Needed: a cure for the softness of the democrats

Just as a defeat exposes the real character of a party and a person, so does an emphatic triumph. Today the democrats are rejoicing over their overwhelming victory at the polls while the republicans are licking their wounds. What is interesting is that the democrats, perhaps unaccustomed to victories, are in a generous mood and generally commiserative of the misfortune that has befallen their rivals, while the republicans are even now plotting ways to stage a comeback in the near future. The democrats mistakenly think of this battle field victory as presaging a victory in the war ahead. And boy is that a mistake.

The fact is that the democrats are not only poor losers they are worse winners. Unlike the republicans who are even now consolidating and itching for their new fights ahead, the democrats are letting their guard down and rejoicing in this kumbaya moment. 

They should instead be taking this opportunity to lay the foundation for a long term domination of the electrolate. How should they be going about it?

First, they need to exploit the cleavages in the republican party. Instead of offering suggestions on how the party should do “soul searching” and rejuvenate itself, they should be planting further seeds of self doubt and reinforcing the extremes, whether it be going over the fiscal cliff or warring over women or “self deporting” the latinos. The bigger and deeper the hole the republicanst can be forced into, the better for the democtates in the long term battle and war for the minds and soul of the country.

Second, they should actively support the extremists in the opposing party, much as Claire McCaskill did in her campaign, by not opposing the extremes of the opponents but rather encouraging them, at least in the initial stages of the campaign. This is the time to etch in the public mind the real view of the republican party as the party of anti science and the anteleduvian. That brand should be enlarged and expanded so that future republicans have a harder time erasing it in future campaigns.

Third they should select their standard bearers for 2016 early to consolidate their hold on the two key constiteuncies - women and latinos. A ticket of Clinton and Castro would bring this about and have the added bonus of the young voters as well. Rather than go through a republican type primaries, make the system more professional and clean.

The strategy of governing today should not, contrary to conventional wisdom, focus on seeking consensus but rather emphasizing the differences so that the irrational attitudes of the republicans in congress are fully exposed. Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor should be forced to embrace their rationale for republicanism rather that seeking to wean them to more rational paths. Instead of opposing Bachman and West and Walshes of the world, the democrats should encourage even more of them to compete if not win in the primary elections. The more turmoil there is in the primaries the better for the democrats in the general election.

The democrats need to learn to be ruthless and get over the softness that seems embedded in the character of the party. It is time the party grew its own Machiavelli rather any great conciliator seeking a Nobel prize.