The Big Question: What issue should Dems talk about on the trail?

Dean Baker, co-director, Center for Economy and Policy Research, said:
The Democrats should talk about their new $750 billion a year jobs program that will put people back to work. And they should mercilessly ridicule the Washington Post and other “deficit hawk” types as economic illiterates who supported the policies that recked the economy.

Peter Navarro, professor of economics and public policy at U.C. Irvine, said:
The Dems should be talking about the economy – no way to hide from it.  A key issue on the stump should be cracking down on China’s mercantilist practices like currency manipulation that our destroying our manufacturing base and make this country the world’s biggest debtor nation.

Rob Richie, executive director of FairVote, said:
As a believer that campaigns should be about substance, not just tactics, I think the Democrats should address the elephant that sits in many of their living rooms: the health care plan. Those that support it need to explain and justify it to the many people who don’t understand it or are skeptical.

Frank Askin, professor of law at Rutgers University, said:
Republican obstructionism – especially on tax cuts.

A.B. Stoddard, associate editor and columnist at The Hill, said::
Democrats – who can’t talk about the health care reform bill or the stimulus package — should talk about the economy as much as they can on the campaign trail this fall. With a majority of the public on their side on the issue of sunsetting tax cuts for the wealthy, they must argue why they believe their economic policies are preferable to those of the GOP. They must also begin speaking about committing to spending cuts to balance the budget. On job creation and deficit reduction voters currently trust Republicans more and Democrats less. They are the top two issues, so if Democrats want to stave off heavy losses in November they must find a way to earn credibility on both.

Justin Raimondo, editorial director of Antiwar.com, said:
Probably a smear campaign against “extremism” is their only hope. With the country in the economic ditch, and a couple of foreign wars not going so well, if I were David Axelrod, say, I’d be zeroing in on the more “fringe” elements of the GOP.

Since all politics is based on hatred — not any positive theory of governance — it’s who and what you are against that really counts. If the Democrats can whip up their base, and get them to the polls, they’ll likely avert disaster — which is all they can hope for.