It's the economy, stupid

Whenever I watch a baseball game, which is nearly every day in the summer (you have your crack, I have my baseball:), I often marvel at how you can tell if a team is going to come back or if they are done for. Everything is different when a team is going to lose. They'll hit balls six inches foul instead of scoring the tying run, or the centerfielder will fly through the air to make a catch that defies the laws of physics, or an umpire will call an out which could just as easily be called safe.

Conversely, when a team is going to win, you can feel it. Even if they are down by four runs in the ninth inning, there is a certain energy that gives you hope that just maybe... and then you hear the fireworks.

I've been hearing the fireworks. I thought we'd have to wait until 2008, but now, I'm looking foward to 2006. We only need a few runs, and Dewine and Santorum have already struck out. We're going to take a lot of seats, too. BUT...

If we win these things, it will be because people are dissatisfied with the current regime. Everyone knows we've taken advantage of our 60 year-long dominance in America, except for a few dinosaurs in the Democratic Party. What we are missing, but what I know most of my generation of Democrats is developing, is a set of ideas that are marketable. We all have these principles that prevent us from bashing the other side (demonstrated by our outrage against the NARAL ad, which was pulled.) We've been a bit defeatist, though, because our principles make us respond to the unethical attacks from the right with outrage. I think, though, that the shock factor is finally over. Now, we must focus on ideas. IDEAS. They are out there.

I was thrilled to read the article in WaPo that stated that wealthy Dems are going to give so much money to liberal think tanks. I like the Center for American Progress. They are looking for economic policy people. This is the Heritage Foundation of the left. Won't it be nice to have an organization spitting out numbers that aren't twisted beyond recognition?

I think they are helping to develop an economic policy platform for the left, and I want to be a part of that. I have all sorts of ideas. First, I think the Dems should focus on small businesses. They are the backbone of this country. Small business owners aren't looking to dominate the world- they just want to make a living. Paying attention to small business owners bring them to our side.

Second, we need to focus on social security, making sure there's enough $$$ to sustain. I know that many of the forboding numbers were made up by Heritage, but we still need to address the issue of population growth that was not foreseen when it was created.

Ok, but maybe the most important thing to work on is this debt, not only the national debt, but also private debt. The level of personal debt is not sustainable (perhaps that is why the recent bankruptcy law was passed.)