Moderate Dems Make a Comeback

My editorial this week at Opeds.com was an earlier posting here which I described the need to rescue Democrats from the Radicals which had seized hold of their Party. To an extent, this turnaround has been ongoing since the Clinton's took office in the 90's, but after Bush was elected, the old ugly anti-Americanism took hold of the Left, with even Al Gore returning to his flower child semblance.

Now, in the New York Times, David Brooks has stolen my thunder by declaring "The Center Holds":

In the beginning of August, liberal bloggers met at the YearlyKos convention while centrist Democrats met at the Democratic Leadership Council’s National Conversation. Almost every Democratic presidential candidate attended YearlyKos, and none visited the D.L.C.

At the time, that seemed a sign that the left was gaining the upper hand in its perpetual struggle with the center over the soul of the Democratic Party. But now it’s clear that was only cosmetic.

Now it’s evident that if you want to understand the future of the Democratic Party you can learn almost nothing from the bloggers, billionaires and activists on the left who make up the “netroots.” You can learn most of what you need to know by paying attention to two different groups — high school educated women in the Midwest, and the old Clinton establishment in Washington.

Personally, I am repelled at the notion of another Clinton White House, especially after Hillary's bizarre appeasing of these Netroots over the summer, by criticizing General Petraeus and resisting the Surge. Still, the Clinton's have always known which way the political winds are blowing, and will likely adapt accordingly. Of all the Democrat's candidates, I feel that Hillary would at least protect this country.

Anything is possible. If France, Germany, and Canada can create center/right governments, surely the Democrat Party can return to its Roosevelt-Truman-Kennedy roots of standing for freedom and promoting democracy overseas.