Reply #32: Realities vs. fantasies. [View All]

I agree with your post completely. A touchstone of the democratic faith is that truth will eventually win out in a fair exchange of ideas and, at least on this issue, I think it will. But the political costs along the way may be very high.

With the economic case clear ... with overwhelming majorities of younger voters and educated voters in support of Social Security investment options ... with much of the rest of the world moving ahead of us on this ... the Democratic Party needs to get right on this issue, and fast.

Talleyrand's famous quip -- "it was worse than a crime, it was a blunder" comes to mind.

Continuing to tell 80 year olds that they would have to become stock pickers, or telling soccer moms that they'll have to risk everything on the next Enron, or pretending that full funding somehow undermines the system (!!!) is not just untrue, it is electoral poison.

A Democrat who is willing to lead on this issue would be more than halfway home to winning the White House. In fact, I cannot think of a single greater wedge issue to use against the Republicans; it would split them right apart (and have added benefit of being good policy to boot). I used to think that Pat Moynihan or Bob Kerry would muster the nerve to get out front. They didn't. One of the great careers of this generation is there for the taking for any national Democrat with the courage to lead.

But meanwhile, we remain mired in an endless intra-party discussion with people who obviously can't be bothered to understand the basic mechanics of what is being suggested. Ah well, no one said it would be easy ....