There are many issues competing for attention within Democratic circles. All are worthy in their own right. Fighting the inherent bigotry of the far rights assault on gay marriage goes to the core of the Constitutional right of equal protection and fundamental rights. Uncovering and exposing the Bush administration's blatant intelligence manipulation to invade Iraq would restore faith in government.
However, at the heart of America is a very simple truth: the average person could care less about the above mentioned issues if their economic well-being is threatened. This is simple common sense. If you are worried about making your next mortgage payment, or sending your children to college or affording retirement, gay marriage and Bush's lies don't compare. I am in no way attempting to denigrate those of you who are fervently fighting for such causes because they are indeed worthy of such effort.
However, economic issues win elections.
The American middle class is slowly disappearing. The Democratic party must first and foremost clean up the economic mess created by Bush's policies and create a prosperous future where all Americans - not just the privileged few - have access to and can enjoy a better quality of life.
Jobs
The US is not creating the next big economic trend. Instead, we are developing real estate. I am all for houses. However, houses do not have a ripple effect through the economy of creating ancillary high-paying jobs. After a house is furnished, it sits on its site and either appreciates or depreciates in value. Nothing more.
Compare this with the tech revolution of the 1990s. After building a computer, the purchaser would have to hire a programmer, system administrator and service technician to fix the computer or system if it failed. This is the ripple effect of high-tech. Houses do not create the same number of high-paying jobs construction does.
The answer is simple. The government needs to fund two areas of development. The development proposal should be something grand, along the lines of Kennedy's speech about the space race. "We can sure cancer and solve our energy problems" or something similar.
Stem-cell research: This could be a huge market if properly developed. Researchers have stated advances in stem cell technology could make inroads into helping patients with cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. If the government started to effectively fund college level research, the US could jump ahead of other countries that have gained ground.
The best part is this will put the far-right on the defensive. If someone is asked to adhere to doctrine or get a good-paying job, they will pick the job. It's that simple.
Alternative energy: This is an idea whose time has some and the Democrats need to push it for all it's worth. Consumers have seen their oil based expenses increase for the last 6 months.
There are numerous possibilities here. But, the bottom line is this would be a huge industry if developed.
Fiscal Sanity
Why is this important? The answer is simple: domestic investment and economic stability. This year, the Federal government will run a budget deficit of at least 400 billion dollars. That is money not invested in the US economy. 400 billion dollars instead went to the government bonds. Think about the jobs lost because of this irresponsible behavior.
Although the Republicans are the party of fiscal sanity, here is the truth.
Under Reagan, the budget deficit went from 930 million to 2.6 trillion.
Under Bush I, 2.6 trillion to 4 trillion
Under Clinton, 4 to 5.6 trillion
Under Bush 2, 5.6 to 7.7 trillion
And who was the only president to balance a budget? Clinton.
And Clinton's economy was great. We created 20 million+ jobs.
It's time to return to fiscal sanity.
Ladies and Gentlemen, there are many more possibilities here. But leading the world into new industries and balancing the budget are two simple themes Democrats can repeat over and over again until the public realizes the Democrats want to build a nation of prosperity for all, not just some.