The Democratic Tent Gets Bigger
When Arlen Specter was first elected in 1980, Americans had turned to the Republican Party for new ideas to lift our country out of the 1970s doldrums. But over the last quarter century, Republicans threw aside worthwhile ideas for cheap political tricks.
Instead of substance, voters were offered Sarah Palin, John McCain’s suspension of his campaign and Congressional obstructionism. Meanwhile, ideas that were 25 years old no longer match reality. A platform of tax cuts made sense in 1980, when the top tier bracket stood at 70 percent. But tea parties when the top tier pays 35 percent? In the midst of two wars, that’s frankly unpatriotic — and no longer connects to fiscal sense, as it did in the 1980s.
The sclerotic far-right has a death grip on the Republican Party. Meanwhile, a third party has emerged within the Democratic party.
Moderate “Rockefeller Republicans” in the North, like Senator Specter and, arguably, Joseph Lieberman, Democrats like Bobby Bright in the South and Jon Tester and Max Baucus in the Rocky Mountains have brought independents into the Democratic big tent.
These are not mint-julep-sipping Dixiecrats, nor do they share an ideological view. Instead, they are reformist moderates who recognize what the 21st century needs if we are to remain strong abroad and economically vibrant at home. This new generation believes, as President Obama has said, that it’s not about whether government is big or small, but about whether it gets the job done.
Senator Specter’s switch is based on shrewd politics, on unique voting factors in Pennsylvania. But his move is good for America.
While Republicans look to score points with a dying base, we now have a Democratic Party that accommodates diverse viewpoints. For the first time in many years, we have a party that will represent the views of the majority, and not be captured by the fringes on either side of the aisle.
Rachel Kleinfeld is the chief executive officer and president of the Truman National Security Project, an institute that trains a new generation of national security leaders.
