Ted's Dead: What next for the Democrats?

Like that of other famous political families, the Kennedy era is now completely over. The death of Ted Kennedy marks the end of 50 years of family members being significant factors in the Democratic party and in American politics in general. John F. Kennedy Jr’s tragic loss sealed the future of the family, with Ted’s passing marking the closing of the book. There is no obvious heir apparent.

Senator Kennedy will be lionized for his dedication to his liberal principles and to his constituents. Even those who were at the opposite end of the political spectrum found Ted to be a charming, outgoing and generous man. Nonetheless, Kennedy could be as ruthless as they come when he believed that the liberal ideology was in jeopardy. I give you the political lynching of Judge Bork as a typical example of Kennedy’s “gloves off” politics of questionable ethics. No holds were barred when he felt his ideals were being threatened. There is no doubt that Ted Kennedy possessed a complex and sometimes contradictory personality. In spite of that, he was truly sympathetic to the common man.

Senator Kennedy demonstrated his willingness to break with traditional Democratic politics, when he threw his considerable influence behind a party upstart, future President Obama. To say that the Clintons were annoyed would be a gross understatement of the true anger and feeling of betrayal that actually existed. Kennedy was astute enough to recognize that the Clinton years were over and it was time to realign himself. It was his last significant act before his brain cancer limited his participation in the election of 2008.

There can be no doubt that Senator Kennedy’s absence hurt the Democrats during the debate on socialized healthcare. Without Ted’s ability to negotiate, the Democrats were considerably weakened. Conservatives could well argue that Kennedy’s illness may have saved the country from the socio-political nightmare of a Government run, single payer healthcare system.

Given that the Feds just demonstrated their utter inability to manage the ill-conceived “cash for clunkers” program; any thought of them trying to manage the healthcare of 300 million Americans should send a chill up your spine.

Yet, it is apparent that the Democratic Party leadership is now attempting to use Kennedy’s death as a rally point to shove through a non-partisan healthcare bill. It won’t work. It will fail because the American people didn’t view Kennedy in the same light as his Democratic colleagues in Washington. Ted’s scandals and rumored appetite for booze and questionable private behavior have not endeared him to a sizable portion of the American electorate.

Ted’s dead, and Democrat politicians are suffering just as much wrath at town hall meetings as before. If the public sees that the left wing will attempt to use Kennedy’s death as a catalyst to jam their Socialist program down their throats, the din will only get more deafening. The insane deficits resulting from the hijacked stimulus program has already badly damaged the nation’s financial future. Adding the massive tax burden, typical Government waste and mismanagement of Fed run healthcare will truly break the taxpayer’s back. The concentration of power in Washington, and in particular, the Whitehouse, is unprecedented. Few want this, except for the socialist state advocates, and the Whitehouse is, for now, their domain. One of Obama’s healthcare advisors is a proponent of limiting healthcare expenditure on the elderly and disabled. Another advisor is a previously avowed communist and anti-capitalist. Anyone recognize a trend here?

As I have stated many times, don’t look to what a politician says to understand their ideology, but rather examine the ideology of their friends and advisors. As the saying goes, “an apple won’t fall far from its tree”.

It appears obvious that the liberal left are slow learners. If Obama does not move to the political center very soon, he will become yet another Jimmy Carter type failure; four downs and give up the ball.

As it stands now, Harry Reid, the Senate’s majority leader, is trailing badly in polls in economically battered Nevada. It is reasonable to believe that he will not win another term. Several other Democratic Senators are suddenly at risk as well. As many as 30 Democratic House seats are in danger for the mid-term election of 2010. Large Republican gains are more than just possible. The only element missing is a genuine charismatic figure to ascend to party leadership.

If the Democratic Party does not veer away from their leftist, socialist agenda in the immediate future, Obama may be facing the second half of his term without control of the Senate, and only a razor thin majority in the House.

Let’s hope the Democrats stay their self-destructive course… Republicans and Conservatives could not ask for a better opportunity.