Democratic presidential contender Bill Richardson was discussing his health care plan recently when he paused to toss out a question and a request. "How will I pay for it? Ask me!"
He was asked and quickly obliged with an answer.
The Democrats who are running for president are flush with policy proposals, position papers and fact sheets. The leading Republican contenders, not so much.
Rudy Giuliani has his "12 Commitments." Mitt Romney has his "Strategy for a Stronger America." John McCain still serves up his "straight talk." But, whether by design or default, they leave far more to the imagination than do the Democrats in discussing the big issues.
For the Democrats, it is as if one candidate lays out a plan and others feel compelled to answer with their own. In contrast, the Republicans are more inclined to hold their fire.
"Democrats are trying to prove who's the most committed," said Steven Smith, a political scientist at Washington University in St. Louis. "Vagueness is seen as a sign of weakness."
John Edwards set the bar for Democrats when he released his detailed health care plan in February. When Hillary Rodham Clinton released hers last week, Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, pointedly noted that Clinton was "the last one out of the box."
"And then for her to come up with one that looks like John's, it's almost as if she hasn't been willing to have the courage independently to be a leader on these things," Elizabeth Edwards said.
On a host of issues, the Democrats wade deep into the weeds.
Edwards' education plan includes a provision to raise teacher pay in high-poverty areas;
Clinton's 10-point recovery plan for the Gulf Coast includes a proposal for a federal-state-local board that would hire thousands of workers and apprentices;
Barack Obama's environmental platforms includes a proposal to help automakers with health care costs if they participate in a program to build more hybrids.
In general, the GOP candidates have been content to snipe at the Democrats' specifics while avoiding putting out too many of their own. It may be that the Democrats feel more emboldened to detail policy proposals because the political climate tends to favor their more activist approach right now.
The Democrats, Smith said, believe "the tide is in their favor and there's less risk in being more specific."
Democrats may fault the Republicans for a lack of ideas, but there is strategic merit to holding some political cards close to the vest.
| • | Democratic candidates are packing specifics into some proposals while GOP keeps powder dry
Associated Press, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007 Byline: Nancy Benac, Associated Press Writer |
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