The Young Turks

He sensed that the old 70s-80s Democrat, Liberal values were LOSING as Mondale and Dukakis had had their asses handed to them.  The Cons had won the argument.

Bill decided the best way to win the Presidency was to present himself as a Conservative Lite™, but without the Ideology that would lead to Conservative EXTREMISM.  It was to be Conservatism done the RIGHT WAY.

Much as NIXON looked upon a WAY Liberal electorate in 1968 and presented himself as a MODERATING FORCE.  Nixon famously said, "We are all Keynesians now."  Bill Clinton might as well have said, "We are all Reaganites now," conceding Supply-Side economics as FACT.

That won him reelection, the first time a Democrat won the presidency TWICE since 1936.  SIXTY FREAKING YEARS.  WINNING, that's a POWERFUL DRUG,  of which every Democrat since Bill wants a TASTE .

Bill laid down a TRAP for all future Democrats. Play to the "Center" = WIN.  It's what cost GORE and KERRY the Presidency.  GORE and KERRY had to play by Bill's RULES.  They had clear Left voting records that they had to DOWNPLAY, to be FAUX-MODERATES in order to win. 

Mondale and Dukakis went down in flames being running as (albeit Centrist) Liberals.  Clearly the only way to win was to play Halvsies with the Cons.  While Bill was a True Centrist, Gore and Kerry had to PRETEND to be Centrists.  And the argument was UNDENIABLE.  Given the choice between a Faux-Conservative and an ACTUAL Conservative, why not vote for the True Conservative???

Then the Cons went WILD under Dubya.  They showed the EXACT same ARROGANCE that the Congressional Democrats did in the 70s, when they saw the Solution to every Problem was throwing MONEY everywhere.  They got COCKY.  They thought the American public would vote for them FOREVER.

They tossed the core Con philosophy of Limited Government and Fiscal Restraint under the Bus and let Dubya become the first King of America.  A philosophy only the 25% of Hard-Core Cons agree with.

Why Dems would have anything to do with this bewilders the mind.  Yet, they still believe that playing Halvsies with CHENEY makes sense.  The only key to VICTORY. 

Dubya pretty much CONCEDED the GREATEST point of Conservatism to the Democrats.  Reagan and Dubya EXPLODED the Deficit.  Clinton Balanced the Budget and had it on track to NEGATE the entire National Debt.  Dubya handed the Democrats the Issue of Fiuscal Responsibility, a CORE Centrist Issue. And the Democrats didn't bite.

Playing Halvsies with Cheney and the EXTREME Neo-Con A*holes will get you NOWHERE fast.  Doing it wuth the serious Hard-Core Cons, the Bob Barr Republicans, who believe in Limited Government and Civil Liberties will get you EVERYWHERE.  A LANDSLIDE victory in 2008 and 2012.