Things are NG at ND

Tyrone Willingham is out. Oddly enough I was going to post about ND's woes on the gridiron and was going to wonder outloud about when he was going to get canned. An hour is the difference between being prescient and "yeah, right."

Willingham will land on his feet. He is a very good football coach who caught a program in decline. He has been there for three years (which amounts to 2 years and 360 days longer then ND's last pick), which is not long enough to be able to rely on your recruiting classes, IMAO.

Notre Dame faces a bigger problem. It has one of the most rabid fan bases in the country, think of them as one big mass of George Steinbrenners, and tremendous national appeal. But I do not think the Independent status works for them anymore. It seems that they need to hook up with the Big East or Big Ten (they could chalk up one against Northwestern). I suspect the Big East, especially, will bend over backwards to lock ND in.

I think the bigger question is the will to win on the part of the Administration. Can ND attract the scholar-athlete it needs? Or does it need to relax its standards? Boston College has chosen the high road, and I believe that ND will do the same. But BC has not been a force in college football in 20 years. That will not satisfy the ND alumni, who are living in the world of Ara Parseghian and the Four Horsemen.

Give credit, though, to the large state schools. Plain truth is that the difference, academically, between Notre Dame (or BC or Stanford or Duke or any other top private college) and Michigan or UCLA or Virginia or UNC is just not as great as it once was.

ND's problems have little to do with Tyrone Willingham. Good luck to him and I hope things turn around for Notre Dame.

Update: Urban Meyer is the odds on favorite to take over and he seems to be the easy choice. Notre Dame could do alot worse. I do not buy in to the "home grown" approach, but you could argue that Willingham had two strikes against him because of that. We will see.

No Buts

Back to politics for a second, more post-election analysis seems to talk about the need to rethink the Democrat strategy. (See kausfiles. Scroll down to “kf is Stupid III”, I have yet to figure out how to trackback Mickey.) kf makes a similar point I have been trying to make; that he does not get this talk. This was not a major blow, just a lost election. As I argued below, the Democrats do not have to give up their ideals to win the next election.

But to reiterate, they do need to nominate a candidate that embraces “but”. They need more “Sister Souljah” moments. I have no problem voting for a Democrat and there are plenty of them that could get that vote. But nothing grates on me more then the way the party has institutionalized the lunatic fringe. Any party that allows Al Sharpton to be considered a serious candidate is not a serious party. Michael Moore in the president’s box at the convention – give me a break. The party has got to impose some limits on its acceptance of behavior, or at least ACT like it has that ability.

Banning the Declaration of Independence from the classroom because it refers to God? No limits at any time for any one to have an abortion? (And your tax dollars fund it to boot!) At what point can I NOT embrace the gay life style? Where are the limits?

This is some of what I want to hear from a Democratic presidential candidate:

The mere mention of God does not constitute “an establishment of religion.”

I support the right of a woman to choose, but with certain limits respecting the rights of her family (spouse or guardian) and the rights of the viable, unborn child.

All citizens, regardless of sexual orientation, are equal under the law, but marriage is a sacrament to be bestowed by religious institutions and they will not be compelled to do so.

I support the right of private groups, such as the Boy Scouts, to determine the qualifications of membership and participation. Further the use of public property by private groups, so long as all private groups have similar access, does not constitute government endorsement of the group.

I believe education is the foundation of a vibrant democracy and support the ability of parents to choose which schools their children attend.

I believe the creation of laws is the sole responsibility of the elected legislature, not the responsibility of the appointed judiciary.

Can this happen?

Overcome with Tryptophan

I do not think I spent an hour on the web this past (long) weekend. Tryptophan - nature's Prozac. Mmmmmm...leftovers. Short post.

NHL:
We either agree or we don't; I am not sure. The proof is in the product, it just is not selling to this sports crazed nation.

I agree with you that there are many reasons why the NHL is in this bind. I also agree that a big money deal would solve the problems. (BTW, a big money deal would solve my problems, too.) The NHL just does not have the leeway the NFL, MLB and NBA have. I am looking forward to the Beanpot this year....

As an aside, I am taking bets as to when the MLS becomes the 4th major sport...

UPDATE: Yoni Cohen notes that ESPN2's broadcast of poker championships has posted better ratings then the NHL did last year. Stick a fork in them, they are done. Thew, I know you love hockey, but those of us in the real world could not care less if we tried.

Tiger:
I should stop, marrying my beautiful wife did kill my pro sports career. (And excused my noticeable lack of talent.)

Tennis:
I can't get past the "JR is a pretty man, even *I* think he's kinda hot" remark. Well, at least I know the topic for this weeks' therapy...

Telfair:
I think the trend will be for more HS and Prep guys to go. He is going to make some good ching riding the pine. Of course, he could make some good ching at Ohio State...but I digress.

Eli Manning:
Was the fact that this kid was all hype obvious to everyone, but the Giants? He might grow into his brother, but I do not think he is destined for greatness. Further, putting in behind that AWFUL Giants front line is bound to kill his confidence. 33rd in the QB Rankings. Ugh.

Wait, how is Kerry Collins doing? Oh, nevermind.

College Hoops:
Our new best friend Yoni Cohen has a really nice blog on College Hoops, go check him out. The link is also on the left.

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge starts tonight. We shall see how the ACC stacks up on paper. Of course, I still want to bring back the ACC/Big East Challenge...

I really like the conference challenge format. How about a SEC/Big East challenge? Or better, rotate the Big East, ACC, Pac 10 (before it becomes a mid-major), Big 12, SEC and Big 10 each year. They are a three day tourney and it would be a nice lead in to the conference schedule. The pre-season tourneys are okay, but the Conference Challenges are national draws.

Just a thought. More to come.

Norm Abrams can KISS MY...well, u know

a) I was channel surfing while in a turkey coma, and ran across the New Yankee Workshop. Wow, he can build some GREAT stuff on that show. You know why? Because he's got a MILLION DOLLARS of woodworking equipment in his workshop. Dang, if I had all that machinery, I could build anything too! That is SO unrealistic for the average do-it-yourself Joe.

b) Let it be known that on THIS day, I officially declare the cutting, shaping, coping, and mounting of crown molding as the definition if THE SUCK! 15 hours in 2 days doing the basement. Pay someone to do it, it ain't worth the aggravation...

In celebration of Tilam (on TURKEY day, hehe, get it?)

NHL
Again, too many teams is the argument spouted by those that think the product is too diluted and no longer exciting because of the overall "drop in skill level". The simple economics of revenues in the Canadian dollar and salaries in the US dollar is what is killing the Canadian teams. Only if you contract all the Canadian teams will THAT problem go away. Will that solve fan interest? Yep, in Canada. In the US, we simply MUST be able to generate more TV revenue. I hate to say it, but higher scoring and exciting physical play will go a long way toward more appeal.
But you will STILL have a small portion of the player base demanding a selfish labor agreement, not realizing that a) you are NOT working right now (unless you count sweeping floors at the local high school), b) your product has TERRIBLE revenues from TV, and c) you are officially alientating almost EVERYONE but your die hard fans. What worked for the Delta pilots union CAN work for the NHL, but it seems that in the best mold of selfish pampered high paid athletes, they cannot see the big picture, only what is in the mirror.

Behavior
Yep, I've been a my children's soccer game where parents were just poorly behaved. You see this all over the place.But that guy who threw the beer can CLEARLY be seen pulling Ron Artest off the wrong guy, then rabbit punching him in the head from behind - so he's a drunken coward with a criminal record. I hope he gets arrested (AGAIN!) and charged by the police dept for assault. Makes me sick to be an NBA fan - oh wait, the NBA sucks, I'm not a fan. hehe
As far as Artest (and my wife vehemently disagrees with me), I also can't fault him THAT much for responding to that sort of attack. He needs to be more in control, but he was lying down on the table avoiding any action. I just wish he had a few more seconds to beat the crud outta that guy...

Tiger
I think yes, he was unconscious during, say, 2002, but he was SO able to dial in then. Now with a hot swedish wife, and distractions off the course, and of course, Butch isn't his coach any more (BAD MOVE TIGER!), he cannot summon "Sunday Tiger". I hope he does again.
Oh, and frankly, from my married man's perspective, I'm not completely sure that Amy Mickelson isn't actually hotter than Mrs. Woods.
PHIL! HFS PHIL!! 59!!! 2005 is your breakout year bro...I predict another major!

USC/Clemson
First of all, neither of these are "premier educational institutions". hehe
Second of all, I really don't expect a full scale change of heart, but don't you think it's nice to have a little victory in this?

Tennis
Federer is the REAL DEAL, I think he might win the Slam next year.
Maria Sharapova (and her dad) prove that while you can be cute, nice, and a good tennis player, you can't get away with more idiotic behavior and a lack of class.
OMG, my 13 year old daughter has noticed Andy Roddick. He is her athelete crush, only slightly behind Johnny Resnick of the Goo Goo Dolls. Well, JR is a pretty man, even *I* think he's kinda hot.

Sebastian Telfair
Umm, I think he's riding the pine for a pro team. Not bad for an SI cover boy from a few years ago. Bye Bye, Telly, have a nice life as a scrub.

NASCAR
I think they got something good going here with the "Race for the Cup" format. Exciting, even though I'm not, by nature, a racing fan.

Music
What, no Motley Crue? No Poison? How can we NOT give credit to the hair bands of the 80's who brought us heavy metal BIMBO's. Short skirts, high heels, bustiers in public...WOW, what a great time in a man's life.
Personally, I think that Judas Priest's rendition of Johnny B. Goode was WAY better than Chuck's, but that's just me.
Stairway to Heaven at number 31? Hmm, I remember lo these many moons ago when that song always won the local radio show's poll at the #1 song of all time.
For Thew, it's easy to argue that Dylan should NOT be number 1. I'm just not a fan of him. How about "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mixalot. Talk about getting some bootays shaking.

This Thanksgiving's List of IDIOTS!
Michael Phelps - a DUI? at what, 19?! Did you think you would be the first athelete to drink and drive and get away with it? YOU IDIOT!
Kobe Bryant - do I even need to 'splain Lucy?
Latrell Sprewell - Spree, say it ain't so! You were such a great addition to the T'Wolves, now you're completely pissing off your teammates by saying "why should I do anything to help this team, they ain't giving me an extension and I'm trying to feed my family". On FOURTEEN MILLION a YEAR! YOU IDIOT!
SI.COM - ENOUGH with the damm AOL/TimeWarner popup ads. I had to close SIX of them, and I didn't even move away from the home page. YOU IDIOTS!

But we end on a good note:
On this american holiday of Thanksgiving, Thew wishes you and yours health and prosperity, and the best of all things in life - except for you terrorist cowards and your lapdogs, the... well, you know who you are.

Scrum Rats

NHL:
I don't disagree with the NHL diversifying its base, but the league has too many teams. I thought they should have moved some teams around. I am sympathetic to having pro hockey in Canada, but if they cannot support a team that went top the Stanley Cup, then maybe they do not deserve a pro team.

Players Behavior:
I am not sure that players ever behaved better, but they were more insulated. (I do not buy that the old days were more civil.) I will say that the standard of behavior is changing all over the place. Look at any town's youth sports during a weekend. Maybe the under 8 year old games are civil, but it can get really ugly on the sidelines.

I read that sports are the only thing that men can get emotional about, but it is getting out of hand.

I have a tough time getting all angry on Artest. (He's a jerk, but I have plenty of other reasons for disliking him.) The Pacers were blowing out the Pistons, you cannot not hear want was being said to Artest, and then someone provokes him by throwing beer on him. I blame the fans. IT IS JUST A GAME. If you can not keep a perspective, take up knitting.

It is also about personal responsibility. Unfortunately, that is not a quality admired anymore.

Yankees:
It is the Cure of the Rocket...traded Clemens and the Yanks go almost 5 years without a WS ring.

Tiger:
Could it be that Tiger was just playing unconscious for that stretch? Maybe now we are seeing the real Tiger?

College Sports:
I admire your naivete. One cannot expect the leaders of the premier educational institutions to exhibit any moral standard. (See "personal responsibility" above.)

Punishing an institution is like punishing a dog. A dog does not remember the act that you are punishing it for (I am told), so you must mold future behavior only. So how do you teach boundaries when the guilty go unpunished?

You can't.

Rap:
Enough said. Rolling Stone came out with the Top 500 songs of all time. No KISS. "Imagine" by John Lennon at Number 3 before any Beatles song. Tough to argue that a Dylan song should not be number 1. Nothing by Creedence Clearwater Revival until Number 99! Highest self promotion: "Bo Diddley" by Bo Diddley at Number 62.

Just starting the discussion.

Beer me Homer, cuz you MUST be drinking

NHL:
You're tabbing expansion as the issue? Expansion teams aren't doing TOO badly, as far as I know. Atlanta, Tampa Bay (Lord Stanley's caretakers Mr College Hoops fan), Minnesota are doing pretty well, TYVM. Sure, you find a little dilution of the product - I think there might be a larger separation in skill between the top line players and the 4th line grinders - but I'm all for a larger appeal to the product, which is what it needs. I don't think that expansion is the issue here.
Why are teams losing money? Well, sure it's because of the idiot owners ponying up HUGE dollars for people, thus setting the bar too high in yet another sport (read: NBA, MLB, etc), causing salaries to rise across teh board as a result, causing a loss of money. BUT, and I take the Delta Air Lines pilots grudging unselfishness as an example here, which is better; a reduction in salary to keep your company in business and you in a job, or playing 2nd line penalty killer for the Macon Whoopee in the ECHL? (NOTE: i have nothing against the Whoopee, I just used their name because it's a GREAT name).

NBA
Umm, wow, where to begin...I still hate the NBA.
First, it is disgusting to see fans behave as they did in Detroit the other night. Drunken fat old men with a corn dog in one hand and a beer in the other shouting profanities at millionaires, especially the spoiled, selfish, thug NBA players, is a recipe for tension. Throwing objects at the players is despicable in ANY sport (see EPL and the english soccer hooligans).
BUT, that does not in any way excuse the actions of Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal, and Stephen Jackson. Artest is done for the year, and that's too bad; he's a million dollar talent with a 5 cent head. Why do we continue to purchase tickets for this league? It has a LONG list of unmarried fathers (Shawn Kemp), drug abusers (Damon Stoudamire), criminals (et al), yet it appeals to the young. I don't understand this.
Oh, and here's a suggestion: STOP SELLING ALCOHOL AT GAMES!!!

Today's TRIVIA - whatever happened to Sebastian Telfair?

MLB
Yes, I used the word choke. And it is the truth. Why? Because the Yankees were up 3-0 and 5 outs away, then lost it all in titantic-like fasion. Don't get me wrong, Boston played great, loose, and with passion, something that players in New York tend to not do because of the pressure (not you Shef and Godzilla), and the way they steamrolled the Cards was impressive, but that much of a collapse is a choke, imho. The Yankees stunk it up when they needed to be good. That simple. *gag*

Tiger
You got it backwards Tilam. The other players on the tour gain confidence when Tiger went into a slump, NOT the other way around. They might be a little better players because of hard work, but do you think that the tour would be feeling so chipper and giddy if Tiger were his old self? Tell me that they would be so happy if Eldrick were still the Tiger of 2002...

UBS Cup
WTF is this? Who knows? And who cares?

NCAA Football
Clemson, South Carolina - WOW, integrity in a Div 1 school?! Kudos to those universities for not tolerating yet MORE abhorrent player behavior!


NFL
I'm still not "ooo-ing and ahhh-ing" like the rest of you over Michael Vick
I think Philly wins the Super Bowl - TO is the difference this year.
The Vikings still suck defensively - and we'll never go anywhere by playing soft D. And without Randy Moss, we HAVE to play hard D - Minnesota's defense is as soft as mashed potatoes.

Golf
Lehman as Ryder Cup captain - I'm sorry, you gotta explain this one to me. Not that he's bad, but I have to admit, I thought there were better choices.
Oh, and speaking of Mark O'Meara not being chosen, do you think Tiger's going to play inspired in the next Ryder Cup? HAH! He's pretty passionless in Ryder Cup matches as it is, without his best buddy O'Mear at the helm, it'll be a coup if Lehman can inspire Tiger to play with any type of pulse.

US Soccer
I tell you, some of our home grown young start are really starting to show promise. The US will be for real and a contender the next time the World Cup is played, trust me on that one. We probably won't win, but we will go deep into the medal round - not that anyone in the US will care. And that's a shame.
Freddy Adu is too young - skilled or not, I saw him being moved around by bigger and stronger, and more savvy MLS defenders. He shouldn't have played until at least 16, to let him physically mature. But dat boy can play!

NCAA Hoops
OMG, without hockey to watch, stay tuned blog fans, for the fun and carnage that is Thew vs Tilam in NCAA Hoops. Since I have no NHL to distract me, it is ON! I am currently digesting the SI Hoops preview (good quality reading for those Sunday mornings on the throne), and I agree that Tilam and I should discuss (read: argue) a top 10 list each week. Grab some popcorn and a coke, sit back, and admire the fireworks! :)
The ACC scares me as well. But Big Least I think is due for an off year.

Rap
I'm white, can't jump, can't hip, have no hops, can't rap. I have no street cred, not intimate knowledge of rap beyond "Baby Got Back". But in the true cause of the blogger, I can jump on the soapbox and rant and rave...and I will, trust me.
Eminem is getting on my nerves - why? Because I'm starting to dig his music.
50 Cent's "In Da Club" is on my playlist - that's a catchy hook too.
Oh, and I have "Ice Ice Baby" on my mixer too. Yes, THAT Vanilla Ice. :)

Rant Back at You

Since blogging is also a dialogue...

NHL:
For once, I am siding with the players. Too much expansion in markets that just should not have a professional hockey team. They need to cut back by about 8 teams. But 10 teams would give them more breathing room.

Tiger:
"Slump?" I am not sure. I am sure that the rest of the field is a little better and more confident. Vijay, Phil, Ernie, Retief, Mike Weir, Davis Love III just are not that intimidated any more. The question is not what Tiger has done, but whether he can do it again against the "new and improved" PGA tour.

Yankees & King George:
To say they choked diminishes Boston's accomplishment. The fact is that the Yankees played above their level all year. The pitching was the worst it has been since 1994, either too new to the Bronx or too fragile for the Bronx. David Justice said that not every superstar can hack it in New York- it is a different league.

The Boss need to take deep breaths, get his own reality TV show (or focus on his budding career as a VISA pitchman) and let Cashman and Torre fix the pitching staff. Then all will be right again in NY.

Maurice Clarett:
You said it, STFU, Maurice. The line for the role of over-hyped, all talk, no talent, NFL blow hard gets longer each day.

Shaq, Kobe, NBA:
Argh. There are not a lot of people who can match my passion for NCAA Hoops (obviously excepting Thew), and there are fewer who can match my disgust with the pro version. I might rant about pro players occasionally, but whenever I rant about the OHATNTNFLBH (see Maurice Clarett above), the guys who throw on the pads work freakin' hard to be able to play week in week out. TO, Ray Lewis, Jeremy Shockey may rub the wrong way, but I do not question their work ethic.

I cannot say the same about Shaq, Kobe, Artest and the rest of the bunch.

Caveat, my apologies to Rip Hamilton, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, LeBron James and the others who really work it. In the NBA's case, I am willing to throw out the baby to get rid of the bath water.

Rap:
I will never be cool enough or hip enough to comment about rap. If I try, shoot me.

(Oops, in the case of rap, they might take me seriously. Just kidding.)

(About the shoot me part.)

NCAA Hoops:
Oh, glorious sporting days. I hope that Thew and I will consider a TOP 10 posting on a regular basis. That said, I do not think you can tell anything before January. With few exceptions, November and December are just warm-ups where anything can happen. (That said, Arizona looks like they are in post-season form.)

But one quick comment: I always complain that the ACC is way over-rated, mostly because of ESPN which seems to double as the ACC's PR firm. This year, I am keeping my mouth shut. With what Virginia did to Arizona, NC, Wake, GT and (of course) Duke, this may be a real year of dominance.

Beating the Rap

I guess Ron Artest can promote his rap album full time now.

That day job just gets in the way.

Today's Ranting and Raving

Hmm, where to start...

NHL
You people are STOOPID! Let's face it, when your major hockey night games are being outdrawn by Nordic Curling, it is NOT a good time to go on strike. %5 of the highest earning players are holding the entire league hostage, I bet. Shut up and get a deal done. NHL is now unofficially crippled as a viable sport in the US. It took MLB 10 years to recover from their strike, you are on life support, trust me - except in Canada.

Tiger Wooods
In a slump. But not because his golf game sux, but because he's focused on life outside of golf...ie, Elle Nordegren (don't start me about how distracting she can be!). Jack (no last name needed) went 12 majors without a win during one stretch in his life; why? Because he married Barbara and started his family. It's understandable. So do the family thing, Tiger, and come back to the PGA with that killer instinct again, Thew knows you'll find it. Also, I hate Vijay, I'm already tired of seeing his face at the top of the world rankings (anyone who disses Annika...)

The Yankees
You gave it up. Choked. Coughed up a hairball. Do the Sawx remind you of anyone you might remember from years past? Yep, the 1998 Yankees. Resilient. Character players. Mentally tough players from top to botton (well, except Knoblauch). Time to get ready for next year.

King George
OMG, DON'T PANIC! Don't talk to Pedro, he's nothing but a washed up smack talking pitcher who's going to cost you too many dollars; and as for sticking it to the Bosox, win the series, start another curse for Boston. Leiber is worth keeping, make sure he's still around next year, but NOT for 8 million. Beltran is a great player, but he's WAY over priced based on one good season. SAVE THE MONEY FOR PITCHING! Keep Posada! Bring back Tino, DUMP Giambi. Ever since Giambi got off the sauce (the marinara sauce, riiiiight), he's been a lesser player imo. Javier Vasquez is an up and comer, he's got good stuff, he just needs a little more consistency and confidence, keep him around. I'm torn on the Big Unit...but I say if you can get for a fair price, GET HIM!

Maurice Clarett
So you are angry at Ohio State for what they did? You want to stay in the headlines? You want to make money with appearance fees telling your "dirty college" story? PUHLEEZE. Shut up and practice so you can get drafted in the 6th round of the NFL draft. STFU. When you're a factor in the NLF, when you're shredding pro players like you *cough* did in college, then you can crow. Otherwise, stfu and prepare for your next career - as a gas station attendant. You will be irrelevant in 3 years, a card carrying member of the ryan leaf group of ex-NFLers who are now invisible and done.

Shaq
You are certainly the biggest thing to hit Miami in a long time, that's for sure. But you won't win a championship with the Heat. Sorry.

Kobe
How can a young man from such a great family hoops tradition turn into such a primadonna? Such a petulant selfish crybaby? I don't know either.

P Diddy
Get a real nickname. WTF is "p diddy"? Heck, I like "puffy" better. At least as "puffy" you got JLo.

Vikings
OMG, someone fix Randy Moss quickly. We suck without him. Oh wait, we can score, it's our DEFENSE that sucks!

NFL
Young QB's who are the real deal - Leftwich, Roethliesberger, Carr (if they ever put a team around him). I hope Eli Manning falls FLAT ON HIS FACE...well, for a while. I hate people who dictate draft trades cuz they don't wanna play for a team - oh wait, John Elway did it you say? Yep, and I hated him at first. Then he paid his dues, played hard, earned our respect, and finished with 2 super bowl victories. The verdict is still out on Manning (either Manning, I should say). Heck, did the Manning family EVER win a super bowl?

College Football and the BCS
Umm, who cares?

College Hoops...
Be still my beating heart. College hoops season draweth nigh...

Okay, that's enuf for now...I have typers cramp and need to draw a breath.

Thew

"if you think the price of knowledge is too high, think about the price of ignorance"

The new lunatic on the block

Hey! This is Thew. I'm a RL pal of Tilam, and in a sick sense of the word was an integral part of him getting that name.

I'm old, fussy, crabby, and all around facetious. I do not tolerate stupidity, slackerness, and an avoidance of one's responsiblity to be a good person to yourself, your family, and your friends.

I'm a sports fan mostly, leaving the politico of Tilam to carry that load for us. I love the NHL (rant coming), college hoops, and the Yankees (go ahead, give it to me). I play as much golf as possible (Tiger IS in a slump, but for a good reason), and my nightly vice is Everquest, an online role playing game.

I will flame, rant, rave, and throw as many barbs as I can. I also welcome others to fire back at me, always up for a good cat-fight.

L8R

Reflections on Elections Part 3

I have tried to point out that I do not believe that this election was a repudiation of Democrat positions on various issues. More specifically, I think that it would be unwise for the Democrats to abandon their long held beliefs just yet.

The economics position of the Democrats is the easiest to argue. I won't mince words, there is something inherently appealing to the electorate about big government handouts. It does surprise me that most Americans will tolerate the level of spending of the government, but it is what it is. People just expect a certain level of social spending.

I think in this election, President Bush benefited from a reasonable economy (nationally) and some specific agenda items, such as reforming social security. Senator Kerry took the Gore 2000 approach and railed against Benedict Arnold CEOs and "big" business. More than in other areas, I think Senator Kerry suffered from a lack of focus on the future. The only specific item he did say (unequivocally) was that he would raise taxes - a losing strategy.

The Clintonian approach - focusing on the needy and less fortunate - and then, awe shucks what a surprise, we need to raise taxes a little bit - is the tried and true formula for the Democrats. The generous American voting public would accept this.

***

I think the problems the Democrats face are much more difficult to remedy. Demographics are completely undermining the core of the Democratic constituency. The Democrats have classically relied on minority groups (in particular, blacks and Jews) and unions and recently added the trial lawyers as core contributors. But black loyalty is slowly eroding (and will continue to do so with each generation) and the unions (excepting public sector) are diminishing in membership. Trial lawyers? They would be just as popular embracing the pedophile priest lobby.

Where do you go? Maybe borrow a concept from the lawyers: the reasonable man standard. Tolerance, inclusiveness, liberalness with some limits. The idea that the left has no limits to what they accept as "acceptable" behavior is the major problem facing them today. In every aspect of the debate (especially the domestic debate), there is a legitimate question as to what level of behavior would not be acceptable - when would the Left draw the line. I think President Clinton's "Sister Souljah" moment had a bigger impact then anyone imagined. A Democrat finally said "enough." Candidate Kerry and the DNC had plenty of opportunities for a "Sister Souljah" moment - Michael Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, moveon.org - but never took the opportunity. In fact, Senator Kerry explicitly endorsed some of them.

The Republicans might just be better internal policeman because the left-leaning MSM brings any extremist behavior front and center (e.g., Trent Lott). Maybe the NY Times and CBS News would be more effective for the Democrats if they policed the left as vigorously.

Reflections on Elections Part 2

My theme in these posts is to examine some of the self-flagellation of the Democrats and to throw in my few cents. My proposition is that there is nothing in this election the Democrats should take to mean that their underlying principles have been rejected by the electorate. Below I tossed in a few thoughts on the GWOT/Iraq, now let's take a look at moral values.

There seems to be a basic premise that the Democrats lost the moral values vote. I think a number of writers and bloggers have shown that the religious right did not carry the election for the President, despite this theme. And several has noted that "moral issues' is vague enough that it probably did not mean "gay marriage" to the voters who responded. But I would go further, I suggest that the Democrats stick to their guns on the moral and cultural issues, with one caveat, if they are looking to take the White House in 2008.

Despite the vitriol expressed toward the President and, subsequent to the election, Bush voters, the Democrats are generally thought of in terms of acceptance and inclusiveness. Maybe this is changing, but I don't see real proof of it. (Let's face it, the liberal bias of the MSM enables the fringe elements of the Democratic party - cough*O'Donnell*cough*Moore*cough - to have access to the airwaves, but they have not altered the general image of the Democrats. Further, I am not saying this is correct.) Thus, I think that voters, generally, will give higher marks to the Democrats on the cultural issues. You might not agree that gays should have marriages or civil unions, but you are comfortable that the Democrats will be responsive to your positions, even if they are not traditional.

Now you can see the fine line: if the O'Donnells and Moores of the world become the face of the Democratic party, this image of inclusiveness will erode. Some years back, the Republicans had a similar "problem" with Ralph Reed. Mr. Reed was becoming a huge liability for the Republicans image. While noone worked harder for conservative causes, Mr. Reed was painted as a bigoted extremist representing the religious right. Mr. Reed was given or got the message. Today, Ralph Reed works as hard for conservatives and their causes, but he is difficult to find.

Now the caveat. The calculus on "moral issues" is two fold. First, what do I want and second, what can I accept. For example, one can be for the right to choose, but accept certain restrictions on that right (no partial birth abortions, parental notification, etc.). One could be against gay marriage, but accept legal equality for gays through civil unions. Senator Kerry could not have played these issues worse if he had tried. Tried hard. Tried really, really, hard. President Bush, on the other hand, was a virtuoso. (The President had certain built in advantages: the right to choose is the law of the land, so he can seem reasonable about adding restrictions; Vice President Cheney's daughter and the President's support of civil unions allowed the administration to seem progressive.)

But Senator Kerry's voting record was so awful on these matters, that he could not bring them up. His position on abortion restrictions, combined with his professed Catholicism, allowed voters to think the worst: he was a hypocrite. The challenge is to appeal to the base, but allow room for the "buts" that will soften the swing voters and allow the broad electorate to accept your position.

Suffice to say that President Clinton was the anti-Kerry.

Next, economics and the shifting demographics in Part 3.

Reflections on Elections Part 1

I have not posted for awhile for two reasons. First, it has been tough to keep up (let alone stay ahead of) the good work being done in the blogosphere. Second, finding the time to be thoughtful has been more of a challenge then I expected. But with the elections behind us I wanted to reflect on several themes and mems and try and add to the debate.

First off, there seems to be a general theme that the Democratic Party needs to rethink its position on issues (social, economic, national security) and move to the center. Magnanimous of the right to suggest that, but totally unecessary. There is nothing in this election the Democrats should take to mean that their underlying principles have been rejected. This elections was about tactics, not strategy. And the loss relects the judgment of the electorate that, at this point, the tactics we are employing are fine. In two or four years, the same thing may not hold.

I believe this holds true to the three big issues voters identified: GWOT/Iraq, moral values and the economy. I think the GWOT/Iraq was framed (by the Republicans as the party in power) as a choice between pro-active and reactive tactics. While Senator Kerry was forceful in his statements that he would "hunt down and kill" the terrorists, the real unanswered question was when? Before they kamikaze a fully fueled plane into the Magic Kingdom during winter break? Or after? The Republicans were able to establish (in the minds of the electorate) that the answer was "after." This was especially true after Senator Kerry's remarks about bringing terrorism down to a nuisance level. What's a nuisance? 50 dead? 500 dead? 5,000 dead? This implied there was a level of "acceptable losses" to the Senator. The electorate knew the level of "acceptable losses" to the President - zero.

I do not believe anyone was confused that Senator Kerry's strategy - "hunt down and kill" the terrorists - was substantially different that the President's.

Of course, Iraq was also a tactical debate. Should we be there? How long should we stay? How much leadership de we provide to the world? What is the role of allies? The UN? Are all allies equal? Or are certain allies (French and Germans) more important than others (British and Australians)? (One could argue that there was a broader strategy debate on these questions and issues of regime change and spreading democracy, but I do not think that question was part of the electorate's calculus. This time.)

Now tactically, I think is was very clear what the position of the candidates was. The electorate certainly had a distinct choice. Coming back to the idea of the Democrats not moving to the center, it is not clear to me that faced with the same choices in 2008, the electorate might opt for a different approach. If the Democratic Party believes in its 2004 positions, I do not see any reason to change.

On to "moral values" in Part 2.