A Choice and an Echo

Posted by Nicholas Beaudrot of Electoral Math

Contra Shakes, news that Senate Dems are picking themes for the 2006 election struck me as a good thing, and a sign that the quest to nationalize the elections is well underway. Shakes doesn't like four of the five topics, including retirement security, because they're Republican issues. Retirement Security? Republican? Even before Bush started his self-immolating quest to privatize Social Security, polls showed the public trusted the Democrats to fix Social Security more than Republicans. I also disagree that "energy indepdence" is a Republican issue. As best I can tell it's dog-whistle politics for the Toyota Prius crowd. As for "economic strength", both parties try to portray their economic agenda as best suited for the public. That leaves one decidedly Republican issue -- national security -- and one decidedly Democratic issues -- health care.

I do agree with Shakes that getting out in front of a specific outside-the-box issue, such as voting reform or preventing further media consolidation, is a fantastic idea. And addressing endemic poverty is a great outside-the-box, and perhaps even something that the public might be warm to in the wake of hurricane Katrina. John Edwards poverty agenda is a fantastic start. Also, I think Shakes is right that  finding some less poll-tested problem would help increase the perception that Democrats have a full-blooded alternative and aren't just singing the same song in a different key. But in the wake of the 2004 elections, where the party failed to have a national message for the House races, let's be thankful that there's an effort to nationalize these things at all.