The Peculiar Democratic Presidential Disease

I was discussing the current state of the Presidential nominating races with a quasi-liberal Democratic friend the other evening.

Since I don't spend a lot of time deconstructing Democratic politics, the conversation took an interesting turn.

It occurred to me to ask,

"Why do the Democrats keep nominating unelectable, fringe candidates?"

If the US were run with parliamentary-style parties, the Democrats would probably not be nominating either of their two candidates. Both are needlessly extreme, fractious, divisive and polarizing. Instead, the powers that be would be sure to nominate a fairly centrist, experienced Democrat for President.

Hillary isn't really experienced, and Obama Bim Baden certainly is not. Both are polarizing.

Don't the Dems have some solid, sitting governor of a blue state who can attract moderate Republicans and conservatives?

For example, I'm not crazy for McCain. If Richardson had been less strident over Iraq, I could have easily voted for him as President.

If you look back at various Presidential candidates, you see that Republicans have been better at nominating candidates that can grab some of the historically middle-of-the-road voters who really aren't wedded to either party for the long term.

After Clinton, the Democrats continued with Gore, lost, but he hung around like a specter for another four years. The result was a candidate not really representative of their party- Kerry. He was too effete and wealthy.

The Republicans, after eight years of a powerful President, with no succeeding VP, understandably have a bit of a vacuum just now. Even so, every one of their candidates could conceivably be seen as sufficiently moderate to reach some centrist Democratic voters.

Not so with Hillary and Obama.

Hillary polarizes everyone. Obama, by virtue of his total inexperience and race, also tends to parse the electorate. You can even imagine women not voting for Obama, and blacks staying home to help defeat Hillary.

It's like the party has a theoretical 'center,' but nobody who actually occupies that physical space. Even my liberal, Democratic acquaintances and friends tend to be- lawyers and teachers. The two most powerful 'unions' affecting the Democratic party. It just doesn't seem built to produce an easily-electable, moderate candidate.

This time around, McCain is, I think, a fairly comfortable winner against Hillary. Against Obama, it'll be a landslide, one way or the other.

How much more easily the Democrats could win the election in November if they chose some moderate, competent governor from between the Ohio river and the Rockies.

But such a candidate couldn't win their early primaries, or the nomination.

Such is the path of a party that seems to have a Presidential death wish.