The T Word

I'm watching convention coverage, usually on CSPAN, but flipping back to MSNBC every once in a while. After Mark Warner's speech, everyone was laying into the Democrats, Rachel Maddow and Pat Buchanan alike, for playing it too soft. I mean, the media wants red meat wherever it can get it, but yeesh.

Gene Robinson from the WaPo said it best. "I want someone to get up on the stage and say 'torture.' I want someone to get up on stage and say 'Iraq'." It seems like everyone has decided that a positive vision on the economy is the way to go, but everyone knows that the Democrats will be on the lookout for the people suffering in the economy. If this party wants to reclaim any kind of hold on foreign policy, they need to paint the Republicans not just as rich fat cats but as dangerous and immoral torturers and international belligerents.

The war in Iraq, corruption, wiretapping, all helped the Democrats win back the House and the Senate. If those things aren't on Americans' mind any more, the Democrats need to remind them. Otherwise we're just rerunning the 2000 election: tax cuts or no tax cuts, the environment or laissez-faire, abortions or no abortions. That's not the world we live in anymore.

One day on foreign policy is not enough. Zero mentions of moral failure are not nearly enough. The Republicans aren't going to shirk from talking about terrorism or Iraq. The Democrats need to own this issue now. Right now.