I’ve been complaining for years now (along with everyone else) that Democrats will never win an election based upon just being the alternative to the GOP. I mean, it’s quite possible it will happen in November 2006 given the dramatic missteps, criminal activities and self-indulgence of the current crop of GOP-ers in power, but we can’t rely on that for this upcoming election cycle, and we certainly can’t rely on that after this election cycle.

Among other things, the Democrats really need to push the message of optimism to the American public — that tomorrow could be a whole new day, a brighter day. It has been plenty dark in America for several years now, and people are tired of bad news, rising costs of living, and political greed.

So yesterday, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy was on Meet The Press talking about his new book, America Back On Track, and he actually started offering some proposals — some big ideas that the Democrats should grab hold of and run with. One of the most important proposals he mentioned, and one that received a gasp from host Tim Russert, was that students entering high school should have a contract with the federal government that if they study hard and are accepted to college (he didn’t say if there were any restrictions on this — tech colleges? arts colleges?) that the government would guarantee to pay their way through college. Russert almost choked on his water, asking how Kennedy was going to pay for such a program — would Kennedy raise taxes to pay for this? The Senator suggested that if the tax structure under Clinton — a tax structure that led to the longest economic expansion in US history — was reinstated, it would pay for this. Russert did not seem convinced.

Now, I can’t remember if my parents actually had this as a motto or not, but it was drilled into my head from a relatively young age — education is always a wise investment.

Kennedy noted a recent study contracted by the VA that stated that the GI bill has returned $8 for every $1 invested in education for america’s youth.

Republicans are sure to balk at any suggestion that the government should be involved in paying for more education than it already does. After all, the way to keep people voting Republican is to keep them uneducated, keep them scared, and then convince them that the GOP is here to protect them against the evils of the world. And while they complain about the drain social programs put on the government, they certainly couldn’t continue to plunder the Federal Treasury if people were weren’t distracted by the War on Terror that’s currently costing us $10 billion per month in Iraq alone (lots of that money going to government contrators affiliated with the White House). I believe that an educated voter is always much more aware of any political slight-of-hand that is being attempted right in front of their eyes.

I’m not sure if the education card is the best one to play in the upcoming election, but I credit Kennedy for trying to push it. People in my neck of the woods have endured endless tax hikes due to school budget increases averaging just under 10% year-over-year. Add to that the fact that there have been a number of embezzlement scandals at numerous school districts across Long Island, and you can see why people are reluctant to spend any more money on public education.

People may be upset over the cost of public education, but I believe they still know how necessary it is. I think where you’ll find the greatest backlash against a plan like Kennedy’s would be when right-wingers decide they don’t want to spend government money on liberal arts colleges. It will have nothing to do with actual money, it will come down to personal decisions, and the fact that the GOP doesn’t want alert students of communcations. One college-level Media and Persuasion course would cure most people of their “FOX News” trance. But I digress…

The Democrats need to refocus the entire country — no mean feat — away from military supremacy and more toward self-sufficiency and self-improvement. Attempting military supremacy against the world (and the United States in particular) is the very thing that bankrupted the Soviet Union. With our present deficit, how much longer can we hold out? We need to cultivate the brightest and best in this country in preparation for tomorrow. The only way we can do that is by NOT being afraid to invest in education. Should a nation as supposedly wealthy as the United States claim that it cannot afford to adequately educate its citizens to compete in the global economy and scientific community?

How many billions of dollars that were given away in tax cuts meant to make the rich even richer could’ve helped people get a solid start in life by helping to fund a college education?