Did Democrats Throw the 2004 Presidential Election?

During the 2004 Presidential Elections, one of my friends made a borderline absurd comment. He noticed that the Democratic candidates for president were not especially strong. Perhaps the Democrats were not really trying to win the election. Perhaps Democrats were better off if they lost the 2004 presidential election.

The cards were stacked against the winner, who would inherit a questionable economy, a difficult war in Iraq, and a huge budget deficit. If Democrats lost the election, they could count on 8 unsuccessful years for a Republican president. This would be the best way to shift national sentiment back to the Democratic party.

It sounded crazy at the time. Sure, Howard Dean, John Kerry, and John Edwards were not superstar candidates, but these candidates seemed to be the best that the Democrats had. Sure, the Democrats didn't run the best campaign, but they also blundered in the 2000 presidential campaign. So that wasn't a big surprise. Surely Democrats didn't throw the election.

Well maybe the Democrats did throw the election, or at least didn't give it their all. And maybe it was a genius move.

If you encounter a struggling President who is difficult to work with, perhaps it's wise to stop battling with him and just let him dig his own political grave.

And this is exactly what happened. Whether by Democrat luck or genius, President Bush has dug his own political grave. The Republican majority has been squandered. Democrats have been given complete control over Congress, and is looking strong to get the White House in 2008.

Would this have happened if John Kerry won the 2004 presidential election? Not likely. I think Republicans would still control both houses of Congress if Kerry were president.

Did we see the Democrats' best candidates in 2004? I don't think so. Nobody is very excited about Dean, Kerry, or Edwards in 2008, despite the name recognition these candidates built in 2004. The true Democratic stars are Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. To be fair, Obama was not as well known in 2004, but Clinton was.

One Representation of Senator John Kerry

Credit: Vic Powell

Copyright: Vic Powell