Brendan Cavalier’s assertion that the country has moved to the right is totally unfounded (“Pelosi bad choice for party leader,” Nov. 18, pg. 3). On Nov. 5, the people spoke, but not, as he suggests, for Republicans. The majority stayed home. When 40 percent of the electorate votes, it is impossible to discern the political direction of the country. Moreover, garnering just over 20 percent of eligible voters does not spell victory for any party; it spells defeat for a country rooted in “by the people, for the people.” The midterm elections revealed a frightening level of apathy among eligible voters, not a mandate for the conservative agenda.
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is exactly what the Democrats need to energize disenchanted voters in 2004 and beyond. She will bring the party back to its roots by crafting a message that takes a definite, principled stand on social issues such as abortion and gun control, which were largely ignored in the midterm elections. She will remind her party to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, and she will prove to voters who want to live like Republicans that the best way to get there is to vote for Democrats.
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