Democrats over a Cliff

Glenn Reynolds accurately draws a connection between "net-roots" activists and the McGovernites who ran the Democratic Party into the ground and unwittingly helped re-elect Richard Nixon in 1972.

It is being argued in the blogosphere that the announcement by Joe Lieberman that he will pursue a write in candidacy if he loses the Democratic primary is evidence that he no longer fits into the fabric of the Democratic Party. That is not accurate. Lieberman's announcement is an acknowledgement that the Party is being hijacked by radical activists not only outside the mainstream of the country, but also well to the left of the mainstream of the Democratic Party. As the primaries are dominated by small numbers of activist voters, they may result in the selection of candidates that will not garner support among the larger pool of voters, including traditionally Democratic voters, in November.

This should be a year of opportunity for the Democrats, and Republican bungling may yet make it so, but the chances for significant gains may be lost as the party lurches farther and farther to the left.