Democrats in downward spiral

The Democratic Party’s decline is on the horizon, and it could not be clearer with election season looming.

Next year, party hopefuls will attempt to reclaim the White House along with the seats lost to Republicans in Congress.

During this crucial campaigning period, the ailing party needs to display its unity and solidarity. Instead, the nine democratic candidates of the presidential race are “red-penning” each other’s differences.

Vying for a single nomination from the Democratic Party are retired General Wesley Clark, Governor Howard Dean, Senator John Edwards, Congressman Richard Gephardt, Senator Bob Graham, Senator John Kerry, Senator Joseph Lieberman, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Ambassador Carol Mosley-Braun and the Reverend Al Sharpton.

Perhaps this shows the diversity within the party or the depth of its liberal ideology, but at the present moment no other term comes to mind than a circus. What must this look like to the Republican Party?

The number of candidates running on the Democratic ticket causes negative divisions within the party. The candidates should have their own agendas. However, the party should agree on a single ideology and platform.

Mainstream issues for the platform include health care, tax relief and education, while others suggest new constitutional amendments and establishing a cabinet-level Department of Peace.

This lack of focus on party-shaping issues may cause voters to turn toward the Republicans when November 2004 rolls around. Voters want and need decisive and definitive candidates, and the Democrats are not offering them.

By law, anyone can run for president as long as he or she is a natural born citizen and over the age of 35. But this still does not mean the Democratic Party has to resort to a free for all selection process.

Although most of the candidates are highly educated and qualified individuals, it is not the merits of the candidates that people question.

Rather, it is the number of them and the obvious good points they exhibit. The Democratic candidate acts solely for the good of himself, rather than for the sake of the entire party.

The Democratic Party needs a facelift if it plans to make a good showing in the 2004 Presidential Election. If the party does not get itself together, it might as well forget about reclaiming the presidency.