we think we are. Our version of understanding the other side is to look at them from a psychological point of view while being completely unwilling to take their arguments seriously. "Well, he can't help himself, he's a right-wing religious zealot, so of course he's going to think like that." "Republicans who never served in war are hypocrites to send young men to die. " "Republicans are homophobes, probably because they can't deal with their secret desires." Anything but actually listening and responding to the arguments being made.

Listening doesn't mean agreement; but at least one will know what the argument is about. This is true for both sides of course; but if the Democrats want to regain
power they really need to understand why they lost it and that means giving heed to those who voted against their ideas. It means finding the draw to the Republican party and trying to see if the Democrats can address the fears and concerns of those who voted against them, most especially those who have "defected." It means seeing the other as valid.

Andrew lists several arguments that he feels Democrats need to address, and then he sums up with this.

I am not saying that all these arguments should win. But I do not hear enough Democrats elucidating reasoned counterarguments to these positions. "Bush insulted our allies and the UN," "Bush lied, people died," "We have become the aggressor," "Homophobia," "Religious nut." These are not responses, these are dismissals. When Democrats start actively responding, we will succeed. Until then, we will be increasingly ignored as irrelevent.

It does pay to read the arguments and try and come up with a reasoned response, if still in disagreement, and not simply an attack against the person or the person's belief system.

In the same token, I think Republican's have an obligation to seet that the country is divided on the issues and not force changes without at the very least addressing the concerns of those on the other side as well.

Healing; the country really needs to heal, and both parties must stop the hatred of each other.

Posted by Rachel Ann at November 5, 2004 05:53 AM