We Need Leaders Not Wonks

If we look at the decline of the Democractic party over the past 4 decades, the most obvious problem is a lack of leadership. The Great Democrats of the twentieth century--FDR, Truman, JFK, LBJ--were bold innovators who were determined to make their mark on history. They didn't always achieve what they set out to do, but they weren't afraid to take on challenges. Since the 1970's, however, the Democrats have mostly produced tinkerers and fixers: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and it appears that Barack Obama falls into the same pattern.

It seems that when the Democrats get elected they mostly confine themselves to administrative tinkering rather than real reform. As I pointed out back in June 25 Obama's biggest failures consisted in sticking to closely to the policies of the previous administration and not really taking the country in a new direction. Even his healthcare reform plan, in the end will only benefit people who already have health insurance.

Now that the Repubs have regained control of the House, we can expect at two years, possibly more, of partisan wrangling and "fishing expeditions" at a time when the country can least afford it. That leaves most of us with the options of either moving to France, or buying respirators and rubber boots, because the crap is going to get think and smelly.