S ocial Securityreform is agreat exampleof how out of touchwith America theDemocratic Partyhas become.For years, expertshave been callingfor reform-manyDemocrats included.Now that Bush has aproposal, the Democraticreaction is to be the polaropposite.Such opportunistic idiocy makesme want to bang my head againstthe wall.Hey Democrats, don’t you realizethat you’re at risk of alienatingyoung Americans (who overwhelminglyvoted for Kerry)?!Don’t you realize that most peoplewant reform?!It’s OK to oppose Bush’s plan,but Democrats have to come upwith an alternate, more cohesiveone. That shouldn’t be hard sincethe Bush plan is so vague his catchphrases barely hold it up.By sitting on their hands,Democrats just end up looking likestooges for the AARP.Republicans will continue toincrease their majority if Democratsdon’t wake up and smell themoderation. Their bolt to the farleft in the vain hope that being polaropposites of the president willwin them votes is ridiculous.Simply opposing Bush didn’twork in Novemberand won’t work inthe future. Bush andKarl Rove are workingon health-carereform to proposeafter Social Security.If they succeed,Democrats won’thave anything to runagainst in 2008.A shame really,since the lack of anincumbent president or vice presidentshould put the Oval Officeentirely within a Democrat’s reach.The scariest aspect of the party’sdownslide is it will leave thesocially conservative right-wing ofthe GOP without a strong opposition.Some moderate GOP members,like former EPA head ChristineTodd-Whitman, suggest a completelyimpotent Democratic Partywill allow conservatives to dominate.If Democrats don’t considerpolitical realignment and choosecentrists for candidates (like BillClinton, the only truly successfulDemocratic president since Truman)they are digging their ownshallow grave.Hillary Clinton may be popularamong the Democratic rank-and-file, but her liberal beliefs don’tappeal to most Americans.John Kerry, as well as JohnEdwards, are keeping presidentialhopes alive, but they are not rightfor 2008.A suggestion? Mark Warner,governor of mostly-RepublicanVirginia, knows how to appeal tomoderates.My choice, if the Democrat delegatescan stomach it, is Sen. JoeLieberman, [email protected]