Some Initial Thoughts on Moderate Democrats

It's been pointed out in various places that some liberal Democrats and some moderate Democrats gained seats for the party in Congress yesterday. They'll make a great team but I have some thoughts on this by way of clarification.

The new moderate Democrats who got elected might be best described as 'principled' moderate Democrats and the worthy veteran John Murtha would be a good example of one who was already in Congress. In the past, many 'principled' moderate Democrats were elected to Congress but so were a kind of moderate found in both parties: the 'weathervane' moderates, the kind of moderates who stick a finger up in the air to see which way the wind is blowing and who look over their shoulders to see what their consultant thinks. The 'weathervane' moderates get so caught up in politics they sometimes forget to pay attention to what is really going on in the world. 'Principled' moderates pay attention and know what they think and I, for one, am very happy to see the Democratic Party bring in a good batch of people who know who they are.

So be careful about who's saying what out there. This was a win for everyone and there's plenty of credit to go around. The times are changing and the 'weathervane' moderate Democrats might as well do what they do and adjust, instead of trying to claim sole credit for a win that came from a good honest coalition of moderates and liberals. Americans are calling for a new integrity and it should begin today.

I may change my thoughts a little on this as I hear more but that's how I see it now. Yesterday was a great day for Democrats, and a great day for our democracy.