HuffPost Readers: As Divided as the Democrats

This last set of comments helps explain why the Democratic Party is having such a tough time coming up with a unified platform for the fall elections. Some seem to think the way to win is by tacking to the center, others believe the party should shift to the left, and a sizeable chunk have given up on the current political system altogether. (I have to say I'm a little surprised that readers seem much more exercised about the 2004 presidential race in Ohio than the fact that the outcome of more than 90 percent of House races are predetermined by gerrymandering.) These differences are difficult to overcome, and I'm not sure which politician is going to bring these factions together either this year or in 2008.

A few specific reactions: one reader seems to think I'm questioning MoveOn right to lauch a campaign against Rep. Nancy Johnson. That's not true, I was just saying it's interesting it's had such a concrete impact on her approval rating, given her long congressional tenure. And while another reader makes a good point by saying that moderate Republicans run a risk in voting for conservative proposals, I wasn't questioning that. I was pointing out Democrats will have a hard time governing in 2007 if they actually win back the House, since they will have a small margin of control and will no longer have as many concilatory Republicans in the chamber.

I did see Al Gore last night, as I mentioned, at a preview of the movie, "An Inconvenient Truth." The film provides a good sense of how Gore has focused for the past couple of years on trying to make Americans confront a difficult subject, and how he's clearly moved on from the controversy surrounding the 2000 election. At this point, he just wants to force people to accept the fact that the globe is warming at a rapid rate, and take action to stop it.