The Democratic party was alive under Roosevelt bringing prosperiety back to the country and saving capitalism (over the objections of the capitalists they were saving). It was alive and vibrant and had something to sell.
It coasted on that through to the 60's and was starting to turn morbid and was on a downhill run. Then Vietnam and civil rights energized it with a new battle to fight and again, alive and vibrant and something to offer the country.
But Vietnam ended (note to the right - we did surrender there). And the fast & easy part of the civil rights struggle was won. And through the to the 90's again the Democratic party went in to decline.
With Clinton it started to find a new way, a new struggle to improve the country and the world. But a lot of what happened then was just triangulation - positioning to get as much of the liberal agenda as was possible. And a lot was just Bill Clinton, not a new philosophy.
But the last 12 years of minority status in congress and the last 6 years of minority status in everything has been the Democrats time in the wilderness. And they seem to have come up with what matters and what to do.
I think we're about to see a new Democratic majority that is vibrant and charged to take on these challanges we face. And it will come up with good solid solutions to the problems we face.
I'm proud to be a Democrat. And I think in another 2 years I will be much prouder.
