Gary Hart argues that the Democratic Party needs to go beyond the defense of the New Deal. The GOP has been successful running with a simple message that has universal appeal. Nobody likes taxes, and the middle class doesn't like to pay taxes either. They especially don't like taxes when their incomes are falling and they do not see the benefit of government programs. The GOP message is simple to understand. They provide large tax cuts to the wealthy, and they throw a few crumbs to the middle class. They also feed upon the perception that social welfare programs primarily benefit the undeserving. They encourage class warfare between the middle class and the underclass, and they promote a war between the young and the elderly.
Gary Hart believes that defending New Deal programs is necessary but not sufficient. The Democratic Party has to provide solutions that deal with the problems and opportunities of globalization. They cannot let the GOP assume the position of economic leadership by invoking the principles of laissez-faire as the solution to globalization. They run the risk of being described as anti-business and anti-innovation. Gary Hart failed to convince his party to take that strategy. Neither party has developed an economic program that responds to the realities of the transition to a global economy. In any case, they have not convinced the middle class that they will do more than cater to the needs of multinational corporations.
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