October 28, 2002
Paul Wellstone, RIP
Senator Wellstone's death is a tragedy, along with all those who died with him.
It's important for our country that its diverse viewpoints are represented, and Wellstone did an admirable job in representing a particular viewpoint. Not only does this keep the people who agree with this viewpoint engaged and involved in politics in a helpful way, it also means that there is a healthy competition in the marketplace of ideas. And that competition sharpens all the viewpoints there. You could argue, and I don't have time here to do it, that the monoculture of modern academics has caused its staggering decline and irrelevance.
I'm struck, though, by how the Democratic Party has replaced two of its senatorial candidates with old men who've been out of politics for years. Orin Judd pointed this out as an example of the Democrats stepping on blacks because in both instances capable up and coming black candidates were bypassed for has been whites. I'd just like to point out that it's not the sign of a healthy party that not it prefers candidates purely for name recognition. Both Lautenberg and Mondale are a couple of placeholders - two guys who's only point is to hold on the Senate for the Democrats. The Democratic Party seems to be the one standing athwart history yelling "Stop!" these days: they want no change in Social Security, no change to Welfare, no vouchers, no this, no that; what they want is more of the same spending. Are there any new ideas? Are there alternatives? Nope, it the same thing: if there's a problem, spend more money.
Posted by Kevin Murphy at October 28, 2002 01:41 PM | Current Events
