To win this year, Republicans need to run like Democrats

by Dick Morris - May 10th, 2006 - The Hill

For the first time since the Gingrich revolution, the Republican Party is facing massive defeat. Will its congressmen and senators go down in the upcoming 2006 elections like the Democratic lemmings did in 1994, faithfully parroting their president’s dogma while they sank below the horizon? Or will they have the dexterity and flexibility to move to the center and the left to meet the coming onslaught?

Dick Morris is always saying things that defy conventional wisdom. He is frequently right. Oops. That should be "correct", not "right". He is occasionally "right" and frequently "left". However he is smart enough at this game of politics that you should always listen to his advise, even when you don't take it.

He is now taking the position that the Republican Party is wrong on three issues:

1. Wrong on global warming. The public thinks global warming is happening, and it does not matter whether it is or not, saying the evidence doesn't support it merely means the Republican Party is disbelieved.

2. Wrong on gas prices. Statistical evaluations that say gas prices are below their long term levels when adjusted for inflation, like back during the Carter days, simply conflicts with people's desire for a free lunch. They also don't care about the issue of demand surge exceeding the number of refineries that government has refused to allow increased. They want cheaper prices and want the government to find the evil robber barrons who are jacking up the prices and do not care whether there really are robber barrons or not. They want scalps and they want them now.

3. Wrong on Iraq. The war has gone on too long for most voters. They want out. They don't care what is in our long term national interest, they don't care that they can't be drafted, they don't care if things are getting better, they are tired of the debate and they want it to end. If nuclear bombs hit our cities later because we pull out too soon it will not be their fault because they don't care what is right. They want out. Stop the war now.

Dick Morris believes that Republicans will lose the election unless individual candidates are allowed to pander to these popular misconceptions. He may be right. It just seems to me that he is arguing that democracy cannot survive because the people are too stupid to make good decisions in complex times. I believe in democracy. I sure hope Dick Morris is wrong.