Demagogue

This article in Thursday's New York Times explores whether Democrats are letting a golden opportunity pass by:

Democrats are heading into this year's elections in a position weaker than they had hoped for, party leaders say, stirring concern that they are letting pass an opportunity to exploit what they see as widespread Republican vulnerabilities.

... Asked to describe the health of the Democratic Party, Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said: "A lot worse than it should be. This has not been a very good two months."

... "I think that two-thirds of the American people think the country is going in the wrong direction," " said Senator Barack Obama ... "They're not sure yet whether Democrats can move it in the right direction."

Some Democrats said they favored remaining largely on the sidelines while Republicans struggled under the glare of a corruption inquiry.

Perhaps these Democrats aren't familiar enough with football, but someone should tell them: you can't score if you're standing on the sidelines.