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Why Russ Will Run
by Comicstripper
(Not an actual essay. I'm just typing from the heart.)
After Campaign 2004 and the narrow, narrow loss of the presidency in one of the tightest elections in history, the Democratic Party leadership has been holding meetings and talking strategy about The Future of the Party. I would argue that Kerry did not lose because he is a New England Liberal, nor did he lose because he was a senator. In fact, he very nearly won. These factors may have played a role, but ultimately he lost on media caricaturization, some missed opportunities, a massive right-wing electoral apparatus, and (arguably) a sprinkling of voter fraud.
But political pundits don't see it that way; instead, they say it was that Kerry was "too liberal," even though most Americans agree with him on most issues. I say bullshit. It wasn't the package, it was the wrapping. So, the pundits, strategists, and party officials (and even a good chunk of common sense) are yelling: "Move further to the right. Move to the center." And you know what? We will. It's already happening. Senator Hillary Clinton is jockeying for position, trying desperately to reverse her liberal image by 2007. There was talk of electing a pro-life head of the DNC. Bob Casey looks strong in Pennsylvania, and even our own Senate Minority Leader is pro-life.
So, when Campaign 2008 rolls around, and candidates who have been waiting and planning since the last election start tossing their hats into the ring, we will see center-to-far-right candidates for the GOP (Frist, Sanford, and Hagel), and just plain center candidates for the Democrats (Clinton, Vilsack, Richardson, and Warner).
And then, as he always does, Russ Feingold will come to the rescue. He will recognize the need for a progressive candidate, and he'll fill it. He will declare the Democratic party the BNP (Brand New Party), discuss the politics of progress versus the politics of stagnation, and ride the frustrated liberal wing of the Democratic party to a strong showing in the primaries. God bless him, Russ Feingold will run. He will run his heart out, he will inspire millions, and, as is always the way, he will lose the nomination. But, like Howard Dean, Bobby Kennedy, Shirley Chisholm, and so many others before them, his greatest contribution will be the people he brings to the party and to politics in general.
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