Abstract

Theda Skocpol

The article focuses on the Democratic Party in the United States, following its defeat in the 2004 elections. Democrats lost badly in 2004, especially in the Senate, but they should not spend a huge amount of time on recriminations. Ironically, the very fact that President George W. Bush has made a mess of Iraq probably helped him, because it kept security and war-related issues at the forefront of public discussion throughout the campaign. In domestic politics, I worry that the Democrats will wander off into a series of battles over Supreme Court appointments focused on worries about what might happen, some day, with abortion rights. Instead, Democrats should start right now to focus on aggressive defense of the Social Security system. They should not wait for specific policy proposals from Republicans--as we learned in the Medicare prescription drug battle, those specifics will be hidden until the last minute--but should paint a picture of Republican plans and attack it today, tomorrow, the next day, unremittingly.