From Bruce Bartlett, commenting on the unwillingness of Democrats to stick up for their principles:
If Democrats are going to accept Republican premises, they shouldn’t be surprised if a majority of people eventually conclude that Republicans ought to be in charge of government policy.
Yep. Years ago, it was conservative Republicans who pointed out that if the choice was between a Democrat and a Democrat-lite, voters would most likely just vote for the real deal. They learned a lesson from that, and it’s one that Democrats now need to learn. If you concede up front that deficits are our biggest problem, that tax increases are bad for the economy, that we can’t afford any further stimulus, and that regulations are job killers, that’s not going to win you many votes. After all, if this kind of thing appeals to you, why vote for a Democrat who only kinda sorta believes it? You might as well vote for the real deal instead.