民主党驴处于极端尴尬的境地

　　Four months ago most Democrats in the US thought they had an excellent case against President George W. Bush. Their task was to make that case before the American public and at the same time persuade them that Senator John Kerry was the man to take Bush's place in the White House. Few Democrats thought Kerry was the ideal candidate, but hopes were raised by his superior performance in the presidential debates. Contributions from individuals poured into Kerry's coffers. In the final weeks of the campaign a wave of volunteers, mostly young, set out from Democratic strongholds to talk to wavering voters in key battleground states. By late October optimism was high in the Democratic camp.

　　November 3 therefore came as a terrific shock: Democratic losses not only in the presidential race but also in the House and Senate. What happened? And what does it all mean? How can the party compete in the future? These are the questions the Democrats have been pondering in the wake of the Republican sweep. It is no exaggeration to say that anger and depression have been widespread in New York, Boston, DC, San Francisco and LA. Amid the storm of analysis and accusation, there is still no consensus as to what went wrong.

　　Is the Democratic Party likely to win elections by echoing people who despise and even hate conservatives? Clearly Deering thinks Democrats are likely to wind up regretting any such tactic.(美：WD White)