The question is on all Progressives’ lips: What can we — especially Democrats — do to find a mainstream issue that voters find unifying as well as appealing in a bi-partisan manner? Is there one that coincides with the core beliefs of Democrats? Is there an area where Republicans are clearly out of step with mainstream America and where Democrats can be seen as being in step?
The answer to all these questions may be found in the policy issue of Democratization, or the promotion of Democracy abroad. President Bush and the neoconservative leading faction of the Republican Party seemingly have abandoned cooperative and co-equal diplomacy and substituted aggressive promotion and establishment of so-called democratic governments as their main foreign policy thrust.
The success of this plank in the Republican platform under the neocons and this president can be deemed remarkably unsuccessful. One has only to look at the single and primary example — Iraq. That is why Democratization is a superb issue on which to oppose Republican candidates.
With that in mind, how popular is this (failed) policy with the American Public and what might that mean for Democratic candidates who are looking for an issue that will unite the country and garner support in the upcoming election cycles of 2006 and 2008?
[ACKNOWLEDGMENT: My main source for data to support the ideas in this diary is The Chicago Council on Foreign Relations report, “Americans on Supporting Democracy” of September 29, 2005. The Chicago Council on Foreign Relations (CCFR) is one of the largest independent, nonprofit international affairs organizations in the United States.]
[DISCLAIMER: Crossposted at DailyKos and reprinted here with some editing.]
Many of us remember Bush’s State of the Union speech of last year when he committed the United States to an active democratization program aimed at ending tyranny, and supposedly a primary source ot terrorism, in our world. All of us are aware of his and the Administration’s claim that the Iraq War was justified on the grounds of removing Saddam Hussein’s tyrannical regime and replacing it with a democratic alternative. Our troops and untold thousands of Iraqi citizens have died and are dying for that “cause.”
But fundamental questions exist as to
whether democracy should be viewed as a universal value, whether the United States should universally promote it, and if so whether it should use coercive tactics such as military force.
What do your fellow Americans — the mainstream — think about these issues? Do their opinions align with the values and positions of Progressive and Democratic candidates? Can Democratic and Progressive candidates benefit from mainstream opinion in the upcoming elections? Let’s look at specific questions and the responses to find out.
1. Promoting Democracy with Military Force
A majority rejects the idea of using military force to promote democracy, whether by overthrowing dictators or threatening countries with military force if they do not institute democratic reforms. 55% oppose, 35% favor.
Only 27% said that “using military force to overthrow a dictator” “does more good than harm,” while a 58% majority says this “does more harm than good.
And a larger majority rejects the idea of the US threatening countries with military force if they do not institute democratic reforms. And along party lines this issue broke down thusly:
Republicans deviated from the norm. A modest majority favored “using military force to overthrow a dictator” (52% in favor, 44% opposed). However, like the overall majority, a plurality of 48% said doing so does more harm than good (only 41% thought this “does more good than harm”). A majority of Republicans (59%) thought threatening countries does more harm than good as a method of promoting democracy.
Republicans are outside the mainstream on this very particular issue. The American public is aligned with the Democratic Party.
2. Iraq War
A large bipartisan majority says that establishing a democracy was not a good enough reason to go to war in Iraq. 19% overall said Yes, 35% of Republicans said Yes, 12% of Democrats said Yes. 74% overall said No, 60% of Republicans said No, and 86% of Democrats said no. Obviously, the Democrats have a win/win position if candidates will announce their opposition to the Iraq Debacle amongst their own party faithful as well as among Republicans. Additionally, Americans are educable when it comes to Adventurism to Promote Democracy. 72% indicate that they
feel worse about the possibility of using military force to bring about democracy in the future.
3. Benefits of Democracy
Americans are not convinced that when there are more democracies the world is a safer place. Republicans are a bit more convinced of the benefits of democracy, but only by a few percentage points. 68% feel democracy may make the world a better place, but not necessarily a safer place. This is important wording and the distinction should be emphasized by Democrats. Furthermore,
The case that democracy undermines support for terrorism did a bit better but was not persuasive to a majority. 45% concurred that “democracies better serve the needs of their people and thus people in democracies are less frustrated and less likely to support terrorist groups.” A modest majority of Republicans (53%) however did agree with the statement. Overall 46% opted instead for the view that “people support terrorist groups because of their convictions, and having a democratic government is not going to change that.”
Democrats can probably make convincing arguments to win Independent voters (as well as some less ideological Republican ones) to the point of view that ideological convictions are a greater factor in creating terrorists than the presence or absence of so-called democratic governments, particularly in the Middle East where the vast majority of terrorists who are a threat to America derive. Further, more Americans are not widely convinced (42%) that democratization will lead countries to become more friendly to the US. Republicans are more optimistic (53% as compared to 38% of Democrats) on this score, but not overwhelmingly.
4. Democracy as a Priority in US Foreign Policy
In general, a majority thinks that promoting democracy should be a goal but not a top priority of US foreign policy. This is a reasonable position that the Democrats should not shy away from adopting as their own. Nor should they allow Republicans to label them as wishy-washy for doing so, since it is reasonable and in line with the reality of our 20th Century history. No one disbelieves that America should be a “shining example.” After all, before the Bush Adminsitration and neocon ideology corrupted our American democracy at home and perverted its expression abroad, this was a universally held American attitude.
This is an examination of but four of the related questions out of eight that are covered in the Report. Other topics include:
* Promoting Democracy with Diplomatic and Cooperative Methods
A large majority favors the US promoting democracy through diplomatic and cooperative methods. . .However, a majority opposes using punitive or assertive methods for pressuring countries to become more democratic such as economic sanctions and supporting dissidents.
* Working through the UN
A large majority prefers working through the UN to promote democracy.
* Pressing for Human Rights
In contrast to more divided attitudes about pressuring countries to be more democratic, large majorities favor the US putting diplomatic pressure on governments to respect human rights, speaking out against human rights abuses, and encouraging other countries to do the same.
* Reservations about US Democracy
Some of the reservations Americans have about pressing countries to become more democratic may be derived from a lack of confidence that the US is an ideal democracy. Americans are clearly not satisfied with the level of US government responsiveness to the will of the public.
This last topic alone is tailor-made for Democratic candidates to build an important portion of their campaign on. They and the Party would be wise to take up the issue of Democratization as both a foreign and domestic policy issue in the upcoming election cycles. Now, candidates who will not shy away from coming out loud and proud in favor of the American mainstream when it comes to Democratization need to go out there and win on the basis of these points. Sure, it’s not the only issue on which to campaign but it is a sure-fire winning issue that has broad appeal with voters.
