| A few years ago, I wrote about opportunities for Democrats to thrive as a reformist party. I still think the arguments there are worthwhile, but over the last four years I've started thinking that there is a much more basic reason that Democrats need to get their act together and act democratically.
The Republicans have spent most of the last forty years destroying trust in government, and thrived on it. Even their worst disasters - Watergate, Iran-Contra, and, um, the last eight years - fed into their core story of the dangers of government. In their telling, if a Republican was found corrupt, well, that's a government problem. If a Democrat was found corrupt, that's both a government problem and a problem with the party that wants to create bigger government.
Breaking this cycle is hard. We all know how Jimmy Carter's story gets told, after all. Beyond that, running on promises of reform always carries the risk of damaging the cause of reform, when reformers prove to be all too human. Eliot Spitzer is a painful reminder of this - not just for the prostitutes, but also for the way he set out to destroy his enemies. Reform can't just be a path to power.
Voters right now are deeply cynical. I like to joke that Obama's timing was good, because things had become so bad that voters were now cynical about being cynical. That created an opportunity, and we'll have to see what he does with it at the federal level.
At the state level, while I certainly welcome hearings on reforming the legislative process, the "Three Men in a Room" process hasn't changed at all. Paterson reverted to it last year claiming that the timing of his coming to office required it. This year it's the budget crisis that's requiring it. Unfortunately these things tend to become a habit, and once ingrained don't go away with better times.
If Democratic activists want an activist government, we have to convince voters that government can be trusted. Unfortunately, at present the State Legislature may be in Democratic hands, but neither house is operating in an open democratic fashion, one that lets voters see what they're getting from the people they elect.
If we can get over that problem, we'll be well-placed to get things done, and to get them done in a way that earns trust rather than raises suspicion. We can't blame the Republicans any longer - it's time to step and demonstrate that the Republicans were wrong all along.
Can we do it? |
