Democrats alienate the left
As a leftist, I was deeply embarrassed by the Nov. 7 editorial
(“Thin majority a threat to democracy”). Just a few
days earlier, the Bruin made it clear it was leaning left in
endorsing such candidates as Camejo. Now you complain that
democracy is not functioning properly, which is simply false. This
is the reason why liberals have a whiny reputation. We never look
at ourselves.
If you don’t recall, Bush’s Iraqi War resolution passed
through both houses of congress (even the democrat-dominated
Senate) with top Democratic leaders Daschle’s and
Gephardt’s blessing. But have you ever noticed that the
Republicans are a great deal slower to compromise? While I may not
agree with much of their platform, at least they stick to their
guns. During this mid-term election, the Democrats did not seem to
know what to say or do, and I think the voters sensed it.
I voted Green, and I am fully aware of the risks. Just as I am
willing to accept that my third-party votes may hamper the
democratic cause, the Daily Bruin editorial board has to accept
that their third-party endorsements may help the GOP
indirectly.
Yes, it is a little scary that the GOP has a monopoly in the
government, but I figure that this will be a huge kick in the pants
to the Democrats. So long as they alienate the left, they will
suffer in these tight elections.
Erin Katz Third-year, history
Bruin is a model of misunderstanding
Your editorial analysis of the 2002 mid-term election suffers
from a few severe errors (“Thin majority a threat to
democracy,” Nov. 7). You stated that the Republican
legislative branch does not represent the majority of
Americans. But voters went to the polls with the specific
intent of supporting the president’s agenda; if they had
other plans, they would have voted for Democrats.Â
The Bruin also erred when it said Republicans intend to
eliminate Social Security. What Republicans campaigned on is
the idea that younger workers (that means us) should have the right
to individual retirement accounts for 2% of our Social Security
payroll taxes. A poll taken by the Cato Institute shows that
this plan has a majority of support among Americans. Republicans
who campaigned on this issue won, even despite constant attack ads
by Democrats.Â
Michael Gordon Political science