Beleaguered Democrats

It seems apparent to everyone that the Democratic Party is in trouble. None of the Democratic candidates running for President are being taken seriously. Spokesmen from several important constituents of the party have suggested splitting off and starting their own parties. Young people who are polled find no particular use for the Democrats.

Not that I feel any great liking for the Democratic politicians. I’ve never met one, nor ever felt one was especially speaking to my concerns even when I was a registered Democrat. (I registered Green Party last year.) But all along I have felt the Democratic Party represented an important resource for the American people: a source of protection against the exploitation of the moneyed classes and for the expansion of civil rights to a greater variety of individuals.

So why aren’t the leaders of the Democratic Party visible on every channel on TV and the radio discussing political philosophy and trying to whip up public debate on the role of the party in these trying times? Why aren’t there Democrats with clipboards walking around my neighborhood trying to find out what people want? I’d feel more reassured about the future of the average citizen if I heard a few Democrats express concern that the party had lost its way. If they started to organize, I might even re-register.

TOM PLISKA, Long Beach