Stardate 20040215.0826

(On Screen): Writing in the WaPo, Jim VandHei summarizes the way that the Democrats are trying to settle on a basic platform which will be not be seen as a Republican me-too, while at the same time will also not be seen as radical lunatic-fringe by the American center.

More or less, this:

—Embrace protectionism
—Tax the rich
—Increase social spending
—Talk about how scary the Republicans are

This is seen as a prescription for success in the election:

In a nod to the party's more conservative members, especially those in the South, Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) said there is broad agreement to play down gun control and other cultural issues.

"I cannot recall a time when there was more consensus on the policy direction we should take," Daschle said. "As you go down the list, on virtually every one of these questions, Democrats believe Republicans are ceding the middle, and we are willing to take it."

When I first saw the article, I scanned it briefly, then looked somewhat more carefully, and finally searched it from one end to the other, and found no mention at all of foreign policy.

You know, the war.

The result: Voters this year likely will be presented with two clear, but not dramatically different, approaches to solving the nation's domestic problems, ranging from failing schools to soaring drug costs.

Except, of course, that one of those two approaches fails to address the domestic problem of huge numbers of Americans dying in future terrorist attacks. (Except by advocating socialized medicine.)

There're only a couple of mentions in the article of anything outside of the US: a trade deal with nations in South America (the Democrats are agin it); importation of "cheap prescription drugs from Canada" (the Democrats are in favor of it). You'd almost think we were at peace.

George Will has a long list of questions he'd like to ask Kerry, the now-presumptive Democratic nominee for President. Most of them come off as nitpicking to me. It's not that they're not valid questions, it's just that most of them don't address the biggest issue in this campaign.

Me, I only have one question for the Democrats: How do you intend to win this war?

Actually, I must confess I have a second question, which has to be asked before that one: Do you intend to win this war?

Update: Both Tom and Peg point out that there's yet another question which must be asked before either of those: Do you believe we are in a war?

Update 20040216: Phil Fraering comments.