Democrats Obstruct

A third radio comedy sketch of mine. As always, the "Jeff" mentioned is the program host, Jeff Kropf.

Jeff, I'm coming to you live from Democratic Party headquarters in downtown Portland.

Now that the session is over in Salem, Democrats are reveling in the series of stunning victories that they have won this year in Oregon.

Jeff, as you know, the Democrats nationally are a minority party, and that has left them unable to do much in Congress except obstruct. They're the party of no, nix, nothing, no way, nada, not happening, too bad. The national Democratic platform appear to have collapsed into nothing more than petty obstructionism, and a desire to figure out whatever it is President Bush wants to do, and stop it.

Sadly, the once proud party of JFK and FDR has degenerated into nothing more than a faint, negative echo.

And that is what makes the contrast with Oregon so stark. Here in Oregon, Democrats are the majority party -- they control the governorship, all the major statewide offices, the state Supreme Court, and the state Senate.

This has allowed Oregon Democrats to raise obstructionism to an entirely new level. On health-care reform Democrats brought us... nothing. On major reform for K-12 education: nothing. Economic development: nothing. PERS reform: nothing. The governor's outcome based budgeting approach: failed.

Nationwide, Democrats are looking to Oregon for a new model of how a political party can use their majority status to really make things... Not Happen.

[ JEFF SAYS - Tom, political parties are supposed to enact policy changes that they believe are good for the state. ]

Jeff, that is so 2004. Maybe back when you were a kid, politics was about enacting policies, or instituting reform, or heck, even funding the schools. Not anymore.

The Democratic Party used to be a party of ideas -- in 1965. Face it just, the last a new idea to come from the Democrat was when Mike Dukakis rode around in a tank. They haven't gotten over that one.

And so, this year they've come up with a new, better approach. Instead of developing new ideas -- which is an enormous amount of work -- they're just going to criticize other people's ideas. Instead of coming up with a political agenda or a set of policies to pursue, they're going to wait for somebody else to do that... and then stop them.

[ JEFF SAYS - that sounds irresponsible. ]

EXACTLY! That is the whole point, Jeff, is to embrace irresponsibility. It's the perfect Democratic strategy for the 21st-century. If your party is not responsible, then your party isn't at fault.

So the next question is, how will the Politics of Obstruction play out in the governor's race next year?

[ JEFF SAYS - that *is* a good question, Tom - how will the public respond to Governor Kulongoski's relative ineffectiveness? ]

Well, Jeff, the Democrats believe Kulongoski's ineffectiveness will give him a big advantage. Normally, a governor running for a second term has to run on his record. He has to explain to voters all the things he did during his first term. But Ted Kulongoski has brilliantly immunized himself from any such criticism. There is nothing for anybody to criticize, because Ted didn't do anything. His record is, that he has no record.

[ JEFF SAYS - How does that help him? ]

It's easy. Ted positions himself as an outsider, ready to sweep in and clean up Salem. Because his party stands for irresponsibility, he himself is not responsible for anything that's happened. Ted will appeal to the angry voters who feel the government has failed to do its job.

[ JEFF ASKS - But Tom, if voters are angry at inactivity in Salem, won't they blame Ted? Won't that hurt him? ]

Jeff, why would the voters blame Ted Kulongoski for anything? [laughs] It's not like he's been governor or anything. [pause] Jeff?

[ JEFF SAYS - Thank you, Tom. ]